Tokyo, Japan — High on the stage of the Hawaii booth, overlooking the hubbub of Japan’s biggest travel fair, the musical group Manoa DNA launches into “Aloha You, Aloha Me.” It’s a catchy tune, sung mostly in Japanese, that has…
Helping guests in every way possible Guests usually ask the hotel concierge basic questions like, “What’s a great place for a romantic dinner?” or “How do I get to the North Shore?” But the request is sometimes more challenging, like…
The hotel owner waited patiently to chat with Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle in the steel-and-glass enclosed lobby of the Kai Wah Plaza International Hotel in Kunming, China. When they met, Chau Lai Kai thanked Lingle for staying at her property…
Waikiki and other resorts statewide are more crowded these days. Visitor arrivals are up while beaches, stores and restaurants are filling again with tanned people spending their money. But there is a cloud on the horizon: Union contracts covering most…
When Mitch D’Olier left Honolulu’s Victoria Ward Co. to lead Kaneohe Ranch, the largest landowner in Kailua, on Windward Oahu, he thought he would see few tourists on the job. “When I was at Victoria Ward, about 30 percent of…
It’s sometimes easy for locals to overlook Kualoa Ranch as just another visitor attraction. After all, the meat and potatoes of the Morgan family’s ranch are its horseback and ATV rides, and tours of film locations in the otherworldly landscape…
8:00 A.M., Monday Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Waikiki >> Lou Ellen Kaneshiro, director of housekeeping at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, and her assistant, Si Jung Wong, hold a pre-shift meeting with her staff. The iconic pink hotel has 495 rooms and…
One of Oahu’s most popular breakfast and lunch restaurants has moved to a bigger location down the street in Kailua. With 60 seats, Boots & Kimo’s Homestyle Kitchen now has more room for all the locals and tourists who used…
Should Hawaii’s tourism czars focus on attracting more visitors or take a holistic view of tourism’s impact? During good times, there is virtually nothing easier to sell than Hawaii. If people have money and an itch to travel, all you…
