Given Maui’s compelling natural environment, the island seems best suited for leisure travelers, rather than those with business on the brain.
But at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, where groups represent 40 percent of the overall occupancy, professional excursions are transformed into experiences that are at once memorable and productive.
The northwest Maui property features an impressive array of business facilities and programs for a variety of gatherings, whether it’s a 10-person incentive trip or a corporate-wide celebration with 1,500 participants.
In a recent Travel + Leisure survey, readers named Ritz-Carlton the top hotel brand for business travel, and the chain’s Maui property serves as a great example of why it received that honor.
For starters, there’s the hotel’s setting. The resort’s 173,000-plus square feet of outdoor space, including oceanfront lawns, creates a dramatic stage for opening- and closing-night parties.
Indoors, the luxury property lays claim to more than 35,000 square feet of conference space, where guests can tackle their professional agenda. Its handsome boardroom seats 15 people and its array of meeting rooms — from the 12-person Niihau to the 18-person Hawaii — provides comfortable and attractive areas for getting the creative juices flowing.
If a client is looking for a large gathering place, two of The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua’s popular choices are the Plantation and Ritz-Carlton ballrooms, with banquet space for 220 and 900 guests, respectively. The Aloha Garden Pavilion presents a flexible indoor/outdoor venue for evening events with live entertainment for as many as 2,500 guests.
When it’s time for a group bonding experience, the hotel can put together team-building activities that establish closer ties among business travelers. Through the Ritz-Carlton brand’s VolunTeaming program, guests can give back to the destination and join forces on projects such as coastal trail restoration, marine conservation and cultural education.
Business travelers can feel even better about choosing The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua thanks to its eco-friendly initiatives. Whenever possible, the hotel follows environmentally sound practices, including offering recycled pens and water service options for meetings. For social gatherings, it can serve menus with organic, sustainable ingredients.
The hotel’s group sales team works closely with meeting planners on lining up special room rates and food and beverage discounts. When guests are in between sessions, the staff can set up treatments for them in its 17,500-square-foot spa.
According to Jay Heidenreich, The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua’s director of sales and marketing, group travelers will soon have one more incentive for booking the Maui property.
“By November of this year, we will feature a newly upgraded Wi-Fi connection, which will be able to service up to five different devices per guestroom simultaneously,” said Heidenreich. “Internet connection can be enjoyed continuously throughout the 52 acres of the property.”
The Details
The Ritz-Carlton, Kapaluawww.ritzcarlton.com
