I was anxious to catch up with Kelvin Bloom, president of ResortQuest Hawaii, on a recent swing through Hawaii because I’d heard one company was planning to expand beyond the Islands.
“Our focus right now is on Hawaii, where we see the greatest potential for growth,” says Bloom. “We have properties in the pipeline, and within 90 days these opportunities will be announced.” When the time comes to expand, Bloom says, the company will be looking at the U.S. Mainland, although Mexico isn’t out of the equation.
“Our expansion plans include mid-market as well as upscale properties,” says Bloom. “Our product mix is well-balanced, being 60 percent condo and 40 percent hotel, out of a total of 5,000 rooms.”
Last February, ResortQuest Hawaii began providing management services to both the Aloha Beach Hotel on Kauai and the Ilikai Hotel in Waikiki.
The 216-room Aloha Beach Hotel will become known as the ResortQuest Aloha Beach Resort. The company is putting the finishing touches to a $10 million top-to-bottom renovation of the Kauai beachfront property.
The Ilikai is one of Waikiki’s iconic properties. The credit sequence of Hawaii Five-O showed star Jack Lord on the lanai of the Ilikai. The hotel has a unique Y-shaped, three-winged design and the innovative use of pre-cast concrete made it a Waikiki landmark. By this July, 98 of the hotel’s 300 rooms will be fully renovated. Look for the Ilikai to be marketed as an “urban retreat.”
The company also plans to tweak its STARs Online travel agent loyalty program, making it more interactive with the company’s primary website, www.resortquesthawaii.com.