The days start early and sometime go late, when taking care of your 'ohana is your primary responsibility.

You have to take your role very seriously, be up and working before they awaken, and provide comfort and safety for them all the time. And expect every day will bring new people, new challenges, new opportunities and big successes for all of our 'ohana.

For us, our 'ohana, our family, consists of our staff of four, our owner, and dozens of local gay-friendly vendors that wash our laundry and tend to our gardens. We are the Maui Sunseeker LGBT Resort. But, the most important members of our 'ohana are the hundreds of guests that visit our hotel every year.

How can strangers be part of the 'ohana?

Many guests return year after year because they feel so at home here. While many may not return regularly, we know they carry the memory of the time we shared together.

Being a gay-owned and operated hotel right on the shore of Kihei, we love our demographic. Our client makeup has its own beautiful diversity of LGBT people as well as some straight people. We call ourselves straight friendly. It fits us well as we don’t discriminate, ever. All are welcome in our 'ohana.

For the staff and management of the Maui Sunseeker LGBT Resort, we find our days filled with fun and exciting stories. Some days it's so hard to get all the work done because we so enjoy the time our guests share with us, but somehow it all gets done.

We wanted our owner, Chuck Spence, to be in the photo with the staff of Joe, Chris, Tommie and our manager, Michael, but Chuck couldn’t be on island for the shoot.

So we propped him up in a photo to the right of us and then roared with laughter as it resembled a funeral dirge rather than a story of interest. We took his photo out as we realized that while he is integral to the hotel, so are the hundreds of guests that make up our 'ohana.

So we now know the physical picture of our 'ohana will never be complete, except in the memories of all of us and that completes us.

It is so interesting to watch the dynamics and relationships between our guests.

Many meet for the first time at the hotel and become life-long friends. Many keep up with each other via our hotel Facebook page. Who knew we would become an avenue of interconnection long after the vacation is over for our guests?

Our favorite time is sunset on the rooftop, when everyone comes back from their day of snorkeling or hiking or just laying on the beach and they bring their drinks to the roof to say good night to the sun and share the fun and excitement of the day and laugh away the night while basking in the beautiful sunset. Something about being in the last time zone of the world makes it so complete, so peaceful and fulfilling.

What is so enriching to us?

Knowing we provide a venue for people to be themselves, to hold hands, to kiss without any repercussions, funny looks or disparaging remarks. Watching our 'ohana enjoy our paradise and most importantly, feeling free by the Sea.

This is what truly makes us an 'ohana of Hundreds.•