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3 people, 2 waving Shaka
Sellers, middle, with Wayfinder Waikīkī Executive Housekeeper Noah Kepilino, left, and Front Office Manager Wade Takano, a Kapiʻolani CC HOST graduate

With an eye towards improving curriculum for her students, Kapiʻolani Community College Associate Professor Kawehi Sellers got up close and personal with more than 15 hotels across Hawaiʻi, California, Nevada and Japan, where she conducted in-depth inspections of public areas and guest rooms.

Sellers’ mission, over a six-month sabbatical in 2024, was to enhance the HOST 150 – Housekeeping Operations course. She researched the current state of the hotel industry’s housekeeping operations, including best practices, trends, human resource challenges, and sustainability initiatives, to provide students with cutting-edge, practical knowledge.

person in front of Royal Hawaiian Hotel
Sellers in front of the historic Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

“Hotel rooms are the foundation of a hotel’s product,” Sellers said.

From carpet to ceiling, molding to mold, and bathrooms to balconies, she examined every detail of hotel rooms, documenting her findings through videos and virtual tours.

Her research covered topics such as innovations in post-COVID housekeeping, workforce challenges and effective resource management. These findings have been seamlessly integrated into the HOST 150 curriculum, enabling students to move beyond textbook learning to engage with real-world scenarios through videos, readings and interactive activities.

She highlighted the immense pride and dedication of housekeepers and their managers, who work tirelessly to ensure rooms meet and exceed guests’ expectations. This perspective is now central to her teaching, inspiring students to appreciate housekeeping as a vital and rewarding career path in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Workforce development is one of the University of Hawaiʻi System Strategic Plan’s four imperatives.

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