Awards

Advertiser Staff

• Three islands of the Hawaiian archipelago are ranked within the 10 best worldwide in Travel + Leisure Magazine's ninth annual WORLD'S BEST readers' survey of top hotels, cities, islands, cruise lines, airlines, tour operators/safari outfitters and car-rental agencies. Kaua'i is ranked second, just below Bali, which topped this year's list; and immediately ahead of Maui's third-place showing. The Galapagos Islands, the Big Island and Santorini placed fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. The rest of the list, in order, named Sicily, Prince Edward Island, Mount Desert Island (Maine) and Great Barrier Reef Islands.

Also placing in the annual ranking of the 100 world's best hotels are six island properties: Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Big Island (#17); The Lodge at Koele, Lana'i (#33); Halekulani, O'ahu (#41); Four Seasons Resort Maui, Wailea (#45); Kahala Mandarin Oriental, O'ahu (#67), and Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui (#93).

• For the 15th consecutive year, the HAWAI'I VISITORS AND CONVENTION BUREAU has earned a Gold Service Award from Meetings and Conventions magazine. The honor is given by travel planners, based on the level of service received during meetings held in the state, and will be awarded during ceremonies Nov. 12 in New York City.

Receiving its first Gold Key Award by the magazine's readers is the newly renovated, 387-room JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa in Ko Olina. This year, the magazine honored 183 domestic, and 25 international, hotels and resorts.

Both HVCB and Ihilani will be featured in the magazine's Gold Awards November issue.

• Ad 2 Honolulu, one of the nationwide affiliations of advertising professionals working to better the community through charitable events and activities, was chosen this year's Club of the Year at the American Advertising Federation annual convention. Ad 2 Honolulu also received first place honors at the conference during the national Ad 2 public service competition, for work it had done on behalf of Hawai'i Literacy.

• Iolani School 1972 graduate DEAN OKIMOTO, owner of Nalo Farms, was honored with the school's Alumni Service Award at the annual "A Touch of Iolani" all-class reunion on campus. Okimoto has organized a gourmet food booth at Iolani's annual family fair and has donated his locally produced Nalo greens and herbs to school fund-raisers. The produce is familiar at area restaurants such as Roy's, Sam Choy's, L'Uraku and 3660 on the Rise.

HAWAII COMMUNITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION has received three awards recently, one in recognition of the institution's sponsorship of the state's first student credit union:

• The Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce presented the HCFCU its Pualu Award for Community Education, in recognition of its mentorship, and financial and educational support of the Konawaena High School student credit union, which opened in 1972.

• West Hawaii Today readers voted the credit union the "2004 Best Financial Institution of West Hawai'i" in the newspaper's annual readers' poll.

• Hawaii Island Journal readers recently voted the credit union the "Best Financial Institution" on the Big Island.

The 68-year-old credit union, with existing branches in Kailua, Kona; Kealakekua; Kohala, and Pa'auhau is expected to open its newest branch in the Kaloko Business Park late next year.

• SCOTT BREWER, president of Hawaiian Isle Mortgage, was awarded the Businessman of the Year award for 2003, in recent ceremonies by The National Republican Congressional Committee. Scott had served as honorary co-chairman for the Business Advisory Council representing Hawai'i in 2003.

Announcements of business-related awards and honors can be sent to: Business Awards, Business Section, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; faxed to 525-6763, or e-mailed to business@honoluluadvertiser.com. For e-mailed releases, please make sure the information is included in the body of the message, not as an attachment.