Kiana Beimes feels like she fulfilled her destiny when she was named general manager of the newly renovated Outrigger Waikiki Paradise Hotel, which pays homage to the legacy of the late Princess Ka‘iulani, the heiress to the throne of the kingdom of Hawaii.
Beimes, who began her hospitality career in 2013 as an intern at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort, was tapped last summer as general manager of the Ohana East Waikiki, and has been able to help oversee its recent transformation into the 443-unit Waikiki Paradise Hotel. The renovated hotel, which houses Outrigger’s corporate headquarters at 150 Kaiulani Ave., sits on land once occupied by Princess Ka‘iulani’s estate Ainahou, which once was known for its paradise garden filled with lush greenery, including Hawaii’s first banyan tree, and tranquil lakes.
Beimes said she feels honored to connect each guest to Princess Ka‘iulani, whose legacy of leadership has inspired her.
“I am very privileged to be able to be here because this is where Princess Ka‘iulani once was,” she said. “I feel like I have a kuleana to uphold her legacy and really just honor her and pay tribute to her through Outrigger’s vision and the way that we operate. I was (a child) living in Waikiki when (Outrigger) put up a statute honoring her. I lived about a block away on Cleghorn Street, and that was her last name.”
Beimes said she feels a respectful closeness to the legacy of Princess Ka‘iulani, who like her grew up an only child of a Scottish father and Hawaiian mother. She said another commonality is that Princess Ka‘iulani’s favorite flower was jasmine and Beimes’ middle name is Jasmine.
“She learned to surf at Queen’s Beach, which is exactly where I learned to surf because living in Waikiki, that’s where everybody learns to surf, so I would do that all the time,” she said. “I always felt that I was meant to be here. Now that I’m in this role, I just feel incredibly blessed because this is once where the alii (royalty) roamed. This is where they used to live and play, and now I get to work, live and play — it’s just very humbling.”
She said she also is humbled to work at a hotel company that recognizes and promotes strong female leaders. While in college, Beimes was a recipient of The Estelle Louise Kelly Scholarship, named for the woman who founded the Outrigger hotel chain with her husband, Roy Kelley.
In the past 14 months, Outrigger also has promoted two other women to the role of general manager, including Ceci Hamao as general manager of the Outrigger Waikiki Beachcomber and Christine San Nicolas, the new general manager at Outrigger Kaua‘i Resort & Spa. The company named Carly Clemont as vice president operations — Hawai‘i Vacation Condos in 2022, and in September named Crystall Ho as its executive vice president and chief financial officer.
Outrigger Hospitality Group President and CEO Jeff Wagoner said in an email: “Our recent appointments of accomplished female leaders — from hotel general managers to our new chief financial officer — underscore Outrigger’s unwavering commitment to fostering a culture of diverse leadership.
“We understand that diversity of thought fuels innovation and elevates our ability to authentically connect with our guests, support our communities and inspire our hosts across all destinations,” Wagoner said. “By embracing a wide range of perspectives, we’re building an organization that is not only more inclusive but also more adaptable and resilient — ready to meet the evolving demands of the global hospitality industry with vision and purpose.”
Outrigger is ahead of the curve when it comes to C-Suite hospitality trends. For every female chief officer in hospitality, there were three men with the title, according to a Castell Project study titled “Women in Hospitality Leadership,” a 2021 analysis of 671 North American hospitality companies.
Researchers noted in the report that while there was parity for women at the director level, gains for women in higher-level hotel company leadership are minimal. They wrote, “Progress is too slow and does not reflect an industry that offers opportunity to its full roster of employees. This has to change for companies to succeed in the current business climate.”
While Castell Project researchers noted that women in hospitality have farther to go when it comes to C-Suite promotions, they said incremental changes signal hope for a more accelerated trajectory.
Hamao, who was previously resort manager at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort and area director of front services for Outrigger’s six Waikiki hotels like Beimes, also began her Outrigger career as front- office manager.
She was born in Manila and moved to Hawaii at 15 and attended Farrington High School, where she enrolled in the travel industry academy, which kicked off her hospitality career. She said her aunt and uncle, who were hotel housekeepers, also helped to familiarize her with the industry.
“In the beginning I was thinking I’ll be a front-desk agent,” Hamao said. “But when I started at Outrigger, we were given a lot of opportunities to move up.”
Ho, who holds a C.P.A. and an M.B.A., is responsible for driving a broad range of strategic, financial and operational initiatives “to further Outrigger as a best-in-class revenue operator and assist in its mission to be the premier beach resort company in the world.”
Ho offers the following advice for young women who want to excel in the hospitality industry: “I always believe in preparation. I think it’s very important to be the first one waiting in the doorway. If you have done your homework and the door opens, then you are the first one to get in.”
Clement, who leads the strategic vision and effective operations of Outrigger’s Hawai‘i Vacations Condominium division, said she has seen leadership opportunities for women increase over the course of her career. She said working at Outrigger helped her to meet her goal of becoming a general manager within a decade.
“When I was at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, I think there were two female general managers out of the whole portfolio, but of course, that landscape has changed dramatically 10 years later,” she said.
She said at Outrigger the company’s values recognize female hospitality leaders simply “as good leaders,” rather than examples of “good female leaders.”
“Outrigger has evolved to a point where it is just about who is the strongest candidate,” she said.
