The Hospitality Academy of Maui celebrated its grand opening on the University of Hawaii Maui College campus Monday. The new “learning lab” is designed to give students hands-on training through partnerships between the college and local hotels and resorts. Photos courtesy UH Maui College

University of Hawaii Maui College officials and local hospitality leaders are celebrating the opening of a new learning lab that gives students hands-on experience in the visitor industry.

The Hospitality Academy of Maui, designed to develop future leaders in the hospitality industry, held its grand opening Monday at UH Maui College.

“This is yet another example of our college’s commitment to training a workforce that can meet our community’s future needs in all fields and because we believe the demand for skilled hospitality professionals has never been greater,” UH Maui College Chancellor Lui Hokoana said in a statement.

The academy grew out of the college’s Hospitality & Tourism Program, or HOST, which partnered with its advisory committee to create a fully functioning “lab hotel” to train Maui’s future workforce.

“What truly sets this program apart is the strength of our industry partnerships, paired with cutting-edge technology and hands-on learning,” said Lorelle Peros, a professor and chair of the Business and Hospitality Department. “Students will train on the same OPERA Cloud system used by luxury hotels worldwide, experience guest service scenarios that reflect real operational flow and take part in interactive simulations that build practical skills in both operations and revenue management.”

The building was completed with a meeting room, lobby, front desk and five guest rooms that have each been “adopted” by a resort or hotel. The individual properties all outfitted their rooms so they contain their own branding elements such as proprietary colors, amenities and furniture design. Each room also acknowledges the hotel or resort’s contribution to the project with a plaque or another form of physical recognition.

Individual Room
The Hospitality Academy of Maui features five rooms that have each been “adopted” by a local resort or hotel to help prepare students for careers in the hospitality industry. Photos courtesy UH Maui College

The partners include the Sheraton MAui Resort & Spa, Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, Maui Bay Villas and Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, as well as the lobby sponsor Andaz Maui and coffee bar sponsor Maui Beach Hotel.

“Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa is honored to partner with the UHMC HOST Program to implement a training environment that allows for emerging hospitality leaders to cultivate essential skills through hands-on experiences that will prepare them for the fast-paced and multi-faceted nature of a career in hospitality,” said Tets Yamazaki, general manager of the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and HOST Advisory Committee co-chair.