Hawaii ended 2017 on a high note: According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the destination's year-end figures will reflect record highs for visitor spending and arrivals.
Aiming to build on that momentum, resorts and tour operators across the Aloha State are kicking off 2018 with a number of new offerings.
• Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts recently launched its Hawaii by Four Seasons package, a four-island offering designed to provide "meaningful connections with each destination and on-property masters of craft."
The Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea will offer guests a taste of island life. Via helicopter, guests will take in views of Maui's coastline and the Haleakala volcano before arriving at Ono Organic Farms. There they'll forage and taste exotic fruits with the farm's owners, then head out for a guided tour of the town of Hana. Guests will also visit Hana Ranch, a working cattle ranch on Maui's eastern coast. There, executive chef Craig Dryhurst will prepare what Four Seasons is billing as "the ultimate gourmet feast."
At the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the Island of Hawaii, guests will take to the skies in a private air charter, under the guidance of Uncle Earl Kamakaonaona Regidor, the property's Hawaiian culture teacher. The tour will take in the active Kilauea volcano, secluded beaches and more.
Guests will choose their own three-night adventure at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai, with a selection of private experiences that include a catamaran excursion, a Polaris sport vehicle tour or horseback adventure, golf or tennis lessons and a massage. Days will conclude with a private dinner under the stars overlooking Hulopoe Bay.
Finally, at the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, guests will visit Kaena Point, a nature reserve where some of the island's coastal sand dune habitat remains intact. Guide Kumu Hula Laakea Perry will share stories of the Leaping Rock, considered a sacred place, and guests will be treated to a hula performance.
The Hawaii by Four Seasons package starts at $65,000 for a party of four. A minimum three-night stay at each of the four resorts is required. Visit www.fourseasons.com/hawaii.
The Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina is one of several properties in the Hawaii by Four Seasons package.
• Pleasant Holidays recently released its Hawaii sales brochure for 2018-19.
The brochure features more than 170 hotels and resorts throughout the state. And new for 2018, Pleasant Holidays will offer exclusive packages at five resorts on four islands: Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Island of Hawaii. These air-inclusive deals include reduced room rates and other money-saving features.
According to Pleasant Holidays, the new Hawaii sales brochure also features western U.S. stopover stays that the company says can help agents extend one vacation into two for East Coast clients.
Electronic versions of the brochure are available at PleasantAgent.com/brochures.
• In other Pleasant Holidays news, Journese, the company's luxury brand, is offering a complimentary Avis car rental for stays of five nights or more on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Island of Hawaii. The offer is good for bookings through Jan. 31, for travel through April 30.
The offer can be applied to rentals of several vehicle classes, including convertibles, SUVs, luxury vehicles, Jeeps and minivans.
Properties in the Journese portfolio include the Westin Maui Resort & Spa; the Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort; Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort & Spa; Kauai Marriott Resort; Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa at Keauhou Bay; the Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui; the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai; and the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua on Maui.
• In time for the humpback migration, Hawaiian Paddle Sports is offering kayak, outrigger canoe and stand-up paddleboarding tours designed to get guests up close and personal with the whales.
"Our tours are completely different than boat tours, as our marine naturalist guides personalize each tour based on the guest's preferences and experience level," Timothy Lara, owner of Hawaiian Paddle Sports, said in a statement.
Whale-watching tours are offered daily in West Maui and South Maui through April 1, when humpback whales are spotted regularly breaking the ocean surface, according to Hawaiian Paddle Sports. Time permitting, guests will also have the opportunity to snorkel among marine life such as green sea turtles, manta rays and tropical fish. Digital photography is included with every tour.
To book a whale-watching tour, call (808) 442-6436 or email contact@hawaiianpaddlesports.com. For more information, visit hawaiianpaddlesports.com.
• Outrigger Hotels and Resorts is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, and it's offering triple Outrigger Expert Agent reward points for bookings of five or more nights at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort and Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort.
The offer is good for bookings made throughout 2018, for stays through March 31, 2019.
In other Outrigger news, next month the 496-room Holiday Inn Resort Waikiki Beachcomber will take on its new name, the Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger.
According to Scott Dalecio, president and CEO of Outrigger, "Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger will be an upscale, urban oasis with a modern Hawaiiana elegance that is inspired by the hotel's ocean views and surrounding natural environment."
In phases, the property will undergo extensive renovations to the guestrooms, pool deck and public spaces.
For more information, visit OutriggerAgent.com.