Hawaii news roundup: arrivals and departures

On the Hawaiian Islands, these times may be topsy-turvy for the tourism industry. But, besides a hotel closure, there’s also news to share of a reopening, additional services and the arrival of some well-loved visitors. Following is a roundup of some recent travel-related happenings.

Hotel closure | Aston Maui Lu, a ResortQuest property in Kihei, Maui, will be closing its doors for good on Nov. 10 according to the Maui News. The closure of the hotel, a fixture since 1962, means the loss of 41 staff jobs. Up next for the lot: time-share units by Marriot Ownership Resorts Inc. See HotelChatter’s take on the closure.

Hotel reopening | A Prince Resorts Hotel, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, on the Big Island, has been undergoing renovation and repair since it was damaged in a 2006 earthquake. Though we’ll have to wait until spring 2009 for its grand opening, a “soft opening” is planned for this December, according to Pacific Business News. Its golf course reopens this November.

Humpback whales | Some much-anticipated annual visitors have arrived. During a tour led by the Pacific Whale Foundation last week, a lone humpback whale in the waters near Kaanapali turned up (pictured above). According to the organization, theirs was not the season’s first whale sighting: at least one other sighting had been reported on Maui the previous day and others had been seen off of the Big Island. The humpbacks generally arrive in Hawaii, from Alaska, in October or November.

More inter-flights | As I mentioned in a previous post, inter-island flights in Hawaii are increasing this fall. Hawaiian Airlines’ first additional plane arrived this week, according to Pacific Business News, with others set to arrive monthly throughout the remainder of the year.

- Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Photo: Humpback whale. Credit: Captain “CJ” Clint Kostak / Pacific Whale Foundation

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 2:56 pm by Susan Derby and is filed under Hawaii, News, Tips & Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.