WHAT S NEW IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

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1 Page 1 September 2013 WHAT S NEW IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS NEW DEVELOPMENTS The Four Seasons Resorts Lana i recently underwent several property enhancements and added new guest experiences to its Manele Bay and Lodge at Koele resorts. Among them include the debut of the highly anticipated Nobu Lana i, featuring Nobuyuki Nobu Matsuhisa s new style sushi; a new 100 percent local and sustainable menu at The Lodge at Koele; the addition of The Lounge, an elegant new bar with a refined cocktail menu and The Sports Bar, a casual bar and restaurant with large screen televisions open all day; complimentary Internet; free guided Snorkel Safari tours; Hulopo e Beach shoreline fishing lessons; and much more. For more information, visit FourSeasons.com/Lanai. The Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa is midway through a $2 million construction of the new 3,087 square-foot Kou Ballroom. Located on the second floor of the Diamond Head Tower, the ballroom will incorporate a unique modern design and accommodate everything from wedding receptions to corporate events. It will also feature a sustainable farm-to-table menu with foods from local farmers. For more information, visit Waikiki.Hyatt.com.

2 Page 2 The highly anticipated luxury condominium complex, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, scheduled to open in 2016, will be home to two worldrenowned restaurants: o Sushi Sho A well-established Edo-style sushi bar chain, opening its first overseas location. The restaurant s sushi is known for distinct techniques applied to preparing and aging fish and special ingredients. o BLT Market The restaurant will feature a farm-to-table menu, offering an array of organic and sustainable grains, herbs, vegetables, fish and free-range animals for a healthy and delicious experience. For more information, visit TheResidencesWaikiki.com. The Royal Hawaiian Center has opened four new stores: o Calypso St. Barth is known for its signature tunics, caftans and dresses, designed for women to mix and match into countless combinations for effortless elegance. The boutique also offers a curated selection of accessories from around the world. o WHITETTAG provides customers with trendy, high-end apparel from well-known brands like Repetto, Opening Ceremony and CURRENT/ELLIOTT. o Award-winning and locally owned Malie Kai Chocolates specializes in Hawai i-grown chocolate. Each bar is made from sustainably grown cacao from the North Shore of O ahu. o Fighting Eel offers simple yet feminine dresses and tops. The versatile and comfortable pieces are easily worn with either high heels or flip-flops. For more information, visit RoyalHawaiianCenter.com.

3 Page 3 EVENTS AND ATTRACTIONS On July 1, the USS Arizona Memorial (Pearl Harbor, O ahu) tours returned to a full tour schedule. Tours were cut back to meet sequestration requirements, but the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument is back to offering tours every 15 minutes, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Tickets are available online at Recreation.gov or on a firstcome, first-served basis at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. For more information, visit NPS.gov.valr. The Bishop Museum is paying tribute to Te Rangi Hiro (Sir Peter H. Buck), the first Polynesian to receive widespread recognition for his research and scholarship on Pacific cultures, showcasing his work in the newly renovated Pacific Hall. As director of the museum from , Buck focused on the anthropology of Pacific people, their origins, language and material culture. Items from Buck s collection that will be on display include a treasured kahu kiwi (cloak of kiwi feathers), a mere pounamu (greenstone club) and a taiaha (ceremonial staff) as well as one of his many field notebooks. For more information, visit BishopMuseum.org. On October 13, the Pacific Island Fisheries Group presents the Hawai i Fishing and Seafood Festival (O ahu), an action-packed day with events for fishing fanatics, seafood lovers and the entire family at Honolulu s Fishing Village at Pier 38. Demonstrations and workshops are held throughout the day for various fishing and fishing-related activities including shoreline whipping, fish printing and spin casting for the kids. Some of Hawai i s top restaurants will also be serving up special seafood

4 Page 4 dishes for the day. For more information, visit HawaiiFishingFestival.com. Held on November 1-10, the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival (Hawai i Island) is Hawai i s oldest food festival and features over 50 events including coffee plantation and mill tours, a Grand Parade, the Miracle Mile Race, golf tournament, art exhibits and recipe contest. This year also marks the 200 th anniversary of coffee being grown in Hawai i. For more information, visit KonaCoffeeFest.com. Enjoy a burst of color in the Waikïkï sky. Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort added a second weekly fireworks show every Tuesday night, which includes a new dance performance at 7:45 p.m. The free five-minute firework display begins at 8 p.m. The resort continues to host its original show every Friday night. For more information, visit HiltonHawaiianVillage.com. On August 15, Atlantis Submarines celebrated 25 years of sharing Hawai i s hidden underwater paradise with guests from around the world. Since its first dive in 1988, the company has hosted over 7.8 million passengers on more than 225,497 dives. Today, Atlantis Submarines has tours in Waikïkï (O ahu), Lahaina (Maui) and Kona (Hawai i Island). For more information, visit AtlantisAdventures.com. Matchups for this year s EA Sports Maui Invitational, an elite men s collegiate basketball tournament, were recently announced. This year s tournament takes place at the Lahaina Civic Center from November and will feature several storied programs, including Gonzaga University,

5 Page 5 University of Arkansas and Syracuse University. For more information, visit MauiInvitational.com. TRANSPORTATION Allegiant Airlines announced the launch of its first nonstop flight between Los Angeles, California and Honolulu, O ahu, to begin on October 30. For more information and flight details, visit AllegiantAirlines.com. Enterprise Rent-A-Car along with Travaasa Experiential Resorts unveiled an exciting new partnership providing the convenience of rental car services in the charming seaside town of Häna, Maui. Travelers may choose between two types of vehicles: a Chevy Malibu or a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. To take advantage of the new twice-daily flight service from Kahului to Hana, one-way drop offs at Kahului Airport and Travaasa Häna are available for an additional fee. For more information, visit Enterprise.com or Travaasa.com/hana. Mokulele Airlines is the first Hawai i interisland carrier to offer flights between Kona, Hawai i Island and Kapalua, Maui. The new service began on July 19 and provides convenient access to the Kapalua resort area. On September 21, the airlines will also begin daily flight service between Waimea, Hawai i Island and Kahului, Maui. For more information, visit MokuleleAirlines.com. Canada s West Jet Airlines is adding new flights between Vancouver, B.C. and Hawai i to begin on December 12. The expanded service will include daily flights to Kona, Hawai i Island and Lïhue, Kaua i. For more

6 Page 6 information, visit WestJet.com. Uber, a technology company that seamlessly connects riders to local, licensed, professional drivers has come to Honolulu. With the Uber app, customers can request a safe, reliable and stylish ride within minutes. The app also tracks the vehicle and sends a text message when it arrives. Payments are automatic and there s no need to tip. For more information, visit Uber.com/Cities/Honolulu. ACCOLADES Travel + Leisure magazine honored Hawai i with several top rankings on its annual World s Best List. Winner s include: o Best Island Destinations: Maui (3), Kaua i (7) o Best Domestic Airlines: Hawaiian Airlines (3) o Best Resorts of Hawai i: Four Seasons Resort Hawai i at Hualälai (1) Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea (2) Kahala Hotel & Resort (3) Four Seasons Resort Hawai i Läna i, The Lodge at Koele (4) The St. Regis Princeville Resort (5) The magazine s World s Best awards are based on readers votes of their favorite travel destinations and services. For more information, visit TravelandLeisure.com. Chef Alan Wong was recently inducted to American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame at the American Culinary Federation national convention in Las Vegas. Wong, a James Beard Award winner for Best

7 Page 7 Chef Northwest 1996, is the first Hawai i Chef to receive the award and has three restaurants in the Hawaiian Islands: Alan Wong s Restaurant and The Pineapple Room on O ahu, and Alan Wong s Amasia at the Grand Wailea on Maui. For more information, visit ACFChefs.org. Two Hawai i restaurants, Sarento s at the Top of the Ilikai on O ahu and Ulu Ocean Grill and Sushi Lounge at Four Seasons Resort Hualälai on Hawai i Island were listed among the top 100 scenic views in the U.S. on OpenTable.com. The list of winners is based on more than 5 million restaurant reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 15,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit OpenTable.com. -pau- Special note to media: The Hawai i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) recognizes the use of the okina [ ] or glottal stop, one of the eight consonants of the (modern) Hawaiian language; and the kahakö [ä] or macron (e.g., in place names of Hawai i such as Läna i). However, HVCB respects the individual use of these markings for names of organizations and businesses. The Hawai i Visitors and Convention Bureau is contracted by the Hawai i Tourism Authority (HTA), the state of Hawai i s tourism agency, for marketing management services in North America. The HTA was established in 1998 to ensure a successful visitor industry well into the future. Its mission is to strategically manage Hawai i tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with the state of Hawai i s economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, community desires, and visitor industry needs. Media Contacts: Darlene Morikawa Nathan Kam Director, PR/Communications Executive Vice President Hawai i Visitors and Convention Bureau McNeil Wilson Communications dmorikawa@hvcb.org Nathan.Kam@AnthologyGroup.com Phone: Phone: # # #