At luxury hotel, little touches for littlest guests

The Trump hotel chain has made a name for itself by realizing that when it comes to luxury service, it’s often the little things that matter. Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk seems to have taken that maxim literally because when it comes to catering to children, the hotel is pulling out all of the stops.

Hawaii hotels for years have offered in-room baby amenities, kid discounts and specialty menus at restaurants, kiddie pools and play areas, and activities geared to the young crowd. But few have offered the range of free kid services that allow parents to arrive at Trump Waikiki with little more than the clothes on their children’s back.

"We want the customer to tell us what they like," said John Votsis, Trump director of sales and marketing.

Many Trump guests are people who want to enjoy traveling with their children, he added.

It may be surprising that while there are plenty of young singles and couples at the luxury hotel, families are a big portion of its primary market. Given that Hawaii draws mostly vacationers, the Waikiki resort is something of an anomaly within the chain. Trump’s Washington, D.C., location, which is under development, may attract some family travelers and the brand draws a mixed crowd of business and vacationers in Las Vegas. But it is best known for high-end business crowds at its New York, Chicago, Toronto, Panama City and Vancouver locations.

Still, it makes sense that Trump Waikiki has a thriving family travel market, given that 40 percent of the 320-rental units in the 462 residence building are one- to three-bedroom suites and Hawaii in general is perceived as a family-oriented destination, Votsis said. Since two-thirds of the guests that come to Trump Waikiki are from the under-40 crowd, there’s a likelihood that they have younger children, he said. Also the "office ladies," a group of single women from Japan who traveled to Hawaii to shop in the 1990s, have matured and they are returning with children, he added.

"We’ve got people of means traveling with children from nearly every visitor source market. Sometimes, we see family travelers, other times we see multigenerational groups and occasionally we see nannies bringing children," Votsis said. "We love it because in the hotel business first we see people coming with kids, and then later the kids will grow up and come back with their kids."

With that in mind, Trump Waikiki’s reservation process gathers family information with children’s names and ages to assist families with special preparations so that parents and caretakers can arrive worry free. Every room comes with a personal attaché who will start working with the family via email before their arrival.

"We are constantly trying to raise the bar," Votsis said. "So we try to perform services that are not just extraordinary. They need to exceed our visitor expectations."

Hotel rooms range from about $399 to $589 a night for a studio while a three-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot oceanview suite rents for $2,200. Suites feature pull-out sofa beds, in-suite washers and dryers with detergent and dryer sheets and full kitchens that can be stocked with organic groceries. Twice-daily maid service comes with the package and the maids will even wash the family dishes.

On request, rooms can be outfitted with baby monitors, cribs with plush linens, baby baths with tear-free soap, smell-inhibiting diaper disposal units, strollers and safety devices like covers on electrical outlets, cabinet locks and pads on table corners. Bathrooms are outfitted with step stools to make it easier for children to brush their teeth and wash their hands. After they wash up, children can chill alongside their parents with pint-size robes and slippers.

There are activity books and specialty snacks and in-room entertainment with Nintendo Wii game systems, DVDs, board games and bedtime story books. Teen amenities include popular local snacks such as a bag of Hurricane popcorn with mochi crunch.

"Nowadays, we find that children are big influencers of their parents," Votsis said. "They are more vocal about where they want to stay and what their preferences are."

At the pool, service includes swimming diapers, pool toys and sunscreen. The Spa at Trump for ME! offers Bath Ice Cream pedicures and facials for teens. On their way to the beach, guests stop by the front desk to pick up a beach bag with towels, sunscreen, water and fruit. After beach outings, guests return the bag so that it can be cleaned and restocked.

Guests can leave hotel keys behind since Trump contracts with a local beach vendor to charge rentals to guest rooms.

Large and small details coupled with the absence of resort fees have propelled the hotel, which opened in 2007, to take the top spot on TripAdvisor’s list for Hono­lulu for 36 months running. Most recently, 92 percent of TripAdvisor reviewers rated Trump Waikiki No.1 out of 83 Oahu hotels.

"We run 20 percent better occupancy, according to Smith Travel Research, than our competitive set," Votsis said. "And, our RevPAR (revenue per available room) share is up 9 to 10 percent over last year."