A reflection on why tourism shouldn’t chase the ‘right kind of visitor,’ but instead invest in education, infrastructure, and community values to shape better experiences for both residents and travelers.
New Role, Same Values
Kainoa Daines has stepped into a new role as Director of ESG & Culture at Kyo-ya and Marriott after 14 years with HVCB, leading sustainability, community impact, and cultural stewardship across six landmark hotel properties.
New Life for an Old Eyesore in Kona
A long-vacant lot in Kailua-Kona is getting new life as Baywood Hotels plans a $45M, 100-room Residence Inn on the former Hilton Grand Vacations site, marking another major investment in Kona’s long-overdue revitalization.
Cruise Ships Are Winning. Hotels Should Take Notes.
As cruise lines surge ahead with strong marketing and record bookings, Hawaiʻi’s hotels and destination marketing lag behind amid funding gaps, mixed messaging, and new regulations that risk ceding even more ground to the cruise sector.
![[Aggregator] Downloaded image for imported item #2418](https://hawaiihotelhui.com/wp-content/uploads/Eve_Sprinboard-503x282.jpg)
Springboard New Marketing Head
Springboard Hospitality has named Eve Tronson as its new VP of Marketing, stepping into the role after Jason Pirock’s move to Outrigger. She’ll oversee brand, digital, CRM, and field marketing across a 50-property portfolio, including 12 in Hawaiʻi.
![[Aggregator] Downloaded image for imported item #2418](https://hawaiihotelhui.com/wp-content/uploads/image-503x282.jpeg)
Is Hawaiʻi Tourism Sliding Into a Slow Burn?
Hawaiʻi’s visitor economy is softening, three months of declining arrivals, rising costs, and stalled job growth, while competing destinations outspend and outmarket us. With Japan slow to return and HTA in limbo, the state needs clearer messaging and a stronger strategy.
![[Aggregator] Downloaded image for imported item #2418](https://hawaiihotelhui.com/wp-content/uploads/Iceberg_Image-503x282.jpg)
Debt Surfacing Like an Iceberg
Hotel insiders are quietly warning about looming debt troubles in Oʻahu and Maui, as pandemic-era refinancings meet today’s higher rates and softer demand, signaling potential distress, quiet sales, and ownership shakeups ahead.
![[Aggregator] Downloaded image for imported item #2418](https://hawaiihotelhui.com/wp-content/uploads/Depositphotos_143261407_XL-503x282.jpeg)
Beach Front Waikīkī
Only nine hotels in Waikīkī sit truly on the sand; from Hilton Hawaiian Village to Kaimana Beach Hotel, the list reveals a mix of fee simple and leasehold ownership that shapes some of the most valuable shoreline real estate in Hawaiʻi.
Crown Jewel, Sold. Legacy, TBD.
Kamehameha Schools shocked the market by selling the 10.3 acres beneath the Royal Hawaiian Hotel to Japan’s Daisho Co. for $510M, an unprecedented shift in Waikīkī land ownership with deep cultural, financial, and historic implications.
Whatever Happened to the Mandarin Oriental Honolulu?
Mandarin Oriental Honolulu has gone silent since 2023, no updates, little visible progress, and plenty of questions. If anyone knows what’s happening with the long-promised project, we’re all ears.
