"Aloha”: study on the representation of the service cycle in the series The White Lotus

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29147/revhosp.v22.1269

Keywords:

hospitality, service cycle, The White Lotus, image analysis, hotel management

Abstract

This study analyzes the first episode of the series The White Lotus (2021), exploring the representation of hospitality and the role of the hotel professional in service delivery. Considering the work’s impact as a motivator of travel and a shaper of perceptions about tourism, the study investigates how hospitality is portrayed as a symbolic and social experience. The analysis focuses on scenes that compose the narrative of the manager Armond, who is responsible for accompanying guests at the resort, examining how his actions reflect the stages of the service cycle proposed by Guizi (2022). The research adopts a qualitative approach, grounded in Rose’s (2002) analysis of moving images and complemented by a semiotic approach, in order to understand how audiovisual media can reinforce or challenge professional practices and ethical values within the sector. The work is interpreted not merely as entertainment but as an instrument of social critique, revealing tensions among empathy, hierarchy, and professionalism. Thus, the study contributes to the academic field by proposing the use of cultural products as analytical and pedagogical resources, highlighting their potential to foster interdisciplinary debates and reflections on media’s social responsibility, as well as to inspire more authentic, inclusive, and humanized hospitality practices in contemporary hotel management.

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Author Biographies

João Vitor Santos DA SILVA, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE)

Graduate student in the Postgraduate Program in Hospitality and Tourism at the Federal University of Pernambuco (PPHTur/UFPE). Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality from the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB). Professional experience in hospitality and tourism, with a focus on hotel governance, image analysis, active methodologies, and gamification in hospitality education. Proven project management skills as former Director of Projects at the Hospitality and Tourism Junior Enterprise (HoTur), in addition to participation in academic events and extension projects. Publications in journals and conferences on innovation and management in the hotel sector.

Sérgio Rodrigues Leal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco

Associate Professor at the Department of Hospitality and Tourism and Permanent Faculty Member of the Graduate Program in Hospitality and Tourism at UFPE.
Bachelor’s degree in Tourism with an MBA in Service Marketing from UFPE, Master’s degree in Tourism from James Cook University (Australia), and Ph.D. in Tourism from the University of Surrey (United Kingdom), with a postdoctoral fellowship at Breda University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands).

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Published

2025-12-28

How to Cite

DA SILVA, J. V. S., & Leal, S. R. (2025). "Aloha”: study on the representation of the service cycle in the series The White Lotus. Revista Hospitalidade, 22, 1269. https://doi.org/10.29147/revhosp.v22.1269

Issue

Revista Hospitalidade v. 22 - 2025

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 João Vitor Santos Da Silva, Sérgio Rodrigues Leal

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