The word ho’okipa -meaning to entertain, according to the Hawaiian Dictionary by Pukui and Elbert, is a word we use at Kalaekilohana that helps frame a large part of our core values that we use for all our guests. Ho’okipa defines how we approach service and our commitment to our guests’ experience. I will attempt here to explain how we approach this core Hawaiian value by using my father as an example.
My father exemplified a typical father of any Hawaiian family. He loved his children in his own way, provided all that the family needed, kept good hard honest work- fished, farmed, hunted, and used a network of other family members to exchange other goods and services the best he knew how. As a musician, he entertained a lot, knew how to have a good time and always wanted those he met and those he considered his friends, to be productive and make the best of everything.
One would often be hear comments from mom, aunts, uncles, and his friends that Dad would do anything for people he met. He was known to share whatever he had and not give a second thought to giving away the shirt off his back or the hat on his head to anyone who needed it, admired it, or thought someone would like to try it – even for someone he’d never met.
My favorite story is typical of Dad’s version of ho’okipa. I had come home for a visit and a friend came with me to help work on the house my partner and I were building. Dad took it upon himself to take him riding or holoholo. This meant getting in his pickup, with a cooler in the back, driving along the highway with trips to visit friends and relatives along the way. It could take most of the day, and by the end of that day, my friend had been able to see the district through Dad’s eyes, met family, old pals, done some sightseeing, and even journeyed on roads less traveled. That was Dad’s way to ho’okipa. He would give his full attention to you and your happiness was ensured.
That’s the philosophy we have with our guests as well. Take care of them. Answer their questions. Accommodate their needs. Anticipate what may work best for them. Enjoy their company and genuinely have a good time with them.