Since billionaire Larry Ellison purchased 98% of the island of Lanai, the island has been in a constant state of change. Much of the initial changes were to public facilities for residents. But in 2015, Mr. Ellison turned his attention to his resort properties on the island. And now, big changes are coming to Lanai. Back in 2015, Larry Ellison closed both the Four … [Read more...] about Big Changes are Coming to Lanai
Hawaii
Honolulu Magazine 100,000 HawaiianMiles Giveaway
Trying to get to Hawaii on the cheap? Enter the Honolulu Magazine 100,000 HawaiianMiles giveaway. All you have to do to enter is signup for Honolulu Magazine's new WeekendPicks e-newsletter. Signing up for the WeekendPicks newsletter doesn't cost anything, except having another weekly e-mail in your inbox. Of course, if you don't live in Hawaii and/or are planning on … [Read more...] about Honolulu Magazine 100,000 HawaiianMiles Giveaway
Hawaii Room Rates Surge in Early 2017
Hawaii isn't a cheap place to visit or live. It is the most isolated island chain in the world, being over 2,000 miles away from the nearest landmass. And with little land available, much of what we consume must be shipped in. Oh, and land prices are naturally high too. Add to that the fact that Hawaii is a highly desirable destination, and you get some of the highest room … [Read more...] about Hawaii Room Rates Surge in Early 2017
Kahala Hotel Renovation Plans
The Kahala Hotel & Resort, also known as the Kahala Hilton or the Kahala Mandarin, has changed hands a few times in recent years. Two years ago, however, the fabled property was acquired by Resorttrust Hawaii LLC, the Hawaii subsidiary of Japan-based Resorttrust. The previous owner was Kahala Hotel Investors LLC, a subsidiary of Honolulu-based Trinity Investments LLC. … [Read more...] about Kahala Hotel Renovation Plans
Guests Ordered to Leave Waikiki Hotel
Lately Waikiki has been an ever-changing landscape. Old hotels have been converted into "new" ones or timeshare units, while some new hotels have sprung up, too. However, some hotel owners don't always play by the rules. And sometimes these poor decisions causes government actions. In the latest of these "scandals" guests ordered to leave Waikiki hotel by State Regulators … [Read more...] about Guests Ordered to Leave Waikiki Hotel
Island Air Accepts First Q400
Island Air, the only other scheduled passenger airline in the State of Hawaii is modernizing its fleet. Throughout its history, Island Air has operated a variety of different turboprop aircraft, the most recent of which was is the ATR72. But for most of its modern history, Island Air had operated Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft; specifically the -100 type. That tiny aircraft was … [Read more...] about Island Air Accepts First Q400
Atlantis Resort and Residence Ko Olina Update
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 … [Read more...] about Atlantis Resort and Residence Ko Olina Update
Hawaii Hotel News December 2016
This year has been an eventful year for Hawaii's hospitality industry. There's been a number of renovations, ownership shakeups, and new property openings. As we near the end of the year, however, things continue to show no sign of slowing down. So here's the Hawaii hotel news December 2016 edition. Wailea Beach Marriott One of the oldest resorts in Maui's … [Read more...] about Hawaii Hotel News December 2016
Modern Honolulu Names its New Restaurant
A few weeks ago I reported that the Modern Honolulu would be ending its licensing agreement with Chef Masaharu Morimoto, better known as the Iron Chef Japanese. The property, however, had stated that the restaurant would remain open and retain all of its staff, even through its planned close date of December 8. What wasn't clear, however, was what exactly the restaurant space … [Read more...] about Modern Honolulu Names its New Restaurant
The End of Sugar on Maui
Yesterday marked a dramatic change for the island of Maui and the people that call it home. After over 115 years (the current mill) of continuous operation, Alexander & Baldwin's HC&S, also known as the Puunene Sugar Mill, harvested its final crop of sugar cane. And when that final truckload of sugar cane arrived at the mill, it marked not only the end of sugar on … [Read more...] about The End of Sugar on Maui