Set to open this fall on the Big Island’s southern coast, the
Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa will go into gear with a
package designed for active travelers. Available from the resort’s
opening on Oct. 1, through Dec. 25, 2005, the “Big Experience” will
keep visitors busy with a variety of recreation and exploration
options.
The multi-faceted plan allows each guest to choose one activity
per overnight from the following options: one-tank certified scuba
dive, Kealakekua Bay snorkel cruise, ocean kayaking, horseback
riding, Volcanoes National Park tour, gourmet sunset sail, Kona
Coffee plantation tour, surfing lesson, deep-sea sport-fishing,
tropical rainforest waterfall hike, Sheraton Keauhou luau, round of
golf on Kona Country Club’s Ocean or Alii Mountain course, day-use
pass for Spa Keauhou, or a 50-minute therapy massage. Guests may
choose the same activity more than once, but cannot participate in
more than one activity per day.
According to Revell Newton, director of sales and marketing for
the property, the “Big Experience” has it all.
“The Big Island has so much to offer as far as activities,”
Newton remarked. “So we wanted to create a package that maximizes a
guest’s experience as well as provides them with incredible value.
This package does just that.” Newton pointed out the bonus of
flexibility with the “Big Experience.” “Guests can enjoy any
combination of activities,” he said. “If one person wants to golf
and the other one wants to dive, they can do what they prefer in
the same day.”
With a minimum two-night stay, “Big Experience” rates are from
$390 nightly, based on double occupancy. Package prices are subject
to applicable taxes plus a daily resort charge, and the package
cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.
The 530-room Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa is in the
final stages of a comprehensive $45 million renovation. Perhaps the
most anticipated aspect of the program is its multi-level “fantasy
pool” that will meander through the hotel grounds, ending in a
sandy-bottom pool surrounded by a sunning beach. Containing more
than 360,000 gallons of water, the upper, lower and children’s
pools will allow all guests to find their own place to relax, nap
and splash. Two whirlpool spas will be tucked beneath landscaping
and lava rock outcroppings.
A river system connecting the upper and lower pools will lead to
a waterfall and guests can also enjoy a 200-foot lava-tube
waterslide. With an elevation change of 24 feet from starting deck
to the water and a figure-eight pattern leading to the pool, the
waterslide will be the center of pool activity. A 900-square-foot
children’s pool will include a large sandy area for play, sunning
and lounging.
“We have brought the beach to the property, we have brought the
outside in, and we really brought the feel of Hawaii to this pool,”
said Wendell Lee of the Groark Design firm, the company that
planned the pool. “Rarely are pools part of the interior design,
but doing so at Sheraton Keauhou has really provided a tropical
setting at the resort and created an unparalleled design that is
sure to attract attention and be enjoyable for every guest.”
The Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa will also feature an
extensive hands-on program for guests to learn about the rich
culture, history and arts of Hawaii and the Keauhou area. In
addition to the cultural activities available to guests, the
hotel’s location at the water’s edge on Keauhou Bay offers the
ideal spot for viewing manta rays that glide along the shoreline to
feed in front of the hotel each evening.
888-488-3535
www.sheratonkeauhou.com
