Not Your Basic Bivouac
Hale Koa Hotel celebrates 35 years of serving those who serve our country, in style and luxury. Over the years, nearly 3 million military members and their families have come to Hale Koa for rest and relaxation
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years as a bartender. “This is a big ohana and all the people who work here take pride in what we do. I like to serve the people who serve and I’ll continue to do that.”
Bermundo is pictured on the cover with other long-time employees Hattie Bullock, 30 years; Ernesto Callo, 33 years; Patricia Migita-Dooley, 27 years; Glen Sabado, 30 years; Matilde Agliam, 34 years, and general manager Richard LeBrun.
It should come to no surprise the employees tend to stay put. The hotel offers a rather impressive benefits package. All workers get medical and dental and can take part in the hotel’s 401K savings and Army retirement plans. They also get free parking, food and use of the health facilities. As DoD employees, they can even stay at the hotel and enjoy the pampering they hand out on a daily basis.
Though the Hale Koa is open to DoD employees and all military personnel regardless of rank, the junior soldier, sailor, airman and Marine are the main targets of the hotel. The hotel has a three-tiered pricing policy that passes along savings to those making the least amount of money. High-ranking officers and DoD civilians pay the actual operating cost of the rooms, while those of lesser rank get discounted rates. Plus, being federal property, there is no sales tax, general excise tax or hotel occupancy tax to jack up costs and limit the activities open to its guests.
“If you look at the spending power of the most-junior soldiers, who are doing the bulk of what the military’s work is - not to take anything away from leadership - they would never be able to stay at a resort like this if the pricing model was the same as a private sector hotel,” says LeBrun.
Offering less-than-standard rates to guests means profit margins for the hotel are much less than similar properties on Oahu. Which means the hotel has to stay full to make up for what it loses in room rates. Not that keeping the place full has ever been a problem. Since the Ilima Tower was finished at a cost of $20 million in nonappropriated funds, the hotel has welcomed approximately 2,857,297 guests and has boasted an enviable yearly occupancy rate of more than 90 percent. During the peak summer travel months, the hotel is often sold out.
In addition to the services provided to its guests, the hotel has maintained an important, if not always recognized, benefit to Oahu’s civilian population. It has been a popular spot for countless weddings and banquets, and outside of Kapiolani Park the grounds surrounding the hotel offer the biggest expanse of greenery in Waikiki. The shady spots, barbecue grills, outdoor volleyball, racquet-ball and handball courts are regularly packed with more civilian than military users. Then there is the beach itself, perhaps the widest on the island and definitely the cleanest and least-crowded in the area. All those spaces are maintained by the hotel at no cost to the people of Hawaii.
“The cost is paid for by the Hale Koa Hotel,” says LeBrun. “We are part of the community. I think it is important for the Army not to be apart from the community. The beach is open to the public, and they are transiting through our grounds and parking in our parking garage.”
Even the hotel’s Barefoot Bar and snack bar are open to the public.
In addition to the improvements in accommodations, great emphasis has been placed on increasing the quality in other areas as well - especially when it comes to dining and entertainment. The 700-seat luau garden offers covered seating and table service for its twice-a-week showing. There is also the Magic of Paradise show and Nohelani Cypriano’s Experience Aloha cocktail show to go along with upgraded dining options.
“We are looking at re-engineering the Biba’s menu now,” says LeBrun. “We have just brought weekend buffets back to Koko’s Restaurant. We do a seafood buffet on Fridays, we have a beef-eaters night on Saturday and Italian night on Sunday.”
Throughout its history, the Hale Koa has never received a dime in taxpayer money. All operating revenue is self-generated. Which should make everyone happy. But more important, the hotel continues to provide much-needed recreation for those who sacrifice the most. And that’s something in which to take even greater pride.
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