Mold treatment begins at Hilton

By Andrew Gomes
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hilton Hawaiian Village has begun sealing fungi in the Lagoon Tower, where mold was found on corridor ceilings, as a temporary measure to contain and further inhibit mold growth in the hotel/time-share high-rise.

The tower was one of two buildings at Hilton's six-tower hotel complex in Waikiki where mold was confirmed growing in June.

Third-floor hallway ceilings in Lagoon Tower received a coat of special paint containing fungicide during the weekend, and other floors with mold in Lagoon Tower will receive the same treatment, said Hilton Hawai'i spokeswoman Karen Winpenny.

Winpenny yesterday did not know how many of the floors in the 24-story tower are affected and will be treated. Like the third floor, other affected floors will be closed temporarily to allow paint fumes to dissipate, she said.

The mold, Cladosporium, has not been detected in any guest rooms at Lagoon Tower, where people have bought about 40 percent of available weekly time-share intervals in the former rental apartment building.

The 264-room tower, which is also used as a hotel, underwent a $36 million renovation and reopened in January 2001.

Winpenny said hired investigators from Atlanta are still trying to determine the cause of the mold growth both at the Lagoon Tower and at the year-old Kalia Tower, where all 453 guest rooms were closed last month after a different type of mold was found growing on furniture in guest rooms.

Once it can be determined what is creating elevated levels of humidity that foster mold growth in the Kalia and Lagoon towers, the problem will be corrected. Then the mold and affected materials will be removed, Winpenny said.

Winpenny said Hilton consultant Air Quality Services is still investigating, and she had no information on progress or when the company might make a diagnosis and begin repair work.

Hilton has estimated it will cost $10 million to investigate and remediate the problem mold at both towers.