Flying to Hawaii: a resident’s observations
First, some facts about flying to Hawaii: I love to travel. I view air travel with the same loathing as anyone would fear a root-canal or an IRS audit. I’ve just returned from a trip to Denver. We flew direct on United. Our return trip was on the final full day of Hawaii Safe Travels…
Read MoreHAT’s Aloha Bruce Fisher talks Hawaii visitor arrivals surge on Hawaii News Now
Hawaii Tourism officials released Hawaii visitor arrivals and spending numbers for February 2022, which indicate a near return to pre-pandemic levels. This was not unexpected, but it is remarkable: those 2022 arrival and spending numbers are nearly back to normal even with just a trickle of visitor traffic arriving from Asia and other international markets.…
Read MoreNuuanu Valley: Hawaiian history in the hills
Nuuanu Valley on Oahu is one of the most historically significant neighborhoods (or collection of neighborhoods) in all of Hawaii. Its importance goes back to ancient, pre-colonial times, through the establishment of the Kingdom Hawaii and its overthrow a century later in 1893, right through to the present day. The valley begins at the Nuuanu…
Read MoreHawaii Golf splurge: Ko Olina Golf Club
Aloha Bruce made another one of his casually astute observations on the latest Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast: most people booking a Hawaii vacation want to plan a day or two to “splurge” on their holiday budget. An expensive dining experience, perhaps, or a helicopter tour. Maybe a night in a luxury suite at an exclusive…
Read MoreRoyal Lahaina Resort gets new ownership
Ownership of the Royal Lahaina Resort will be taken over by the locally-owned real estate investment firm BlackSand Capital. The Royal Lahaina is hugely popular among visitors and island-hopping residents because of its ideal location in Kaanapali, highly competitive rates, and world-class amenities. It also happens to be the top-selling resort property in Hawaii Aloha…
Read MoreHAT Blog Maui dispatch: Lahaina
Our Hawaiian Airline flight from Honolulu to Kahului was uneventful, which was enough to make me nearly ecstatic. In the nights before the trip, I had fever dreams of getting seated near some violent anti-mask wingnut of the variety that go instantly viral on social media. Please, no, I begged the Cosmos. We boarded without…
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