Crafting Doors for Luxury, Durability, and the Spirit of O’ahu

The project team set out to seamlessly integrate the rich culture and natural beauty of O‘ahu into a refined, luxury guest experience. Doors would play a critical role—not only as functional building components, but as design elements responsible for creating a memorable first impression for every guest who entered the property.

The challenge was finding a supplier capable of delivering a broad selection of doors that met the project’s stringent requirements for quality, aesthetics, and performance—doors that could withstand heavy, high-traffic hospitality use while maintaining exceptional craftsmanship and visual impact. In addition, the project demanded a wide range of door types—including stile and rail, flush wood, and fire-rated doors—delivered to consistent quality and performance standards.

To minimize risk and streamline coordination, the team sought a proven, single source supplier with the expertise and capacity to meet both aesthetic and performance requirements.

Simplifying Luxury: Single-Source Door Solutions

To meet the project’s exacting standards for quality, aesthetics, and performance, Guerin Glass Architects in Honolulu selected a door manufacturer they could trust to provide whole-building solutions. Having previously supplied doors to other Ritz-Carlton properties, they were confident in Forte’s ability to deliver the 2,500 doors required for both phases of the project.

“We have a great deal of experience working together,” says Heidi Johnson, Inside Sales Representative at Forte. “Plus, they wanted a single-source solution for the variety of stile & rail, flush wood, and specialty fire-rated doors used throughout the property. We are one of the very few manufacturers that could meet those requirements—a broad variety of doors, all coordinated through a single manufacturer.”

By partnering with Forte, Guerin Glass ensured that every door across the property met the design vision, rigorous performance standards, and high-traffic durability requirements, while simplifying project coordination and minimizing risk.

Partnering to Deliver Luxury Doors with Precision

Forte’s architectural doors were selected for their exceptional quality, aesthetics, and performance, meeting ANSI/WDMA standards and offering sound insulation, enhanced durability, and fire-rated options to ensure both guest comfort and life safety compliance. Many doors were customized onsite with field-applied panels, achieving a high-end, tailored look that brought the architect’s vision to life.

To support efficient installation, the doors were delivered in 100–200 unit batches, allowing the general contractor, Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc. of Waipahu, HI, to install them on three to four floors at a time. Through careful planning and a single-source supply approach, the project team successfully delivered the broad range of premium doors on time, while ensuring consistent quality, streamlined coordination, and minimized risk across the entire property.

Collaboration from Concept to Completion

Guerin Glass Architects is a collaborative, design-centered architecture, interior design, and planning firm established in 2004. The practice focuses on using thoughtful, context-driven design to amplify the unique character of each site and strengthen the connection between people and their surroundings. Their portfolio ranges from bespoke residential projects to large-scale hospitality, mixed-use, and resort developments across the U.S. and internationally.

Forte Opening Solutions delivers a full range of commercial door systems and components designed to meet performance needs and design priorities across education, healthcare, hospitality, and office spaces. Previously known as Masonite Architectural, Forte Opening Solutions is backed by a legacy of trusted brands, including Marshfield DoorSystems, Algoma Hardwoods, Mohawk Doors, Baillargeon, and Harring. Forte is committed to making every door, every interaction, and every opening unforgettable.