Kelli Sahara has been appointed account director – catering in the catering and events department of the Marriott International – Waikiki Complex of properties owned by Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts.
Sahara, who started her hospitality career with Kyo-ya more than 10 years ago, is now the primary sales contact for large local groups that are looking to hold their non-profit, charity galas and events at three of Kyo-ya’s beachfront properties in Waikiki, including the Sheraton Waikiki, The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort and Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa. She most recently was a sales manager in catering, working primarily with destination weddings. Prior to that, she was a coordinator in the complex sales department; early in her career, she was also a concierge at The Royal Hawaiian and served as host help at Azure Restaurant at The Royal Hawaiian. She has won numerous commendations over the years, including “Most Living the Brand” during her management training program, and honorable mention for Front Desk Person of the Year in the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association’s (HLTA) Na Po‘e Pa‘ahana Awards.
Sahara, a native of Mililani, O‘ahu, holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling from Chaminade University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Hawai‘i-Mānoa, and is on the board of the HLTA’s Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs program. She is a graduate of Mid-Pacific Institute.
