When the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort welcomes back guests on May 1 after more than a yearlong closure, the flagship Hawaii property will have a sweeping $80 million update to show off.
The resort closed in March 2020 as Hawaii issued a stay-at-home order and a mandatory quarantine for all arrivals.
Soon after that, work began on the renovation, which includes a refresh of all guestrooms, the addition of new rooms and suites, a plethora of new wellness and activity upgrades and a redesign of public spaces.
The room renovation was geared toward creating a more residential feel while also brightening the overall decor, swapping browns and beiges for blues and coral colors that better invoke the seaside location.
"The rooms have much more vibrant colors, and we've added a great variety of artwork and photography," general manager Markus Krebs said, noting new gallery walls in the rooms that showcase a range of works with a focus on the theme of Polynesian ocean voyaging.
Guests staying in club-level rooms and suites have access to the resort's exclusive Voyager 47 Club Lounge, which features light fare and beverages, a bespoke concierge service and panoramic views of Diamond Head and the Pacific Ocean. The penthouse suites on the top floor of the Pacific Tower can be booked individually, or the entire floor can be reserved for the "Grand Navigator Experience." Outrigger Reef also offers a few dozen larger rooms with three double beds that can accommodate families and groups.
A new color palette, a new dining option and assorted tech upgrades are all part of the refresh at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach. Above, a rendering of the new entryway. Photo Credit: Hart Howerton
While all of the rooms in the Ocean and Pacific towers were redone, the Diamond Head Tower is an existing building that has been redesigned to house 23 new rooms and suites, which raises the total accommodations number for the resort to 658.
"The building was previously used for different purposes, but we felt there was an opportunity there to add rooms and suites while also enhancing our health and wellness services," Krebs said. "It will have spa treatment rooms and a new fitness center with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the pool. It will also house our Coral Kids Club and cultural center."
A 30-foot mural of a double-hulled canoe will be installed in the lobby, honoring the sea voyaging legacy of Hawaiians and the property's history of partnering with the Polynesian Voyaging Society on various programs. The mural is by Herb Kane, the late co-founder of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and a well-recognized Hawaiian historian and artist. Other works by Kane will be included in the art collections in guestrooms.
The cultural center has doubled in size, and there are plans for a variety of programming including lei-making classes, ukulele lessons, Hawaiian dance instruction and a virtual canoe exhibit in conjunction with the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
The flow of the property was also improved. Walls were knocked down to create more views of the beach and ocean, and a new footpath dubbed "Ae Kai" runs the length of the property and connects the various buildings, beach and public spaces.
A rendering of the pool area at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach, which will reopen on May 1. Photo Credit: Hart Howerton
The dining room at the Kani Ka PiIa Grille was also renovated, and the live entertainment stage was expanded with a larger area for open-air seating.
"We kept the structure while refreshing the bar and furniture and redesigning the water features to be more contemporary," Krebs said. "We've enlarged the dining area and repositioned the stage. Previously, it was in a corner and you couldn't see it from everywhere. Now, it's positioned more centrally."
Later this year, the resort is also adding Monkeypod Kitchen to its food and beverage lineup. The restaurant is from Peter Merriman, considered one of the pioneers of Hawaiian regional cuisine. Work is underway on the eatery, which will sit beachside with indoor and outdoor seating areas and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
New technological enhancements include a smartphone application that will enable guests to check in and gain keyless entry to their rooms. The resort's WiFi system was also upgraded and a new digital service will be used to expedite guest requests, replacing the old radio and pager system.
"The new services make it all electronic and much faster," Krebs said. "We also updated the whole sound system throughout the resort, so if we have live music at Kani Ka PiIa we can have it playing elsewhere, like at the Voyager 47 Club, which is quite a distance away."
The lobby area, room renovations in the Ocean and Pacific towers and updates to the Kani Ka PiIa Grille are all expected to be complete by the reopening date of May 1, while the new Diamond Head Tower rooms, fitness center and kids club are expected to be unveiled sometime in August. Monkeypod Kitchen is expected to open its doors by the end of 2021.