Last weekend, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel celebrated its formal grand opening, after a soft opening last December. The grand opening celebrates an extensive $150 million restoration. The 43-year-old resort suffered structural damage during an October 2006 earthquake on Hawaii’s Big Island. Jon Gersonde, general manager of Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, has noted that 85 percent of the hotel’s employees have returned to work at the hotel.
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Mauna Kea Beach Hotel dignitaries celebrate Grand Opening with a good luck Sake Ceremony |
Special events for the grand opening included two golf tournaments, a special wine tasting at the newly opened Manta & Pavilion Wine Bar, a cooking lesson and special luncheon with Executive Chef George Gomes, ti leaf lei and skirt making and hula classes, a Hawaiian trail hike, Mauna Kea art tour and Hawaiian storytelling.
New amenities at The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel include a spa; new culinary experiences stewarded by Executive Chef George Gomes; and newly refurbished guest rooms. The total room and suite count has been reduced from 310 to 258 as a result of rooms being enlarged in the main building. Oceanview baths are a highlight in the new Mauna Kea Beach Hotel guestrooms. Prince Resorts Hawaii plans to pursue the AAA Five-Diamond rating, consistently held by The Mauna Kea for almost 20 years.
The resort’s Mauna Kea Golf Course has received a comprehensive upgrade and redesign to USGA standards by Rees Jones, son of the original course designer, Robert Trent Jones, Sr. The renovation includes a newly-constructed clubhouse with pro shop, locker rooms and a restaurant, that will transform in the evenings into another dinner option for resort guests.