The Kahala Mandarin Oriental has been sold by Kahala Hotel Associates Ltd. Partnership to Kahala Hotel Investors, a Honolulu affiliate of Trinity Investments. Jon Miho, a Kahala Hotel Investors partner, said that the new owners plan a complete upgrade of its 364 rooms and suites. Whether Mandarin Oriental will continue to manage the property (they have since 1996) has not been determined. The Kahala Mandarin recently secured AAA Five-Diamond status for 2006.
December 2005 Archives
US Airways/America West began service from Phoenix to Honolulu and Kahului, on Maui.
They are the first destinations added to the airline’s network since the America West-US Airways merger in September; it also marks the first appearance of the US Airways brand in Hawaii.
From the Pacific Business News
The Hawaii Convention Center welcomed 175,730 conventioneers to 45 events this year, its best year ever.
"We've set a new high and certainly primed ourselves to continue to bring quality business to the state of Hawaii," General Manager Joe Davis said.
Convention center food and beverage revenues hit $7.63 million, the most since the facility opened in 1998.
CIRQUE HAWAII officially opened its doors Dec. 17, after a special preview performance Dec. 16 in which proceeds from ticket sales were donated to local charities. The storyline follows main character Josephine as she searches the globe for talent for her exotic circus. Aerial dance and acrobatics flood the show, according to creative director Mathieu Laplante. Performances are twice nightly, at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. at the Cirque Hawaii Theatre on Seaside Avenue in Waikiki. Tickets start at $55. Call (808) 922-0017 or visit www.cirquehawaii.com for more information.
Make you air and hotel arrangements at Travel-Hawaii.
OFFICIALS FROM the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service proclaimed that Hawaii is the first "TsunamiReady" state in the U.S. "We have taken steps to be better prepared for the next tsunami," said Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii). "There are emergency operations centers in every county, a statewide siren system, evacuation maps in phone books and public education courses." For more information on how a state or community is recognized as TsunamiReady or StormReady (another designation), go to www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2545.htm.
Sail out with our marine biologist guides to gently view sea creatures where they live. Snorkel near turtles, dolphins and tropical fish. Limited-time photo seafari's on 42 ft. catamaran (4-16 passengers). Visit dolphins in their natural habitats and discover a natural underwater turtle "cleaning station" where tropical coral reef fish and giant green sea turtles have a unique relationship. Snorkeling equipment, instruction, breakfast, drinks and snacks provided. Portion of proceeds are donated to the Wild Dolphin Foundation.
Contact: Reservations (808) 306-7273
Click here for Hawaii Vacation Packages, Hawaii Cruises of Hawaii Air Tickets.
NATALIE COLE will perform a New Year’s Eve concert at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Tickets range from $90 to $200 per person. Pre-show festivities, a half-bottle of champagne and a cocktail are included. Call (808) 947-7877 for more information.
Make your travel arrangements at Travel-Hawaii.
THE HILTON WAIKOLOA VILLAGE is featuring artist in residence programs and holiday exhibits throughout the month of December. On Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., guests can watch various artists paint and sculpt from conception to completion.
The 33rd annual Honolulu Marathon drew 26,643 runners Sunday and Jimmy Muindi won it for the fifth time.
Muindi's time was 2 hours and 12 minutes, only 49 seconds short of his course record last year. Fellow Kenyan Mbarak Hussein was second, 3 minutes and 6 seconds later. A first-time Russian entrant, 29-year-old Olesya Nurgalieva was the fastest woman at 2:30:24. Her twin sister finished fourth.
On Thursday, the last day for which Mainland arrival figures were available over the weekend, 22,629 arrivals by air were logged, almost 4,000 more than on Wednesday and up 12.4 percent from the same day last year.
Make your travel arrangements at Travel-Hawaii.
from Pacific Business News
More than 20,000 people, accompanied by friends and relatives, are converging on Hawaii this week for the Honolulu Marathon.
The 33rd annual Honolulu Marathon begins at 5 a.m. Sunday. Runners and walkers can register as late as Saturday. As of Friday morning registration, including thousands of local residents, was at 26,952, the largest field since 2002 and 2,632 more than at this point last year.
Two thirds of this year's registrants, as of Thursday, were coming here, or here already, from Japan. Last year a Hawaii Pacific University study found that the typical Japanese runner brought five other people along on the trip, and spends hundreds of dollars a day.
International arrivals by air rose to 5,368 Tuesday, 5,300 Wednesday, and 7,406 Thursday, as marathon entrants began to arrive in Honolulu. The 5,914 arriving Thursday on flights from Japan was the highest one-day total since the middle of September.
Oahu’s neighbor islands (the Big Island, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Lanai) and Oahu itself finished 1-2 among U.S. destinations favored by vacationing Canadian visitors, according to a joint study by Yesawich Pepperdine Brown and Russell and Vancouver-based InterVistas Consulting.
The neighbor islands was cited by 51% of respondents, followed by Oahu (47%). U.S. national parks and New York, both at 40%, also landed high on the list.
Overall, the 2005 Portrait of Canadian Leisure Travelers found that travelers from north of the border are interested in new experiences. Of the 1,350 Canadian travelers surveyed, 60% said they considered experiencing new things “extremely important” when on leisure trips.
The study found that 50% of Canadian leisure travelers took one or more international trips, typically to the U.S. (34%), the Caribbean (10%) and Europe (9%).
Sixty-five percent of Canadians said they would like to visit Europe, and 63% indicated they’d like to travel to the Caribbean. Canadian travelers also cited the South Pacific (35%), Mexico (34%) and Asia (15%) as destinations they want to visit.
Make your travel arangements at Travel-Hawaii.
THE WAIKIKI IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION will hold a festival on May 13. “Waikiki by Moonlight -- Where Vintage Meets Vogue” will be an evening of retro art, design and performance on Kalakaua Avenue, right in the heart of Waikiki. The festival will feature a fashion show that spotlights present and past Hawaii wear, Hawaiian crafts, Hawaiian cuisine booths that feature traditional and new dishes and a hula dance and music concert. ResortQuest Hawaii is offering special rates at properties on island during the festival, starting at $73 per night. Go to www.waikikiimprovement.com for more information.
Make your hotel, air and car rental arrangements at Travel-Hawaii.
A federal court judge dismissed a suit brought by the Sierra Club’s Hawaii chapter and other environmental groups that could have thrown plans for a much-heralded interisland high-speed ferry off course. The Sierra Club is expected to appeal the ruling. The environmentalists had sought a full Environmental Impact Study (EIS) before allowing the service to operate.
Hawaii Superferry CEO John Garibaldi said the company will proceed with finalizing $200 million in government loan guarantees that had been put on hold pending the court’s ruling. He expects the company to be up and running by January 2007.
