HPU COLLEGE OF BUSINESS STUDENTS TOUR THE RITZ-CARLTON OAHU, TURTLE BAY

HPU College of Business students in HPU Associate Professor Michelle Alarcon's, J.D., MBA, human resource management class were recently guests of College of Business alumnus Joey Woofter during a field trip at The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay on March 4.

Woofter has been the Resort Manager at the iconic Turtle Bay, one of Oahu's top-rated resorts, for over 5 years. He earned his bachelor's degree in hotel and tourism management (HTM) in the College of Business in 2003. Prior to Ritz Carlton, Woofter was director of rooms for Omni Hotels and Resorts. He also worked for other top hotels such as Hyatt Regency and the Grand Hyatt. Woofter credits his HTM degree with inspiring him to pursue a career in the hotel industry and thanks some of his professors for key lessons he says he still quotes and uses in his current leadership role.

Students and Alarcon were very pleased with the hospitality and wonderful experience Woofter provided them. The students enjoyed the various aspects of the tour starting with the warm welcome and good introduction overview Woofter gave about the hotel industry. Students noted how well he started with general information about the resort, explained the concept of the hotel, the different types of accommodations, and how the resort creates different experiences for guests. Students also shared that they were fascinated to learn how a luxury resort is structured and how many details are involved in creating a high-quality guest experience.

Everyone was happy with the special guided room tours that followed, along with the various special areas in the property, where Woofter explained the unique aspects of each one, including price, value, and customers.

After the property tour, Woofter organized a special meeting in the conference room where he gave students very valuable and practical hands-on management lessons and allowed students the opportunity to ask questions.

One student reflected that "this part of the visit was especially valuable to me because Joey shared a lot about his personal experiences as a manager. He explained how he leads his team and what is important to him as a leader."

Students noted several key management lessons they took away from Woofter's lecture and tour. He emphasized that management is much more than simply being the person in charge and stressed the importance of trust within a team. A good manager stays connected with their team, communicates openly, and ensures everyone is on the same page.

Woofter also highlighted how important connections and networking are to a successful career in hospitality. Central to his leadership philosophy was the idea of building a strong and independent team, one that can work on its own and support each other, so that the hotel runs smoothly and maintains high service standards even when the manager is not present. Woofter also stressed the value of building good relationships with employees by getting to know them and connecting with them personally.

Several students said Woofter's lessons on team building and independence left a strong impression. "Something Joey said that I will take with me is that a good manager understands that the hotel will run smoothly even when they are away," one student shared. "This is because a strong manager takes the time to train their team, share knowledge, and ensures that everyone understands their responsibilities and goals." Another student echoed this sentiment: "A good manager wants to be able to take a vacation and know that everything will run smoothly without his direct supervision — this demonstrated the importance of a manager empowering employees and fostering a strong team culture."

This off-classroom experience gave HPU students an invaluable lesson that shows the actual various aspects of this high-end hotel and how management systems work in real life, which really helped to bring our classroom lessons to life.

To learn more about the HPU College of Business, go to: www.hpu.edu/cob.