You could call the 'Ilima Hotel — with 98 condominium-style rooms and suites in Waikiki — the little hotel that turned to Hawaiian cultural values before it was cool.

The modest locally owned hotel is in the heart of Waikiki, closer to the Ala Wai than the beach. It attracts a loyal clientele, many visitors who return again and again, often requesting the same room.

This year the 'Ilima Hotel won a Keep It Hawai'i award from the Hawai'i Tourism Authority in the O'ahu business category. That meant getting recognized at a ceremony that also honored the Brothers Cazimero, the Kamehameha Schools song contest and 'ukulele master Roy Sakuma.

"It was really special," said assistant general manager Laura LinKee. "We've been committed to this for 12 years now."

LinKee said the hotel adopted a management style based on the "essence of aloha" long before an emphasis on cultural values became the latest tourism trend.

"We do everything we can to give our visitors a cultural experience while also giving them the best experience of real aloha spirit possible," she said. It started with classes in Hawaiian history, language and culture. Field trips were added.

The staff pulled out the old decorative garden out front and replaced it with native plants. At 11:30 every Friday morning, you'll find many of the hotel's 41-member staff singing in the Hawaiian chorus in the lobby, joined by guests singing along.

The guests and workers say it's the 'ohana, or family feeling, that makes the biggest difference.

June Smith, 72, lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, but considers the 'Ilima Hotel her "other" home.

She and her husband first visited 22 years ago at the recommendation of a travel agent. This year, she'll be checking in three times. That includes two trips with her husband for three-week visits and once by herself for just two weeks.

"It's just like being home," Smith said, as she stopped to chat with the folks working at the front desk. "Every person on the staff, they're just like family." And she makes sure to sing along with her favorite Hawaiian tune, "O Beautiful 'Ilima."

She has her practical reasons to like the hotel: it's clean, has free parking, full kitchens ("you don't have to go out to eat every night") and a good location. "It's a wee bit back from the hustle and bustle," she said.

LinKee said they want guests to feel the "welcome home" feeling for which Hawai'i used to be known. The hotel adopted the Mohalapua O 'Ilima program to to help learn, share and preserve the Hawaiian culture.

When it comes to the regulars, "they know us as well as we know them," LinKee said. "They ask about our family, our animals."

Sometimes guests join their classes or field trips, other times they benefit from the knowledge.

The hotel has created a staff of very knowledgeable individuals in Hawaiian culture, LinKee said. That helps keep visitors coming back for more.

The staff recently showed off the two feather kahili that now stand in the lobby, the result of hours and hours of work and months of planning to produce. On the base of the koa stands, a plaque is engraved with the names of those who worked on the project, including a guest.

"There are so many beautiful places in the world they can go with a beach," LinKee said. "It's our responsibility that we know about this place."

She said the hotel supports the program but couldn't have done without generous help from the Hawaiian community. For example, one Hawaiian language expert shares his knowledge and the hotel pays him with a free night's stay.

The 98-room hotel was built and remains owned by the Teruya family, which once owned and ran Times Supermarkets, she said.

Front desk supervisor Jay Takamiya came to the hotel nearly 10 years ago, looking for a different challenge after working in a Kailua supermarket.

"I like the people that come here and stay with us," Takamiya said. "They welcome me into their families." From feather lei-making to the art of lua, a Hawaiian martial art, he said he's learned a deeper appreciation of Hawaiian culture while working and sharing with guests.

The program includes giving out koa badges for perfect attendance at a year's worth of classes and field trips as well as a lending library of more than a hundred books. Each new worker or "host" is given a place-name book and Hawaiian dictionary.

LinKee said she came to the hotel for a new job but has since turned down higher-paying jobs. "I wouldn't go because I know the feeling wouldn't be the same."

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.