Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua Launches New ‘Sense of Place’ Program

The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua is offering a new program for hotel guests and locals that will provide participants the opportunity to immerse themselves in Hawaiian culture.

File image credit: Ritz-Carlton Kapalua.

The program, “Sense of Place,” will take place every Friday at 10 a.m. and will be led by the resort’s Hawaiian Cultural Advisor, Clifford Nae’ole. The program will start with a presentation of Dr. Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey’s award-winning documentary, “Then There Were None,” followed by a brief discussion of the history and subjects broached in the documentary.

After the film, Nae’ole will lead guests on a walking tour to the border of the Honokahua Preservation Site, where he will explain its significance to ancient Hawaiians and its role in today’s cultural renaissance.

The Honokahua Preservation Site is a recognized “wahi pana” (sacred site) that lies adjacent to the resort, and serves as a destination where Native Hawaiians gather to conduct ceremonial rituals and honor their ancestors. The resort helps maintain the site.

Every hotel employee at Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua attends an extensive “Sense of Place” program during orientation to help gain a deeper understanding of their new workplace in Hawai‘i.

Nae’ole, a Maui native, has more than 35 years of hospitality industry experience in Hawai‘i. He has been Hawaiian Cultural Advisor at Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua for over 20 years, where he advises and educates employees and guests on proper Hawaiian protocol and customs, shares accounts of his homeland and ancestors, maintains a presence of the Hawaiian culture in the hotel and encourages a cohesive relationship with the community.