THE HALEKULANI in Waikiki began a cocktail seminar hosted by Dale DeGroff, 20-year veteran bartender of New York City's Rainbow Room. Participants will taste various concoctions as well as learn tricks used by master pourers around the world, as taught by DeGroff. Classes are limited to 20 students. Participants will receive a signed copy of DeGroff's new book, "The Craft of the Cocktail." The seminar is $40 and is held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. On June 23, tropical rum drinks will be the focus; July 15, martinis; and on July 19, tequila.
May 2005 Archives
THE RITZ-CARLTON, KAPALUA will begin a Polynesian luau this summer, beginning June 28. A traditional buffet of Polynesian foods will be paired with tropical cocktails, music and hula performances. The cost is $95 per adult and $47.50 per child, including tax and gratuity.
Hawaii angle emerges in America West talks
The airline industry is now watching to see, not just whether America West Airlines and US Airways can reach agreement to merge, but whether they can do it this week, and whether such a merged airline spreads its wings to Hawaii.
Talks have been confirmed but America West refused Monday to comment on a Wall Street Journal report that the parties are trying to conclude a deal before the America West annual shareholders meeting and have some hope of managing it. That meeting is scheduled for Tuesday of next week.
The WSJ story, attributed to sources, also said that the two airlines are talking about expanding to Hawaii. Neither carrier currently does.
US Airways, currently struggling through its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy, has a route network concentrated east of the Mississippi and serves a number of smaller U.S. East markets. It is one of the dominant carriers in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh and accounts for four out of five flights at Charlotte, N.C. Not only does US Airways not currently fly to Hawaii, but it has an extensive network of flights to rival tourism destinations in the Caribbean.
America West currently funnels passengers to Hawaii through a code-share alliance with Hawaiian Airlines, interchanging passengers at both of its hubs, Phoenix and Las Vegas. Hawaiian is America West's next-door neighbor at a terminal dominated by America West flights at the Phoenix SkyHarbor.
The only discount carrier larger than America West, Southwest Airlines, has a similar alliance with ATA Airlines and hands off passengers to ATA at Phoenix and on the West Coast. The head of Southwest recently told the Indianapolis Star that the alliance was generating more business than expected and said Southwest was selling 1,000 tickets a day for travel that ends on ATA.
All of the five largest U.S. airlines, American, Delta, United, Continental and Northwest, fly to Hawaii. Others connecting Hawaii with the North American mainland are Hawaiian, Aloha, ATA, North American and Air Canada.
Tourism push in Australia
With Australia visitor arrivals in Hawaii running more than 40 percent higher than last year, the state tourism industry is sending a team to the South Pacific to drum up even more interest.
Hawaii will be hosting its annual trade show "Aloha Down Under" May 30-June 2 in Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane with the theme, "Unique Hawaii."
Australian media reported this week that 22 Hawaiian suppliers will be attending the show.
"We are looking to build on the strong foundations we established at our 2004 event but to concentrate on the things that Hawaii has to offer that make it unique," said Gemma O'Brien, who markets Hawaii in Australia.
Meanwhile, Hawaii's agents in Taiwan are attending the Kaohsiung Travel Fair in southern Taiwan, running Thursday through Sunday, and Hawaii's agents in Shanghai hope for a tourism bounce from a photo shoot in Hawaii next week for the Chinese edition of Elle magazine.
THE BISHOP MUSEUM announced the schedule for its annual Moonlight Mele concert series. Local Hawaiian performers sing, dance and entertain in a courtyard at the center of the Bishop Museum grounds. Food and beverages are available for sale throughout the evening. June 16 features Maunalua, July 21 will spotlight Ho'okena & da Braddahs, while Makaha Sons play on August 11. Tickets are $15, concerts begin at 6 p.m. Call (808) 848-4187 or visit www.bishopmuseum.org for more information.
THE ORGANIZERS of the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival announced the celebrity chef lineup for this year's festival, which will take place on Maui, July 7 to 10. Bev Gannon, chef and owner of the Hali'imaile General Store and Joe's in Wailea will prepare her unique Pacific Rim cuisine, while J. Joho of Chicago's Everest, Brasserie Jo and Eiffel Tower will show her knowledge of wine pairings with her cuisine. Michael Mina-a James Beard, award-winning chef from San Francisco (Nob Hill, Aqua and Pisces), will also demonstrate at the event. For tickets, call (866) 669-2440 or visit www.kapaluamaui.com
Book hotels here:
Kapalua Bay Hotel
Ritz-Carlton Maui
THE HYATT REGENCY WAIKIKI began the final phase of its $16 million room renovation, which should take approximately five months to complete. This last phase includes all the rooms in the Diamond Head Tower, as the rooms in the Ewa Tower were completed in Nov. 2004. From wallpaper to showerheads, artwork, drapes and lamps, all 1,230 guest rooms will have been totally renovated by the end of the project.
ALOHA AIRLINES passengers can now partake in BaggageDirect's service. BaggageDirect will come to a client's home, hotel or office on Oahu or Maui and transport luggage to a location in Hawaii or on the mainland. Proper ID is required at pickup, which will be on the day of or day before a scheduled flight. Cost is $30 per passenger (up to two bags). Call BaggageDirect at (800) 959-4424 or log on to www.baggagedirect.com.
Big Island to take part in Japan expo
The Big Island Visitors Bureau will participate in the Aichi Expo in Nagoya, Japan May 17-23.
The theme for this year's expo is Nature's Wisdom, and the island plans to showcase its assets.
Applegate and Margo Mau, the bureau's director of Japan sales, will attend the event. Hawaiian cultural expert Nalani Kanakaole, fashion designer Sig Zane and kumu hula Nani Lim Yap along with seven dancers from Na Lei o Kaholoku will take part in the tour.
Along with the Big Island hula group, 60 Japanese hula halau will be performing at the Aichi Expo.
In addition to the dancing, the bureau will broadcast nature videos filmed on the Big Island.
"With the start of direct JAL Kona service a number of years ago, we diversified our visitor product to attract Japanese travelers to the Big Island," said Big Island Visitors Bureau Executive Director George Applegate.
Japan Airlines flies daily direct flights from Tokyo to Kona International Airport.
"We've succeeded in gaining market share and Hawaii's Big Island now attracts more Japanese visitors than any other island with the exception of Oahu," he said.
The Big Island received 216,153 visitors from Japan last year.
Hawaii hotel occupancy 70.6%
Oahu and Maui hotels remained roughly three-quarters full last week, but the statewide occupancy rate of 70.6 percent reflected the Big Island joining Kauai in the 50 percent to 60 percent range.
For the period May 1-7, Hospitality Advisors LLC reported Friday, occupancy statewide was 2.3 percentage points better than the same time last year, and room rates were up more than 4 percent.
But it was really two stories, with Kauai and the Big Island significantly less full than Maui and Oahu and far below their own performances a year ago. Around the islands:
* Oahu: 77.1 percent, up 16.3 points. Average room rate: $141.05, up 7 percent.
* Maui: 72.1 percent, down 7.3 points. Average room rate: $188.95, up 2.4 percent.
* Kauai: 58.4 percent, down 19.9 points. Average room rate: $184.37, up 6.3 percent.
* Big Island: 53.2 percent, down 11.9 points. Average room rate: $153.28, up 9.2 percent.
National hotel occupancy in the same May 1-7 period was 61.5 percent, up 1.2 points from the comparable week a year ago. Average room rate nationwide was $90.37, up 5.5 percent, Smith Travel Research LLC reported. Points of comparison:
* Los Angeles: 69 percent, up 1 points. Average room rate: $100.89, up 7 percent.
* Orlando: 66.7 percent, up 5.7 points. Average room rate: $94.90, up 2.4 percent.
* San Diego: 69.6 percent, up 5.6 points. Average room rate: $114.70, up 5.6 percent.
CAPTAIN BRUCE BLANKENFELD, who captains the Hokule'a, a sailing canoe that navigates between the Polynesian Islands without modern equipment, will share stories of the 100-year-old vessel's journeys at the Bishop Museum. A two-day program will include demonstrations, workshops and lectures on May 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and May 21 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Visit www.bishopmuseum.org for more information and exhibit schedules.
THE KE KUMU 'O MAUNA LANI at the Mauna Lani Resort, May 27 to 31, will feature Dr. Lori Alvord as a primary speaker. Alvord is the first woman of the Navajo nation to become a surgeon. She is Dean of Students at Dartmouth Medical School and author of "The Scalpel and the Silver Bear." Other speakers will be Dr. Jeffry Life from the Cenegenics Medical Institute, who will speak on aging; and Dr. Bertice Berry, a sociologist and lecturer who has appeared on “Oprah,” “Late Night with Jay Leno” and “20/20.”
Book the Mauna Lani Resort Here.
Kamaole Sands Adds High-Speed Internet Access To Rooms. Plug and play access will be $9.99 per day, $32.95 per week, or $54.95 per month for long-stay visitors.
Click here for Kamaole Sands information and bookings.
THE MAUNA LANI POINT and The Islands at Mauna Lani, two private home rentals on the Mauna Lani Resort property, are offering gourmet, private dinners prepared by an award-winning chef from Merriman's Waimea restaurant. Prepared in the kitchen and served on your own lanai overlooking the golf course or ocean, this $600 (for two, plus $100 per each additional person) meal includes all service and passed appetizers, plus choices such as Kona lobster salad, carpaccio and parmesan, Mahi-Mahi in spicy Lilikoi sauce with sweet corn and jasmine rice, and applewood-smoked Colorado lamb chops with orange-and-honey-braised winter squash.
G2SWITCHWORKS said it "launched" its alternative GDS, and seven major airlines signed on -- with six agreeing to prepay distribution fees for a total of some 8 million tickets. In return for prepaying the tickets and their long-term commitments to distribute through G2 SwitchWorks' TrueConnect network, the airlines -- American, America West, Continental, Delta, Northwest and United -- will get a "slight" discount on transaction fees and the "opportunity" to take minority stakes in the company, G2 President and CEO Alex Zoghlin told Travel Weekly. G2 said one other airline, US Airways, joined the six others in making multiyear commitments designating G2 "as a provider of choice for alternative GDS distribution services between them and key agency clients." US Airways, though, did not join the company's Preferred Partner program and thus is not getting the booking break and equity position in the start-up that may be coming to the other six airlines.
With the summer holidays fast approaching, The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua on the island of Maui has implemented the complimentary V.I.K. (Very Important Keiki) program in anticipation of the increase in younger guests expected at the AAA Five Diamond resort. Special welcome amenities and activities make even the youngest guests feel like they are a valued member of The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua 'ohana (family).
From the time of arrival, children are welcomed and presented with a special Ritz Kids button to wear throughout their stay. In addition to being recognized as a V.I.K., a guest relations representative will take a keepsake photograph of the child upon arrival.
During the check-in process, families are presented with a scavenger hunt to complete together, encouraging of the resort's facilities and amenities. In addition, questions such as "What is the name of the state bird of Hawaii, which is found in Maui?" and "What do you call a Hawaiian dance that tells a story?"* prompt children to ask questions of employees to learn about the host culture. Upon completion of the hunt, children may redeem their completed form and select a prize from a treasure chest at the front desk.
Turndown becomes a special occasion for children as well. A personalized card including the photograph of the V.I.K. is placed upon the child's bed in the evening along with a plush toy honu, or green sea turtle, one of Maui's most beloved ocean inhabitants.
In addition to the V.I.K. program, The Ritz Kids offers children seven day so fun-filled adventures, arts and crafts and island exploration with a different theme for each day of the week such as "Aloha Friday" or "Hawaiian Nature Day." The program is available for children ages five through 12 and is fully certified by the state of Hawaii. Weekly Kids Night Out activities offer evening fun while mom and dad enjoy an evening alone together.
