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Luxury Homes Fairmont Kea Lani
Luxury Homes Fairmont Kea Lani
Luxury Homes
| Fairmont Kea Lani |
| Written by Mark E. Ward |
| December 27, 2007 |
|
Luxury resort blends elegant Spanish influence with fresh, tropical Island style  The Hawaiian word for beautiful is "nani"; the Spanish word for beautiful is "bello" – and both apply to Maui's Kea Lani Fairmont. The resort legitimately reflects the Islands' little-known Spanish ties while staying true to Hawaiian roots. A bold white edifice, sun-washed façade, and plentiful arches suggest a Spanish style more reminiscent of the Med or Mexican Riviera than the South Pacific, but interior design pays homage to traditional Island styling The daring combination makes it standout amid Wailea's luxury resorts, like the "heavenly white" flower (inspiration for its name) cradled in a bouquet of red hibiscus. In addition to its distinctive design, the Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui is Hawaii's only oceanfront luxury resort built to offer spacious suites and sumptuous villas. The property embraces 22 acres of tropical splendor tracing Maui's Southwest shore along the white sands of Polo Beach. Within the resort's exotic confines are all the amenities a vacationer could hope for: immaculate landscaping, luxurious swimming pools, delicious restaurants, a 24 hour fitness center and the world class Spa Kea Lani. While all these services make it serenely self-sufficient, the Kea Lani is also within easy reach of 14 tennis courts, three championship golf courses, and Wailea's upscale boutique shopping.  Despite these many attractions, the greatest source of pride for general manager Christof Luedi remains the resort's commitment to Hawaiian authenticity. Born and raised in Switzerland, Luedi gained management experience over 20 years at a variety of luxury properties. While living on Maui, he became a passionate advocate of Hawaiian culture and believes travel should be closely linked to the community in order to provide an authentically local experience to guests. Shortly after assuming his position in 2001 as the resort's GM and regional vice president for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Hawai'i, Luedi began incorporating elements of Hawaiian culture into the range of guest activities. He explains, "Hawaiian culture and history is immensely fascinating and I firmly believe visitors to Hawaii want to experience the true spirit of the land and ocean in ways they can only do in Hawaii." This belief reveals itself in both obvious and surprising ways from the resort's historic origins to its ever-evolving efforts to accommodate guests' needs.  Opened in December, 1991, the Kea Lani's conceptual design began taking shape in 1986 at the hands of Jose Luis Ezquerra of Ezquerra & Associates, Mexico, an authority in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean art, architecture and archeology. From the start, Ezquerra and his colleagues at Hawai'i based Francis Oda, Group 70 were intent on infusing their project with a fresh approach to Hawaiian themes. Ezquerra's research led him to renowned Hawaiian artist Herb Kawainui Kane on the Big Island. Kane regaled the creative team with stories and legends revealing an early Spanish role in the history of Hawai'i.One compelling example was the voyage of Spanish navigator Juan Gaetano, the Islands' first known European visitor who charted the islands in 1555. Another historical finding showed that pineapples were first brought to Hawaii from Spain in 1813. And then there's the unmistakably Hispanic attire of Hawaii's native cowboys, still called paniolos (a term most likely derived from the Spanish word panuelo for handkerchief). With their handkerchief-like bandanas and sombreros, these Island horse-riders affect a style clearly borrowed from their North Mexican brethren.  As Ezquerra pondered these Spanish ties, he further explored Hawaiian architecture and found that, "Before the evangelization of the Islands, architecture was nearly null and void." Fortunately later years were more productive architecturally and Ezquerra finally found inspiration in the majesty of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and the Iolani Palace, both on Oahu. Those two Hawaiian landmarks gave him a solid cultural link to concretize the Kea Lani's design. His resulting creation led him to proclaim that, "The Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui retains strong and valid Hawaiian antecedents from the era of the Monarchy."The regal flourish bestowed on the Kea Lani makes it a perfect fit within the family of 50 other Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. For over a century, the company has spoiled guests with gracious hospitality and timeless elegance in remarkable locations around the world. Through its line of fabled castles, secluded lodges and modern retreats, Fairmont has earned its reputation for extraordinary architecture and meticulous design and the Kea Lani is no exception.  The resort features 413 one-bedroom suites each with 840 square feet of living space and private lanais. The living room features a double sofa bed and full entertainment system including a DVD player and high-speed Internet access. The large marble bathroom contains double pedestal sinks, deep soaking tub and walk in shower. A wet bar, microwave oven, coffee maker, and compact refrigerator are also standard in all suites.In addition to these standard luxury suites, the Kea Lani's boasts 37 one- and two-bedroom villas, each with its own private lanai and plunge pool, barbeque grill, second bathroom, washer and dryer and well-appointed kitchen. Despite these incredibly high standards the villas recently received a multi-million dollar makeover under the direction of Gary Broeker of VB Designs Inc., in Los Angeles. To avoid disruption to guests, each the two-story structures were remodeled one at a time. The goal of the villa renovation, Broeker explained, was "to enhance the guest experience by utilizing luxurious yet practical fabrics that conveyed a sense of calm and tranquility." Broeker succeeded by using vibrant colors tempered by native texture. And because Broeker believes "even the smallest details count," lamps, artwork and accessories were chosen to reflect a Hawaiian style without being cliché. Fresh fabrics were woven into each of the villas, adding vibrant drapery with Nyphaea, Caicos coral and Nu'uanu prints and winter white lanai palm sheers. The bedrooms were enriched with exotic solid teak and woven rattan headboards and the beds lovingly spread with luxurious linens. Upgraded furnishings include plantation teak and mahogany with bamboo accents, bronze palm desk lamps and sea urchin bedside lamps with tapa cloth shades.  Each villa's two bathrooms are awash in marble, accented with deep soaking tubs, walk-in showers, and double pedestal sinks. The bamboo entertainment units house state-of-the-art flat panel LCD televisions, tastefully accessed by carved teak handles. Teak also appears in the dining room tables, spiced with cinnamon bark veneers. Kitchens are fully equipped with the latest appliances and all the makings for a delicious meal.But the options for good eating may tempt villa guests beyond their private enclaves. Among the options are award-winning Nick's Fishmarket, the open-air Kea Lani Restaurant and the Caffe Ciao Restaurant, soon to be re-named "Ko" to feature more local menu items, like sea asparagus, from the North Shore of Oahu. The focus in all restaurants is on locally raised food and gracious Aloha service, a source of great pride for executive chef and food and beverage manager Tylung Pang. He underlines the hotel's commitment to honoring its Hawaiian roots by "offering more cuisine that reflects the culture of the island flavors and keeping it authentically local." The respect for its community even extends to environmental concern; witness the resort's commitment to recycle all its food waste -- sending it as feed for local pigs, instead of dumping it in local landfills.  From its daring, historically inspired architecture to its ongoing efforts to honor Hawaiian traditions, the Fairmont Kea Lani shows a remarkable appetite for authenticity and service. The distance from Spain to Hawai'i is more than 7,000 miles, but at this nani/bello resort, "El mundo es un panuelo" – it's a small world. |
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