Editor's note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
13.11.2023 - 15:01 / thepointsguy.com
The former Trump International Hotel, Waikiki, in Hawaii will reincarnate next year as the Wākea Waikiki Beach, part of LXR Hotels & Resorts, Hilton's luxury soft brand.
The 38-story hotel features 462 guest rooms and suites and is slated to open under the new brand in February 2024. The Wākea Waikiki Beach property overlooks both the Pacific Ocean and the Diamond Head volcano. It also becomes the second Trump Hotels-affiliated property to enter Hilton's high end ecosystem after the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., became a Waldorf Astoria last year.
"Hawaii has played an important role in Hilton's history and growth strategy across the Pacific," Greg Hartmann, Hilton's senior vice president of luxury and mixed-use development, said in a statement while noting the company has more than 20 hotels and resorts across the state. "The signing of Wākea Waikiki Beach complements our Hawaiian luxury portfolio and ensures we continue to meet the needs of our ever-evolving guests in destinations where they choose to be. We are excited about this new era for the resort and look forward to building upon its award-winning reputation."
A planned renovation is expected to begin in early 2025 and take several months to complete. Bryan O'Sullivan (BOS) Studio is behind the renovation and is the same team that worked on renovations at hotels like Claridge's and the Connaught in London and design work on the Maybourne Riviera in Monaco.
The Wākea Waikiki Beach renovation is expected to entail upgrades to lobbies, the pool area, the spa, the fitness center, residential interiors and restaurants. The resort's Wai`olu restaurant and In-Yō Café will undergo a conceptual shift while a restaurant by an "internationally acclaimed restaurateur and chef" is expected to open on the hotel's ground level.
"We are thrilled to spearhead the revival of what I have always felt to be the 'grand dame' of Waikiki with its timeless architecture and unobstructed views," Jason Grosfeld, the chairman and CEO of Irongate — the real estate firm that owns the hotel — said in a prepared statement. "Through our collaborative efforts with BOS Studio on design and with Hilton's LXR Hotels & Resorts as the operator, this iconic edifice embarks on an exciting new chapter."
Hilton launched LXR in 2018 as a collection of independent hotels that link into the company's loyalty and booking network. Think of it as Hilton's version of Marriott's The Luxury Collection. LXR is meant to connect "legendary properties into an exclusive network of hotels that are set apart by an unrivaled commitment to personalized service and elegant, yet locally immersive experiences for their guests," according to Hilton's most recent annual report.
"Each hotel
Editor's note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
It’s about to get easier to escape from Salt Lake City to the gorgeous islands of Hawaii thanks to a new flight from Hawaiian Airlines set to launch next year.
Hawaiian Airlines is saying aloha to its 16th destination on the U.S. mainland.
It's one thing to book a lie-flat business-class seat to travel overseas with some added comfort. What might qualify as "next-level," though, is doing so on a private jet that will fly you around the world, stopping on every continent (excluding Antarctica) along the way.
The hospitality company announces a new hotel opening in Tempe, Arizona, among other sustainability and community-driven initiatives and destination-inspired programming.
The MSc Hospitality Innovation Management begins with its first intake in October 2024.
Design Hotels is headquartered in Berlin, with branches in London, Los Angeles, New York, and Singapore. In 2019, the company partnered with Marriott Bonvoy, expanding the reach of its member hotels and offering its community access to the industry’s leading loyalty program.
In the latest episode of the Skift Ideas Podcast, Colin is joined by Harry Jameson, CEO of Pillar Wellbeing, a service provider targeting sophisticated, health-curious individuals who wish to optimise today and future-proof tomorrow through the three core ‘pillars’ of Movement, Nourishment and Recovery.
WHY IT RATES: Aqua-Aston Hospitality celebrates its recent expansions while also supporting its employees affected by the Maui wildfires and giving back to the local Maui community. — Lacey Pfalz, Associate Writer, TravelPulse
The Trump International Hotel Waikiki is shedding its Trump affiliation. The hotel will reflag as the Wakea Waikiki Beach and join Hilton's LXR Hotels & Resorts portfolio this February.
Not all islands are created equal. Some people may believe one speck of sand is the same in the Maldives as one in Indonesia or that the pitons in St. Lucia are close enough to Mount Otemanu in Bora Bora. Still others may assume all of Hawaii’s 137 islands, including the eight large ones, are alike. If there’s one thing my travel has proved, it’s that islands are vastly distinct. Among those in Hawaii, Kauai, the oldest of them all in the region, is the prize place.