If you’ve worked in Hawaiʻi tourism for more than a minute, you know Kainoa Daines. Thoughtful, funny, and deeply rooted in place. So it makes sense that his next chapter puts values front and center.
After 14 years at the Hawaiʻi Visitors & Convention Bureau (HVCB), Kainoa is now Director of ESG & Culture at Kyo-ya and Marriott. As he said in his LinkedIn post, he’s trading six islands for six landmark hotels: Moana Surfrider, The Royal Hawaiian, Sheraton Waikīkī, Princess Kaiulani, Sheraton Maui, and the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
He’ll be leading efforts across sustainability, governance, community impact, and cultural integrity, core areas that define how hospitality shows up for people and place.
Congrats, Kainoa. Looking forward to seeing how you shape what comes next and hoping we can still persuade you to emcee some industry events!
Note: If you’re wondering about the Marriott/Kyo-ya reference above, Kyo-ya, a Japanese company, owns the hotels listed above. They are branded and managed by Marriott.
