Victor Han
Once a staid structure in the heart of downtown Honolulu’s business district, the former Remington Building has been transformed into a sleek, modern boutique hotel that’s set the surrounding neighborhood abuzz.
Built in 1965, the office and retail building at 1111 Bishop St. was previously home to International Savings & Loan, City Bank — and since 1998, Remington College, which also lent the building its name.
Through the decades, the building has also featured a rotating assemblage of restaurants, retailers and various office tenants, including downtown mainstays Komala Curry House and Hawaiian Islands Stamp & Coin.
Purchased by Continental Assets Management (CAM) in 2021, the California-based real estate firm quickly announced plans to convert the building into a boutique hotel. Hawai‘i-based Allied Builders System (ABS) was awarded the almost $24 million contract in October 2022, with groundbreaking taking place the following month.
The conversion of the existing 60,002-square-foot space meant that the building would need to be gutted, with old infrastructure removed and replaced with new plumbing, electrical and HVAC. This was all “coordinated precisely with BIM modeling to ensure everything [could] fit within the confined existing building structure,” according to Victor Han, executive project manager for ABS.
The AC Hotel offers guests a variety of room options and sizes.
The AC Hotel offers guests a variety of room options and sizes.
The AC Hotel offers guests a variety of room options and sizes.
PROJECT CHALLENGES
The project’s location at the corner of Bishop and Hotel streets also presented difficult logistical challenges.
Han explains that the existing building had limited space to store materials and there was no parking available for the crew or vehicles, resulting in materials being stored elsewhere and transported to the jobsite in small loads. A constant flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic also made safety a key concern for Han’s team as they worked to control and mitigate construction-related noise and dust.
Another challenge the team faced involved interior building columns, which were “slightly off” from what was depicted in the original building drawings. As such, adjustments needed to be made to both room spacing as well as the building’s infrastructure.
“The use of 3D scanning and BIM modeling helped tremendously in making sure that infrastructure fit properly within the ceilings and walls with minimal conflict issues that didn’t compromise Marriott brand standards,” says Han.
Navigating these challenges and the overall project required constant communication and numerous coordination meetings between the owners, the design team, ABS and its subcontractors to meet the schedule and minimize costs.
The AC Hotel’s room bathrooms complement the hotel’s modern stylings.
Guests can take a break from their business meetings to enjoy a bit of fresh air.
THE BIG PAYOFF
All of that coordination paid off in the end. The project was completed Nov. 3, 2023 — just over a year after ABS broke ground — and the AC Hotel by Marriott Honolulu held its grand opening in December, well ahead of the first quarter of 2024 as previously announced.
The new hotel features 112 guest rooms, a fitness center, a full kitchen and restaurant, two lounges (including a speakeasy), a coffee shop and a total of 2,420 square feet of meeting area and conference room space. The hotel and its venues are receiving positive reviews from both visitors and locals alike.
“Building a hotel by utilizing an underutilized office/retail building in [the] middle of downtown that can help reinvigorate the surrounding business and tourism was very rewarding,” says Han. “ABS is very proud to be part of the team, to work with [the owners and design team], and all our subcontractors to get the project completed on time.”
Yours Truly is a Tiki-inspired speakeasy, one of two bars that can be found within the hotel.
The AC Kitchen offers breakfast, lunch and dinner options for hotel guests.
The AC Lounge is one of two bars at the hotel where guests and local residents can unwind.
Located at street level, Common Ground is a coffee house offering local roasts and fresh baked goods.
The AC Hotel has plenty of spacious common areas where one can relax and take in the hotel’s urban ambiance.
The AC Hotel has plenty of spacious common areas where one can relax and take in the hotel’s urban ambiance.
AC HOTEL GC & SUBS LIST
General Contractor: Allied Builders System
BEK Inc.
CE&S Corp.
Continental Mechanical of the Pacific
Downstream Inc.
Guardian Fall Protection Systems
Hawaii Energy Systems LLC
In Line Flooring Inc.
Island Flooring
M. Nakai Repair Service Ltd.
Mid City Restaurant Supply
Niche Site Concrete Inc.
Otis Elevator Co.
Reflections Glass Co.
Steel Constructors LLC
Timberland Hawaii
Top Priority Inc.
Unitek Insulation Inc.
Waltz Engineering Inc.
Wasa Electrical Services Inc.
