Starwood Eyeing Portion Of Turtle Bay Resort

HONOLULU—Starwood Hotels and Resorts has offered to acquire a portion of the Turtle Bay Resort on Oahus North Shore, according to reports. The 880-acre resort, which has been quietly marketed by Eastdil Secured LLC for nearly a year, is reported to be down to a short list of potential buyers. “Weve been interested in Turtle Bay from the beginning and were still interested,” Keith Vieira, director of Hawaii operations for Starwood, told local media. Kuilima Resort Co., the entity that has owned Turtle Bay since 1988, has in recent years considered multiple options in developing the resort, including a joint venture to create a stand-alone project, selling off individual parcels to developers or selling the entire property, Terry OToole, attorney for Kuilima Resort Co., said in the reports. The resort has been caught up in labor disputes and controversy over ancient Hawaiian burials in recent years, as well as opposition to the sites zoning for five hotels with up to 3,500 hotel and condominium units. “Kuilima has been seeking out interested parties, particularly a local partner who really shares their values to whats important with this resort,” OToole said in local reports.