New guestroom at King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel. (Photo courtesy of Kailua Village Business Improvement District)

MEDIA RELEASE

$35 million in private reinvestment

Kailua Village Business Improvement District shares the enthusiasm of King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel staff, management and owners and offers congratulations on the hotel’s completion of their $35 million renovation.

“Private business investment in Kailua Village, particularly of this magnitude, speaks volumes in terms of our overall efforts to revitalize the Village,” said Eric von Platen Luder, president of KVBID. “We are optimistic that as KVBID continues to focus on public space improvements this is an excellent example of private investments.”

King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel now features a refurbished pool and completely renovated rooms in colors and designs reflective of the Big Island. New bedding, solid wood furniture chiseled in a Polynesian tattoo motif and bathroom upgrades position the hotel well for a more upscale traveler. Other in-room amenities include flat screen TV, complimentary Kona coffee and coffee makers, and complimentary wireless Internet.

“We are overwhelmed with positive ‘wow’ comments,” said Jak Hu, the hotel’s general manager. “The renovations have not only generated a lot of excitement from our guests, but they have had an incredible impact on our employees. This transformation is the start of a new beginning for the King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel and has restored the pride of our staff.”

Hu added that Pacifica Hotel Company has a history of purchasing hotels, renovating them, and bringing them back to life. The owners view King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel as a wonderful asset with a great location of historical and cultural significance.

The refreshed Kona Beach Restaurant and the Billfish Bar along with Island Breeze’s Kona Beach Luau add to the array of culinary options for dining in Kailua Village.

Included in the renovation was a redo of the hotel’s 5,200 square feet of meeting space. The main lobby and reception area have also been revamped for a complete new look and feel.

More welcome news in the Village

As we regretfully say aloha to Scandinavian Shave Ice, we prepare to welcome Blue Waiaka restaurant, expected to open June 1 in Waterfront Row.

The 10,000-square-foot restaurant is currently undergoing a $1 million renovation and will operate as two restaurants: a casual family-dining restaurant on the first floor and a contemporary fine-dining restaurant on the second floor. A separate banquet room will cater to group functions and special events.

Blue Waiaka will be designed in a 1950s vintage Hawaiiana style and expects to hire 100 employees. Coupled with the renovations at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, could this signal a positive shift in bringing investors to Kailua Village? Stay tuned for more restaurant news including Rosa’s Cantina & Grill open now and Gumpy’s Kona coming soon.

Strategic plan

The Kailua Village Business Improvement District (KVBID) board of directors has adopted a prioritized list of more than 40 master plan recommendations and ranked these as top five initiatives:

1) Create an identity and vehicle/pedestrian wayfinding sign system for the Village including Gateways at key points of entry to enhance identity and guidance to key destinations, sites and parking

2) Transform Hale Halawai into an oceanfront park with cultural center and/or outdoor performance spaces

3) Enhance Kailua Pier

4) Install a distinctive, branded, and unified furniture program including benches, lights, litter baskets and torches

5) Establish a weekly/daily ritual of torch lighting along the waterfront

New board members elected

KVBID welcomes three new members to the Board of Directors.

Jim Moore retired from a 30-career in Public Safety where he worked his last few years specializing in Resort Policing in the Disneyland area. Jim has been actively involved as a KVBID volunteer with the monthly Kokua Kailua Village Stroll and Public/Private Partnerships committee.

Michele Otake is an architect with over 18 years of real estate development experience in both public and private sectors. She is a Certified Commercial Investment Management (CCIM) candidate and is responsible for managing all Kona land holdings of the Queen Liliuokalani Trust. She looks forward to the opportunity to serve this community and become part of a collaborative team that inspires others to enjoy and improve Kailua Village.

Nancy Sakamoto has raised her family, built and sold a successful retail business, owns a working family coffee farm in Holualoa, and is currently a Real Estate Manager for Kona Commons, Kona Crossroads and Henry Street Shops. Daughter of Capt. Jack and Helen Ross, her childhood memories recall the quaint fishing village of Kailua. She understands the need to restore this sense of place to Kailua while protecting cultural values.

Web services contract awarded

The Kailua Village Business Improvement District (KVBID) has selected HiNet Associates to upgrade its Web site. HiNet Associates president Thomas Trenz and his staff will be working over the coming months to create a new, user-friendly Web site that is informative and easy to update and manage.

Parking survey

We encourage District residents and merchants to participate in KVBID’s parking survey. Complete the brief survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/KVBIDParking

Your participation will be helpful to determine recommendations to optimize existing parking and for future public/private partnership opportunities.

— Find out more:
www.KVBID.org