The New, New Waikiki: A Quick Roundup
Where: Maui, || Grouped in: Maui Kids, Maui Nightlife, Maui Food, Oahu Hotels || Tagged:
Waikiki has been getting a lot of travel section and magazine press of late. A slew of hotels have rebranded, revamped, and renovated. A new, massive and quite attractive airy mall has opened, the Waikiki Beach Walk. The ugliest tourist center mall on Earth, the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Sarcophagus Center is ripping out its middle, opening up the lovely coconut grove in front of the equally lovely Royal Hawaiian Hotel (the famous Pink Palace) to street view. New restaurants are sprouting. Starwood is planning a megamillion-dollar overhaul of its Waikiki properties (some of this is already taking place). The place is definitely reviving. Here's a few articles that can walk you through some of the changes.
Stroll through Waikiki Beach Walk -- Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Oahu's Renaissance by LA Times
Waikiki Gets Hip by OC Register
The New Waikiki by Hawaii Magazine
Waikiki Gets $1 Billion Upgrade by Honolulu Advertiser
There are a ton more articles out there and feel free to note them in comments below. Also of note -- a new issue of Hawaii Magazine, edited by my friend John Heckathorn, is out. The magazine has gone much higher quality since he took over.
Advertisers, reach Hawaii |
Comments
sstartsman said:
I for one was skeptical several years ago when a friend of mine did the architectural renderings of the Beachwalk, but now that it is finished, it doesn’t look like the dark and dungy alley street that it was. Wait until Trump Towers is finshed along with the rest of the Waikiki Facelift and this will become a very popular destination especially for those that shop in highend stores. The area is starting to shape up nicely, and I have found myself going out in Waikiki more since Beachwalk opened.
—06/11/07