RELEASE NUMBER 7 | 26
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A Craft Hotel Inspired by a Princess, Led by Women
HONOLULU – Hawaiʻi Women in Lodging & Tourism (HIWIL) has named Kiana Beimes, General Manager of OUTRIGGER Waikiki Paradise Hotel, as the 2026 HIWIL Woman of the Year, honoring her exceptional leadership, deep community engagement and positive impact on Hawaiʻi’s visitor industry. Presented during International Women’s Month, the March recognition underscores how female leadership continues to redefine hospitality grounded in warmth, cultural authenticity and measurable success.
In just a decade with OUTRIGGER, Beimes rose from intern to general manager. Most recently, she led a ten-month revitalization that transformed OUTRIGGER Waikīkī Paradise Hotel, OUTRIGGER’s second craft hotel, following the celebrated OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beachcomber, into one of Waikīkī’s most distinctive properties. Built on the royal estate grounds once known as a “paradise garden,” the hotel was reimagined to reflect how a modern-day Hawaiian princess might create a retreat that embodies youthful empowerment and contemporary elegance. The results speak for themselves: a Tripadvisor ranking jump from #46 to #3, placing it among Honolulu’s top five out of 100 alongside two other OUTRIGGER properties.
“Leadership grounded in listening, collaboration and care naturally translates to elevated guest experiences, and no one embodies this philosophy more than Kiana,” said Sean Dee, Executive Vice President of OUTRIGGER Hospitality Group. “Bringing a newly-refreshed property to Honolulu’s Tripadvisor top five reflects the culture of excellence that radiates from leaders like Kiana throughout the brand.”
A Princess as North Star
Under Beimes’ leadership, the property’s reimagining intentionally centered around the legacy of Princess Ka‘iulani. OUTRIGGER Hospitality Group championed a narrative that honored the princess as a symbol of grace, resilience and cultural stewardship. From the hotel’s signature pīkake scent to community-focused experiences, including annual Princess Ka‘iulani birthday celebrations, hands-on lei-making workshops and cultural programming that uplifts wāhine voices, the hotel’s identity reflects a vision shaped by female leadership, cultural reverence and intentional placemaking.
Paradise Originals: The Wāhine Who Shaped the Hotel’s Identity
Beimes stewards the Paradise Originals — a multidisciplinary collective of Hawaiʻi-based artists, entrepreneurs and cultural practitioners who shaped the hotel’s identity from concept to completion and continue to guide its programming today. Among the iconic wāhine in the collective:
- Alison “Bo” Tanaka: EVP & CFO of Tanaka of Tokyo Restaurants — a family-owned institution since 1978 — Bo brings multigenerational vision and legacy-minded leadership to the property’s dining program.
- Alyson “Aly” Ishikuni-Sasaki: Founder of Mori and Art + Flea and public programmer at the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum. Her curated markets and activations keep the hotel rooted in the creative life of the islands.
- Bree Poort: Photographer and painter whose sweeping, color-saturated work captures the ocean as feeling, not backdrop — inviting guests to slow down and truly see Hawaiʻi.
- Irie Love: The beloved local musician brings soulful reggae and infectious aloha to Herstory and Harmony: The Irie Love Experience — an event built to celebrate the transformative energy of wāhine.
- JT Ojerio (Aloha de Mele): Native Hawaiian artist whose arrival mural “May Day ’24” greets every guest with a vibrant floral tribute to ‘Āinahau and the enduring tradition of lei.
- Meleana Estes: Author of Lei Aloha and celebrated steward of Hawaiian floral tradition, her book lives in every guest room as an expression of the wāhine creativity and care for cultural craft at the heart of the hotel’s identity.
- Taimane: Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winning artist who debuted Pīkake Princess — an original song and music video in honor of Princess Ka’iulani and the hotel — drawing visitors from across the islands to connect with the princess’s story.
Beimes doesn’t just lead — she builds the leaders who follow. Since her appointment as GM, she has mentored multiple female colleagues into senior roles, including the current Director of Front Services and Guest Services Manager. Her model: leadership isn’t concentrated, it’s cultivated.
The hotel offers local business leaders a case study in how women-led leadership can be both values-driven and performance-focused. Since reopening, OUTRIGGER Waikīkī Paradise Hotel has strengthened its position as a hub for group travel, events and community-driven experiences — steps from Waikīkī Beach and adjacent to the International Market Place — while joining the Global Hotel Alliance’s GHA DISCOVERY loyalty program, expanding its global reach without compromising its local soul.
“As women leaders in Hawaiʻi, we carry the responsibility to lead with intention. This hotel stands on historic ground, and our role is to honor that legacy while creating opportunities for future generations — especially young women — to see themselves in leadership,” said Kiana Beimes, General Manager, OUTRIGGER Waikīkī Paradise Hotel.
As OUTRIGGER Waikīkī Paradise Hotel continues to evolve, its leadership team remains committed to shaping a future where hospitality, culture and community are inseparable — and where female leadership is not just exceptional, but expected.
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