A charismatic figure from the Golden Age of Bermuda’s tourism industry, Bodo von Alvensleben, has died in Geneva, Switzerland, aged 84.He was remembered by longtime friend and former Tourism Minister CV (Jim) Woolridge as “a hotelier extraordinaire”.“Bodo was born to be in that field,” said Mr Woolridge. “During his time in Bermuda — which extended from the ‘50s through the ‘70s — the Island enjoyed its halcyon days as a tourism destination.“He certainly played a role in cementing Bermuda’s reputation as an upmarket resort destination.”Brought to Bermuda in 1953 to manage Waterloo House, Mr von Alvensleben later became synonymous with the Hamilton Princess after he was taken on by its owner, American billionaire Daniel K Ludwig, to open and manage the newly restored hotel in 1964.He also managed the Reefs and Elbow Beach Hotel as well as working at the Coral Beach Club.Added Mr Woolridge: “Bodo loved Bermuda, and he helped a lot of people, including a nephew of mine, who wanted to move on in the hotel business.”Last visiting the Island in 2007, Mr von Alvensleben was feted by an enormous number of old colleagues and co-workers, many of whom had been shepherded through the industry by the man they knew as “Mr Bodo”.He helped found the Bermuda Hotel School — later incorporated into the Bermuda College — and belonged to the American Society of Travel Agents and Bermuda Chamber of Commerce.Daughter Elide von Alvensleben said her father’s last request was to have his ashes scattered in Bermuda.“This is where his heart is, where his legacy was created,” she told The Royal Gazette.Born in Lugano, Switzerland after his Prussian family was driven out of Germany by the Nazi regime, Mr von Alvensleben was mentored by the Primus Bon family of hoteliers in Zurich.A believer in working from the bottom up, “Mr Bodo” started his hotel career as a waiter in London’s Brown’s Hotel.During an apprenticeship in Canada, Mr von Alvensleben scored a bit part in the Western film “River of No Return” alongside Marilyn Monroe. A keen socialite, he later counted former US President Richard Nixon among his friends.His daughter said “Mr Bodo” specialised in restoring troubled hotels.“He used to fall in love with hotels, rather than seeing them simply as a source of profit,” she said. “He also loved people, especially young people with ambitions in the hospitality service, and he would do his utmost to promote any young Bermudian seeking a foothold in the business — if they really wanted to make a career out of it.”Spending 1953 to 1975 in Bermuda, Mr von Alvensleben remained especially devoted to the Hamilton Princess Hotel.He later stewarded major hotels in the Dominican Republic.In New York, where his second daughter Chantal was born, he managed the exclusive Waldorf Towers. Later he returned to Switzerland to manage the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne.According to Ms von Alvensleben, “Mr Bodo” was working on a memoir, entitled “Five Stars”, at the time of his death.In the manuscript, he wrote: “To remain in the hotel business and be successful, it is imperative to love human beings. Every guest should feel like a king or a queen — everyone must be treated like a VIP.”Mr von Alvensleben passed away peacefully on Saturday evening while being treated in hospital for pneumonia.His funeral in Geneva has yet to be arranged, his daughter said.She hopes also to put a memorial in place at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, and establish a hospitality scholarship in her father’s honour.