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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, June 18, 2009

Units in Trump's Waikiki tower available as rentals


By Andrew Gomes
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

A local property-management firm is accepting rental reservations for some units at the still-unfinished Trump International Hotel & Tower Waikiki.

BRUCE ASATO | The Honolulu Advertiser

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38

Number of stories

464

Number of hotel-condominium units

$1.5M

Average unit sale price at November 2006 offering

LATE 2009

Expected opening

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Trump International Hotel & Tower Waikiki isn't scheduled to open for another three or so months, but some of the units in the tower are already being marketed as vacation rentals.

A local luxury property rental firm is promoting nightly rates from $250 to $700 for a handful of units ranging from a 560-square-foot studio to a 1,670-square-foot unit with two bedrooms and a den, and has begun accepting reservations for dates starting in December.

The rental firm, Ohana Beach Rentals Hawaii, said it has arranged to manage about 12 units for investors buying units in the condominium-hotel.

Trump Hotel Collection, a management company affiliated with New York megadeveloper Donald Trump that will staff on-site hotel services, is expected to manage many if not most of the tower's 464 units for investors scheduled to complete their purchases in September. However, Trump Hotel doesn't expect to begin taking reservations for the sold-out Waikiki tower until next month.

Room rates are expected to range beyond the rates advertised by Ohana Beach, because the firm's room selection is a small sample of what will be available in the described "ultra-luxury" tower being developed by Trump and California-based Irongate Capital.

Scott Ingwers, managing director of the project for Trump Hotel, said rental rates should be similar to other luxury properties in Waikiki, anywhere from $250 to $5,000 a night. Ingwers also said third-party management firms such as Ohana Beach are expected to adhere to standards established for Trump properties. "Trump is committed to upholding the level of quality and luxury that the owners first bought into back in 2006, and will provide services commensurate with that expectation," he said.

Ohana Beach, established by Warren Daniel as a subsidiary of real estate brokerage firm Distinctive Homes Hawaii LLC, manages about 90 units at several properties, including luxury single-family homes, residential condos such as Hokua and Waikiki Landmark, and condotels including the Ilikai and the Diamond Head Beach Hotel. Daniel is buying a unit at the Trump Waikiki project and is seeking to manage more units.

"A stay at this signature property will be like no other, as it raises the bar on luxury accommodations in Waikiki," he said.