“There are benefits to participating in a tradition that has lasted for as long as the Pfister has,” said Peter Mortensen, chief concierge at The Pfister Hotel. Mortensen has worked at the hotel 25 years.

Every president since Harry S. Truman has stayed at the Pfister, Mortensen said. He once gave a late-night tour to President Bill Clinton, who was enthralled with the hotel’s art collection. “But it is actually the people whose names you have never heard of that really illuminate the experience of this hotel,” he said.

Mortensen began working at the Pfister in 1986 after spending time as a performer. “My job is to be the best friend of everyone who comes here,” he said, and to help people experience the Milwaukee they want to see.

As a concierge, Mortensen hopes that when people ask him for help, his answers reflect their interests. He said he may point out the 19th century architecture in downtown buildings and suggest an afternoon walking tour or direct a guest to a local shop to try frozen custard for the first time.

“Milwaukee is such a rich city with so much to see and do,” he said. He doesn’t reveal his own background to guests so they don’t hesitate to ask him any question. He said he doesn’t want anyone to feel he can’t be approached about any topic.

“I get to use my people skills and creativity,” he said, in an age in which people expect immediate results. People often download information from the Web and come to Milwaukee with a list of things to see and do. Mortensen said he reminds people that visiting Milwaukee is an experience not an exam. If they tell him what they enjoy, he helps them find the Milwaukee that will always stay with them.

“In this society, where what you were attached to two weeks ago might be gone, places like the Pfister give people a sense of place and belonging.”