The Waikīkī Business Improvement District and its Aloha Ambassadors have helped make a visible difference in Waikīkī over the last year, with an increase in services noted between 2024 and 2025.
According to information provided Wednesday during WBID's annual meeting, held at the Outrigger Reef Waikīkī, and subsequently by Deputy Director Dave Willard:
Trash removal in the community is up 18%. There's been a 34% jump in the square footage of pressure washing. Graffiti removal has seen a 5% increase. Personal storage lockers have been installed at Kūhiō Beach Park, with the first phase put into place in January and the second this month. Hospitality services, which include providing directions, transit information, safety escorts and answering general questions, have grown by 15%.
There's also been a 65% increase in landscape repair investments. Willard told Aloha State Daily in an email Thursday that investment totaled $688,000, and much of it aims to continue recovery from replacement plantings deferred during the Covid-19 pandemic, he said.
These services are provided by the Aloha Ambassadors as part of WBID's Clean and Safe programs, Willard said.
“Whether through more effective use of personnel or the adoption of innovative equipment, we’re always exploring new ways to enhance our services in Waikīkī” Willard said.
“Our goal is to deliver world-class service with a laser focus on the unique needs of the Waikīkī community,” WBID President and Executive Director Trevor Abarzua said in an emailed statement to ASD.
WBID was founded in 2000 "to help supplement city services."
Its Aloha Ambassadors can be found throughout the district and contacted if you need directions to, or recommendations on, anything in Waikīkī; safety escorts; assistance with flat tires, car lockouts and jumpstarts; to report trash, graffiti or suspicious activities; or for mental wellness response or services.
The Aloha Ambassador Clean Team collects trash, clears debris, removes graffiti and works to maintain “an overall pristine environment,” while Aloha Safety Ambassadors engage with business owners, employees and residents on safety concerns or needs, and maintains close communication with local law enforcement; and Aloha Hospitality Ambassadors are located throughout the district and can offer directions, recommendations and answer questions, its site explains.
Check out ASD's previous profile on Aloha Ambassador General Manager Solomon Kaimimoku here.
In a presentation at Wednesday's meeting, Abarzua noted that 78.3%, or nearly $4.4 million, of WBID's funding in fiscal year 2025 — which ends June 30 — came from landowner assessments; 12.6%, or $703,174, came from grant funding; and 9.1%, or $507,675, came from a City and County of Honolulu assessment. Nearly 48% of its 2025 budget, approximately $2.46 million, has been allocated for custodial work and landscaping; $1.36 million for safety and hospitality ambassadors; $834,781 for administrative costs; and $465,545 for security and public space management.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
