Meet Michael Hayes
Throughout the year we like to shine a spotlight on some of our amazing staff. We thought you’d like to get to know the people behind the Avenue Inn and Spa. They are the heart of our hotel and why we achieve incredible accolades and high Trip Advisor ratings. We interviewed Michael Hayes, the General Manager at the Avenue Inn and Spa recently to continue with our series. Here’s the inside scoop!
On the Job
When did you start working at the hotel and what attracted you to the position?
MH: I started in April and it really was the great staff and guest reviews that attracted me too the Avenue Inn. I had been working at a Marriott Branded Hotel for the last 3 years and really wanted to get back into Independent Hotels. So, the appeal to work at one of the Top 20 rated TripAdvisor hotels in the country was too good to pass up.
Where and when did your career in hospitality start?
MH: I started in college working at a 4-diamond rated Golf Resort “Stonewall Resort” in Lewis County, WV in the retail department.
What is the toughest part of your job right now?
MH: The toughest part of my job is also the most rewarding part of my job – The guests! Both Internal Guests and External Guests. Internal Guests are the associates of the Hotel and the External are the actual hotel guests. I am always striving to make sure both guests are treated well, and the service is extraordinary.
The Good Stuff
What has been your greatest success thus far in your career?
MH: Being a 2020 nominee for the American Hotel and Lodging Association Stars of the Industry award. Also running the #1 rated Aloft Hotel in the Marriott system for Three months before the Pandemic began.
What was your fondest memory of a customer?
MH: My fondest memory was of a guest I had when I was a Front Office Manager at the Waterfront Place Hotel in Morgantown, WV. I had a guest stay every weekend for a year! I got to know her so well that when my daughter Ella Rose was born, she bought us baby clothes for her
Personally Speaking
What do you like to do in your spare time?
MH: I love going to the Beach and that is why I live here. 😊 I love bowling and also dining out in new restaurants.
What is one thing very few people know about you?
MH: I have a degree in History, and I helped restore a B&O Railroad station for the National Park Service in Grafton, WV.
Who do you admire, or look up to, and why?
MH: Winston Churchill – he was one of the most inspiring leaders and led a nation through the darkest time in its history.
