Waikiki went for long without any renovations, but due to the Outrigger Enterprises Group, everyone has come around to the idea of “a new Waikiki.” When the Outrigger group originally wanted to renovate, it was nearly impossible due to zoning restrictions on the area that were put there to protect open space and restrict density. But Outrigger didn’t give up and continued to prove their point for a bigger, better Waikiki to local restaurants and retailers, until soon the zoning regulations were changed.

With the new freedom, they went into phase one in April 2004, the Waikiki Beach Walk, a development that includes hotels, public spaces, entertainment venues, retail outlets, and condominiums. This area opened last December, and the area now consists of hotels, condominiums and timeshares. Outrigger is also fixing up their Outrigger Reef on the Beach, with an addition of a 200-room Ocean Tower, which opened in May. The rest is predicted to be complete in 2008, and so far is only halfway to the projected goal.

 
Not only is Outrigger making over and adding to their hotels, but others are following their example. Starwood Hotels & Suites has been upgrading their existing properties, refurbishing and renaming their “first lady of Waikiki” from the Moana Surfrider to Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort. The Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa is adding a 38-story Grand Waikiki timeshare tower and made-over the Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon. Others that are fixing up their properties are Aqua Hotels & Resorts, Waikiki Beach Marriot Resort, Ala Moana Hotel, ResortQuest Hawaii’s Waikiki Beach Hotel, and many others.

Not only are the previous properties being made-over, but many new hotels and attractions are being added to the Waikiki area. One that they are most excited for is the Trump International Hotel & Tower condo hotel, which is scheduled to open in 2009. Other hotel brands are being added such as Embassy Suites, Aqua Resorts and Wyland. Also, many retail establishments and restaurants are upgrading themselves as well, such as the Kamehameha Schools’ Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, who will be going through an $84 million renovation that will offer more space, landscaping and more retailers and restaurants.

Not only are the retailers and hotels changing their looks, but so is the town itself, by offering new attractions and accommodations. Entertainers will be offering free performances of hula, slack key guitar and ukulele, along with other Hawaiian entertainment. The city will also offer widened streets, additional landscaping, and the Waikiki Trolley will become available to everyone with the same fare as public transportation. “The New Waikiki,” as it is being called, will offer so much more to visitors than it used to, with upgraded hotels, resorts, and attractions, which will be sure to make it a popular spot for travelers.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 11th, 2007 at 7:41 pm and is filed under Hawaii, Waikiki. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.