Halekulani hotel
Encyclopedia
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
located on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
. It has 453 rooms in five buildings on 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) of property. Halekulani is a Hawaiian
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
word meaning "House Befitting Heaven".
It has three restaurants on the property - House Without a Key, Orchids, and La Mer. It is also the home of SpaHalekulani and the Lewers Lounge.
According to the hotel's website, it is a member of both The Leading Hotels of the World
The Leading Hotels of the World
The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. is a hospitality consortium owned by Hotel Representative, A.G. It represents over 430 hotels and resorts worldwide. Headquartered in New York City, the consortium maintains offices in 24 cities world wide....
and Imperial Hotels, marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
and trade association
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
s geared toward luxury hotels.
Halekulani has received numerous awards, including a World's Best 2005 award from Travel & Leisure magazine
Travel + Leisure
Travel + Leisure is a travel magazine based in New York City, New York. Published 12 times a year, it has 4.8 million readers, according to its corporate media kit. It is put out by American Express Publishing Corporation, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Express Company led by...
. It received Four Stars from Mobil Travel Guide and a AAA
American Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
Four Diamonds rating.
The property is owned by the Japanese company Mitsui Fudosan
Mitsui Fudosan
, is Japan's largest real estate developer. Mitsui Fudosan is one of the core companies of Mitsui Group.-Corporate Structure:The company is organized into four divisions.*Office Building Division*Real Estate Solution Services Division...
.
History
The original Halekulani was opened in 1907 as a residential hotel called Hau Tree and was owned by Robert Lewers. Subsequently it was owned by Juliet and Clifford Kimball before being purchased in 1962 by the Norton Clapp family. Later, it was purchased by Mitsui FudosanMitsui Fudosan
, is Japan's largest real estate developer. Mitsui Fudosan is one of the core companies of Mitsui Group.-Corporate Structure:The company is organized into four divisions.*Office Building Division*Real Estate Solution Services Division...
USA and incorporated as the Halekulani Corporation, a U.S. based company.
It re-opened as its present incarnation in 1984.
Notable features
- The swimming pool's bottom is covered in 1.2 million South African glass mosaicMosaicMosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
tiles that form a distinctive design in the shape of an Cattleya orchidCattleyaCattleya is a genus of 113 species of orchids from Costa Rica to tropical South America. The genus was named in 1824 by John Lindley after Sir William Cattley who received and successfully cultivated specimens of Cattleya labiata that were used as packing material in a shipment of other orchids...
.
- A century-old Kiawe tree in the outside area of House Without a Key
- Mahiole (Feathered helmet), a pair of 1983 stone sculptures by Charles W. WatsonCharles W. WatsonCharles W. Watson , also known as Chuck Watson is an American sculptor. His son Mark Watson is also a Hawaii-based sculptor. The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu is among the public collections holding work by Charles Watson...
- Cuba Gooding Jr., Matt LauerMatt LauerMatthew Todd "Matt" Lauer . is an American television journalist best known as the host of NBC's The Today Show since 1997. He was previously a news anchor in New York and a local talk-show host in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond...
, Bette MidlerBette MidlerBette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, J.J. Abrams and Diana KrallDiana KrallDiana Jean Krall, OC, OBC is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million worldwide; altogether, she has sold more albums than any other female jazz artist during the 1990s and 2000s...
are just a few of the celebrities who have stayed there.