Hawaii Pacific University College of Business students visited The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay on March 4 as part of a field trip organized by Associate Professor Michelle Alarcon. The visit was hosted by Joey Woofter, an alumnus and Resort Manager at the hotel.
The field trip aimed to give students practical insights into the hospitality industry and management practices at a luxury resort. Students were able to connect classroom learning with real-world experience through guided tours and direct interaction with Woofter.
Woofter has served as Resort Manager for over five years and graduated from HPU’s College of Business in 2003 with a degree in hotel and tourism management. He shared his professional journey with the students, crediting his education for inspiring his career path. During the tour, Woofter provided an overview of the resort’s operations, accommodations, and guest experience strategies. Students expressed appreciation for learning about how details contribute to high-quality service at luxury hotels.
Following property tours that included special room visits and discussions about pricing and customer value, Woofter led a conference room session focused on hands-on management lessons. One student said, “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.”
Woofter emphasized key aspects such as trust within teams, open communication, networking in hospitality careers, and building independent teams capable of maintaining standards even when managers are away. Another student reflected on this point: “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.”
The off-campus experience allowed HPU students to see firsthand how management systems operate in high-end hotels while reinforcing their academic studies.
