The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel will reopen its doors on Dec. 20 following extensive renovations to the 43-year-old hotel.

The hotel closed in December 2006 following an earthquake centered close to the Big Island.

General Manager Jon Gersonde says the date represents a soft opening to ease the hotel back into operations after two years of being closed. "Many longtime Mauna Kea employees have been hired back and we should be up to speed pretty quickly," he said.

A formal grand opening is set for March.

New at The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel will be a spa, new culinary experiences by Executive Chef George Gomes and newly refurbished guest rooms.

Many of the resort's popular services and activities will also return, including the 13-court Seaside Tennis Club, the Salon at Mauna Kea, play-while-you-learn children's activities, Hawaiian cultural experiences, Art & Garden Tour, yoga and exercise classes, and the Beach at Kauna'oa Bay, offering beach services and cabanas.

"The goal of the restoration has been to update and refine The Mauna Kea's reputation as a sophisticated and intimate luxury beachfront resort," said Gersonde.

"We are reopening with new luxurious accommodations and amenities of the highest caliber, a revitalized golf course with new clubhouse, and, of course, our signature tradition of excellent service," he said.

When The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel opened in 1965, it was the most expensive hotel ever built in Hawai'i at the time, at a cost of $15 million. The American Institute of Architects recently placed the hotel on the list of 150 iconic structures nationwide recognized as "America's Favorite Architecture."

"While the hotel's interiors have been redecorated, little changes have been made to its classic exterior architectural design that has been recognized throughout the world," said Gersonde.

The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is the flagship property in the Prince Hotels and Resorts international portfolio.