Published: March 2021

SIZZLIN' MARCH NEWS FROM THE ISLAND OF HAWAIʻI

Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau Media Contact:
Cheyenne Maltezo, (808) 539-3409, [email protected]


SIZZLIN' MARCH NEWS FROM THE ISLAND OF HAWAIʻI

Island of Hawaiʻi (March 9, 2021) - The youngest in the island chain and largest of all the Hawaiian Islands combined, the island of Hawaiʻi hosts outdoor adventures abound on land, in the sky above and on or beneath the sea. Whether travelers are looking for inspiration for their first ever visit to Hawaiʻi Island or maybe they’re island of Hawaiʻi vacation veterans and looking for the latest to do, the updates below are a great place to find out what’s sizzlin’ on the island of Hawaiʻi.
 

UPCOMING FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

ʻImiloa Astronomy Center’s 15th Birthday Celebration of The Great Outdoors continues. Visit ʻImiloa pop-ups at KTA Super Stores’ locations in Waimea and Waikoloa on March 6, and KTA’s Puainako store on March 12, from 9 to 11 a.m., to receive a free ʻImiloa birthday goodie bag. Pick up real astronaut ice cream on sale at KTA for a special price. And don’t miss out on one of ʻImiloa’s custom-designed palapala holoholo (traveler's journals) to document your journeys, observations of the island of Hawaiʻi’s great national parks, and a variety of fun and educational crafts spotlighting native plants and bugs, the dry-forest ecosystem, igneous rocks of Hawaiʻi and more. Also check out ʻImiloa’s social media contests and prizes. For more information, visit www.imiloahawaii.org
Link to photos:
www.dropbox.com/sh/hbbqs5pms8vvnu5/AAB63SdowcngF-F1D2NwJyEHa?dl=0
Photo credit: ʻImiloa Astronomy Center

The annual Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament is making plans to return to Kona this summer for another round of big-game tournament fishing. The event’s five days of fishing are set to begin August 2nd in the world-famous waters of the Kona Coast, with the prestigious Governor’s Trophy again on the line for the tournament’s winner. Teams and anglers from around the world are invited to experience the tournament’s tradition of big-game marlin fishing aboard some of Kona’s finest fishing vessels, along with their expert captains and crews. For more information, visit www.hibtfishing.com.
Link to photos:
www.dropbox.com/sh/0iaog8kccvtfkms/AABBjzwwDlwjBoMsGhbroMYJa?dl=0
Photo credit: Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament

TOURS AND ACTIVITIES

Kona Sea Salt is preparing an opening of its seven-acre oceanfront salt farm to the public, beginning June 1, for tours, weddings, and cultural and culinary events, including its Hukilau Hawaiian-Style Clam Bakes. The farm’s clam bakes feature sustainable seafood raised by Kona Sea Salt’s neighbors at Hawaiʻi Ocean Science and Technology Park. Located at Keāhole Point, Kona Sea Salt hand harvests Hawaiian salt from deep ocean waters 2,200 feet below the Kona Coast’s sea surface. For more information, call (808) 333-8211 or visit www.konaseasalt.com.
Link to photos: 
www.dropbox.com/sh/j5q0ohtbdl1tp9g/AACk6d2Ll_VhCmOtK1C_dmf-a?dl=0
Photo credit: Kona Sea Salt

TASTY TIDBITS

Fairmont Orchid, a luxury resort on the Kohala Coast of the island of Hawaiʻi, recently launched its new champagne pop-up bar Pāʻū Hāna, perched above Pauoa Bay. The dedicated al fresco lounge space is open Fridays and Saturdays, from 5 p.m. through sunset, offering front-row seats to panoramic ocean vistas. Guests are invited to sip on signature cocktails featuring Veuve Clicquot champagne, paired with a rotating daily selection of gourmet popcorn, as they watch the sun sink over the Kohala Coast on its way toward sunset. Try the lounge’s handcrafted Queen Bee cocktail, infused with kiawe honey made on site and mixed with bourbon and Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label. Or indulge in the Bellini in Bloom cocktail, which spotlights fresh, seasonal farmer’s market fruit puree and Veuve Clicquot Rich Rosé. For more information, visit www.fairmontorchid.com/dine/champagne-bar

New at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, the Coconut Classroom is a build-your-own-lunch offering for extended-stay guests to enjoy delicious, varied meals while working or studying remotely. The boxed lunch includes choice of entrée (peanut butter and guava jelly sandwich, turkey cheddar wrap, ham and cheese on wheat, or grilled tofu sweet potato musubi), choice of dessert (chocolate chip cookie, rice crispy treat or flourless chocolate brownie) and choice of drink (Aloha Maid juice, Big Island kombucha, Maui Brewing Co. soda or Sambazon açai energy drink). The Coconut Classroom offering is priced at $30 per person, plus taxes and fees. For more information, call (808) 882-7222 or visit www.maunakeabeachhotel.com.

The new Kawaihae Slide is an adult version of Mauna Kea Beach Hotel’s most famous dessert, the Ovaltine Froth, served beachside at its Hau Tree restaurant. Priced at $18, the Kawaihae Slide features vanilla ice cream, Ovaltine, whole milk and two locally produced spirits, Kuleana Rum Works’ Mauna Kea Reserve White Rum and 12th Hawaiʻi Distiller’s Hawaiian Kona Coffee Spirits. Visit Mauna Kea Beach Hotel to taste it for yourself. For more information, call (808) 882-5707 or visit www.maunakeabeachhotel.com.

Fair Wind Cruises is celebrating 50 years as one of the island of Hawaiʻi’s premier snorkeling tour operators with the launching of its new healthy food menus, featuring locally grown, 100 percent plant-based meals. Family owned and operated since 1971, and known for its Kealakekua Bay snorkel tours, Fair Wind is reducing its carbon footprint with sustainable business practices and the promotion of environmentally mindful guest experiences. The company uses biodiesel fuel to power its vessels (cutting its CO2 emissions by more than 90 percent), provides complimentary mineral-based reef-safe sunscreen to guests, utilizes reusable dishware for its food service, and practices composting and recycling. For more information, call (808) 322-2788 or visit www.fair-wind.com.
Link to photos:
www.dropbox.com/sh/8mkni74j82fn4y8/AADzf0oo26E-4nAoShZYXGsUa?dl=0 
Photo credit: Fair Wind Cruises

ACCOMMODATIONS

Mauna Kea Residences is excited to welcome travelers back to the island of Hawaiʻi with 35 residences within Mauna Kea Resort as well as an additional 85 residences in its homecare program. The luxury residences range from two- to seven-bedroom condos, to townhomes and estates, many offering private pools, lānai spaces for outdoor relaxation, and ocean, golf course and mountain views. Owner and guest amenities include exclusive access to two Hawaiʻi Island beaches, two pools, an award-winning seaside tennis club, two fitness centers, two golf courses, several restaurants and The Mauna Kea Spa by Mandara, which offers a combination of Balinese and Hawaiʻi-inspired therapies. Guests of Mauna Kea Residences also receive a resort charge card offering them signing privileges throughout Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and The Westin Hāpuna Beach Resort. For more information, visit www.maunakearesidences.com.
 
Unveiled in December, and located near seven established residential communities and two iconic hotels, the Hāpuna Beach Residences are the newest addition to the Mauna Kea Residences portfolio. The collection features 68 island-inspired luxury oceanfront residences within The Westin Hāpuna Beach Resort, offering one to four-bedrooms and floor spaces ranging from 670- to 3,500 square-feet, outfitted with contemporary, island-infused décor and luxury-getaway amenities and comforts. For more information, visit
www.maunakearesidences.com/property/hapuna-beach-residences.
Link to Images:
www.app.box.com/s/u7z63ms14hgdhbumms0m9hdkvgxuzzdw 
Photo credit: Mauna Kea Residences

Book a family vacation for this summer and safely unwind with Mauna Lānaʻi,  Auberge Resorts Collection on the island of Hawaiʻi’s Kohala Coast. The resort is introducing two themed five-day children’s summer camps, running from June through August. The Kukini Adventure Camp, for kids ages 8-13, will feature a curated itinerary designed for participants to engage with aloha, ecology and the culture of Hawaiʻi Island, including activities such as pole fishing, Hawaiian makahiki season games, turtle conservation knowledge with resort Natural Resources Director Pi‘i Laeha, and more. Created for sports enthusiasts, the resort’s Be A Pro Sports Camp promises an action-packed week of fun, including beach activities, water sports, golf and tennis, all led by the Mauna Lānaʻi team. For more information and dates, visit www.aubergeresorts.com/maunalani/family-vacations or call (855) 550-5008.
Link to Images: 
www.dropbox.com/sh/v4a6qgzivx4nnug/AAAoJ76NpbJl_-ZJ8beKgzN_a?dl=0 
Photo Credit: Mauna Lānaʻi, Auberge Resorts Collection

Four Seasons Resort Hualālai, located on the island of Hawaiʻi’s Kohala coast, recently announced an ongoing multimillion-dollar resort-wide renovation. The project will update nearly every aspect of the resort, further enhancing guest experiences while maintaining the resort’s distinct character. A new bungalow featuring six oceanfront guest rooms — including a suite with a private pool — will be constructed adjacent to Kumukea Beach on the resort’s northern edge, offering spectacular ocean views. The renovation project’s most-recent debut is the new pool and Kumu Kai Marine Center at the resort’s famed King’s Pond. The 1.8 million gallon (8.2 million litre) swimmable aquarium received a dramatic update and features complimentary new experiences led by the resort’s team of on-site marine biologists. Renovations at the resort will continue through mid-2021. For more information, visit www.press.fourseasons.com/hualalai/hotel-news/2020/renovation-and-reopening

Four Seasons Resort Hualālai offers robust educational and interactive activities for families year-round and currently provides a variety of options for guests taking advantage of distance-learning schedules for their kids. Camp Manitou, a highly accoladed children’s camp based in Maine, is returning to the resort for a fifth year to host a pop-up version of its camp over spring break, from March 22 to April 11. The brand-new Kumu Kai Marine Center at King’s Pond is the most recent addition to the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai’s marine biology program and features a touch tank and digital display where guests can learn about the pond’s 4,000 tropical fish and the resort’s delicate ecosystem of ponds. The resort’s complimentary Kids For All Seasons program offers activities and experiences for children ages 5 and older. Daily interactive activities include tie-dye, henna tattoos, ceramic art, dream-catcher weaving and lessons in gyotaku, the Japanese art of printing real fish images onto cloth. For more information, visit www.press.fourseasons.com/hualalai/hotel-news/2021/family-vacations

In January, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel announced a new collaboration with fine-art photographer Gray Malin. The collaboration’s resulting 32-image “Gray Malin at the Mauna Kea” series — the photographer’s first dedicated hotel photo shoot in Hawaiʻi — transports viewers via photography to the resort’s scenic setting on the shores of Kaunaʻoa Bay. Select prints from the series are available for purchase at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel gift shop; the full series is available online at www.graymalin.com. For more information, call (808) 882-7222 or visit www.maunakeabeachhotel.com.

KUDOS AND ACCOLADES

Four Seasons Resort Hualālai was recently recognized by Forbes Travel Guide’s 2021 Star Awards with the program’s highest rating of Five Stars. The guide’s annual Star Awards ratings are among the luxury hospitality industry’s most coveted, and Four Seasons Resort Hualālai is the guide’s only Five-Star resort on the island of Hawaiʻi. The resort has received the Forbes Travel Guide’s top rating for the past 13 years. In addition, Four Seasons Resort Hualālai’s expansive and largely outdoor Hualālai Spa was awarded a Four-Star ranking this year, while the resort’s signature restaurant ULU Ocean Grill + Sushi Lounge received a Forbes Travel Guide recommendation. For more information, visit www.press.fourseasons.com/hualalai/hotel-news/2021/forbes-five-star-resort.

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About the Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau
The Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau is an Island Chapter of the Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB). HVCB is contracted by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) for marketing management services in the continental U.S. The Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau also supports HTA's international marketing partners in Canada, Japan, South Korea and Oceania. The state of Hawaiʻi’s tourism agency, HTA was established in 1998 to ensure a successful visitor industry well into the future. Its mission is to strategically manage Hawaiʻi tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with the state of Hawaiʻi's economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, community desires, economic goals and visitor industry needs. For more information about the island of Hawaiʻi, visit www.gohawaii.com/Island-of-Hawaii.