HONOLULU Aqua Hotels & Resorts announces the addition of the 312-room Queen Kapiolani Hotel to its portfolio.
“Aqua’s Hawaii-based roots and leadership role in marketing unique hotels to visitors is an excellent fit for what we have been seeking to reestablish the Queen Kapiolani,” says Wayne Williams, asset manager for Los Angeles-based YHB Hospitality Group, which acquired the property in 2009. “The hotel has been welcoming guests for decades, and its recent renovation and homage to Hawaii’s cultural and historic heritage is a refreshing addition to Waikiki’s inventory. Mr. Y. S. Kim, president of YHB Hospitality, is excited to have our full-service hotel reintroduced to consumers by Aqua’s talented sales and marketing team.”
YHB Hospitality has spent more than US$5 million to renovate and upgrade Queen Kapiolani, including improvements and enhancements to the exterior and entrance, guestrooms, the sundeck and pool bar.
“We are elated to have this significant and culturally-focused Waikiki hotel join our group,” says Bill Henderson, Aqua’s vice president of development. “Queen Kapiolani Hotel has been an island favorite for decades, and Aqua looks forward to collaborating with the new owners to reposition it for its new beginning. Its premier location adjacent to the 108-acre Queen Kapiolani Park and to Waikiki Beach, along with newly renovated guestrooms offering endless views of Diamond Head, are very compelling reasons for travelers to stay here.”