Hilton to destroy contents because of mold infection

By Andrew Gomes
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hilton Hawaiian Village has decided to destroy every piece of furniture, carpeting and wall covering in all of its 453 guest rooms at its newest Kalia Tower, where mold contamination has left millions of dollars worth of items in ruins.

Hilton officials said everything from desks, mattresses, headboards, armoires and nightstands to sheets, pillowcases, towels, wallpaper, dressers, drapes and carpeting would be taken to the local landfill or incinerator starting in the next few days.

The removal process, recommended by one of Hilton's expert mold-correction consultants, will last six to eight weeks.

"While it would be nice to salvage some of these goods and perhaps find other uses for them, proper disposal is the sensible and responsible action to take," said Peter Schall, managing director of Hilton Hawaiian Village, in a statement yesterday.

The move is the latest in what has become an escalating effort to deal with severe mold growth at the tower, which has been closed to guests for more than seven weeks since the problem was disclosed in July.

Hilton has estimated investigation and repair costs at $10 million, and said yesterday it would purchase new furnishings for all of the rooms in the tower as part of remediation efforts.

Hotel officials said the only items that might be salvaged and returned to guest rooms are televisions, clock radios and items made of metal or glass. But they said yesterday it was too early to tell whether any of those fixtures could be cleaned satisfactorily.

The cost of removing and disposing of all of the items, to be carried out by local general contractor Dick Pacific, was included in a $10 million charge Hilton Hotels Corp. took against earnings in the second quarter.

Hilton officials yesterday could not say whether the cost of buying new furnishings for the 453 guest rooms was included in that charge. When it opened a little more than a year ago, Hilton said it cost $8 million to furnish the tower.

Jason Princenthal, president and chief indoor air-quality consultant for Honolulu-based AirCare Environmental Services, said he was not working with Hilton on its mold problem, but based on his experience it is rare that mold can damage items such as wood furniture beyond repair.

"Hard surfaces typically don't need to be thrown away," he said. "Porous surfaces often do. Maybe a cushion, but not a chair."

But he added: "I don't think Hilton wants to play around and experiment. I think they want to put this behind them."

Ken Beal, executive vice president of Kailua-based mold contamination firm MoldPro International, said Hilton's disposal plan sounded extreme, but not unprecedented.

"It's extremely cautious," he said. "That may be an extreme measure that they're taking to eliminate any stigma, and that's real important for a hotel."

George Hayward, a Hilton Hawaiian Village spokesman, said Hilton was advised that once mold grows on certain items, it can return even after cleaning.

Hilton spent considerable effort to design furnishings for its newest tower, including headboards resembling a Queen Lili'uokalani model from Bishop Museum and bedspread patterns inspired by an aloha shirt worn by Montgomery Clift in "From Here to Eternity."

Hayward said the company had not determined whether the replacements would be exact copies.

Schall said the disposal is the latest in "a prudent, step-by-step approach to remedy the situation at the Kalia Tower, continuing to prioritize the health and safety of our team members and guests."

Hilton is not making projections as to when the tower might reopen, but Schall said in his statement that Hilton and its consultants were making progress toward identifying the cause of the high humidity that led to the mold growth.

Hayward said Hilton would not discuss possible causes because of liability issues and potential litigation.

Kalia Tower guest rooms were infected with mold earlier this year and shut down July 24. Hilton concluded after a doctor surveyed employees that it was "doubtful" the mold had caused any long-term health or allergic respiratory problems in workers or guests.

The only other building with abnormal mold at the six-tower complex was the hotel/time-share Lagoon Tower, where mold was found on corridor ceilings. In that case, Hilton sealed the mold with a special paint containing fungicide as a temporary fix.

Reach Andrew Gomes at agomes@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8065.