Meeting planners can say aloha to three new luxury properties in Hawaii; two on Oahu and one on Lanai. On travelweekly.com, Shane Nelson illuminates the additions to Hawaii’s luxury accommodations market, which will be ready to welcome guests in the coming months.
The Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina
This property, located on the west coast of Oahu, is wrapping a $500 million renovation and rebranding from what was formerly the JW Marriott Ihilani. The new resort, scheduled to open in spring, will feature 357 guest rooms, including 52 suites. Guests will enjoy six new restaurants and lounges, a revamped spa and wellness center, enhanced meeting spaces and a tennis academy run by former pro Jim Courier. Guests will also have privileged access to the Ko Olina golf club. A second phase of construction on the resort’s 150-unit luxury residence tower will begin later this year.
Guests coming to the property from Honolulu International Airport (HNL) can take a helicopter or a 75-foot yacht; those arriving on private jets can opt to land at the closer and smaller Kalaeloa Airport (JRF), where they will be picked up in one of the property’s BMW convertibles.
New recreational activities for guests will include cultural treks led by native guides through areas of the island previously unavailable to the general public.
The Ritz-Carlton Waikiki
The Ritz-Carlton Waikiki, a condo-hotel property where all units will feature unobstructed ocean views, is also slated to open in the spring. They are now accepting reservations for the 307-unit tower for stays beginning June 1. A second tower with 250 residential units is under construction, with plans to open in mid-2018. Although the property boasts magnificent ocean views, it is not located on the oceanfront.
This represents the first Ritz-Carlton property on Oahu and only the second in Hawaii. (The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua is on Maui.) Onsite dining options at the upscale property will include Dean & Deluca, BLT Market and Sushi Sho, run by master chef Ari Kawata. It will also boast a full-service spa, fitness center, Ritz Kids lounge and entertainment center.
The Four Seasons Resort Lanai
The Four Seasons Resort Lanai on the nearby island of Lanai, shuttered since 2014, has just reopened. The 217 guest rooms at the luxe oceanfront property have been refreshed, and visitors will discover a major remodel of the pool oasis, F&B offerings, lobby and meetings and events spaces. New landscaping will offer more privacy and a better view of the Pacific.
The Lodge at Koele, a nearby upcountry hotel that is also operated by The Four Seasons Resort Lanai and has been closed to guests since June 2015, is also reopening, most likely in the fall.
