FANTASY HOLIDAYS will offer flights to Hawaii
aboard Continental and United this year in an effort to expand its
Hawaii product. Agents can now book Continental's nonstop flight to
Honolulu out of Newark. In addition to more flight choices, Fantasy
installed new software on its reservation system that enables
agents to charge service fees on all Hawaii credit card bookings.
(800) 645-2555.
SHERATON WAIKIKI wants meeting planners to know
it provides high-speed Internet access, giving users a large amount
of bandwidth. Function rooms are wired with Category 5 cable, and
most connectivity is deployed using a wireless network. At its most
recent convention, more than 100 users wirelessly surfed the Net.
Similar services are expected to be available at the Royal Hawaiian
and the Sheraton Moana Surfrider by the end of the first
quarter.
THE 2003 KAPALUA FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL will
take place July 10 to 13 on Maui. The Food Network's "East Meets
West" chef Ming Tsai will be the featured chef, who will oversee
events with Andrea Immer, master sommelier and festival host. Wine
tastings will occur at the Kapalua Bay Hotel & Ocean Villas. A
gala dinner and the Kapalua Seafood Festival will take place at the
Ritz-Carlton Kapalua.(800) KAPALUA or www.kapaluamaui.com.
THE KAUAI MARATHON and half-marathon will be
held on March 16. This event is all about the scenery. So forget
about personal records: more than 16 miles will be run on
agricultural roads--including four major hills--and temperatures
could rise into the mid-80s. kauaimarathon.com/index.cfm.
DON'T LIKE RUNNING? Try hula...with your kids.
The Kaanapali Beach Hotel will host the 13th annual Hula O Na Keiki
on Nov. 7 to 9. It's Maui's only children's solo hula competition
Nov. 7-9.
CULTURAL HAPPENINGS
• The Sheraton Moana Surfrider and Sheraton Princess Kaiulani now
have a cultural expert to educate staff and share Hawaiian history
with guests. Palakiki Yagodich joined the hotels a few months ago,
and will work with employees in an effort to perpetuate the values,
culture and language of Hawaii in the resorts' daily operations. He
is a key component of the Hookipa Me Ke Aloha program initiated by
Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 1999 in its effort to make each
visit to Hawaii a memorable experience. Two historical tours per
day also leave from the Moana at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., and one from
the Kaiulani at 4 p.m.
• The Doris Duke Theater at the Honolulu Academy of Arts has a full
schedule of independent films, lectures and performances to enhance
any visit to Oahu. Look for the "Real Women" film series, and "The
Trials of Henry Kissinger." Lectures on "Shifting Boundaries in
Ancient China" and a Bluegrass performance are February
highlights.(808) 532-8768; www.honoluluacademy.org.
• "Century of the Tiger: A Centennial Celebration of Korean
Americans 1903-2003" opens Jan. 25 at the Bishop Museum. Visitors
will learn about the Korean immigrants who arrived in Honolulu
Harbor 100 years ago. (808) 847-3511; www.bishopmuseum.org.
PACKAGES
• New packages from Kapalua Bay Hotel & Ocean Villas feature
daily buffet breakfast for two and unlimited free beach activity
rentals, with the fifth night free. The Maui Experience package
takes visitors beyond the resort for a one-tank Scuba dive,
snorkel/kayak excursion, horseback riding, surfing lesson, golf,
whale watching, tennis, a massage, the Ulalena luau show, or
parasailing. Guests choose one activity per day per person. All are
commissionable at 10%. (800) 325-3589;
http://www.starwood.com/kapalua.
• King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel has rolled out its 2003
packages, with two-night combinations like Morning Ocean, which
includes a four-and-a-half hour snorkel cruise, or Afternoon Ocean
for guests who like to sleep in. Rates start at $125 per night for
two people. www.konabeachhotel.com.
• Pleasant Holidays partnered with the Embassy Vacation Resort
Kaanapali on Maui to offer guests the fifth and sixth nights free
when they travel through June 30. Minimum stay of 6 nights
required. Book by April 30. Land-only packages--including rental
car--start at $798 per person. (800) 448-3333 or www.pleasantagent.com.