Ilima Hotel - Honolulu, Hawaii - A Curiously Cultural Waikiki Condo Hotel

Established in 1995, the Ilima Hotel is something of a curiosity in Waikiki. Unlike most of the huge high-rise resorts that surround it, this 17-story property with 98 condominium-style rooms is family owned and operated. What makes it truly unique, however, is a singular fixation on Hawaiian culture.

The hotel began offering its staff members a Hawaiian studies program right from the very start. Each employee is expected to take classes in local crafts and culture, such as Hawaiian history, music, hula, traditions, values, and arts. The lessons are taught by some of the Islands' most skilled practitioners.

These studies frequently include field trips to museums, historic sites, and tourist attractions. The goal is to enhance the staff's knowledge of the Islands. Although hotel guests sometimes join in, the program is distinct from other cultural programs in that employees are the focus, not visitors.

Management believes that their mission is to "incorporate Hawaiian values into our daily business practices, making Hawaiian culture a natural part of our guests' and employees' experience at the hotel.'' Not surprisingly, these efforts won the Ilima Hotel a major prize in 2007 - the Hawaii Tourism Authority's "Keep It Hawaii'' Kahili Award.

Rich koa wood has been used to decorate the lobby of the Ilima Hotel. The staff is especially proud of the series of Hawaiian paintings on display here, including artwork depicting Hawaii's mythical heroes and gods.

In one painting, mortal Lohi'au woos the goddess Hi'iaka, while a jealous fire goddess, Pele, surrounds them with her flames. In another, Lohi'au and Hi'iaka are shown riding through eternity in a magical seashell.

Other motifs show the gods Kane and Kanaloa bearing life that flows from the Earth as a spring and the god Maui trying to lengthen the day by catching and slowing the sun. And a particularly large mural portrays the immortals Ku and Hina swimming in a sea of eternal bliss.

Every Friday at 11:30am, a group of Ilima Hotel hosts performs a selection of Hawaiian songs in the lobby. The Ilima Ohana Chorus can be heard rehearsing once a week, too, and they are very, very good. In 2002 they won First Place in the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association's Hospitality Industry Song Contest.

Not to be missed are the Ilima Hotel's monthly birthday celebrations that feature leis, cards and cake for hosts as well as guests. Occasionally, poolside gatherings are arranged so that guests and hosts can enjoy live Hawaiian entertainment together. And on Christmas Eve, the staff and their families get together with hotel guests to party in the lobby.

If all this sounds more like a visit with a Hawaiian family than a stay in a Waikiki resort, that's exactly the way the Ilima Hotel likes it. Among complimentary services offered are free local, toll-free and credit card phone calls; data phone jacks and voice mail; a starter coffee kit in each room upon arrival; complimentary HBO and Disney channels; free morning newspapers daily; free wireless internet access in the lobby; and a complimentary in-room gift of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and fresh orchids. Free high-speed internet access is available in all deluxe units, and free parking is provided, subject to availability.

The Ilima Hotel does have its business side, too. The hotel's new Conference Center can be outfitted for presentations, seminars, or planning sessions for up to 45 attendees. It offers users free high-speed wireless Internet hookup, along with complimentary state-of-the-art audio visual equipment.

The largest meeting space is the 1,000-square-foot Malamalama Room, which can be arranged theater-style or in a classroom format, and rents for half days or full days. The Nohonani Room can accommodate 12 to 20 participants in 255 square feet of space, while the Iolani Board Room seats groups of up to ten persons in 365 square feet.

The Ilima Hotel is located on a quiet street near the Ala Wai Canal. The address, no longer one of Waikiki's best-kept secrets, is 445 Nohonani Street, Honolulu, HI 96815-2695.