HONOLULU, HI—In 1961, the Waikiki section of Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oahu was a flourishing tourist destination, though it hadn’t yet achieved the status of the world-class tourist location it was subsequently to become. One of the things missing were large-scale resorts that not only had a significant number of guestrooms and suites, but had the ballrooms and public spaces suited to handle major conventions and conferences.
A key milestone in Waikiki’s evolution was the opening that year of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa, which is part of Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide. The acquisition of the existing Kaiser’s Hawaiian Village marked Hilton’s entry into the Aloha State.
Fast forward to 2011 and Hilton is celebrating the 50th anniversary of that debut. Dave Horton, global head of Hilton Hotels & Resorts, acknowledged the anniversary, citing “the generations of travelers whom Hilton has welcomed to Hawaii for authentic experiences and the best in hospitality.”
Hilton’s founder, the late Conrad Hilton, was reportedly the driving force behind the acquisition and strongly supported the Resort’s subsequent expansion. He understood the marketing muscle that a company of Hilton’s calibre could bring to the Resort and, by extension, the destination. Hilton paid $21.5 million for the asset, which 50 years ago, made it one of the biggest hotel transactions of its time.
In the intervening years, Hilton Hotels & Resorts built on the brand visibility it established with the 3,543-room Hawaiian Village, adding the Hilton Waikiki Beach (formerly known as the 602-room Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio), also in Honolulu, and the 1,240-room Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Kohala Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Kaiser’s Hawaiian Village had opened in 1954, a conversion of an even earlier hotel, The Niumalu, which dates back to the late-1920s. In the seven years they owned it, Kaiser and a partner had added guest cottages and three towers, which are now known as the 348-room Ali’l Tower, the 1,021-room Tapa Tower, and the 380-room Diamond Head Tower. Kaiser and his team also developed the five-acre man-made lagoon that sits in front of the 22-acre Resort and, over the decades, has become one of its most identifiable features.
But, as Horton points out, as Waikiki, Honolulu, and Oahu overall have grown in popularity over the decades, the Hilton Hawaiian Village has continued to evolve, expanding but also adapting to changing guest preferences and tastes. For the group market, the Resort today offers 150,000-square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, while for leisure guests there’s a complex of six swimming pools and other recreational options.
The 796-room Rainbow Tower was added in the late-1960s. Known for its two distinctive ceramic mosaic tile exterior walls, the Rainbow Tower began a guestroom renovation last month. The 315-room Kalia Tower, which includes the Resort’s full-service spa, opened subsequently. Completing the room-count inventory are 683 Hilton Grand Vacation units and apartments.
The Ali’l Tower, meanwhile, has been positioned as a luxury resort within a resort and features high-end concierge services. The Tapa Tower includes a Resort conference center.
