Wyndham is quietly expanding its Hawaiʻi hotel footprint as Castle Resorts adds The ISO on Kauaʻi to the Trademark Collection, signaling a low-friction growth strategy through soft branding and distribution scale.
When Liability Explodes: The Messy Reality of Condo Management
A lawsuit following a deadly grill explosion at a Maui condotel exposes the tangled liability of condo and vacation rental management, raising hard questions about who is truly responsible when multiple owners, brands, and operators overlap.
Sue Kanoho Stepping Down After Three Decades
Sue Kanoho is stepping down after nearly three decades leading the Kauaʻi Visitors Bureau, marking the end of a long and influential chapter in Hawaiʻi’s visitor industry.
Green Fee: Still Waiting for the Plan
Hawaiʻi’s new Green Fee promises funding for climate resilience and sustainable tourism, but with allocations still unclear, the real test will be whether residents can see tangible projects tied to the $100M in annual revenue.
Heads in Beds, Hands in Cuffs
A recent Visitor Public Safety Conference highlighted growing use of drones, cameras, and AI in Waikīkī, raising a harder question: as surveillance expands for safety, how far should privacy be allowed to shift?
We Finally Stop Lecturing and Start Selling
HTA and HVCB have shifted from Mālama messaging to the new “Hawaiʻi Stays With You” campaign, leaning into cinematic, shareable storytelling that feels more invitational, while raising questions about reach on a limited budget.
The Green Fee Arrives. Accountability Pending.
Hawaiʻi’s Green Fee is now live, raising the state TAT to 11% and adding new cost and complexity to hotel stays, while questions remain about how the roughly $100M in annual revenue will actually be allocated.
Hawaiʻi Tops On-Time Flights List. In Other News: The Ocean Is Wet.
Hawaiʻi ranked best in the nation for on-time flights, with just 12.7% delayed or canceled, while Southwest adds a new Las Vegas–Hilo nonstop, Hilo’s first mainland route in over three years.
Bill 9, the Minatoya List, and Who Minatoya Was
The Minatoya List stems from a legal opinion upheld by Hawaiʻi courts that protected thousands of Maui condo vacation rentals as lawful nonconforming uses, making Bill 9’s rollback effort far more legally complex and contested.
Paradise Cove Closes. Making Room for Dukes and Mixed Feelings.
Paradise Cove Lū‘au is closing after 40+ years in Ko Olina as the site makes way for Waianiani at the Cove, with a full auction of tiki statues, canoes, and memorabilia marking the end of an era.
