Boardroom Series Visits the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki

HONOLULU— ICMP Fall 2002 students witnessed the business of the Aloha spirit on November 22, 2002 when they visited the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki as part of the JAIMS Boardroom Series. Twenty-five ICMP students were treated to a special presentation on the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki and its parent company, Seibu, Inc., by Akemi Kurokawa, president of Seibu, Inc.

Kurokawa, briefed the students on the rich history of Seibu, Inc. and spoke on the decision to locate their hotel in Hawaii.

"At the time, we felt that Hawaii holds all the ingredients to be the best resort of all," Kurokawa said, "I still believe that Hawaii is the best resort over all other resorts in the world."

Paul Yokota, general manager of the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki, later spoke about day-to-day duties of hotel management and what it takes to make a hotel successful. Yokota believes that hospitality and the human element is key to success in the hotel industry, and the foundation for good hospitality is the employees.

"Everything that is important in the hotel business has to do with the people that work here," he said.

For this reason, Yokota is sure to personally interview every applicant at the hotel to ensure that each person is genuine in their friendliness and desire to help people.

After a round of questions and answers, the students were given a brief tour of the hotel by Kurokawa and Yokota, who proudly presented some of the facilities including the Prince Suite which gave a spectacular view of the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean.

The Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki boasts twenty-eight floors of oceanfront guest rooms sitting atop a five-story base containing restaurants, open-air lounge, meeting rooms, banquet facilities, lobby, shops, guest services and parking. The 350-foot twin tower structure overlooks the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor and is the only hotel in Waikiki with its own golf course.

Implemented in November 2001, the JAIMS Boardroom Series provides the opportunity for the Japan-focused MBA (JEMBA), China-focused MBA (CHEMBA), and Intercultural Management Program (ICMP) classes to visit the boardroom of a major company or organization and attend a discussion with the chair, chief executive officer, president, or chief operating officer of the company.