Aqua Hotels & Resorts this week took over management of the renovated Aqua Waikiki Pearl, earlier known as the Honolulu Prince Hotel, at 415 Nahua St.

The hotel recently completed a $5 million refurbishment. "It was exciting to watch the Aqua Waikiki Pearl evolve from a neglected property into a stylish, modern hotel in central Waikiki," said Richard Mandel, president of Ramsfield Hospitality Finance, the New York-based owner of the hotel.

New roofing, exterior paint and renovation of street-front retail spaces were completed early on with room renovations completed more recently. Retail tenants will start moving in this summer, he said.

GE WORKING ON MAUI SMART GRID PROJECT

General Electric Co. officially launched the planning stages for GE-led energy improvements on Maui yesterday.

The Maui Smart Grid project will help the Maui Electric Co. control peak circuit demand and maintain voltage levels, officials said.

Maui currently receives about 10 percent of its energy from wind. Even at 10 percent, reliability issues can arise because of "minute-to-minute" wind fluctuations, GE said in a press release.

Along with GE and MECO, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Hawaiian Electric Co. and the Hawai'i Natural Energy Institute are partnering and sharing the cost of the project.

Maui residents will not see the effects immediately as officials try to determine what the project will look like, said Juan de Bedout, GE Global Research technology leader for power conversion systems.

KAISER HOSPITAL'S STROKE CARE RECOGNIZED

The American Stroke Association awarded Kaiser Permanente's Moanalua Medical Center a Gold Performance Achievement Award for stroke care.

The medical center adhered to 85 percent of the association's key measures for at least 24 consecutive months to qualify for the award. This included use of medications, therapy and smoking cessation.

The award's "Get With the Guidelines" program teaches patients how to manage their risk factors soon after a stroke. Patients are most likely to listen and follow guidance while they're still in the hospital, the medical center said.