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Hotel developments

The all-new luxury lifestyle resort Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection will open this month on the island of Hawaii following a property-wide reimagination and renovation. The resort will open with contemporary guest rooms and suites, five private bungalow residences, five restaurants and lounges, three distinct pools, and a signature spa and wellness haven, as well as the property’s Kainalu active-pursuits program, Living Culture program and interactive Holoholo Kids Circle.

Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort’s Tapa Tower is currently undergoing extensive renovation of its guest rooms, suites and corridors, and will debut as the Tapa Collection upon its reopening. The property’s reimagined rooms, according to the hotel, will feature “palettes combining the beauty and power of the Pacific Ocean with the natural materials and patterns found in Hawaii’s treasured tapa cloth. Corridor carpeting will resemble the ebb and flow of the Waikiki shoreline as it draws guests toward the spacious, newly renovated rooms.” Each room will feature modern furnishings matched with textiles and wall art honouring the Hawaiian culture’s connection to the land and sea, and the distinctive patterns of tapa. Guestroom categories will continue to include ocean view rooms, junior suites, one-bedroom suites and Tapa Family Rooms, the last of these a spacious layout with two queen beds and a king bed.

Kaanapali Beach Hotel’s recently introduced waa (canoe) paddling tour offers guests an opportunity to venture beyond Kaanapali Beach’s Puu Kekaa (aka Black Rock) to learn about Maui from both above and beneath the surface of the ocean, and from a Hawaiian perspective. During the winter months, tour guests can also enjoy whale watching as they paddle, with beach alakai (guides) assisting canoe passengers as they view the giant marine mammals from a safe distance.

Kā‘anapali Beach Hotel has also partnered with Waikiki Brewing Company to begin serving KBH Hefe, a new craft brew exclusive to the hotel. The hotel team describes the brew as an “unfiltered, cloudy, golden wheat beer with a light and airy taste”.

Located in Kapaa on Kauai’s east shore, the new oceanfront Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort is now open following a multi-million-dollar renovation of the former Courtyard by Marriott Kauai at Coconut Beach. Guests are invited to stay in one of the resort’s 314 redesigned guest rooms, dine at its oceanfront restaurants, and enjoy firepits surrounding the resort’s modern infinity pool.

Attraction and activity updates

Bike Hawaii recently introduced a solar-powered bike tour to its line-up of eBike tours of Honolulu’s Koolau mountain rainforests. The 250-watt electric-assist mountain bike eases the tour’s five-mile uphill climb before the road’s eventual descent. Bike Hawaii also recently introduced a full-day private Koolau Waterfall Hike and Kamehame Ridge combination tour, which covers the scenic vistas of two privately-owned Oahu properties.

Bishop Museum is presenting its new original exhibit ‘Mai Kinohi Mai: Surfing in Hawaii’ now until 3 May in its Castle Memorial Building. Utilising the museum’s research and collections in partnership with the local surfing community, the exhibit explores surfing’s history and ongoing technical and cultural developments, which have made the sport an international phenomenon. Highlights of the exhibit include displays of the oldest traditional Hawaiian surfboards alongside surfboards belonging to legendary surfers like Duke Kahanamoku. Interactive displays teach visitors about surf forecasting, and archival photos and rare memorabilia at the exhibit share surfing’s roots in traditional Hawaiian culture and influence on modern Hawaiian culture.

On Kayak Kauai’s new Whale Watch and Snorkel Tour, guests guide a sea kayak along the south shore coast of Poipu, experiencing the scenic area that is home to Spouting Horn, Lawai Valley, Nomilu Pond and the cove of Wahiawa. By kayak, guests paddle sea paths taken by early Polynesians and whaling captains, from Koloa to Port Allen. The Poipu Whale Watch and Snorkel by Sea Kayak is offered from October through April.

Feature image: iStock/Gerold Grotelueschen