Even as the state’s overall visitor count declines, hotel occupancy is inching higher. According to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, hotel guests in July increased 1.2 percent over the same month last year.
This may be because current Hawai‘i hotel projects are delivering what guests pay for — extraordinary experiences.
SpaHalekulani, a luxury oasis recently completed by Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company Inc. at Waikīkī’s Halekulani hotel, was built to provide a range of experiences at that level.
“Halekulani is in the process of a multi-million-dollar project that includes extensive renovations to our SpaHalekulani, which reopened on Aug. 1,” says Davide Barnes, Halekulani general manager. “We are pleased to showcase our newly redesigned SpaHalekulani with three private spa suites, a full salon and a boutique.”
Nearby on Kapiolani Boulevard, Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa at Sky Ala Moana is being praised by guests “as a welcomed new standard for premiere accommodations with elite hotel services,” says General Manager Matthew Grauso. He points to Mara, the hotel’s 6,700-square-foot award-winning restaurant, which also boasts a private dining room, open kitchen and “a spectacular bar.”
On Hawai‘i island, beachfront projects for Hilton and Outrigger Group are also drawing attention.
Hilton Grand Vacations Club (HGV) Ocean Tower Waikoloa Village, a Hawaiian Dredging project, “has recently completed its third phase of renovations,” says Freddy Lau, the Ocean Tower’s general manager. Club members who recently stayed there “had nothing but compliments [for] the spacious interior, convenient upgrades and the beautiful ocean views.”
At the Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa overlooking Keauhou Bay, “we’ve received overwhelmingly positive reviews from our guests since the completion of the renovation” in June, says General Manager Geoff Pearson.
Project general contractors are also pleased with the results.
SPAHALEKULANI
“The renovation of the existing SpaHalekulani was to provide new lights and lighting control system, air conditioning system, sound system, cabinets, white oak and limestone flooring, white oak trims and wallcovering,” says Brian Kubo, Hawaiian Dredging project manager. “New underground power and plumbing was installed, and the exterior corridor received new teak paneling and a new water feature. The exterior lanai received new stone floor tiles, lights, speakers and a water feature.”
The renovation meets the demand for “elevated spa experiences from international and domestic travelers,” Barnes says.
SpaHalekulani now offers a steam chamber, rain shower, Japanese furo, zero-gravity chairs designed by NASA, multisensory heat massage and a vibroacoustic table promoting deep relaxation as well as many other features.
RENAISSANCE HONOLULU HOTEL & SPA
Sky Ala Moana was built with prized building and finishing materials, seen here at the porte cochère. PHOTO COURTESY ALBERT C. KOBAYASHI INC.
Renaissance Residences, like this penthouse suite, can measure up to 1,970-square-feet in size. PHOTO COURTESY RENAISSANCE HONOLULU HOTEL & SPA
The Sky Deck features a 25-meter lap pool. PHOTO COURTESY RENAISSANCE HONOLULU HOTEL & SPA
Sky Ala Moana and Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa were built from the ground up and required the skillful integration of construction, market timing and select materials typical of hospitality renovations.
“Sky was one of Albert C. Kobayashi Inc.’s (ACK) largest ongoing projects with more than 600 workers on-site,” says Miles Ikeda, ACK project executive.
“Upon completion [in 2023], the developer was presented with unique requirements before allowing residents and guests to move in,” he says. “Due to the various housing options within the building — affordable units, hotel guest rooms and condo-hotel units — the developer had to comply with Fire, Life and Safety requirements given by the City & County of Honolulu as well as the hotel chain operator. ACK and its subcontractors demonstrated compliance with the requirements and worked with the developer to obtain a second certificate of occupancy days before the first prescheduled move-in date.
“ACK [also] built several mock-ups, which allowed the architect/developer to see different options of materials and finishes,” he says.
As a result, Sky Ala Moana incorporates prized materials from around the world: Silestone countertops (Spain), coral stone (Philippines), basalt floor and split-face travertine wall tiles (Italy), limestone flooring and cladding (Portugal) and basalt paver tiles (China).
“[It all] ties into the melting-pot culture of Hawai‘i and can also be seen as a celebration of the unity between the residents and guests who occupy and will occupy the towers,” Ikeda says.
Renaissance Honolulu’s Grauso agrees.
“The eighth-floor Sky Deck and its expansive luxury and lifestyle wellness amenities — fitness center, family pool, 25-meter lap pool, twin jacuzzis, Spa Uhiwai, ofuro, hot and cold plunges, wet and dry salt saunas, outdoor jacuzzis — are shared across both Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa guests and Sky Ala Moana residents,” he says.
Lavish amenities also define the hotel’s 187 guestrooms and Renaissance Residences Honolulu & Spa —112 condo-hotel apartments extending from the thirtieth to the thirty-ninth floor in Sky’s East Tower.
Grauso says Renaissance Residences are “comparable or larger” relative to other Honolulu hotels in its class and include studios, one-bedroom models, two-bedroom models and large three-bedroom models that measure up to 1,970 square feet.
The Ocean Tower renovations follow an island-inspired palette. PHOTO COURTESY HILTON GRAND VACATIONS
Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company Inc. is responsible for renovations at Waikoloa Village. PHOTO COURTESY HILTON GRAND VACATIONS
HILTON GRAND VACATIONS OCEAN TOWER WAIKOLOA VILLAGE
“Phased renovations have been ongoing since 2023 and are expected to be completed by October 2024,” says General Manager Lau. “In its current phase, HGV converted 114 standard hotel units to 84 vacation ownership suites and revitalized the exterior of the resort.
“Converted suites were designed to elevate vacation ownership experiences, while highlighting functionality and convenience through a modern island-inspired palette,” he adds.
The coffee offered in Piko Coffee & Wine Bar is locally sourced from Ka‘u-. PHOTO COURTESY OUTRIGGER RESORTS & HOTELS
Artwork in the lobby and in renovated areas pay homage to Keauhou Bay. PHOTO COURTESY OUTRIGGER RESORTS & HOTELS
OUTRIGGER KONA RESORT & SPA
“[Renovations include work on] all 511 guest rooms, redesign of the lobby and meeting spaces, addition of a family activity center and Voyager 47 Club Lounge, a new pool bar, upgraded lounge chairs and cabanas around the pool and a complete redesign of the Piko Coffee & Wine Bar,” says Outrigger’s Pearson.
The $60 million renovation of the 22-acre property also included the resort’s approximately 100,000-square-foot Kaleiopapa Convention Center. For Pearson, one of the highlights of the renovation is the Piko Coffee and Wine Bar.
He says changes were designed to embrace the essence of Keauhou Bay and its name, which means “new current” or “new era” in Hawaiian.
“Symbolizing a flowing current and eloquence, the resort’s design by Looney & Associates seamlessly incorporates oceanic currents and wave motifs into its interiors,” he says.
The resort is also now Green Seal Certified, which the international Green Seal organization defines as meeting “the highest benchmark of health and environmental leadership.”
“The collaboration it took to get the project across the finish line [is a highlight],” says Tim Broersma, CEO of Elements Hospitality, the project’s West Coast-based general contractor.
“There were significant challenges, across a large property with extreme variables,” he says. “The team … collaborated creatively to overcome the obstacles, and did so in real time, on a live and occupied property, while keeping pace on the project. That’s the outstanding feature here!”
