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| Turtle Bay's recently renovated Beach Cottages represents the latest of a slew of Hawaii hotel upgrades. |
Turtle Bay, the only resort on Oahu’s North Shore, recently announced the completion of its newly renovated Beach Cottages, representing the latest hotel in Hawaii to undergo significant upgrades. Travel Agent breaks down the Turtle Bay renovations and other notable hotels that have recently seen some significant changes worth telling clients heading to Hawaii about.
Turtle Bay in Oahu Announces Completion of Renovated Beach Cottages
Along with clean-edged, tropic-chic design, the new Beach Cottages come with a separate concierge service and a number of amenities, privileges and offerings accessible only to cottage guests. This upgrade is part of a massive, resort-wide, eco-sensitive renovation enhancing food and beverage operations, event staging and guest experiences.
The Beach Cottages are set away from the rest of the resort in a secluded parkland on the shore of the bay that gives Turtle Bay its name. From their private lanais, guests enjoy views of Turtle Bay in the foreground and the Pacific just beyond. The cushioned, woven-wicker loveseats on the lanai provide vast views of the ocean.
Each 740 square foot cottage has vaulted 15-foot ceilings, polished Brazilian walnut floors, contemporary furnishings and upgraded marble bathrooms with Kalista deep-soaking tubs.
Additional offerings include a pre-visit online advisory service, an on-arrival greeting with a fresh lei and local artisan snacks, an amenity-of-the-day exclusive to the Beach Cottages, robes and slippers, Hawaiian aromatic teas and robust Hawaiian coffees, and an assortment of beach accessories.
The new Beach Cottages are part of “The Collection at Turtle Bay”. Exuding more luxurious design, quality and service, “The Collection” consists of the resort’s most exquisite accommodations including the Ocean Villas and the Premier Rooms located atop the main hotel.
In addition to the resort’s renovated Beach Cottages, Turtle Bay Resort also recently upgraded all 410 guest rooms (each with ocean views), expanded its Nalu Kinetic Spa and Fitness Center, reinvented its food and beverage programs and added 1,500 solar panels throughout the property. The renovations will continue to roll out throughout the coming year with additional new food and beverage offerings and entertainment options included among them.
Visit www.turtlebayresort.com
Hilo Naniloa Hotel and Golf Club to Become a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in December
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| The former Hilo Naniloa Hotel and Golf Club will become the DoubleTree by Hilton Hilo-Naniloa in December |
Hilton Worldwide recently announced the signing of a franchise license agreement to open DoubleTree by Hilton Hilo-Naniloa, which will join DoubleTree by Hilton’s 100,000-room portfolio and nearly 40,000-room global pipeline.
The oceanfront property, formerly the Hilo Naniloa Hotel and Golf Club, will undergo an $18.5 million large-scale transformation. The 12-story, three-tower, 388-room property plans to fully convert in December.
“Our development footprint is steadily growing in one of the top leisure markets in the world,” said Bill Fortier, Hilton Worldwide's senior vice president of development for the Americas, in a written release. “With limited real estate in Hawaii, our conversion strategy works well as DoubleTree by Hilton is a leader in this approach, offering developers flexibility while maintaining a high level of standards.”
Located at 93 Banyan Drive in Hilo, the hotel and golf course covers 70 acres fronting the scenic Hilo Bay at the tip of the Waiakea Peninsula. Guests have post-card perfect ocean and volcano views from 75 percent of the rooms and easy access to snorkeling and other water activities.
The hotel’s location on the east side of the Big Island offers convenient access to Mauna Kea Observatory, downtown Hilo, which is a mile away, and the Hilo International Airport, which is less than three miles away. Doubletree by Hilton Hilo-Naniloa will also be the closest full service hotel to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which is home to one of the most active volcanoes on earth, the Kilauea volcano, which has been erupting since 1983. It is located only 30 miles southwest of Hilo and is the second most visited attraction in the state, receiving an average of 1.3 million visitors each year, spending more than $80 million annually.
The property will have 20 suites, 5,450 square feet of meeting space plus an additional 7,213 square-foot ballroom to accommodate large scale functions.
This hotel will mark DoubleTree’s second hotel in Hawaii, joining the Alana Hotel Waikiki. Hilton Worldwide currently operates seven timeshare properties and nearly 10 hotels open or under development in Hawaii.
Visit www.doubletree.com
Hilton Hawaiian Village Completes $21 Million Transformation of its Diamond Head Tower
Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort on Oahu, Hawaii, has completed a six month, $21 million renovation of its 17-story Diamond Head Tower.
The top-to-bottom transformation includes the refurbishment of all 380 guestrooms and suites, corridors and a refreshed lobby. Hilton’s Diamond Head Tower offers both views of the Pacific Ocean and resort views overlooking the village’s 22 acres of gardens.
The location provides direct access to more than 90 shops and services and 20 restaurants, lounges and bars on Hilton’s campus, as well as Duke Kahanamoku Beach, named America’s Best Beach in 2014 by Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman of Florida International University.
All 380 rooms, including eight suites and 48 junior suites, incorporate natural and indigenous-inspired textiles to convey a distinctive Hawaii sense of place in a subtle, contemporary way. Amenities include a lanai or Juliet balcony, a bar area with fridge and coffee maker, a desk, flatscreen TV with premium cable channels and PlayStation 3, and an in-room safe.
The hotel also recently announced the completion of a $7 million renovation of its Tapa Conference Center, which includes the Tapa Ballroom, Palace Lounge, Honolulu Suites and Iolani Suites.
The new 16,536-square-foot ballroom, which was completed on April 10, features a redesign inspired by patterns of Hawaiian tapa or kapa cloth expressed through color, images, textures, patterns and artwork by local artists.
Visit www.hawaiianvillage.hilton.com
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach Breaks Ground on Second Tower
Real estate development firm Irongate has broken ground on the second tower of The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach, and launched the final phase of sales at the luxury residential community.
The development is approaching 90 percent sold since it hit the market in the summer of 2013. The final phase is now selling and includes a collection of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom residences priced from $949,800 to $3.5 million as well as a handful of one-of-a-kind- penthouse estates priced from $6.75 to $25 million. Available residences range in size from 500 to 5,100-square-feet.
The second tower, known as the East Tower, is being built alongside the West Tower, which broke ground in September 2013, and reached 25 of its 38 floors this week. Completion for the West Tower is slated for the spring of 2016 followed by the East Tower in 2017. The two towers will connect at the base with a seven-story parking and amenity podium, which when completed, will become a Waikiki destination and resort terrace.
The Residences’ luxury amenities will include a resort terrace with two ocean-view pools, a fitness center, a full-service spa, an entertainment lounge and The Ritz Kids lounge. Three dining opportunities will include Dean & Deluca, BLT Market and Sushi Sho, as well as a pool-side grill and locally-owned produce and grocery market.
Visit www.theresidenceswaikiki.com
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