Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group could be headed back to Hawaii, according to a rumor in the Pacific Business Journal. According to the report, the luxury hotel group, along with Los Angeles-based investment bank Salem Partners, is planning to open a property with 125 guest rooms and 107 luxury residences in early 2020 as part of the 232-unit Manaolana Place project. If true the new hotel, which would be located across from the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, would be the first Mandarin Oriental hotel in Hawaii since The Kahala Hotel & Resort rebranded as an independent property in 2006.
When asked for comment by Travel Agent, a spokesperson for Mandarin Oriental said that no official announcement regarding the project has yet been made. We’ve reached out to Salem Partners for further comment and will update this story when we hear more.
The move would cap a big run of recent openings and announcements in Honolulu. This month Hyatt opened the first Hawaii property in its Millennial-friendly Centric brand, the Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach. The 230 room hotel has a set of open-air, nontraditional meeting spaces situated off the hotel lobby, as well as The Lanai bar and restaurant, serving a menu by Chef Yoshi Ohata based on Pacific fusion cuisine. Other amenities include a lounge pool, fire pits and a 24/7 fitness center.
This past summer saw the debut of the 623-room Hilton Garden In Waikiki Beach. At 25 minutes from Honolulu International Airport and two blocks from Waikiki Beach, the hotel has a new rooftop pool area with poolside bar, as well as the Holoholo Café & Market, which serves grab and go food.
Elsewhere in Hawaii, this year also saw the announcement of plans for a big new Atlantis resort as part of the Ko Olina development in Oahu. Additionally, two new properties from Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts are drawing eyes to Lanai — one of our Trending Destinations for 2017.
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