Maui's Most Hawaiian Hotel, and our commitment to the celebration
and preservation of Hawaiian culture, is unique in many ways.
Perhaps most interesting is the evolution of Kaanapali Beach Hotel
from a traditional "corporate" resort hotel to the leader in cultural
tourism it represents today. To read about the hotel's history,
click here.
Pookela Program
Bringing our hotel's Mission
Statement to life is the top priority for all of us in our
ohana (family). It begins with Ke Kula O Ka Pookela (School
of Excellence), an on-going educational effort which immerses
all employees in the history, traditions and uniqueness of Hawaiian
culture. This award-winning program, the first of its kind in
Hawaii, was created by Hotel General Manager Mike White and Dr.
George Kanahele, a leading authority on Hawaiian culture.
The program is implemented and taught by the Cultural Resources
Department. Topics have included Hawaiian geography, religion,
mythology, economics, technology and the native Hawaiian diet.
A ground-breaking program, Pookela is chief among many reasons
the Kaanapali Beach Hotel garners numerous industry awards and
recognitions each year, including "#1 Best Value Hotel in
Hawaii" by the readers of Travel & Leisure Magazine.
Click here for a comprehensive
list.
Hawaii's Most Hawaiian Hotel
In 1995, the proudest moment arrived for the hotel's ohana and the Pookela program. It came when the prestigious Waiaha Foundation designated Kaanapali Beach Hotel "Hawaii's Most Hawaiian Hotel." Earning this singular honor meant that the hotel met or exceeded over 120 individual evaluation criteria, an accomplishment that overwhelmed the competition.
One of the reasons are the many non-traditional educational approaches
and methods utilized by Ke Kula O Ka Pookela over the years. The
Pookela process began with every employee, including managers,
participating in a half-day workshop on Hawaiian values which
led to the drafting of the hotel mission statement in the following
months. Stressing values such as hookipa (hospitality), aloha
(love), kokua (helpfulness), lokahi (harmony), kupono (respect
and honesty), our Mission
Statement ends by stating:
We appreciate the beauty of our hotel and our island surroundings and we realize that we must preserve it for ourselves and our visitors. We at Kaanapali Beach Hotel recognize the need to enhance our sense of place for the mana of the land, its Hawaiian past, present, and future, because this is the essence of our being the most Hawaiian hotel.
Today
During the ensuing years, hotel employees have attended over 50 different classes on Hawaiian culture and values. The idea is not to teach Hawaiian culture or history alone, but to teach it in the context of Hawaiian values that were significant to the indigenous culture and are still relevant to today's world. In this way, it was felt that employees would develop a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, the culture while learning how to apply Hawaiian values to their work and home life.
Just as important, and ultimately as valuable, are the benefits enjoyed by our guests. Pookela restores the true adventure of travel - the opportunity to learn and to share different cultures and communities. And this is hands-on learning, not a dry guidebook or one-time lecture. Employees and guests interact, discover together the meaning and context of our commitment to Hawaiian culture. Employees take the time to share their stories of growing up on Maui, their personal insights and their memories of this special place.
To discover and learn more about Hawaiian culture at the hotel, explore our Hawaiian Activities, Articles, and Music sections. Also, be sure to check out our Maui Web Links section for more online resources.
In 1995, the proudest moment arrived for the hotel's ohana and the Pookela program. It came when the prestigious Waiaha Foundation designated Kaanapali Beach Hotel "Hawaii's Most Hawaiian Hotel." Earning this singular honor meant that the hotel met or exceeded over 120 individual evaluation criteria, an accomplishment that overwhelmed the competition.
One of the reasons are the many non-traditional educational approaches
and methods utilized by Ke Kula O Ka Pookela over the years. The
Pookela process began with every employee, including managers,
participating in a half-day workshop on Hawaiian values which
led to the drafting of the hotel mission statement in the following
months. Stressing values such as hookipa (hospitality), aloha
(love), kokua (helpfulness), lokahi (harmony), kupono (respect
and honesty), our 
