LAST
SUNDAY'S EARTHQUAKE in Hawaii did little damage to hotels.
The only reported room damage was on the island of Hawaii, ashore
of the epicenter of the quake off the South Kohala coast. The
nearest hotel to the epicenter, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, suffered
some damage. A small portion of its rooms have been removed from
inventory pending safety assessments. Newspaper reports identify
fewer than 100 rooms out of Hawaii's 72,000 have been closed due to
potential danger. All hotels and condos are open and operational
and all roads are passable. All activities are ready to welcome
visitors, who will see little, if any, evidence of the earthquake's
passing. The heaviest damage was to several historic buildings and
sites in the Kona and Kohala districts, including Hulihee Palace in
Kailua, which remains closed.
THE MAUNA
LANI BAY HOTEL has responded to the recent earthquake with
the "Mauna Lani -- Shaken, Not Stirred" package, with per-night
rates starting at $390, including include daily buffet breakfast
and access to the Mauna Lani Sports & Fitness Club. The plan is
available through Dec. 19. Call (800) 367-2323.
WAIKIKI'S
KUHIO BEACH will see its disappearing sands replenished
with 10,000 cubic feet of sand dredged from offshore. The project,
originally scheduled for 2004, is the largest replenishment of the
beach in more than 30 years. It is scheduled for completion by
early November.
THERE
SHOULD BE NO THREAT OF A STRIKE for the next few years,
with the major hotel workers unions having successfully negotiated
new contracts with Hilton and Sheraton covering 4,000 employees.
Their settlements provide a guideline for settlements with other
hotels.
A MAJOR
EXPANSION OF THE TURTLE BAY RESORT on Oahu's still rural
North Shore has received a tentative go-ahead pending submission of
its plans for the property by the end of the year. The expansion,
initially approved 20 years ago but only partially implemented, has
drawn community resistance based on the potential addition of
hundreds of condominium units and thousands of hotel rooms to the
resort, which currently includes the 479-room Turtle Bay hotel,
several low-rise condominiums and two 18-hole golf courses.
Honolulu's Dept. of Planning and Permitting must give approval
before construction can begin.
Hawaii
Editor:
Allan
Seiden
Phone: (808) 734-4677
[email protected]
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opportunities in the E-letters, contact [email protected].