Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa Starts New Series To Honor Hawaiian Culture

Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa is on a mission to empower travelers to Hawaii to enjoy more meaningful experiences through discovering more about Hawaiian culture and participating in it. Tetsuji Yamazaki, the resort’s general manager, shared with me that a variety of cultural experiences are available for guests throughout their stay.

With Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa’s newly launched “Kuleana Series,” it connects guests to esteemed voices in the Hawaiian cultural and scientific communities through interactive plaques. The series is simple and easy to access. You simply use your phone to scan the QR code on the plaques, and they come to life.

The fun starts at check-in. Guests will be given a welcome portrait with the first interactive QR code of the series. That will give them a map to guide them to the plaques located throughout the property.

I recently chatted with Julian Arp-Sandel, Director of Resort Experience at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, to learn more about this series.

What inspired the atart of the “Kuleana Series”?

The “Kuleana Series” was originally conceptualized when we started exploring the idea of incorporating augmented reality into our guest experience. It began as a smaller and simpler idea as we considered the potential of using it to share what is unique and special about Hawaii.

As we began meeting with organizations that lead community efforts to discuss the content we wanted to put together, we were amazed to see how many people leaned in and recognized the high potential for this idea and wanted to be involved. We quickly recognized the opportunity to highlight them and their knowledge directly, and the “Kuleana Series” was born.

Can you share more about what the “Kuleana Series” is all about and what it means for guests?

The experience of travel is enriched by discovering and experiencing what makes a destination unique. There is so much that is incredible and special here in the Hawaiian Islands, much of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Much of what is special about this place is incredibly delicate and requires active ongoing efforts to conserve, lead research, and educate future generations. We here in Hawaii are fortunate to have so many people working in these spaces to do just that.

The “Kuleana Series” creates a rare and special opportunity to connect our guests with Hawaiian cultural leaders and scientific experts. This allows guests to hear from them directly and consider the incredible knowledge they have to share and what they are accomplishing to shape a bright future for the Hawaiian Islands.

What do you hope guests take away from the experience?

On its surface level, I hope they have fun with it!

For guests who take more time to engage with the content and experience the entire series, I hope that they understand how all the topics discussed are interrelated and interdependent. We intentionally incorporated elements into the various messages that help people draw these connections and realize how these pieces fit together.

Overall, the goal of the “Kuleana Series” is to offer viewers the opportunity to gain a stronger understanding of Hawaii’s culture, history, and natural wonders and, in turn, gain a deeper sense of place.

Should the series be experienced in a certain sequence?

There is no order to the “Kuleana Series” topics. Each living portrait was created to offer a standalone experience and serve as a component of the overall collection. They can be engaged with in any order.

What do you think is misunderstood about the series?

Augmented reality is something that most people have never encountered before, so almost everyone starts with a lack of understanding of what it is and how it works. Additionally, because these living portraits are about Hawaii, many of these topics have little relevance to most people and their daily lives back home, so until they engage, they may not realize that they are so interesting and worthwhile.

While not necessarily a misunderstanding, one subtlety about the project is that augmented reality requires you to be physically present in front of each living portrait to experience it. Each of these living portraits has been intentionally located in areas of the resort that tie into the topic being discussed. This element of presence plays well into the project’s intention regarding a sense of place. The series cannot be properly experienced unless you are here.

What would you like everyone to understand about it?

Our “Kuleana Series” participant list is a collection of knowledgeable voices in Hawaiian culture, conservation, and scientific research. Thanks to the work of individuals like these, Hawaii remains such a unique and special place to visit and experience and continues to enthrall aspirational travelers from around the world.

What do you love the most about the Kuleana Series?

I love the moment of discovery when you watch a person first experience the living portrait: seeing it move, speak, and come to life.

I also love the value created for all those involved. It makes a wonderful experience for our guests and simultaneously highlights the individuals and organizations doing such important work here in the Hawaiian Islands.

What would you recommend for guests who want to go continue learning about the topics in the Kuleana Series?

Most of the living portraits have click-through buttons at the end of their message that connect the viewer to web resources with more information if they would like to learn more. If the living portrait inspires curiosity, this provides an open door for viewers to engage further. This is a great way to support our collaborators as it supports their public outreach.

We are also excited to feature a rotation of guest programs hosted live by the experts featured in the series. Guests will be able to interface directly with “Kuleana Series” collaborators like Dr. Melissa Price, Wildlife Biologist and Associate Professor at University of Hawaii Manoa School of Life Sciences, who leads Hawaii Wildlife Ecology Lab, a student research group actively working to prevent the extinction of 650 unique species of endemic plants and animals throughout the Hawaiian Islands.

Hi’ilani Shibata, a Native Hawaiian Educator and cultural consultant, who specializes in Hawaiian knowledge of the moon, will visit. She is co-founder of Ka Mahina Project and board member of ʻOhana Kilo Hōkū.

These programs will also create unique experiences for our guests, like viewing the sun through a solar telescope while connecting with solar astronomers from the National Solar Observatory.

Some other experts who can be seen in the “Kuleana Series” include Kekoa Alip, ’Ohana Kilo Hōkū board member, who recounts the moʻolelo (narrated stories of Native Hawaiians) of The Legend of Haleakalā, and Dr. Makana Silva, Native Hawaiian astrophysicist at Los Alamos Research Lab and mentorship director of ‘Ohana Kilo Hōkū who shares his kuleana (responsibility) to perpetuate the continuing legacy of Hawaiian astronomers. Also, Miki Tomita Okamoto, student and successor of Pono Shim’s Aloha Practice and founder of Malama Pono Foundation, shares the meaning of aloha.