WHAT S NEW IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

Transcription

1 Page 1 June/July 2016 NEW DEVELOPMENTS WHAT S NEW IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS Four Seasons Hotels is looking forward to welcoming guests to its new, highly anticipated O ahu beachfront property at Ko Olina Resort beginning June 1. Chic, airy and spotlighting vast ocean views, the Four Seasons Resort O ahu at Ko Olina offers 371 luxurious rooms and suites, five restaurants and lounges, four pools, a white sand beach, a multi-level spa and wellness centre, tennis facilities and watersports, and preferred access to the Ko Olina Golf Club. The resort s oceanfront location is an ideal spot for weddings and romantic getaways. And a sheltered lagoon is ready for family fun for all ages. FourSeasons.com/Oahu Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa has undergone a number of refreshes, giving a new look to everything from its guestrooms and beds, to its workout facilities and dining establishments. Elegant custom designed carpet lines guestroom hallways and all guestrooms now feature new Grand Beds TM -- a signature sleep set developed exclusively for Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. The Anara Spa s fitness center has been refreshed with new mat flooring and the latest in Precor brand cardio and weight training equipment. And a $1.2 million renovation has refreshed the resort s poolside restaurant, added a sushi bar to Stevenson s Library, modernized the buffet at Ilima Terrace, and turned the Poipu Bay Clubhouse into a quick take-out spot. GrandHyattKauai.com The largest Hilton Garden Inn in the world is opening on O ahu. The 623-room Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach is now accepting reservations for stays from June 27 on. Situated in the dynamic hub of Waikīkī, the hotel is just two blocks from Waikīkī Beach and within walking distance of many of the resort area s most popular shopping, dining and entertainment attractions. TR Fire Grill, the hotel s chef-inspired American bistro, will serve a menu of seasonally inspired dishes crafted with locally sourced produce from Hawai i farms. HiltonGardenInn.com/Waikiki The Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay opened in April following the completion of a multi-million dollar transformation of the former Aston Aloha Beach Hotel. Its 216 guestrooms, 5,000-square-foot meeting space, lobby, exteriors, fitness center, indoor pool, and 24-hour business center have all seen improvements as well. The renovated property is the only Hilton-branded property on Kaua i and the second Hilton Garden Inn in Hawai i.

2 Page 2 HiltonGardenInn.com/WailuaBay Having undergone a complete renovation and product refresh of its Penthouse at the Moana guestrooms, the Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa on O ahu, invites guests to enjoy any of its 10 Tower Wing Penthouse Ocean Guestrooms and Suites. The Moana s penthouse suites feature views of the rolling waves of Waikïkï s beaches from spacious private länais. Sea-inspired interiors showcase an attention to detail and feature relaxing shades of blue and gray representing the varying hues of the ocean throughout the day. MoanaSurfrider.com Beginning in late spring 2016, Hawai i travelers can look forward to staying in O ahu s first Ritz-Carlton residential resort. The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach s 307 stylish, ocean-facing residences will be part of a resort featuring year-round outdoor and cultural delights in Honolulu. The new condohotel will be the brand s second in Hawai i, joining The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, Maui. The property features a large resort terrace with two ocean-view pools, and a bar and grill. Other on-property dining options will include Dean & Deluca, BLT Market and Sushi Sho. Guests will also have access to a full-service Ritz- Carlton spa, fitness center, Ritz Kids lounge and an entertainment center. The Waikïkï property s second tower is currently scheduled to open in the first or second quarter of 2018 with about 250 units. RitzCarlton.com/Waikiki Destination Residences Hawaii recently announced completion of an $8.2 million renovation of Wailea Elua Village, a condo resort in its private home vacation management collection. The Village s refreshed beachfront vacation rentals now feature a modern look that includes new metal railings and glass balconies on länais (offering a more seamless outdoor and indoor living experience), concrete walkways throughout public spaces, and a new color palette and landscaping. DestinationResidencesHawaii.com DINING Opening in summer 2016, BLT Market offers a dining concept highlighting the best of Hawai i's regional and seasonal offerings. The BLT brand s second Hawai i restaurant its other eatery, BLT Steak, opened in the Trump International Hotel Waikiki in December 2009 BLT Market is located in The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach. It will feature an all-day menu, alongside weekend brunch, specialty tea service and an overnight menu. RitzCarlton.com/BLTMarket The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas is partnering with the nonprofit Native Hawaiian learning- and community-focused Waipā Foundation for a twice-monthly He Aina Ola Farm Dinner Tour. The evening begins with a walking tour of Waipä s orchard and gardens, and finish with a three-course dinner with wine pairings. (The Hawaiian words he aina ola translate as a nourishing feast. ) Prepared by the Westin Princeville s culinary team, the dinner held in Waipä s hale imu (underground oven house) will feature locally sourced

3 Page 3 ingredients, including produce grown at Waipä. WestinPrinceville.com/FarmDinnerTour Tasting Kaua i Food Tours introduces its new Short Order Kaua i Food Tour. Designed for guests with smaller appetites, the two-hour tour offers insider information while making three stops for noshing on the island s Royal Coconut Coast. Tour guests will have an opportunity to meet some of Kaua i s top cooks and experience out-of-the way establishments. The new tour is an addition to Tasting Kaua i s recently created Farmers Market Tour, which introduces visitors to area farmers and offers them tips on picking the best fruits. TastingKauai.com/FoodTour The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort s Royal Breakfast Buffet invites guests to indulge like royalty. The Surf Lanai, renowned for its sweeping views of Waikīkī Beach and Diamond Head, has reintroduced the hotel s breakfast buffet experience with a modern twist. Patrons will be able to select from signature breakfast items, including Pink Palace Pancakes with guava raspberry shortcake; The Royal Loco Moco featuring port wine-braised beef short ribs and two sunny-side-up eggs; and a Kalua Pork-style Hash with poached egg and Hawaiian chili pepper hollandaise. Royal-Hawaiian.com/SurfLanai Street Food Stadium is a new generation concept of food truck gatherings. Located just outside of Waikïkï on Honolulu s Kaläkaua Avenue, Street Food Stadium is a food truck park that offers an ever-evolving assortment of eats to sate everyone s cravings because each truck is essentially a turn-key commercial kitchen ready for any vendor to step in on any day. Cuisines from around the world are offered on the menus of the trucks, parked just steps apart from each other. Street Food Stadium provides the trucks for vendors to hop on board and cook, not just a location for the food trucks to park. StreetFoodStadium.com ATTRACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES Atlantis Cruises is introducing the next generation of vessel offering sunset dinner cruises and special events in the waters off O ahu. Fittingly named the Majestic, the 150-foot vessel is Atlantis s newest state-of-the-art cruise ship, offering a multitude of options for hosting couples, families, tour groups and private functions. A variety of cruise experiences are offered on the Majestic, including sunset dinner cruises, buffet cruises and special holiday cruises. AtlantisAdventures.com The Four Seasons Resort Hualälai is offering a number of very special experiences this summer sure to appeal to guests of all ages. If you re a foodie, aspiring triathlete, photographer or painter, or parents of camping fans, start planning now! From workshops in the resort s Master of Art series with National Geographic photographer Joe McNally, to Camp Manitou for kids ages 9 to 17, to Wild Wellness Retreats led by some of America s top fitness instructors, summer at the resort will feature an activity for everyone.

4 Page 4 FourSeasons.com The secluded island of Läna i offers visitors unique options for adventure. The new Island Adventure Center at Four Seasons Resort Läna i is a perfect home base for resort guests and day visitors to the island to plan a range of outdoor activities. Take part in guided UTV tours exploring Läna i s rugged trails or start your day with a custom-guided sunrise tour. Or, get on a horse and gallop into the hills surrounding the island s Kö ele area, once the center of ranching operations on the island. FourSeasons.com In celebration of Hawai i Volcanoes National Park s Centennial, special events planned for park guests throughout 2016 include a monthly ranger-guided Centennial After Dark in the Park and Hike series highlighting the park s vast natural and cultural resources. Also making the centennial special? A Hawaiian language opera performance and events for children, including ti leaf lei-making. NPS.gov/HawaiiVolcanoes The Kä anapali Beach Hotel on Maui has opened a new activity center, Hale Huaka i, to perpetuate and honor Hawaiian traditions. The Hawaiian word huaka i means a trip, a voyage or a place to start one s journey or embark on an adventure, often in a hui (club or society) to build connections with others. Hale Huaka i offers a Hawaiian perspective on several popular ocean activities including surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, snorkeling, conch shell blowing and more. The Kä anapali Beach Hotel is situated on Kä anapali Beach on Maui s sunny west side, a great setting for memorable Hawai i experiences. KBHMaui.com Experience the delicious produce and products grown, harvested and sold by Kualoa Private Nature Reserve on its 4,000-acre property spread across three valleys on O ahu s windward coast. Taste of Kualoa, a new farm-to-table tasting tour at Kualoa Ranch, takes guests to the preserve s shrimp and tilapia ponds, orchards and fresh oyster farm to learn about and taste Kualoa s produce, seafood and beef. KualoaRanch.com Also new to Kualoa Ranch is a behind-the-scenes VIP tour of its many movie sites utilized by blockbuster Hollywood productions for filming since the 1950s. On the ranch s Premier Movie Sites Tour guests get to see iconic set pieces such as Jurassic Park s gate and famous fallen log, the monster footprints of the star of Godzilla, the bunkers from the TV series Lost, a Hawaii Five-0 set, and visit the location of the Hukilau Cafe from 50 First Dates. KualoaRanch.com Maui Ocean Center, The Hawaiian Aquarium, has implemented a new Na Mo olelo cultural program to provide guests with opportunities to learn about the Hawaiian culture. Prominent members of the Hawaiian community will be present at the aquarium to share Hawaiian language, culture and traditions with guests through hands-on demonstrations, food sampling and talk-story sessions. New cultural activities include mo olelo, or storytelling, Hawai i arts and crafts, traditional Hawaiian games ( ulu maika a stone pitching game and ö ö ihe

5 Page 5 spear throwing, among them), lauhala weaving, live music and more. MauiOceanCenter.com Couples hoping to experience a dream Hawaiian honeymoon while lowering honeymoon costs can do both with Starwood Waikïkï s exclusive Honeymoon Registry program. The Sheraton Waikiki and The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort are among the first online bridal registry services to focus solely on honeymoons in Hawai i as wedding gifts. The Sheraton Waikiki is the only O ahu resort offering couples a convenient way to apply for a marriage license. And the Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort offers many ways to say, I do, with its signature themed experiences. Starwoodhotels.com/weddings Melt away fat, sculpt muscles and take your fitness level to new heights at Spa Montage. Located in the Montage Kapalua Bay resort, Spa Montage now offers Body Barre, a high-energy class incorporating high-repetition, ballet-style movements to the beat of fun and energetic music. The class aims to lengthen the muscles, and create lift and tone, to achieve a dancer's body. Another spa offering is UltraFIT, a high-intensity workout involving cardio, strength training and balance. Guests are also welcome to join the Makai Yoga class, held on the Montage's outdoor lawn. SpaMontageKapalua.com St. Regis Princeville Resort guests can now surf the earth on a GolfBoard while playing the award-winning 18-hole Princeville Makai Golf Course. The GolfBoard resembles a motorized skateboard with a stabilizer bar and handle. A fun alternative to a golf cart, the battery-powered, single-passenger GolfBoard is a golf bag carrier as well. MakaiGolf.com FESTIVALS AND EVENTS Mangos are in-season this summer at the Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa s 8th annual Mangoes at the Moana event on July 16 at the Moana s Banyan Courtyard. Highlighting the celebration of Hawai i s favorite summer fruit will be an all-star lineup of top local chefs and restaurateurs who will battle head-to-head in the Mango Throwdown. Other events include a best mango contest, mango farmers market, silent auction, mango cooking demonstrations, a Mango Cocktail Mixdown, and Mango 101 workshop. MoanaSurfrider.com/Mangoes View and purchase the original and limited edition works of more than 100 juried artists at the Hale iwa Arts Festival Summer ArtFest on O ahu, happening July 16 and 17. Traditional and contemporary art utilizing oil, acrylic, ceramic, photography, sculpture, watercolor, jewelry and glass will be showcased and available for sale. History tours, art demonstrations and displays, musicians, storytellers, and dancers are also part of the ArtFest schedule. HaleiwaArtsFestival.org

6 Page 6 The Prince Lot Hula Festival honors the hula legacy of the Hawai i prince who would go on to reign as King Kamehameha V. The fest, this year happening on July 16 and 17, annually brings residents and visitors to O ahu s Moanalua Gardens for a daylong hula exhibition showcasing new and experienced hälau hula (hula schools). The festival also offers attendees a full day to experience Hawaiian culture, with traditional games, lomilomi massages, food, and arts and crafts such as lauhala weaving, and kapa- (bark cloth) and ipu (gourd)- making. MoanaluaGardensFoundation.org Held in the Kaua i town and district where Hawai i s first sugar plantation was founded in 1835, Köloa Plantation Days offers a multi-day slate of lively, familyoriented events showcasing the area s agricultural and natural history, and diverse multicultural traditions. Bring the family to Kaua i s sunny south coast for the celebration s many events, which will include sporting activities and entertainment offered throughout the Po ipü and Köloa area. Köloa Plantation Days happens July KoloaPlantationDays.com The annual The Joy of Sake festival is the largest sake-tasting event held outside of Japan, with more than 270 sakes offered for attendees to sample. The sakes offered are also submitted as entries in the U.S. National Sake Appraisal, a rigorous blind tasting conducted by 10 judges from Japan and the U.S. Chefs representing some of Honolulu s finest restaurants will be on hand at The Joy of Sake, preparing sushi and other tantalizing dishes to complement the sake. The Joy of Sake happens July 22 at the Hawai i Convention Center on O ahu. JoyofSake.com Sheraton Kauai Resort will host the 4 th annual RumFest at its RumFire Po ipü Beach restaurant on Aug. 5, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Held in the resort s open-air Ocean Courtyard, the event will feature rums from around the world, live entertainment and island-inspired cuisine. Entry is free, with food and rum tastings available for purchase. RumFire Po ipü Beach offers oceanfront dining on Kaua i s south shore, with a menu blending Hawai i-rooted cuisine and global influences, and featuring a variety of cocktails. Rumfirekauai.com The Made in Hawaii Festival gathers more than 400 exhibitors in one place offering for sale all things Hawai i-made, from art, clothing, food and home furnishings, to jewelry, toys, fresh produce, plants and Hawaiian arts and crafts. An annual hit with residents and visitors, the fest also hosts free cooking demonstrations and live musical performances. This year s Made in Hawaii Festival happens Aug at the Neal S. Blaisdell Exhibition Hall and Arena on O ahu. MadeInHawaiiFestival.com The weeklong Duke s OceanFest offers up a variety of ocean sports events and competitions, and a beach volleyball tournament in honor of legendary Hawai i waterman and Olympian Duke Kahanamoku. The annual fest raises funds for the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation s college scholarships and athletic grants program. Festivities culminate with a lei draping ceremony at the Duke Kahanamoku statue in Waikïkï commemorating the anniversary of

7 Page 7 Kahanamoku s birthday. The OceanFest takes place August in Waikïkï on O ahu. DukesOceanFest.com The annual Aloha Festivals is a cultural celebration of Hawai i s music, dance and history, featuring parades, street parties, concerts and family activities. The Aloha Festivals Waikïkï Ho olaule a, the resort area s largest annual block party, happens September 17, with thousands of residents and visitors gathering to take in Hawaiian culture, crafts, food and hula. On September 24, the Aloha Festivals 70 th annual Floral Parade will take to Waikïkï main drag Kaläkaua Avenue with a colorful procession of flower-bedecked floats, marching bands, pä ü horseback riders and more. AlohaFestivals.com December 7, 2016, will mark the 75 th anniversary of the 1941 attack on U.S. military installations at O ahu s Pearl Harbor. Commemoration of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day will take place at the museums and memorials of Pearl Harbor Historic Sites, which will host a series of special events from December 1-11, including movie nights on Waikīkī Beach, an AJA veteran s luncheon, the premiere of the documentary film Remember Pearl Harbor, and much more. PearlHarbor75thAnniversary.com TRANSPORTATION Virgin America now flies daily nonstop flights to Hawai i from Los Angeles International Airport, California (LAX), to Honolulu International Airport, O ahu (HNL), and will begin service to Kahului International Airport, Maui, on June 14. Hawai i continues to be the No. 1 visitor destination for travelers from the West Coast, with more than 3.3 million visitors arriving in VirginAmerica.com Hawaiian Airlines is bringing back seasonal nonstop service between Kona and Los Angeles, and Kona and Oakland, for the summer of Three-times weekly service between Kona and Oakland, and four-times weekly service between Kona and Los Angeles, will be offered during the peak travel months of May through September, beginning May 27. The flights will utilize Hawaiian Airlines' twinaisle Airbus A330 aircraft, with seats for 294 passengers. With the addition of these seasonal flights, Hawaiian Airlines will have a wide-body aircraft arriving at Kona International Airport at Keähole every day this summer. HawaiianAirlines.com Island Air has resumed service to Kaua i with six daily round-trip flights between Honolulu and Līhu e Airport (LIH). Island Air s resumption of Līhu e flights is expected to benefit Kaua i residents and visitors by offering more seats and more flight options for interisland travel. Beginning June 14, Island Air plans to begin offering interisland air service to Hawai i Island as well, with five daily round-trip flights between Honolulu and Kona. IslandAir.com ACCOLADES

8 Page 8 AAA Diamond Ratings represent a combination of the overall quality, range of facilities, and level of services offered by a hotel, resort or other lodging property. The descriptive ratings are assigned exclusively to properties that meet and uphold AAA s approval standards. The Hawai i resorts and restaurants below were awarded five-diamond ratings from AAA: AAA Five Diamond Hotels: o The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, Maui (Maui) o Four Seasons Resort Hualälai (Hawai i Island) o Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea o Four Seasons Resort Läna i AAA Five Diamond Restaurants: o Chef Mavro (O ahu) o La Mer (O ahu) For more information, visit AAA.com/DiamondRatings. Köloa Rum Co., the award-winning artisanal rum distillery based in Kaläheo on Kaua i, recently proved several of its rums among the best in the U.S. At the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America 72 nd annual Convention and Exposition, Köloa Rum Co. took home the Double Gold Medal for Gold Rum, Gold Medal for Coconut Rum, and Silver Medals for its Dark and Spice Rums. Koloarum.com TripAdvisor recently named Maui the No. 1 island in the U.S. and the world in its 2016 Travelers Choice Awards. Maui secured the Best Islands top spot for its surf-friendly beaches and plethora of outdoor adventures. The travel site ranks its Best Island award winners based on an algorithm that takes in the quality of consumer reviews and ratings for hotels, restaurants and attractions on islands across the country and worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period. TripAdvisor.com/TravelersChoice Kapalua Golf's Plantation Course was named the No. 1 golf course in Hawai i by Golfweek magazine for the 10th consecutive year. Home to the annual PGA Tour's Tournament of Champions each January, the lengthy 7,411 yard, par-73 course provides one of Maui's most challenging layouts. GolfAtKapalua.com -pau- About HVCB 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. For more information about the Hawaiian Islands, visit gohawaii.com or

9 Page 9 follow HVCB s GoHawaii social channels on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or YouTube. 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. Media Contacts: Darlene Morikawa Lei-Ann Field Director, PR/Communications Sr. Account Supervisor Hawai i Visitors and Convention Bureau Anthology Marketing Group dmorikawa@hvcb.org Lei-Ann.Field@AnthologyGroup.com