August 2011 WHAT S NEW IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS EVENTS AND ATTRACTIONS! Learn about the Art of Hawaiian Coffee during this weeklong event happening August 9-16 from 7-10 p.m. nightly on the first floor of DFS Galleria Waikiki on O ahu. Hawai i is currently the only U.S. state producing coffee with varieties grown on most of the major islands including Kaua i, O ahu, Moloka i, Maui, and Hawai i Island. Visitors will enjoy an open café in the Luxury Walk; daily coffee tasting events including a coffee pairing with chocolate; exhibits and seminars on the story of coffee in Hawai i; coffee art classes for children; a showing of original art by local artists inspired by coffee; a one-day competition for baristas designing latte art; shopping for specialty coffees from Hawai i coffee farms; and live Hawaiian music and entertainment. For more information, visit DFSGalleria.com.! The Royal Kona Resort on Hawai i Island will celebrate the third annual Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai Festival on August 13. In honor of Don the Beachcomber and his legacy as the Mai Tai s true inventor, local vendors will be selling artwork, crafts, clothing, and local produce at the Mai Tai Marketplace. Those attending can taste and vote in the World s Best BBQ contest, watch bartenders from across the world compete to concoct the World s Best Mai Tai for a chance to win a $10,000 cash prize, and listen to a special live performance under the stars with special guests, Spin Doctors. For more information, visit DonsMaiTaiFest.com.
Page 2! Soar to new heights and sights with two new zipline adventures on Hawai i Island s north shore. Skyline Eco Adventures newest zipline flies guests directly above Akaka Falls, a private 250-foot waterfall often visited by hikers. The two and a half hour Skyline Akaka Falls tour features six lines suspended above the lush ravines with ocean and mountain views of the Hämäkua coast. For more information, visit Zipline.com. Experience different parts of the oldest rainforest in the Islands with Big Island Eco Adventures. The three to four hour zipline tour begins with a 30 minute off-road safari in a Pinzgauer, a six wheel drive Swiss Army vehicle, up the mountainside followed by a three minute hike to the keiki line, the first of many ziplines. From there, the ziplines will get longer and higher offering panoramic views of the North Kohala landscape from the mountain to the sea. For more information, visit BigIslandEcoAdventures.com.! See your favorite stars in action when the celebrated tribute artist production Legends in Concert debuts an all-new show December 8 at Royal Hawaiian Center on O ahu. The hour long show will play six nights a week year-round in the 700-seat Royal Hawaiian Theatre featuring acts paying tribute to the likes of some of Hollywood s most famous artists past and present including Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Madonna, and Prince. In all, Legends in Concert features more than 80 different superstar personas that are rotated through its numerous domestic and international venues. For more information, visit RoyalHawaiianCenter.com.
Page 3 NEW DEVELOPMENTS! The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) on O ahu plans to spend $38 million over the next five years to enhance its establishment through renovations, new activities, shows, restaurants, and more. The first phase of the upgrade is already underway with the introduction of four of eight new Go Native! activities including cooking demos, umu (Samoan above-ground oven) making, Hawaiian quilt making, and coconut tree climbing. The next round of upgrades will feature a new booking system for agents to schedule reservations, upgrades to the Marquesas exhibit and Hukilau Theater, and an expanded Polynesian Market Place. For more information, visit Polynesia.com.! Travaasa Destinations, a new collection of experiential hotels, formally debuted its second location, Travaasa Häna, on June 30. Set amid the oceanfront community of Heavenly Häna on Maui s secluded eastern shore, the hotel, formally known as Hotel Häna-Maui, features 70 cottages and suites, a wellness spa, locally sourced dining, and extensive programming highlighting Hawai i s rich cultural heritage. The array of new programming reflects the small town flavor of Häna and includes a historical town, guided coastal garden walks, throw net fishing demonstrations, hula and ukulele lessons, lei making, coconut husking, bicycle tours, stand-up paddle boarding, outrigger canoe paddling, and landscape and digital photography classes. Guests can choose from two different offerings: an all-inclusive, adults-only program which includes meals, a daily spa treatment, and as many activities as they wish, or an a la carte stay. Rates start at $400 per night, double occupancy. For more information, visit Travaasa.com or call 855-TO-TRAVAASA (855-868-7282).
Page 4! The Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki is investing $5 million to update and refresh its guest rooms led by renowned local interior designer firm Philpotts & Associates. Plans to upgrade the O ahu hotel include adding flat-screen televisions, island inspired weaves, textures and motifs with a contemporary twist, specially designed décor, and new artwork. The project will also include new carpeting and upholstery in the award-winning Prince Court and Hakone restaurants and the redesign of the waterfall along the hotel front entrance. For more information, visit PrinceResortsHawaii.com.! After a $16 million renovation, the guest rooms at the DoubleTree by Hilton Alana Waikiki (O ahu) have been refreshed and offer a Sweet Dreams by Doubletree sleep experience, beautiful bathrooms, new high definition flat screen televisions with side panels for easy laptop connectivity, comfortable ergonomic workstations for business travelers, and multiple outlets for electronic devices. For more information, visit Doubletree1.Hilton.com. TRANSPORTATION! On July 12, Hawaiian Airlines launched its daily service to Osaka (Japan) marking its third new Asia destination in the past eight months. The nonstop daily flight leaves Honolulu International Airport (O ahu) at 2:20 p.m. and arrives at Kansai International Airport at 6:00 p.m. the following day. The return flight from Osaka departs daily at 9:30 p.m. and arrives in Honolulu at 10:50 a.m. the same day. Hawaiian previously initiated service to Tokyo s Haneda Airport (Japan) last November and to Seoul s Incheon International Airport (South Korea) in January 2011. For more information, visit HawaiianAir.com.
Page 5 ACCOLADES! Hawai i won two awards in the 2011 TravelAge West WAVE (Western Agents Votes of Excellence) Awards after receiving editor s pick nominations in the categories of Best Destination for a Beach Vacation and Best of the West: Favorite Destination for a Family Vacation. Hawai i beat out some of its biggest competitors including Jamaica, Mexico, and Tahiti to win the award for Best Destination for a Beach Vacation, and defeated Alaska, Disneyland Resort, and San Diego in the category for Best of the West: Favorite Destination for a Family Vacation. Hawai i also received a 2011 Editor s Pick for Best Destination for a Honeymoon/Romance Vacation. For more information, visit Wave.TravelAgeWest.com.! The Hawaiian Islands are home to three of the Top 10 Islands in the world say travelers who voted in Travel + Leisure s World s Best Awards 2011. Hawai i, the Big Island ranked the highest of Hawai i s winners at No. 7, immediately followed by Kaua i at No. 8 and Maui at No. 9. For more information, visit TravelandLeisure.com/WorldsBest/2011.! The Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea continues to be a popular vacation choice among travelers who voted it the top luxury hotel in the United States in TripAdvisor s 2011 Travelers Choice Awards. In addition to earning the No. 1 spot on the Top 10 Luxury Hotels in the United States list, the Maui hotel also ranked No. 10 on the list for the Top 25 Hotels in the United States. In the best beaches category, Honolulu (O ahu) was No. 24 of the Top 25 Beaches in the World. For more information, visit TripAdvisor.com/TravelersChoice.
Page 6! Three hotels in the Hawaiian Islands earned spots on Tennis Resorts Online s list of the Top 100 Tennis Resorts and Camps for 2011. Hawai i Island s Mauna Kea Beach Hotel earned the highest spot at No. 7 followed by Maui s Kapalua Resort and Hawai i Island s Fairmont Orchid. For more information, visit TennisResortsOnline.com.! Coastal expert Dr. Stephen Leatherman otherwise known as Dr. Beach named two O ahu beaches to the 2011 Top 10 Beaches in America. The stretch of Waikïkï beach fronting the Hilton Hawaiian Village known as Kahanamoku Beach earned a spot on the list for the second year in a row moving up three positions to No. 3, while Waimänalo Beach Park located on the island s east side was listed No. 9. For more information, visit DrBeach.org. -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 Vice President Hawai i Visitors and Convention Bureau McNeil Wilson Communications E-mail: dmorikawa@hvcb.org E-mail: Nathan.Kam@AnthologyGroup.com Phone: 808-924-0259 Phone: 808-539-3471