ResortQuest to manage Ilikai
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer
ResortQuest Hawaii is beginning an expansion that will reach beyond the state but starts with the hotel company taking over management of two more local hotels, including the iconic Ilikai Hotel.
Since being acquired by Interval Acquisition Corp., an affiliated company of Interval International, ResortQuest Hawaii has developed and initiated an ambitious strategic plan, company president Kelvin Bloom said yesterday.
Bloom said the plan will broaden the company's "moderate and upscale product offerings."
On Kaua'i, the company will take over management of the Aloha Beach Hotel, which will become known as the ResortQuest Aloha Beach Resort. Bloom said it will include a multimillion-dollar renovation.
He said the Ilikai renovation will cost an estimated $60 million. No change in the hotel name is being contemplated at this time, he said.
Bloom acknowledged a dip in the overall number of visitors coming to Hawai'i. But he noted that his company has continued to grow.
"Last year was another record year for us," he said. "So far this year, we're up about 15 percent. We're still very bullish about our prospects."
Bloom said the company expects to expand to the Mainland within the year but declined to provide further details in an Advertiser interview yesterday.
"We're looking at significant growth in Hawai'i but also expansion on the Mainland," he said.
The Aloha Beach Hotel, a 216-room beachfront resort, was previously operated independently by its owner, Anekona LLC. ResortQuest Hawaii will also provide management services and capabilities for the Ilikai, which is operated by an affiliate of Anekona LLC.
Designed by architect John Graham, whose credits include Seattle's Space Needle, the Y-shaped, three-winged Ilikai was an architectural landmark for Waikiki. Bloom said its history includes going in the record books as Hawai'i's first luxury high-rise, and its first glass elevator.
"We are very pleased to be involved with this celebrated hotel that forever changed the landscape of Waikiki when built and introduce it to a new generation of upscale savvy travelers to Hawai'i seeking hip design, comfort and amenities," Bloom said.
The hotel is best known for the sweeping shot of actor Jack Lord as the fictional Steve McGarrett standing on the penthouse balcony in the opening sequence of "Hawaii Five-O."
"These additions to our portfolio exemplify our full commitment to our repositioning and growth plans," Bloom said. He said ResortQuest's plans for upgrading its product mix do not include the management of the Honolulu Prince and Waikiki Beachside.
The new additions will bring to 28 the number of properties the company manages throughout the state, with an inventory of more than 5,000 rooms in an assortment of hotels, condominium suites, villas and cottages. The Hawai'i-based company employs 1,500 people on the islands of O'ahu, Maui, Kau'ai and the Big Island of Hawai'i, serving 1.2 million guests annually.
Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Correction: Renovations at the Ilikai hotel will cost an estimated $60 million. A photo caption in a previous version of this story contained an incorrect amount.