New and Now on Oahu

The Mouse Hits the Beach
Without a doubt, the biggest news on Oahu this summer is the opening of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa. It is the first Disney resort not associated with a theme park.

 The 359-room, 21-acre resort is located in the Ko Olina development on West Oahu. Not surprisingly, the property features an astonishing array of amenities for families, including a stingray encounter experience, a manmade snorkel lagoon, waterslides, a lazy river and more. The on-site kids club is called Aunty’s Beach House and is decorated like a local home filled with games, arts and crafts, video games and more. After a recent visit, my favorite feature is the rainy room, where it always seems like it’s raining outside, and kids can curl up and watch a movie. Also, the 18,000-square-foot Laniwai Spa at Aulani, the first spa operated by Disney (and not an outside vendor), features 15 treatment rooms, including a family treatment room, as well as a fitness center and Painted Sky, a teen spa area.

The resort draws heavily on Hawaiian culture, and it features one of the world’s largest collections of island art. The Olelo Room is dedicated to the Hawaiian language, and wooden shadow boxes are displayed on the walls with an object and its Hawaiian name. In the evenings, there are talk-story sessions near the fire pit designed to bring island lore to life.

The resort features several categories of guestrooms and suites that are capable of accommodating a range of group configurations. For instance, many rooms contain a hidden Murphy bed.

Two main on-site restaurants feature foods unique to Hawaii with ingredients from local farmers and fishermen: the full-service seaside Ama Ama and the buffet-style Makahiki.

The Details

New and Noteworthy

Hotel and Resort News
Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa launched an extensive $13 million resort-wide renovation project on Jan. 3 that is expected to be completed this September. The transformation includes a complete renovation of the resort’s third-floor public areas, the introduction of two new restaurants, a new poolside lounge and bar, a significantly upgraded pool deck and an entirely new Regency Club product.

The Ocean Resort Hotel Waikiki has undergone a complete renovation, rebranding and repositioning as Hyatt Place Waikiki. The renovation included a renewed pool deck, a total redesign of the lobby and a full refurbishment of the guestrooms and kitchenettes.

Improvements to the 800 rooms in the iconic Rainbow Tower at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa are scheduled to be completed by fall. The $45 million renovation project began in April and included the replacement of tubs, sinks, counters, beds and televisions, and $1 million in upgrades to the tower’s signature suites, the Duke Kahanamoku Suite and the Niumalu Suite.

Also, in celebration of its 50th Anniversary, the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa is offering a 50 Years of Aloha package through Dec. 20. Guests staying for five nights will receive the fifth night at $50, a $50 credit toward the spa, dining or a beachcraft rental and an anniversary gift.

The Aston Waikiki Circle Hotel recently completed renovations to its lobby and 104 guestrooms. Upgrades and improvements include a new color palette, new furnishings, remodeled bathrooms and new lighting.

Three new three-bedroom suites have been added to the Aqua Waikiki Pearl. Two suites are located on the penthouse floor, and one suite is located on the eighth floor.

Activities and Attractions Update
The Polynesian Cultural Center is investing $38 million to enhance its visitor experiences. Elements of the project are scheduled to open this year and, by summer 2012, an expanded Polynesian Market Place will reopen with additional shops and offerings, including Polynesian handicrafts, fresh island produce, a ukulele factory and Polynesian foods.

In July, the Waikiki Aquarium unveiled its new exhibit highlighting the unique marine life of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Among the organisms featured in the 4,400-gallon public display were table corals, masked angelfish, bandit angelfish and Japanese pygmy angelfish.

The award-winning show, “Legends in Concert” will open a star-studded production in Waikiki at The Royal Hawaiian Center. Starting Dec. 8, guests will be able to enjoy performances by artists portraying superstars such as Elvis Presley, Lady Gaga, Rod Stewart and more.

Visitors to Kualoa Ranch can now explore the 4,000-acre property by foot with its newly launched Hakipuu Hike tour. This guided tour takes visitors through a thick forest, over undulating pastures and across a flowing stream, and ends at a Hawaiian cultural restoration site with taro patches and native plants.

New to Oahu is Hawaii’s Cultural Connection, a cultural promotions company that offers authentic cultural presentations and programs, personal guided cultural tours, extensive concierge services and more.

The Pacific Aviation Museum now has two World War II battlefield hangars filled with more than 28 aircraft and hands-on exhibits and displays. The museum also recently began offering a new online ticketing service.

Segway of Hawaii began offering its summer Sunset on the Beach tour in June. The tour takes visitors along Oahu’s southern coast, through Magic Island, Ala Moana Beach Park, Kakaako Waterfront Park, the Ehime Maru Memorial and the Echo Stone.

Wild Side Specialty Tours now offers sustainable deep-sea fishing charters that emphasize catch-and-release techniques.

Waikiki Beach Services is now located at the Royal Beach Tower Pool at the iconic The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort. Surfing lessons, outrigger canoe rides, stand-up paddleboard lessons and catamaran rides are offered at this new location.

Roberts Hawaii is expanding its fleet with 20 new Prevost touring motorcoaches, which primarily service Roberts Hawaii’s regularly scheduled tours and shore excursions. Passengers on the 56-seat coaches will be provided with three-point seat belts, ergonomic seats, larger windows for better viewing, state-of-the-art sound systems and flat-screen televisions.