Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Coward.
Michael, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started bussing tables at the Olive Garden in Reno, Nevada when I was 16. Then I started going to school to become a lawyer, but a friend of mine’s family owned hotels and casinos in northern Nevada. So I went to work for them meeting tour buses and stayed for 7 years where I ran their hotels and restaurants.
A mentor of mine told me if I want to be in this business I need to work in Las Vegas. So I moved to Vegas and spent 18 years working in hotels and casinos in various leadership positions. My wife and I grew tired of the Vegas scene so we moved to Atlanta where I worked for IHG’s corporate office for 5 years. I was restless in corporate life and wanted to get back to running hotels, so I took a job running hotels in Athens.
In March of 2017, I was given the amazing opportunity to be the General Manager of the Graduate Athens. My success is based on this principle for guests: “what you do today to knock their socks off is what they come to expect tomorrow.” My job is to give my team the tools and resources to be successful to be problem solvers and also take care of the team first because then they will take care of the guest.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Prior to the hotel becoming a Graduate Property, we went through a full-scale renovation of all public spaces, guestrooms and dining venues of the existing building. This transformation served as a great moment for us as a property to appeal to a new clientele and grow our business. It was also important to also communicate this change to our existing, loyal guests in a way that made them feel continually welcomed to the new “Graduate Athens.” Once they walked into the fresh space, any concern disappeared.
One thing we still aim to work on is making guests aware that we still offer an on-site spa, which is full service. Though the word “spa” is no longer in the formal hotel name, it is still an offering that we are proud to provide the city of Athens!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Graduate Athens – what should we know?
Graduate Athens is one of Graduate Hotels’ ten college-anchored hotels. Created for travelers who seek memory-making journeys, Graduate Hotels are part of a well-curated, thoughtfully crafted collection of hotels that reside in the most dynamic, university-anchored towns across the country. Each property celebrates and commemorates the optimistic energy of its community while offering an extended retreat to places that often-played host to the best days of our lives.
What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
Graduate Athens prides itself on its commitment to serving the Athens community as well as its guests. As a hotel, we look to celebrate the history of the town and its culture, while providing a local hotspot for dining, music, or a comfortable and inspiring place to work. We are a hotel for Athens, not just a hotel in Athens, and hope to be a part of our guests’ college memories and experiences.
How do you, personally, define success? What are your criteria, the markers you’re looking out for, etc?
We truly aim to be the living room of Athens, Georgia. For us, we gauge that success by seeing our lobby full of UGA students and by a high rate of return bookings.
Contact Info:
- Address: 295 East Dougherty St Athens, GA 30601
- Website: graduateathens.com
- Phone:404-558-8672
- Email:info@graduateathens.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/graduateathens
- Facebook: facebook.com/graduateathens
- Other: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g29209-d242422-Reviews-Graduate_Athens-Athens_Georgia.html
Image Credit:
June Bird Photography
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