Destinations
Hip Vibe At Historic Waikiki Hotel
White Sands Hotel, a classic Waikiki Beach property, has been renovated for modern travellers and is aiming to tap into the Bamboo Bar lounge culture of the early 70s. Originally opened in 1959, it’s the area’s only remaining walk-up hotel building; the three-story hotel has no elevator. There are also no ocean views available from this central Waikiki location, so instead guests look inward, to a lush and lively courtyard, with an emphasis on being green. Solar panels have been installed on the roofs of the hotel’s three buildings, making it the only property in Waikiki...
Taking Care Of Mother Nature
The beauty of Hā’ena State Park on the island of Kauai is so well known that its popularity is becoming an issue. As more visitors come to see the stunning beach coves and dramatic cliffs of the park, intensive trail usage and car parking have become problems. But that situation is being resolved by new rules governing visits to the park, including the creation of a pass reservation system. Storms and severe flooding in 2018 caused both Hāʻena State Park and Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park to be closed for over a year. This gave the Division of State Parks the opportunity to...
Tour Of Cave Reveals Fragile Ecosystem
On Kauai ATV’s four-hour Makauwahi Cave Tour, guests will see pristine landscapes from makai (ocean) to mauka (mountain), using plantation trails on Kauai’s southernmost point. And they will encounter fragile ecosystems when they visit the Makauwahi Cave Reserve, the most important dig site in the Hawaiian Islands. There they will learn how to help in preserving native endangered species and Hawaiian culture. The fossil-rich, limestone Makauwahi Cave has attracted archaeologists and visitors from around the world. The tour also visits Kauai movie-production sites and shares...
Explore Culture At The Fairmont Orchid
Fairmont Orchid, an AAA four diamond luxury resort located on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii Island, is launching a new cultural tour hosted by its director of Hawaiian culture, Kaiulani Blankenfeld. The new tour is called Na Mea Waiwai O Milokukahi, and it is a walking exploration of the property. In the course of the tour, guests will visit fishponds, tidepools, honu (Hawaiian sea turtles), petroglyphs and beehives located at the resort. The tour is designed to encourage participants to be good stewards of the aina (land), and it honours Hawaiian history, stories and...
Espacio Extends Invitation For Luxury Suite Stays
The new Espacio, a luxury resort by Aqua-Aston Hospitality that opened in Waikiki in the fall, is offering an accommodation style that will appeal to big spenders. The hotel has nine stories, and each floor is occupied by just one very large suite. The luxury suites each measure 209 square metres, including two or three separate bedrooms with king beds and 3.5 bathrooms. Decor is defined by globally inspired furnishings, such as handmade carpets from China, Italian marble details and metalwork from Morocco. Gourmet meals can be created in modern kitchens with Thermador and Miele...
Spotlight on Toronto
Tourism Toronto is inviting people to embrace Old Man Winter. The tourism promotion body on Wednesday unveiled its Toronto Spotlight, a promotion that offers 2-for-1 admission at some 35 city attractions and features four “Spotlight Weekends” touting the likes of city cuisine and culture. “This is an open invitation to visitors to explore, discover and enjoy Toronto at an incredible time of year when the city celebrates brighter lights and longer nights,” said Scott Beck, president of Tourism Toronto. “We're turning up the volume on winter and showcasing that Toronto is a...
Vancouver Tourism Growth Spurs Need For More Hotel Rooms
With annual overnight visitations to Vancouver predicted to climb again – by 2.8% in 2019 over 2018 – the tourism business for the city is in good shape. This increase will bolster visitor arrivals of 10.67 million recorded in 2018. Vancouver’s tourism success story is confirmed by a robust average hotel room occupancy rate of 81% that is predicted for 2019. That means the city is ripe for an expansion in hotel room inventory, says an industry observer. But instead, the hotel room inventory has declined in volume over the past eight years, says the CBRE commercial real...
Antigua And Barbuda Celebrate 300,000
Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Officials began ringing in the New Year early at the V.C. Bird International Airport, as visitors arriving into Antigua and Barbuda on Old Year’s Eve, helped to push Antigua and Barbuda’s total stay-over arrivals in 2019 to the 300,000 milestone. It was a festive afternoon, as cultural masqueraders, and dancers in colourful costumes, begun celebrating by partying on the band stand and greeting passengers in an extravagant cultural display complete with the sounds of melodious steelpan music. Below in the airport’s VIP Lounge, Antigua and Barbuda’s...