Professional Profiles
Michael Rice
Vice President of Hotel Operations
Mike graduated from Michigan State University with a major in Hospitality Business in 1991. He began his career in downtown Chicago with Renaissance Hotels and Resorts holding positions in room service, banquets, culinary, stewarding, and restaurant operations over a span of seven years. He also managed the in-house laundry and served as the Director of Housekeeping before moving on to run a private catering company in Oak Park, Illinois
In 1998, he returned to his passion of hotel operations re-opening the historic Allerton Crowne Plaza on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago. Following a move to his home state of Michigan, he joined Marriott International and worked as the Director of Rooms Operations in downtown Detroit. In 2002, he accepted a position with the Hayman Company and currently serves as the General Manager at the Quality Suites Hotel in Lansing, Michigan and takes on other hotel related asset management and portfolio assignments.
His current property in Lansing has been certified as a Green Lodging Steward by the State of Michigan's Energy Office and was just awarded the 2009 Platinum Award by Choice Hotels International. This award recognizes only the top 3% of over 5000 hotels for excellence in facilities, service, and hospitality. On TripAdvisor.com, a consumer-driven website for hotel reviews, his hotel ranks #1 out of all 25 Lansing-area hotels and 5th in the entire State of Michigan.
Mike received the Emerging Alumnus of the Year Award from Michigan State University in 2004 and was designated as a Certified Hotel Administrator by the Educational Institute in 2005. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for both the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitor's Bureau and the Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association.
Mike and his hotel staff currently perform annual charitable work the Lansing Area United Way, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Ele's Place - a healing center in Lansing exclusively for grieving children.