Halekulani (hotel)

View on a balcony from Halekulani featuring pool and lounge area in foreground, and Waikiki Beach at the base of a dead volcano (Diamond Head) in the distance.

Halekulani is a U.S. luxury hotel located on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. It has 453 rooms in five buildings on 5 acres (20,000 m²) of property. Halekulani is a Hawaiian 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 and Imperial Hotels, marketing and trade associations geared toward luxury hotels.

Halekulani has received numerous awards, including a World's Best 2005 award from Travel & Leisure magazine. It received Four Stars from Mobil Travel Guide and a AAA Four Diamonds rating.

The property is owned by the Japanese company Mitsui Fudosan.

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 Fudosan 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 mosaic tiles that form a distinctive design in the shape of an Cattleya orchid.

• 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. Watson

• Cuba Gooding Jr., Matt Lauer, Bette Midler, J.J. Abrams and Diana Krall are just a few of the celebrities who have stayed there.

External links

• Halekulani Home Page
• Leading Hotels of the World Home Page