Housekeeping Didn't Come
Lessons from the road, the classroom, and the minibar.
Welcome to Housekeeping Didn’t Come — where hospitality, adventure, and a little chaos all check in for the night.
Hosted by Rob W. Powell, former casino exec, improv comic, mountaineer, and hospitality professor (aka the Indiana Jones of hospitality education), this podcast dives into the wild, weird, and wonderfully human side of the hospitality world. From luxury lodges to national park cabins, cruise ships to classroom chaos, we explore what it really takes to deliver unforgettable guest experiences—and what happens when things go hilariously off script.
Whether you're a student, a hospitality pro, a curious traveler, or just here for the stories, you'll find something to love. Expect candid interviews, bite-sized insights, unforgettable blunders, and the kind of wisdom that only comes from years in the trenches (and a few nights without housekeeping).
So grab a coffee (or a cocktail), and join Rob as he unpacks the business of making people feel welcome, even when the bed isn’t made.
Housekeeping Didn't Come
From Summit to Service: How Climbing Kilimanjaro Taught Me About Hospitality Management S1E3
Mountaineering and hospitality management share surprising parallels in guest experience, team dynamics, logistics, and leadership under pressure. From climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to managing hotel operations, both require meticulous attention to detail and a deeply human approach to creating memorable experiences.
• Guest journey similarities include managing pre-trip anxiety and delivering on high expectations
• Support teams form the backbone of both experiences – porters and guides on mountains, housekeepers and staff at hotels
• Logistics and detailed planning are critical to success in both environments
• Leadership under stress separates great operators from good ones
• Both fields require understanding the human element behind operations
• In hospitality as in mountaineering, details create the path to satisfaction
Next time we'll explore what hotels, resorts and restaurants can learn from adventure operators.
Today, I want to explain how mountaineering, or climbing a mountain, relates directly to teaching hospitality management. Welcome to Housekeeping. Didn't Come where hospitality, adventure and business collide. I'm Rob Powell, entrepreneur, adventure traveler and hospitality instructor at the University of Arkansas Hospitality Management Program. Back in 2022, I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. The summit is 19,341 feet above sea level. It's the highest peak in Africa, but it's not a technical climb. Instead, it's a test of logistics, endurance, teamwork and leadership, exactly like running a hospitality operation.
Speaker 1:Now let's draw a few parallels, starting with the guest journey. Just like a resort guest, as you would imagine, every climber has some level of pre-trip anxiety. So do resort guests. You also have high expectations, not only of yourself, but of the trip and of the adventure you're going through. Then you can have moments of fear and discomfort I know I certainly did and you'll also have some level of desire for personal achievement. That was my driving factor when I climbed Kilimanjaro and it is my driving factor on every adventure that I go through Well, most every adventure. Now, if you're in operations in the hospitality world or you're a mountaineering guide, your job is to anticipate these moments, build confidence and create small wins along the way.
Speaker 1:The second parallel is the team behind the scenes, the support group, the unsung heroes On Kilimanjaro or any mountaineering adventure. The porters carry the gear, the cooks prepare hot meals, the guides monitor altitude, sickness and weather conditions. Every role matters. I had a team of six people supporting me on my latest climb. It's identical to a hotel Housekeepers prepare the rooms, line cooks prepare the kitchen, front desk agents handle guest requests. Now, true hospitality leaders understand that service excellence comes from a team of coordinators, not individual heroics. Another commonality between mountaineering and hospitality is the logistics. They are everything On the mountain. Every detail matters Water purification, food supplies, tents, gear, medical checks, weather windows and timing. One mistake can jeopardize the entire climb. In hospitality it's the same Staffing schedules, maintenance, food cost control, guest flow and operational efficiency, just to name a few. The best operators are quietly obsessive about details.
Speaker 1:And the final parallel I'd like to draw is about leadership, not just general leadership, but leadership under stress. On summit night things get real Fatigue weather, altitude. Your ability to stay calm, communicate and encourage your team makes all the difference. That's leadership. Hospitality managers face their own summit nights regularly Overbooked hotels, short staffing, guest complaints, equipment failures. And more. Leadership is earned during those hard shifts, not the easy ones. These are some of the things I try to teach every semester. My students at the University of Arkansas learn about financial statements, marketing and operations, but I also want them to understand that this business is deeply human the ability to lead under pressure matters and details are the path to guest satisfaction. Whether you're climbing a mountain or running a lodge, you're managing unpredictable conditions, delivering comfort and helping people accomplish something memorable. Now, in our next episode, I'll flip the script. What can hotels, resorts and restaurants learn from adventure operators? See you next time.