Everything is more fun when shared with a friend. It’s especially true at the world’s largest hot springs pool in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where you can soak, relax and play to your heart’s content all year long. However, there are two special days on the calendar at Glenwood Hot Springs Resort. This spring, active pool pass holders and athletic club members can bring one friend to the pool for free on April 17 and April 20. Both members and guests must enter through the pool lobby.
This spring’s Bring a Friend events are in honor of the late Henry “Hank” Bosco, who began serving on Glenwood Hot Springs Resort’s board of directors in 1956, became general manager in 1976, and retired from the board in 2015 at age 92 after stints as president and chairman of the board. He passed away two years later in 2017.
In 2009, Hank was inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame. Six years later, the Glenwood Springs City Council honored him for lifetime achievements with a state-issued proclamation declaring April 17 as Hank Bosco Day. So, it is only appropriate that one of the Glenwood Hot Springs Resort’s Bring a Friend Days is happening on April 17!
A Rich Legacy
Hank was known for spreading joy everywhere, from the hotel lobby where he worked in his youth to the boardroom at Glenwood Hot Springs Resort. A Glenwood Springs native, Bosco was born in 1922 and lived and worked in his family’s hotel, Star Hotel on Seventh Street. In 1938, his parents purchased the adjacent Denver Hotel so Bosco spent his youth learning the the hospitality industry and the value of providing top-notch customer service.
After graduating from high school in 1940, he attended the University of Colorado, enlisted in the Army Reserves during his junior year and saw action in Europe during WWII. Upon returning to Glenwood Springs, Hank and his father expanded Denver Hotel. He married Dorothy “Dottie” Cowles in 1950, and their family grew to include four children.
In 1956, a community-altering opportunity presented itself. Frank Kistler, then owner of the Hot Springs Pool decided to sell. There were concerns the pool would become privately owned and permanently closed to the public. To prevent this outcome, Bosco and 21 other families scraped together enough cash to make the down payment to purchase the Hot Springs Pool, which was in dire need of repair. Bosco and other board members reinvested profits and reinvigorated the iconic landmark that opened in 1888.
While Bosco had a head for business, his heart was invested in the well-being of Glenwood Springs. He served on the Planning and Zoning Commission and Valley View Hospital Association Board of Directors and was a city councilor and a member of the Elks Lodge and Club 20. Bosco was also involved with Community on the Move and served on the boards of both First National Bank and Mesa National Bank.
Hank was fond of saying, “Anything I may have accomplished during my lifetime, I owe to the blessing of being able to surround myself with so many close friends, fellow employees and advisors.”
Making a Difference
Like Bosco, Glenwood Hot Springs Resort strives to be a good community citizen, donating to many local organizations, sponsoring the annual Strawberry Days Festival and giving college scholarships to area students.
Hats off to people like Hank who make a difference and to the resort’s pool pass holders and athletic club members. Bring a friend and enjoy a blissful day in the mineral-rich hot springs surrounded by smiling faces and beautiful mountain vistas. All members and their guests must enter together through the pool lobby to utilize this special promotion.