April 17th, 2008
Starwood Hawaii - Amazing Waikiki Renovation Plans
I’ll be the first to say I thought Outrigger Hotels $535 million redevelopment of the Waikiki Beach Walk on Lewers Street was going to be the largest project ever doe in Waikiki - theowners of the the four big Starwood properties in Waikiki — the Royal Hawaiian, the Westin Moana Surfrider, the Princess Kaiulani and the Sheraton Waikiki — unveiled some amazing renovation plans. Tomorrow I’ll be attending a seminar with Starwood Hawaii to get more specifics on all that this project will include.
The project will reposition the historic Moana Surfrider into a Westin resort, add three swimming pools, restore the royal grounds where both the Sheraton Waikiki and the Royal Hawaiian sit, and renovate guest rooms, suites and facilities. A full-service spa will go into the Surfrider Tower and a Westin Kids Club will be added to guest offerings. Plans also call for renovation of the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, which includes a partial conversion to time-share.
The iconic Royal Hawaiian Hotel will soon have a new entrance, a "fantasy swimming pool" complex to share with the Sheraton Waikiki and this pool is expected to be the first of its kind on Oahu. Waikiki has had trouble competing for poolhounds because its hotels were mainly built in the era before superpools become commonplace — hence, the postage stamp size of most Waikiki pools, with the exceptions of the Halekulani and the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Stay tuned for more information following the seminar tomorrow! Good stuff!
Mahalo,
Angelica Friedmann
Island Travel Specialist
Hawaii Aloha Travel
800-843-8771 ext.21 (main)
808-237-5261 (direct)
My Bio & Hawaii Travel Blog: http://angelica.hawaii-aloha.com
Email: angelica@hawaii-aloha.com