Honolulu Resort Reopens After Big Renovation

The flagship property of Outrigger Hospitality, Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort in Honolulu, reopened on April 26 after undergoing a full renovation to the tune of $80 million.

Aimed at mid-sized incentive groups and business-focused meetings, the 658-room property refreshed its 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space during the renovation. That includes new furnishings, lighting, carpets, and fixtures for areas such as the largest gathering room, the 2,520-square-foot Diamond Head. Divisible by four, Diamond Head features large sliding doors that open onto the tree-laden pool courtyard. Upgrades also came to the Hawaiiloa Room, a 1,500-square-foot event space that opens onto the beach.

Additional refreshed indoor meeting areas include two executive boardrooms of 740 square feet apiece, featuring wrap-around balconies that look out to the ocean from several floors up. Two other 350-square-foot boardrooms, set on the ground floor near the Diamond Head and Hawaiiloa rooms, have adjacent decks that face the ocean.
Through its A’o Cultural Center and its dining and entertainment spaces, all of which feature a cast of guides and performers, the resort focuses on providing guests with opportunities to experience Hawaiian and Polynesian culture. The Outrigger’s renovated restaurant, Kani Ka Pila Grille (which means “let’s play music” in Hawaiian) faces a stage that routinely presents live music, storytelling sessions, dancing, wood carving, and other performances that complement its menu of traditional Hawaiian dishes. Another restaurant, named Monkeypod Kitchen and run by acclaimed chef Peter Merriman, will open later this year.

“The resort is one of only seven true beachfront properties on Waikiki Beach, and its location is recognized as a place of healing” by many residents, says Markus Krebs, the resort’s general manager. The Outrigger is located next to the Sheraton Waikiki and its high-end companion the Royal Hawaiian, as well as world-famous Duke’s Waikiki Beach Bar and Grill. The city’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is nine miles from the property, a 20-minute drive.