Michael Leven, president and chief operating officer of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., was honored last month with the Americas Lodging Investment Summit’s lifetime achievement award. A veteran hospitality executive, Leven has spent more than 50 years in the hotel business.
The award is ALIS’ highest honor, recognizing individuals with an exemplary record of achievement in hospitality through research, education, community outreach and industry development.
Throughout his career, Leven has been involved with numerous hospitality projects. He was previously the president and COO of Holiday Inn Worldwide, president of Days Inn of America, and president of Americana Hotels. Additionally, he was the president and CEO of U.S. Franchise Systems, a company he founded in 1995 that developed and franchised the Microtel Suites and Hawthorn Suites hotel brands. He also co-founded the Asian American Hotel Owners Association in 1989, helping grow the association from a mere 12 members to 9,300 members today.
