Right after I published my Hawaii hotel news December 2016 edition, new information about an upcoming Oahu resort was revealed. So, here’s an Atlantis Resort and Residence Ko Olina Update.
As previously reported, the Atlantis Resort and Residence Ko Olina will be built on Oahu’s west side, in the Ko Olina Resort. Atlantis is slated to be built on a 26-acre parcel of land adjacent to Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa. The land on which the resort will be built was recently acquired by China Oceanwide. The company will also be responsible the the design and construction of the resort. And once completed, the Atlantis Ko Olina will be managed by Kerzner International.
Of course, we already had a hunch Kerzner would be the property manager. But now, Pacific Business News reports that Kerzner listed a new subsidiary named Kerzner International Management Services Hawaii, Inc. The subsidiary’s mailing address is listed as Atlantis The Palm in Dubai, a property Kerzner already manages.
So about that property… The Atlantis Ko Olina is slated to the be one of the largest resorts in Hawaii. Atlantis Ko Olina will have about 800 hotel rooms and over 500 luxury residences. As far as amenities go, the Hawaii property is said to include an aquarium, restaurants, bars, a spa, a gym, conference facilities, a wedding chapel, outdoor pools and bars, and a waterpark. The resort is still described as being similar in features to the Dubai location, but will not include a dolphin and/or sea lion encounter. How many of each feature there will be, and what exactly they will be remains to be reveled.
I, for one, and am really interested to see what this resort will be like. The size of the place is truly mind-boggling, though. And the size of land the resort is slated to occupy, while larger than the Four Seasons or Aulani’s plot, doesn’t seem all that large. Especially not for a resort that seeks to be a destination unto itself. A place where guests will come to stay on-property. Disney hadn’t expected guests to do that with their property, but that’s exactly what happened and the property amenities are overwhelmed. So I hope the Atlantis Ko Olina will have sufficient capacity for all of its anticipated guests.
Having stayed at the Ko Olina beach villas on the lagoon south of the Disney resort a few years back, this will total change the dynamic of the area. The beach was never busy and had lots of room. With 1300 rooms coming to that beach this will no longer be the case.
Totally agree, Mike. Lagoon 1 got significantly busier once Aulani reached 100% buildout, and foot traffic around the resort grew dramatically. When they first opened, I was an owner, but as the completed each additional phase, the place kept getting more and more chaotic. Eventually I sold, and have grave concerns a similar fate will be met by Ko Olina resort as a whole once Atlantis opens. I’m still scratching my head as to how Atlantis will fit in with Ko Olina, as I never viewed them as luxury. I never cared for the room photos I’ve seen of the existing properties, and always thought it was really, um, corny.
Any idea when Atlantis is set to break ground yet? I’ve said it before, its going to be a monstrosity and really doesn’t fit the Ko’Olina area. To me, Atlantis is Bahamas kind of crappy overcrowded hotel – Ko’Olina, even with Disney and the “new” Four Seasons, its still pretty low key.
Any information would be appreciated!
Amanda, I wholeheartedly agree! In my opinion, Ko Olina will no longer be the calm oasis it currently is… And even then, it really hasn’t been the same since Aulani opened. There’s SO MUCH more foot traffic and guests on the beach… And that’s with everyone trying to cram into the crowded pools there. For reference, Aulani has nearly 800 hotel rooms and DVC Villas. I never understood how Atlantis fits in with Ko Olina either… Never viewed it as luxury… I’m not impressed by the rooms I’ve seen in photos so far from the existing properties.
Unfortunately, no details have been released. There are no estimated timelines, or anything yet really. But you can bet I’ll be providing updates as they become available! ?
Thank you! Please keep up the good work. I’ll be at Ko’olina villas in march, third time probably last which makes me sad…..
Thanks, Amanda! Perhaps next time you could get a nice Airbnb in Kahala or Kailua instead. Might be a nicer experience!