A Waikīkī resort is getting a $100 million refresh.
Outrigger Hospitality Group has started the overhaul of its Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort.
In a recent announcement, the company says the resort is being "reimagined as a design-led, barefoot luxury destination more deeply connected to the ocean, surf culture and sense of place that defines Waikīkī."
Monica Salter, vice president of global communications and social responsibility for Outrigger Hospitality Group, told Aloha State Daily in an email that the renovation will touch "every aspect of the guest experience, from the moment of arrival through to the ocean's edge."
"Highlights include a dramatic new grand arrival staircase with design details inspired by the ʻĀpuakēhau Stream, a museum-quality art program developed in collaboration with leading local artists, a one-of-a-kind surfboard installation in the lobby and a fully reimagined Voyager 47 Club Lounge that will be more than three times its current size with expanded indoor-outdoor spaces," she says.
Meanwhile, Salter says guest rooms and suites are being redesigned with "soft palettes and textures drawn from the natural environment of Waikīkī including the surf, the sand and the light. Throughout, the design is rooted in the cultural history and surf legacy of this iconic shoreline."
Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort first opened in 1967 and its last major renovation was a "few decades ago," she noted.
"Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort is where the Outrigger story began — on the historic grounds of the Outrigger Canoe Club, at the birthplace of modern surfing," Salter says. "After 60 years, the time felt right to honor that legacy in a way that reflects both where the brand has been and where it's going. This transformation will create an experience that is more elevated, more immersive and more authentically rooted in the culture and spirit of Waikīkī than ever before."
The resort will remain fully open throughout the renovations, including Duke's Waikīkī, Hula Grill Waikīkī and Blue Note Hawai‘i. Salter says the work is being "carried out thoughtfully" to minimize disruption.
The reimagined guest rooms are on track to debut later this year, while other elements of the transformation will be revealed in phases in the months that follow, she told ASD.
According to the announcement, several organizations are collaborating on the project, including DTL — a Hawaiian Strategy Studio, PowerStrip Studio and WCIT Architecture.
“To design in Hawaiʻi is to remember," Mālia Ka‘aihue, president of DTL, said in the announcement. "Our work at Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort was shaped by the ʻĀpuakēhau Stream, by the genealogy of the land, aliʻi and people of this place, and by the rhythm of the kahakai. For kamaʻāina and malihini alike, we wanted the generational abundance of Waikīkī to be felt in every material, every motif, every moment."
Outrigger got its start in 1947, when American architect Roy Kelley and his wife Estelle opened the 33-room Islander Hotel in Waikīkī, according to a 2022 post on the hotel's website.
On O‘ahu, you'll find the Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort, Waikīkī Beach Resort, Waikīkī Beachcomber Hotel and Waikīkī Paradise Hotel; on Maui there's Outrigger Kā‘anapali Beach Resort and Honua Kai Resort & Spa; the Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa is located on Hawai‘i Island; and the Outrigger Kaua‘i Beach Resort & Spa is on the Garden Isle. Outrigger also offers vacation condos across the Islands, and owns and operates resorts in Fiji, Thailand, Maldives and Mauritius. Find its portfolio of properties here.
(ICYMI: Several other Hawai‘i hotels have unveiled multi-million dollar renovations and updates in the last year, including The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikīkī Beach; Mauna Kea Beach Hotel; Courtyard by Marriott Waikīkī Beach and the Pagoda Hotel).
Honolulu hotels alone generate $12 billion in economic activity and support 63,912 jobs, according to an economic impact report released in February by the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the Hawai‘i Hotel Alliance. Hotel guests spend $6.5 billion throughout Honolulu each year, the report notes, which is equivalent to $760 per room night on lodging, retail, dining and other activities.
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Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
