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Naniloa hotel branding with Hilton. Good news, indeed.
"Hilton said the hotel will undergo an $18.5 million transformation, and feature 20 suites, 5,450 square feet of meeting space, a 7,213 square-foot ballroom, Wille K’s lounge, a “farm to table” restaurant, and health club."
http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/loc...otel-chain
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For those concerned about decades of DLNR mismanagement of Banyan Drive (and the Hilo Industrial Area) as well as the Ken Fujiyama fiasco that resulted from that read this before commenting:
http://files.hawaii.gov/dlnr/meeting/sub...22/D-6.pdf
There's not nearly enough money being budgeted for actual improvements to bring this up to Hilton Doubletree standards. The estimate back at the auction that Ken won was that national chain standards would require $15-25mm at that time. It's too bad that we've gone from one promoter (Fujiyama) to another (Bushor). The new guy seems to just be blowing a finer grade of smoke.
The upside is that he is going to get the loan, they will make some of the improvements required....and then we will see where we're at. It won't be everything he's promising, but it will be more than Ken delivered.
I Second what hilopuna wrote, thanks for the link. I am trying to remain optimistic and hopeful while really not expecting much for 18 million. Maybe a little sand for the only sand traps in hilo or carpet and paint for the ocean front rooms?.
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There's not nearly enough money being budgeted for actual improvements
Ah, but did Hilton budget enough money for the DLNR lawsuit? That's all that matters.
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Was just perusing Civil Beat and noticed an article on " Limited Service Hotels". It includes this description:
"…“The Courtyards are called that…to differentiate them from other Marriott hotel products. It means we don’t have all the bells and whistles of a full-service property — no bell desk, no room service. Other chains have similar properties. For example, Double Tree and Hampton Inn are two Hilton products.”
I'll speculate that brand identity will trump all else and at the end of the process, when the money comes up short, we will have a limited service hotel. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it might be the highest & best use of the site. But it's not the story being told.
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it might be the highest & best use of the site.
...that DLNR will allow outside of Waikoloa.
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Hmm... not sure what you mean "outside of Waikaloa ".
Didn't know that there was much (if any) state lands in that resort area that DLNR manages. I know they control Hapuna though, and quite poorly.
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Didn't know that there was much (if any) state lands in that resort area that DLNR manages.
Somehow the resorts are doing just fine without DLNR "assistance".
If only that model could be extended to other parts of the island.
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That's simple.... and that's what the ill-fated PLDC sought to do. The State should be the landlord of last result. If the underlying lands have been developed already, or are zoned and slated for development, the land should be converted to Fee Simple or have renewable lease provisions. Our State is anachronistic in this regard.
