In our travels for business and pleasure, we have had the opportunity to experience what now amounts to hundreds of luxury properties. Many of our visits are short, one or two nights, with most time spent in conferences or offices and a lack of vitamin D. These ‘quickies’ give you a feel for décor, topline service, and usually a snippet of their F&B prowess (especially when you are fortunate enough to dine with the GM!). But to really appreciate the essence of a property requires an in-depth period of a week or more.
The winter weather in Toronto suits masochists or purveyors of Arctic sled dogs. A script for a week in the sun was called to break up the drudgery of the Great Lakes climatic system’s endless dreary, cloudy, and damp days. A trip to Hawaii was in order.
Looking back, we estimate this collectively to be our ninth or tenth stay at the illustrious Halekulani in the Waikiki Beach neighborhood of Honolulu. Despite a high degree of familiarity at play, the hotel surprises and delights every time, making it obvious why we are one of an innumerable cohort of perennial repeat guests. On this outing, we were assigned a mid-price level room, not surprisingly, one we had stayed at previously. As with prior visits, the facilities were unchanged but newer, reflecting a recent top-to-bottom property improvement plan (PIP) of the guest suites.
However, one must dig deeper than superficial data: bed sizes, room configurations, electronics, towel quality, HVAC noise, or amenities. Just what is it that makes this hotel a true five-star property? How is it that everyone seems to be performing with smooth choreography that brings joy to every visitor? To look under the sheets, so to speak, our extended stay allowed us to not only observe but also to speak to several members of the Leadership team.
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The cornerstone of any hotel’s success rests with the housekeeping team. Audrey Goh, the Executive Housekeeper, has been at the helm of this department for 34 years. We’ve met her several times and have come away impressed with her cheerleader-come-mom approach. But rather than ask her about the secret sauce, we interviewed her team members. Comments received include, “She’s the best boss ever,” “She understands us,” and “She makes sure we get what we need to make our work better.”
Again, these were voluntary comments, without prompting and undoubtedly anonymous. What we can surmount from this process is both an incredible sense of familial bonds as well as pride in one’s work. In other words, to have a great heart of house, a hotel needs to have heart! Happy employees = Happy guests!
Broadening our staffing discussions, we reached out to Linda Nakaima, the Corporate Director of Human Resources. Quiet and unassuming, her responsibilities extend beyond housekeeping. Linda remarked that in the past, being a Halekulani team member was a recognition that you were at the pinnacle of Hawaiian hospitality. With the increased number of luxury properties on Oahu, she attributes the cornerstone of service excellence to the long-term staffers, noting that over 150 team members have been with the property for over 20 years, and more remarkably, approximately 35 have been with the property for over 40 years.
The Director of Food and Beverage, Joseph Diver, explained their food and beverage concept to us as a blend of tradition (for example, a coconut layer cake), local bounty (fruit and fish plentiful on the island), and creative flair, making every plate look unique, all delivered to the guest with superb ‘British finesse’.
And this applies to all the outlets and catered events. This has made the property a nexus for events, drawing destination weddings from the US mainland and Japan. From perspective, last year, the property hosted 201 weddings ranging from 12 to 200 guests. The Halekulani is so well-renowned for its weddings that hotel guests request for their wedding photos to be taken on the property even when their ceremony and reception are held elsewhere.
We interviewed Davide Barnes, the General Manager, on our last visit. In meeting him again at Orchids (one of the three restaurants on the property), he seemed to be multi-tracking our discussion as well as taking on every aspect of service and guest response around our table. Davide’s approach is focused on allowing his leadership team to perform, serving as a mentor and, if need be, the ‘bulldozer’ to unblock product delivery impediments.
‘New’ is not something one tends to associate with the Halekulani; more appropriate would be ‘improved’ or ‘modest variation’. Bonnie Bise, the property’s Public Relations Manager, advised that, indeed, there was news on this trip, as the Halekulani Bakery is now open daily. Located just outside the main entrance at sister hotel Halepuna Waikiki, the best I could describe this is the finest French patisserie fare coupled with savory as well as Hawaiian variations. Success was already evident: I joined a line of a dozen eager croissant-seekers at 7:30am, and by the time I left at 7:45am (with macadamia-caramel sticky buns in hand), the lineup had swelled to well over 40 long.
So, what makes a property truly 5-star? The best we could describe this is the ability to perform a multitude of simple tasks flawlessly and repeatedly. It’s the little things that, taken together, deliver the service level we call five–star.
Here are some examples:
- A complimentary mango popsicle delivered poolside
- Cloth napkins sealing your cutlery on a buffet
- A unique special treat (not the ubiquitous chocolate) at turndown
- Refreshed toiletries every day in the bathrooms (in large quantities)
- Copious amounts of towels, both poolside and in the suites
- Valets and concierge staff that know your name upon arrival
- Pool attendants ensure that chaise lounge chair inventories are managed and that the parents (with children) are sequestered in their own ‘mini’ section
- Bathroom amenities for every possible need
- Reassuring security guards at entrances discretely acknowledging entry and exit
- Continuously cleaned public spaces and groomed lawns/plantings
- Subtle, printed notes on activities delivered to the room daily
- Comfortable restaurant service that’s both unobtrusive and well-timed
- Hospitality Suite with lockers and showers available all for guests with early arrivals or late departures.
- Pool service and In-Room Dining: punctual and tasty
- Lots of smiles.
As hoteliers, we tend to look at property design and classify a property as four or five-star based on the physical structure. Many designers believe that their bespoke furniture, fabrics, and detailed finishes define the property to a specific star level. Oftentimes, ownership is sufficiently enamored by this charade to commit millions of dollars to a PIP without sufficient consideration paid to the essential service component.
The two go hand in hand. Design is critical, especially for those earned media impressions and Instagram moments. But it takes a team to give a property its soul and to truly endear it to travelers.
To those owners and developers out there, we encourage them to spend a week at the Halekulani. The physical elements may not be strikingly different from other luxury properties that dot the Hawaiian Islands, California, or Florida. But it’s the service that’s the real wow factor, defining the very essence of true five-star hospitality.
