Month: January 2018

Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter It took 38 minutes for the Hawaii State Government to tweet an atomic attack on the island was a false alarm, even though the original reverse 911 message popping up on every single mobile phone, tourists, residents connected to a Hawaii based mobile phone tower signal. An hour and a half after literally everyone in Hawaii was in a state of panic no one from... Read More

Hawaii may be under attack. “Ballistic missile threat inbound for Hawaii – take immediate shelter. THIS IS NOT A DRILL! “This was the message received on every single mobile phone at 8:07 am this morning in the US State of Hawaii. A minute later, the entire 911 phone system broke down and calls to Emergency Defense remained unanswered. Civil defense and authorities seemed to be unavailable in Hawaii at this time, but... Read More

Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter Hawaii may be under attack. “Ballistic missile threat inbound for Hawaii- take immediate shelter.  THIS IS NOT A DRILL ! “This was the message received on every single mobile phone at 8.07 am this morning in the US State of Hawaii. A minute later the entire 911 phone system broke down and calls to Emergency defense remained unanswered.Civil defense and authorities seem to be unavailable in... Read More

Waikiki Dolphin © 2018 Anton Anderssen First-time visitors to Hawaii will inevitably hear the word Waikīkī when planning their vacation to this island paradise. For some people, Waikīkī and Hawaii are synonymous; at least for me, when I tell people I own a condo in a skyscraper in Hawaii, I am actually referring to Waikīkī. To many people, Waikīkī is Hawaii, and they never venture beyond said tourist zone; at least... Read More

Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter Randy Baldemor The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) announced today that Chief Operating Officer Randy Baldemor has notified the state agency that he will be resigning his position on March 2. Baldemor commented: “I’m so appreciative for the opportunity to have worked at the Hawaii Tourism Authority and to help our state in the area of tourism. This was my decision, and I’m doing this to... Read More

The 2018 Sony Open commenced January 10 at the Waialae Country Club on the island of Oahu; the day was reserved for Pro-Am pairings. Amateurs could donate to charity and play with the professional golf stars. The weather was to die for. It’s hard to believe it’s January, it was sunny and there was a light breeze coming from the ocean. People started arriving at 6 am to catch glimpses of... Read More

Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) is encouraging organizers of festivals and events in the Hawaiian islands to enroll in a sponsored professional development program presented by the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) at a drastically-discounted rate. Presented in partnership with IFEA and the County of Maui, the program’s curriculum will be offered in two phases on Oahu and Maui during February and April. Participants... Read More

It’s the most expensive single hotel transaction ever in Hawaii. It’s actually the second highest ever in the United States. The 5-star Grand Wailea resort is changing ownership to the Blackstone Group for 1.1 billion US dollars. New York-based Blackstone Group LP, a private equity firm, plans to purchase the Grand Wailea, according to a report in the Honolulu Advertiser. The sale of the 776-room Grand Wailea, for the equivalent of... Read More

Ala Moana Beach Park, across the street from the largest shopping mall in the South Pacific, is well known among tourists and locals. The park provides visitors with a place to enjoy all kinds of sports and water activities. In walking distance to Waikiki and next to the Hilton Hawaiian Village Lagoon and Yacht Harbor, this beach is a center of the state’s lucrative travel and tourism industry. The Hawaii State... Read More

“Hawaii has an effective mix of accommodation offerings that is meeting the lodging interests of travelers coming from around the world,” said Jennifer Chun, Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) Director of Tourism Research, commenting on the visitor accommodation report released today. The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) today released the 2017 Visitor Plant Inventory, which showed that visitor accommodation units statewide increased to 80,336 units (+1.6%) year-over-year, the largest total ever recorded for... Read More

Jay Monahan, PGA TOUR Commissioner (left) with George D. Szigeti, President and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (right) The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) president and CEO, George D. Szigeti, issued the following statement regarding today’s news that a four-year extension has been reached with the Professional Golfers’ Association, PGA TOUR, to continue supporting three championship golf tournaments in the Hawaiian Islands. “When the New Year begins, the world of golf turns its... Read More

Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter Hawaiian Airlines will begin nonstop flights between Honolulu and Long Beach, California, beginning May 31. The state’s largest carrier will use its new Airbus A321neo aircraft for the Long Beach flights, which seats 189 passengers, and will depart Honolulu at 12:30 p.m. and arrive in Long Beach at 9 p.m. The return flight, which will initiate from Long Beach on June 1, will leave at... Read More

Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter Hawaiian Airlines announced today that it carried 11,505,324 passengers in 2017. This represents a 4.1 percent increase over 2016. The record number of passengers in 2017 marks 13 straight years of growth as the airline has expanded its network and fleet. Hawaiian revised its expectations for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2017, as it expects its operating revenue per ASM to be at... Read More

Halekulani names Jason Waterlow new Director of Food and Beverage Halekulani, Oahu’s acclaimed luxury hotel, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Jason Waterlow as the property’s new Director of Food and Beverage, effective immediately. In his role, Mr. Waterlow is responsible for overseeing all food and beverage operations at Halekulani’s dining venues including La Mer, Orchids, L’Aperitif, Lewers Lounge, and House Without A Key. Waterlow employs his wealth of... Read More

The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) today released the Hawaii Timeshare Quarterly Report for the third quarter, showing that timeshare accommodations grew by 725 units to 11,233 units statewide compared to a year earlier. The increase in timeshare accommodations included the openings of the 411-unit Hilton Grand Islander in Waikiki last March and the 195-unit Westin Nanea Ocean Villas on Maui last April. Timeshare properties in Hawaii continued to demonstrate their importance... Read More