This article needs additional citations for verification .(October 2013) |
Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort | |
---|---|
Hotel chain | Hilton Hotels & Resorts |
General information | |
Location | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States |
Address | 2005 Kalia Road |
Opening | September 5, 1955 |
Owner | Park Hotels & Resorts |
Management | Hilton Worldwide |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Edwin L. Bauer |
Main contractor | Fritz B. Burns |
Other information | |
Number of rooms | 3,386 |
Website | |
hiltonhawaiianvillage |
The Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort is a resort hotel on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. The resort first opened in 1955, [1] and since has grown to become the largest in the Hilton chain of hotels, and one of largest hotels in the world.
Located on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu. The site was the former village of Kālia, which had many ancient aquaculture fishponds. [2] It was later part of the former Bernice Pauahi Bishop estate (until 1912), and was also the childhood home of Duke Kahanamoku and his many cousins from the Paoa family. [3] [4]
The portion of the Bishop estate nearest the ocean beach was developed around 1900 as a small hotel, named the Old Waikiki; then redeveloped in 1928 as the Niumalu Hotel. [5] [6] [7]
The Hawaiian Village Hotel was conceived, constructed and first administered by Henry J. Kaiser, the same industrialist who built the Hoover Dam and Grand Coulee Dam and founded the Kaiser Permanente health system.
In 1954, Kaiser and developer Fritz B. Burns bought the 16 acres (6.5 ha) Kalia estate of John Ena Jr. and combined it adjacent properties, [8] including the Niumalu Hotel, [5] to construct the Hawaiian Village, converting the flat to a lagoon. [9] They built thatched-roof cottages with 70 guest rooms, The Tapa Room, gardens and three swimming pools and the hotel opened on September 15, 1955. [10] On May 1, 1956, Western Hotels assumed management of the Hawaiian Village Hotel. [11] In 1957, the modern Ocean Tower and the Geodesic Dome were added.
Conrad Hilton bought half of the resort from Henry J. Kaiser in 1961. Hilton Hotels & Resorts assumed management on February 1, 1961, renaming the resort the Hilton Hawaiian Village. [8] [12] It cost $21.5 million USD when it was purchased in 1961, which was considered an unusually high price. [12] Elvis Presley stayed at the hotel soon after while filming Blue Hawaii . In 1968, the resort's iconic Rainbow Tower opened, with the world's largest and tallest ceramic tile mosaic on its facade, an image of a rainbow measuring 26 feet wide and 286 feet tall, which required over 16,000 individual tiles. The Tapa Tower was added in 1982, and the original Ocean Tower was gutted and rebuilt in 1987, with the addition of two floors, at which point it was renamed the Ali'i Tower. The 25-story Kalia Tower was added in 2001.
The hotel might be best known as the location for the popular TV series Hawaiian Eye , which aired on ABC from 1959 to 1963. (The purchase by Hilton was duly noted by the changed signage in 1961.) However, only second-unit footage was filmed there; the bulk of the series was shot at Warner Bros.' studio in Burbank.
In 1999, The Hilton Hawaiian Village was used as a taping location for two weeks of Wheel of Fortune episodes. [13] It would again be used for taping sessions in 2001. [14]
In 2006, Hilton Hotels received $25 million in settlement of its lawsuit over toxic mold grown in the Hilton Hawaiian Village's Kalia Tower. [15] Then, in 2015, the hotel was inducted into Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. [16]
Today, the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel sits on over 22 acres (8.9 ha) of beachfront property, near the Ala Moana Center. It features the largest swimming pool in Waikiki, over twenty-two restaurants, exotic wildlife, and botanical gardens, Duke's Lagoon and historical exhibits on loan from the Bishop Museum.
On September 24, 2024, 1,800 employees at the hotel would go on strike. [17] As of October 30, 2024, all of these 1,800 Hilton Hawaiian Villege employees remained on strike. [18] On November 4, 2024, the strike ended after the over 1,800 striking workers, all of whom where members of UNITE HERE Local 5, voted to ratify a new labor contract. [19] [20] The striking workers would return to work by November 6, 2024. [21]
The main concept of the Hawaiian Village was to provide a complete Hawaiian experience for guests without leaving the resort, meaning guests could potentially stay at the resort the whole duration of their stay and be equipped with restaurants, shops, and more.
In building the Hawaiian Village Hotel, Kaiser developed the "village plan" for his resort. In the village plan, various sections of the development were designed in specific types of motifs indicative of the culture of the hotel's surroundings. The various villages in the present-day Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa surround centerpiece towers: Diamond Head Tower, Ali'i Tower, Tapa Tower, Rainbow Tower, Lagoon Tower, Kalia Tower, Grand Waikikian and Grand Islander. The newest tower is the Grand Islander, which was opened to the public March 1, 2017. [22]
Kaiser's village plan is now used in various layouts of hotels and resorts throughout the world.
The Village Hotel includes a small pond filled with several types of turtles (box and soft-shelled). Other animals that live on the grounds include several types of ducks, lesser flamingos, sacred ibis, black-crowned night herons, koi fish, chameleons, macaws, and parakeets. As of 2014, Hilton Hawaiian Village relocated their 3 remaining South African black-footed penguins to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. [23] [24]
The village was the site one of the earlier geodesic domes constructed in the United States, named the Kaiser Aluminum Dome. It was used as a music and entertainment venue.
Wanting an auditorium at the Honolulu village, Henry Kaiser acquired the license to produce geodesic domes following the design work of Buckminster Fuller. An aluminum-skinned dome with a 145 ft (44 m)-wide span was manufactured at the company's plant in Oakland, California and shipped to Hawaii in 1957. When Kaiser understood that the materials had arrived in Hawaii, he flew from San Francisco to follow the construction — only to discover the building was already complete, having been constructed in only 22 hours. [25]
Many records of the golden age of Exotica, notably most of Arthur Lyman's albums, were recorded at the dome, renowned for its acoustics and natural reverberation. It was demolished in 1999 to make room for the Kalia Tower. [25] [26]
Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was a Hawaiian competition swimmer who popularized the sport of surfing. A Native Hawaiian, he was born three years before the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. He lived to see the territory's admission as a state and became a United States citizen. He was a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming, winning medals in 1912, 1920 and 1924.
Waikiki is a Honolulu neighborhood and the eponymous Waikiki beach on its south shore, on the island of Oʻahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii.
KUMU-FM - branded as 94.7 KUMU - is a commercial radio station in Honolulu, Hawaii. It airs a rhythmic adult contemporary radio format and is owned by Pacific Radio Group, Inc. The studios and offices are on Bishop Street in Downtown Honolulu.
Hilo Hattie was a Hawaiian singer, hula dancer, actress and comedienne of Native Hawaiian ancestry.
Ka Laʻi Waikiki Beach, formerly the Trump International Hotel Waikiki, is a condo-hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii. The hotel is part of the LXR Hotels & Resorts division of Hilton Hotels & Resorts. It is 350 ft (110 m) tall, 775,000 sq ft (72,000 m2) tower with a total of about 462 units. The building includes a spa and dining space, as well as a fitness center, library, lobby bar, cafe, parking and 6th floor ocean view residential and hotel lobby.
Outrigger Resorts & Hotels is a Honolulu-based luxury hotel chain and management company that operates hotels, condominiums, and vacation resort properties in Hawaii, the Asia-Pacific region, and the islands of the Indian Ocean.
KHVH is a commercial AM radio station in Honolulu, Hawaii. It broadcasts a news/talk format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. Its studios and offices are on Iwilei Road in the Kalihi neighborhood of Honolulu.
Alfred Aholo Apaka, Jr. was a Hawaiian singer whose romantic baritone voice was closely identified with Hawaii between the late 1940s and the early 1960s. Alfred Apaka was arguably the foremost interpreter of Hapa haole music, which melded Hawaiian music with traditional pop arrangements and English lyrics to convey Polynesian imagery and themes.
Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Lagoon is a small, man-made wading pool in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oʻahu near the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor and Fort DeRussy Military Reservation. The Hilton Hawaiian Village is adjacent to the lagoon.
Ala Wai Harbor is the largest small boat and yacht harbor in Hawaii. The harbor is situated in Honolulu at the mouth of the Ala Wai Canal, between Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. To the east are Waikiki and Diamond Head; to the west, Magic Island and the Honolulu waterfront.
George J. "Pete" Wimberly was an American architect known for his work in Honolulu, Hawaii and for his firm's designs of resorts. He was part of the architectural firm of Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo until his death in 1995.
Aqua-Aston Hospitality, LLC is a Honolulu-based hotel management company operating a multi-branded line of hotels, condominiums and vacation resort properties primarily located in Hawaii. The chain was purchased by Marriott Vacations Worldwide in 2018.
George Paele Mossman was a Honolulu businessman of Hawaiian ancestry, who became successful as a cultural entrepreneur, musician and ukulele maker. He was born in the Kingdom of Hawaii to Thomas and Nahua Kealaikahiki Mossman in the Pauoa Valley on the island of Oahu. After the death of his wife Rebecca Kainapau, he married Emma Keliilalanikulani Lewis. He had 7 children resulting from the two marriages: George R., Thomas W., Robert, Rebecca Pualani, Kaahikipiilani T., Leilani R. and Joseph Kekaulike. Mossman was of the Mormon faith, and a Sunday School superintendent of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hawaii.
The ʻAlohilani Resort Waikiki Beach is a resort hotel located in Honolulu, Hawai'i on Waikīkī Beach. The 'Alohilani opened in 2018, having 839 guest rooms and suites, an infinity pool, a 280,000 gallon, 3-story high oceanarium and two restaurants by "Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto.
Mary "Aunty Malia" Blanchard Solomon was an American textile artist and expert on Hawaiian customs, crafts, and culture. Solomon researched and traveled across the South Pacific to regain lost knowledge about kapa, the traditional Hawaiian craft of making cloth from the fibers of trees. The Chicago Tribune called Solomon one of Hawaii's "foremost amateur anthropologist/historians."
Danny "Kaniela" Kaleikini was an American singer, musical artist, and entertainer. Best known for his long-term residency at the Kahala Hilton in Hawaii, where he performed for 28 years, Kaleikini is often called "The Ambassador of Aloha". During his career of more than 50 years in show business, he was the opening act for Paul Anka at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and performed alongside Sammy Davis Jr., Wayne Newton, Dolly Parton, Phyllis McGuire, and Don Ho. A baritone who sang Hawaiian songs and played the nose flute, Kaleikini gained international recognition for promoting Hawaiian music, language, and culture.
The Kahala Hotel & Resort is a luxury hotel on the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii. It first opened in 1964 as the Kahala Hilton. Developed as an exclusive retreat away from Waikiki, the resort became a popular destination for celebrities such as Frank Sinatra and Elton John; foreign dignitaries including Queen Elizabeth II, the Reverend Desmond Tutu, and the Dalai Lama; and eight United States presidents. In the mid-1990s, it was renamed the Kahala Mandarin Oriental and was later known simply as The Kahala. The resort has had captive dolphins or porpoises in its private lagoon since its first year of operation.
Ernest Hideo Hara (1909-2006) was an American architect, known for his contributions to the architectural landscape of Hawaii. His career, marked by a profound commitment to blending aesthetic appeal with practical functionality, left a lasting impact on the region's built environment.
Edwin Leo Bauer was an American architect, whose mid-20th-century work significantly influenced the architectural landscape of Honolulu, Hawaii. His designs, characterized by innovative use of space and materials, played a substantial role in defining the era of Hawaii Mid-Century Modern architecture.
The Harbor View Plaza building is a residential condominium building in the Waikiki precinct of Honolulu, Hawai'i. It was constructed from c. 1965–1968, designed by architect Edwin L. Bauer in a blend of Tropical Modern and Postmodern architectural styles, and built by Dillingham Development, a prolific construction company known for many notable buildings in the vicinity.