It’s almost impossible to get journalists moving in the same direction. The Hawai’i tourism event in Toronto on 23OCT had them not only moving in unison, but delicately moving their arms and hands in time with a Hawaiian hula.
More than a dozen tourism officials from Hawai’i touched down in Toronto on 23OCT to mix with travel media types and with travel advisors. There were representatives from the four major islands, as well as from hotels and attractions.
There was plenty of good food and Hawaiian music on hand at the media event downtown. They also offered up Mai Tai’s (Open Jaw somehow missed out) and a hula dancing lesson that had media members (Open Jaw was busy taking video and photos, thank you) shimmying and gesturing like long-time Hawaiians (well, maybe).
They also held an evening event for travel advisors.
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1665769905662-0'); });
Officials said it was a good time to visit Canada's biggest city as Air Canada and WestJet will be beefing up flights to Hawai'i over the winter from Toronto, as well as Calgary and Vancouver.
“Canada is a very important market for us, we want to make sure Canadians know we're ready to welcome them," said Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kaua'i Visitors Bureau.
Colin Wood from VoX International, which handles the Hawai’i account in Canada, said Hawai’i is eager to welcome not just tourists who practice sustainable travel, but regenerative travel.
Here’s a look at what’s new and great for visitors to the main four islands, with bonus insights from Open Jaw senior writer Jim Byers, who’s been to the islands at least 35 times.
O’AHU
Noelani Schilling-Wheeler of the Oahu Visitors Bureau said the former Turtle Bay resort on the peaceful north shore of the island was recently renovated and turned into a Ritz-Carlton.
Deaner Snively, Senior Account Executive Marriott International for Hawaii and French Polynesia, said the Ritz-Carlton is an exciting change that gives visitors to north O’ahu a true luxury experience.
“The island has a real town and country vibe. By all means spend time in Waikiki and Honolulu, but don’t miss the relaxed feel of the rest of the island.”
Honolulu’s Romer House is a new property that’s the sole adults-only hotel on O’ahu, Schilling-Wheeler told Open Jaw. It’s just steps from International Market Place for great shopping and food, and only a few hundred yards from Waikiki Beach
The new build Renaissance Honolulu Hotel and Spa is near the lovely Ala Moana Shopping Center and a short walk to pretty Ala Moana Beach, and also to Waikiki.
Ka La’i Waikiki Beach is a Hilton LXR Hotels and Resorts hotel with residential-style suites that include fully-equipped kitchens. It was formerly the Trump Hotel and is just a block from the beach and steps from the green spaces and beach at Fort DeRussy Beach Park.
There’s also a new AC Hotel by Marriott in Honolulu’s vibrant Chinatown area, which has fabulous restaurants and great cocktail bars for urban-oriented visitors to O’ahu.
On the northeast corner of the island, the Courtyard O’ahu North Shore might be the least Courtyard-looking hotel in the chain. It’s located across the road from the renowned Polynesian Cultural Center and also to the Hukilau Market.
“We are one of the few hotels on O’ahu without resort fees,” said Courtyard rep Susan Koehler . “And we’re not your typical Courtyard. We have a strong culinary tradition, we often have live music, and there’s pickleball and basketball on site.”
There’s also a nice beach fronting the hotel.
Koehler said sofa sleepers in all rooms have been converted to queen beds for more sleeping spaces, and that some rooms have a king bed and two sets of bunk beds for families. Some suites have kitchens, as well.
Schilling-Wheeler told Open Jaw that Honolulu has been given a generous Bloomberg grant to install public art made by contemporary Hawaiian artists, which will run from February 2025 to February 2026.
She also noted that a new Cirque du Soleil show, Auana, which honours Hawaiian history and culture, opens in Waikiki on 17DEC, 2024.
MAUI
Until recently, Canadians made Maui their most-visited Hawaiian island. O’ahu has taken the lead spot, partly due to reduced airlift to Maui in the wake of COVID and the Lahaina fire last year. But Maui is hoping to climb back to the top of the podium. Sherry Duong, the Maui Visitors Bureau executive director, told Open Jaw that more and more businesses are opening on West Maui all the time, and that hotels, resorts and restaurants are eager to welcome respectful visitors.
Duong said the Hilton Grand Vacations Club Maui Bay Villas recently opened in North Kihei, giving families a new place to stay on the beach. A Hampton Inn will open at Kahului Harbor next year on the site of the old Maui Palms hotel.
Several top restaurants in north Lahaina, including the tasty Star Noodle and the lovely Mala Ocean Tavern, have re-opened near the Lahaina Cannery in recent months. Cool Cat Café, a fun and popular spot in Lahaina that was destroyed in the fire last year, recently reopened in the Kihei area of Maui, and there’s also a new Kohola Brewery in Wailea.
“We’re still trying to get the message out that, yes, we’re rebuilding, but resorts and hotels are open on Maui” and are welcoming visitors who practice responsible, respectful tourism, Duong said.
Marriott’s Snively said the fully renovated Westin Maui Resort and Spa on Ka’anapali Beach, often voted the best beach in the U.S., has turned its beach wing into a hotel within a hotel, the Hokupa’a at Westin Maui. Guests of Hokupa‘a will be treated with exclusive access to The Lanai at Hokupa‘a, which includes panoramic views, daily breakfast bites, a private bar, infinity edge cocktail pools and cultural experiences.
The Westin is in a prime spot on Ka’anapali Beach and has a great swimming pool and waterslide complex. It’s also less than a minute’s walk from the lovely Whaler’s Village outdoor shopping centre.
Snively said the hotel’s Ocean Tower also has been renovated.
North of Ka’anapali are a wide range of condos in the Kahana and Napili areas. The latter is home to the Napili Kai Beach Resort, one of the most Hawaiian properties on the island. It also anchors the north end of Napili Beach, one of the top beaches on Maui.
A short drive north is the posh Montage Kapalua Bay and the stylish Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua.
Wailea remains a hugely popular area for Canadians and Canadian agents. It offers up a range of hotels and resorts, including the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, The Fairmont Kea Lani, the Marriott Wailea Beach Resort and the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort.
The adjacent Kihei region has more affordable hotels and tons of nice condos for families or couples.
In the lush Hana region, Hana-Maui Resort, a Destination by Hyatt Hotel, is a super-romantic getaway spot that speaks to a simpler time.
KAUA’I
Perhaps the biggest news on the gobsmackingly beautiful island of Kauai is that the iconic Coco Palms hotel (your Open Jaw correspondent was there on his honeymoon some time ago) is being fully transformed. It was closed after Hurricane Iniki hit Kauai in 1992, but IHG is giving the property a full makeover and will open it as a Kimpton hotel/resort in 2026.
Snively said the Sheraton Kauai at Po’ipu Beach on the sunny west coast remains one of the top options on the island, as is Koloa Landing Resort at Po’ipu, Autograph Collection. For folks staying in central Kaua’i, the Sheraton Kaua’i Coconut Beach Resort is a fine option.
The Grand Hyatt Resort and Spa in Po’ipu is a fine spot for families or honeymooners, while Hanalei Colony Resort on the lush north coast is a fine spot for people looking for a quiet, romantic getaway and lonely beaches. Just down the road is the luxurious 1Hotel Hanalei Bay, which sits on a hill and offers dramatic views of the bay and the rugged Na Pali Coast. The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas are a great north shore option for families and for golfers, as it’s located on the island’s top golf course.
Kaua’i s a remarkably diverse island, with lush rainforests in the north near Hanalei and super-dry, desert like conditions on the coast near Hanapepe and the town of Waimea. Waimea Canyon is sometimes called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and it’s an awe-inspiring place for hikers and nature lovers.
Kapa’a is a fun town to explore in central Kauai, with plenty of local boutiques and restaurants. I also love super-relaxed Hanapepe town on the west side.
HAWAI’I ISLAND
Snively told Open Jaw that the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, a Marriott Autograph Collection property on the sunny, dry Kona Coast, is undergoing a major renovation. Snively also let it slip that he thinks the beach at the Mauna Kea resort is one of Hawaii’s best.
Kalei Bridges from Island of Hawai’i Visitors Bureau told Open Jaw that the super-chill, highly enjoyable city of Hilo is getting a facelift. The Lili’uokalani Gardens, which are a top attraction on the edge of Hilo Bay, is being improved. The old Uncle Billy’s hotel is being demolished.
The island, which is the size of all the Hawaiian islands put together, has a vast range of climates and can grow almost anything. It’s also home to enormous cattle ranches, so fresh meat is as plentiful as vegetables and tropical fruits. Island restaurants specialize in serving fresh, local food.
Top resorts include the sumptuous Four Seasons Hualalai and Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort, as well as Mauna Kea, Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection, and the Fairmont Orchid.
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is a wonderful spot to explore and learn about the powers of nature. North of Hilo you’ll find deep green rain forests with gorgeous waterfalls and small towns to explore, such as Honokaa.
Yours truly loves the solitude on the north end of the island, where you’ll find cool towns such as Hawi and Waimea, which is in the middle of the island’s horse and cattle region.
BONUS PICKS
The island of Lana’i, easily reached by air from Maui or O’ahu or by ferry from Maui, offers up the South Seas flair of the Four Seasons Resort Lana’i, as well as Sensei Lana’i, a Four Seasons Resort with fabulous food and one of the top spas in the United States. The Sensei resort is inland, while the Four Seasons Resort Lana’i is on the coast and just steps from a fabulous beach at Hulopo’e Bay. The only other hotel option on the island is the Hotel Lana’i, a fine and comfortable spot in funky Lana’i City.
The peaceful island of Molokai, for now reachable only by air from Maui or O’ahu (there’s talk of bringing back the ferry from Maui, but to my knowledge it hasn’t been approved), has a few scattered rental units available at the old Kaluakoi development on the dry west side. Near the main town of Kaunakakai you’ll find the small but attractive and friendly Hotel Molokai, as well as the condos at Molokai Shores. I love the condos at Molokai Wavecrest on the island’s east side, where you’ll find comfortable units and a nice pool. I’ve seen one-bedroom units for as little as $150 CAD per night in the fall. If you have clients who really like to get away from it all, Molokai’s definitely worth a look.
