After two years of incremental gains at the Waimea Country Lodge on Hawaii Island, new owner Dwight Manley has changed the management team, made upgrades and set major plans in motion for the future of the property.
The 21-room farm-style lodge on the Parker Ranch first opened in 1975. In 1816, John Palmer Parker and his wife Chiefess Kipikane, a granddaughter of King Kamehameha I, acquired the first portions of the land from the monarch, and later added to the estate with further purchases. Manley bought the property from Bank of Hawaii, which administered the Parker Trust, in 2015, and initially left the property managers, Castle Resorts & Hotels, in place.
Manley, a commercial and residential real estate developer based in Brea, Calif., had never owned a hotel before. He also has experience as a sports agent, once representing the NBA's Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone, and is a rare coin expert who acquired the sunken treasure of the SS Central America, a ship that sunk in 1857 loaded with gold from the California gold rush.
He has been traveling to Hawaii Island for more than two decades for vacation, and currently owns two residential properties on the island. He loved the area, and saw the purchase of Waimea Country Lodge as a good business opportunity in an ideal location.
"That location is the best on the island," Manley said. "It's where the two main highways [190 and 19] intersect in what I think is the best town on the island. It's a magical place"
Manley recently ended the contract with Castle to make the lodge a family-run operation and take more hands-on control.
"I've typically had my own management in place for the properties I have in Orange County, and I like to have our offices on sight," he said. "I've found with outside property managers that things aren't always done the way they should be."
Taking on oversight of the property is Keri McQueen, an experienced property manager from Orange County and also Manley's cousin.
"I've instilled a high sense of family, a sense of pride with my staff, and that is reflected now in the care and concern we have for our guests and the upkeep of the accommodations for their comfort," McQueen said.
Additionally, Manley has invested approximately $100,000 in an ongoing touch-up process of the property, including new flooring in units with kitchens, linens, window coverings, and doors for all of the rooms, plus a fresh coat of paint, and upgraded, free wireless internet. They also performed some minor repairs and are working on a redesign of the lodge website.
Currently, Waimea Country Lodge fills a niche in the market for many business and educational travelers in the area, according to Manley, including county contractors, overnight guests from Hilo, and visitors to the Parker School and the Hawaii Preparatory Academy.
Manley is holding off on any big investments in the current structure because his deeper plan is to remake the entire property.
First, he is working on getting county approval to connect to a nearby sewer line. Then, his grand vision is to tear down the lodge and build 50 units, each measuring 450 square feet.
"They would have fireplaces ... and the idea is to make it more of destination and have longer stays," he said. "I think it would fit perfectly in there."
His goal is start work in early 2019 on what he estimates will be an $8 million project.
"I think with the proximity to Mauna Kea it has great potential, especially with the telescopes. This will be one of the closest places to stay," he said. "I think this could be more of a destination tied to that. Especially if they build a new telescope on the mountain. The future of that area is going to be more international, and quality lodging is going to be really important for that."