Taking the concept of makeover to the extreme, the 1,636-room Sheraton Waikiki took the wraps off a nearly five-year $187 million facelift in January.
"We’re relaunching the Sheraton back into the market," says Revell Newton, complex director of sales and marketing for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Waikiki. "Every single surface of the hotel was retouched and redone."
The hotel gutted and renovated all its function space. Physical improvements were made to the 45,000-square-foot indoor meeting facility, including the 26,000-square-foot Hawaii Ballroom and 14 smaller conference rooms. In addition, 12,500 square feet of outdoor function space at the Helumoa Playground was created for events, parties, luaus, incentive gatherings and private functions.
The resort also added the 6,000-square-foot Spa Khakara and Waikiki’s first infinity edge pool. Farm-to-table cuisine is also a highlight of the revamp, including its Kai Market restaurant. In addition, the restaurant and bar RumFire, which boasts the largest selection of vintage rums in the U.S., features fresh and local ingredients in its contemporary Hawaiian/Baja Mexican-inspired cuisine.
"We have taken the approach that Sheraton Waikiki will be the best caterer in Waikiki," Newton says. "About two and a half to three years ago we took a look at banquet and catering in Waikiki and nobody was doing it well. We decided to raise the bar and we really turned everyone’s heads by the quality of experience in the food and beverage service we bring to an event."
According to Newton, the resort secured $200,000 in funding to pass legislature to farm certify its local farmers.
"If we’re able to buy from local farmers, that helps them and helps everybody, and the quality is second to none. When we started the process we were buying 10 percent locally; currently we’re buying 50 percent and our goal is 80 percent for the farm-to-plate concept."
Newton also points to three other Waikiki properties managed by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Hawaii: The Royal Hawaiian; the Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort; and the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani.
"With our four properties in tandem we really have a great strength," Newton says. "For the meeting planner it’s all about making sure they are pairing their customer with the service they want. With our four properties, we can handle all of that. The Royal Hawaiian came back after an $80 million renovation—it’s a castle in the sand for luxury events. The Moana Surfrider brought in the Westin brand with its historic hotel cachet. Sheraton Waikiki is our hotel with the most meeting space. Sheraton Princess Kaiulani is our more budget level and can be more aggressive with the rate since it’s not right on the beach."
