In the wake of yesterday's failed ballistic missile shot by North Korea, I was reminded of the value of the East-West Center. The EWC provided a timely analysis of the domestic political context in the hermit communist state, written by North Korea specialist Marcus Noland, who blogs about that country at http://www.piie.com/blogs.nk, and posted his thoughts yesterday.
Who or what is the East-West Center? Glad you asked.
The EWC was founded in 1960 by the United States Congress, with the aim of promoting mutual understanding among the countries of the vast Asia-Pacific region through exchange visits, sharing of information and ongoing conversations. These days, it is a thriving, non-profit think tank and academic institution with a 21-acre campus bordering the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, and an office in Washington, D.C. I turn to the EWC (www.eastwestcenter.org) often to gain context and insight that informs my travel journalism.
The center is independent and non-partisan, funded by a combination of private and public sources. Among them: The U.S. Congress, corporations, non-profit foundations and private individuals. It is not a branch of the U.S. government in case you're wondering, but does have excellent contacts with Uncle Sam, as it does with dozens of governments, academics, politicians and media people. I spent a month under EWC auspices a decade ago as a Jefferson Fellow; the Jefferson Fellowships bring professional journalists from around the region together for seminars, classes, and trips. I visited Japan, China and Vietnam with my Jefferson group at the EWC.
So, consider this a plug. For me, the EWC is an information one-stop. It's definitely worth checking out the Web site (see above), to see the latest and greatest about this dynamic, fast-growing and volatile part of the world.
Showing posts with label Honolulu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Honolulu. Show all posts
Friday, April 13, 2012
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Trouble in Paradise? Not for Travelers
HONOLULU - Whenever something untoward hits Hawaii, journalists inevitably slap a "Trouble in Paradise'' headine on their stories. In keeping with this inglorious tradition, I offer this post about travel and tourism conditions there, as we wait for the long-promised green shoots of recovery to grow the economy and get us out of this ever-so stubborn recession.
Last week, when my wife, Georgina, and I arrived at Honolulu International Airport for a holiday, we initially wondered "What recession?'' The place was packed. Long lines at Starbucks and at the luggage carousel. Long lines at Alamo, where we rented a small, cheapo car - no gas-gulping, SUVs for us, thanks - for driving around town and up to the North Shore of Oahu to watch surfers ride the big waves. The place was jumping.
But first impressions can be deceiving. The recession is real enough. Arrivals from the U.S. mainland and overseas have picked up in recent months but are still below last year - a bad year, remember - according to state tourism officials. A marketing executive at our hotel, the Kahala, in Honolulu, said the hotel had laid off staff last year, though not recently, and that Christmas and New Year's bookings, which are usually solid by now, have not yet sold out. Moreover, the Honolulu Advertiser reports that visitors from the mainland, which supply the majority of arrivals in Hawaii, are spending 17 percent less than last year. The Niketown and Banana Republic shops in Waikiki have shut down. The big losers in retail: jewelry, watches, cosmetics and perfume, which are selling as much as 30 percent below last year's volumes.
But in one of those ironic twists that mark travel, what's bad for local merchants and the travel trade can be good for travelers. The rotten economy has prompted travel vendors to offer deals to fill hotels, restaurant tables, shop aisles and hotel rooms. As mentioned in my previous post, even the prestigious Kahlala is offering fourth and fifth-night free packages for a limited time. The marketing exec I talked to didn't disclose the hotel's occupancy rate, but said repeat business from brand-loyal customers have kept most of the 5-star property's guest rooms filled. Overall, Honolulu hotel rates have fallen 16 percent in the past year, according to Hotwire HotelRate Report, cited in the Advertiser.
In short, Hawaii is on sale. Now is the time to monitor the Web for fast-changing deals. You won't exactly have the Islands to yourself - we realized that on a raucous Saturday night in Waikiki Beach, where a trio of hard-drinking young women in wigs with anime colors were doing their best Girls Gone Wild act, to the bemusement of the crowd at the Moana Surfrider Hotel's beachfront bar. Still, the fine fall weather and a relative thinning-out of the tourist crowds make this pre-holiday stretch a good time to go.
Now, if only the same could be said of London, where I'll be spending a few days next month. The recession hasn't emptied hotels in Londontown and if my preliminary digging is any indication, it hasn't lowered the British capital's sky-high rack rates, either. That won't keep me from going to London - it's my favorite city in the Western world, and my wife's hometown. But I'm going to watch those pounds and pence very carefully. In short, the opposite situation from Hawaii prevails in London; for now, what's good for travel vendors in the city of William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill, and Johnny Rotten is not-so-good for travelers.
Last week, when my wife, Georgina, and I arrived at Honolulu International Airport for a holiday, we initially wondered "What recession?'' The place was packed. Long lines at Starbucks and at the luggage carousel. Long lines at Alamo, where we rented a small, cheapo car - no gas-gulping, SUVs for us, thanks - for driving around town and up to the North Shore of Oahu to watch surfers ride the big waves. The place was jumping.
But first impressions can be deceiving. The recession is real enough. Arrivals from the U.S. mainland and overseas have picked up in recent months but are still below last year - a bad year, remember - according to state tourism officials. A marketing executive at our hotel, the Kahala, in Honolulu, said the hotel had laid off staff last year, though not recently, and that Christmas and New Year's bookings, which are usually solid by now, have not yet sold out. Moreover, the Honolulu Advertiser reports that visitors from the mainland, which supply the majority of arrivals in Hawaii, are spending 17 percent less than last year. The Niketown and Banana Republic shops in Waikiki have shut down. The big losers in retail: jewelry, watches, cosmetics and perfume, which are selling as much as 30 percent below last year's volumes.
But in one of those ironic twists that mark travel, what's bad for local merchants and the travel trade can be good for travelers. The rotten economy has prompted travel vendors to offer deals to fill hotels, restaurant tables, shop aisles and hotel rooms. As mentioned in my previous post, even the prestigious Kahlala is offering fourth and fifth-night free packages for a limited time. The marketing exec I talked to didn't disclose the hotel's occupancy rate, but said repeat business from brand-loyal customers have kept most of the 5-star property's guest rooms filled. Overall, Honolulu hotel rates have fallen 16 percent in the past year, according to Hotwire HotelRate Report, cited in the Advertiser.
In short, Hawaii is on sale. Now is the time to monitor the Web for fast-changing deals. You won't exactly have the Islands to yourself - we realized that on a raucous Saturday night in Waikiki Beach, where a trio of hard-drinking young women in wigs with anime colors were doing their best Girls Gone Wild act, to the bemusement of the crowd at the Moana Surfrider Hotel's beachfront bar. Still, the fine fall weather and a relative thinning-out of the tourist crowds make this pre-holiday stretch a good time to go.
Now, if only the same could be said of London, where I'll be spending a few days next month. The recession hasn't emptied hotels in Londontown and if my preliminary digging is any indication, it hasn't lowered the British capital's sky-high rack rates, either. That won't keep me from going to London - it's my favorite city in the Western world, and my wife's hometown. But I'm going to watch those pounds and pence very carefully. In short, the opposite situation from Hawaii prevails in London; for now, what's good for travel vendors in the city of William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill, and Johnny Rotten is not-so-good for travelers.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Chilling at the Kahala
HONOLULU - We had been working too hard, my wife and I, especially her. So, she suggested we chill out at the Kahala Hotel and Resort, at the ocean's edge on the far side of Diamondhead from busy, busy Waikiki Beach. It's the perfect place to chill out, she said. Who am I to argue? We went. All I can say is mahalo to that. She was right.
Opened in 1964 by Conrad Hilton, himself, this favored reboubt of celebrities was the Kahala Hilton for years. Then it became a Mandarin Oriental. A few years back, it became just the Kahala, managed by Landmark Hotels Inc. and financed by Hawaii investors who poured $52 million into a renovation that is just now receiving the finishing touches. (http://www.kahalaresort.com/). All 306 guest rooms were freshened during the re-do, the number of spa rooms were doubled to 10 and colors in hallways, guest rooms and the hotel's gorgeous carpets were lightened up. One thing that didn't change is the Kahala's signature chandeliers, which have adorned the main lobby and expansive adjoining spaces since the 1964 opening. Another is the hotel's popularity with guests who are excitedly tying the knot; we glimpsed half a dozen on-site weddings in the eight days we were at the hotel.
Beautiful it is, with serene, soft colors and a minimum of Island kitsch. Restful it is, with the sound of the trade winds and the sight of tall, thin palm trees bending in the wind, big breakers rolling offshore beyond the reef, and waves gently lapping at the wide, white-sand beach. And educational it is, with a newish 'dolphin encounter' for children and adults that allows you to slip into the hotel's private, enclosed dolphin lagoon, swim right up to one of a half dozen playful bottlenose dolphins, touch them a little and reward them with a fish snack.
Even the resort's more touristy touches are fun; it has a wall of fame in an otherwise workaday hallway near the business center (open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with two PCs for guests to use), featuring framed, wall-mounted photos of famous people who have stayed in the hotel. They include, among many others, Richard Nixon, lei-bedecked and in a business suit, Elton John, Snoop Dog and former Hawaii guy Barack Obama when he was still a U.S. Senator.
Even the food is good - very good. It ranges from a plentiful and high-quality breakfast buffet in the ground-floor restaurant Plumeria, to a casual, on-the-beach lunch place called Seaside Grill for the flip-flops and Aloha shirt set, to Tokyo Tokyo for fresh Japanese fare, to the more formal, fine-dining restaurant Hoku's, one of the best dining destinations on Oahu. We took a number of meals around the hotel and were not disappointed. As with most any hotel, you can eat in your room, too, though we spent most of our wakeful time sitting on our lanai (balcony), reading or gazing out at the clear, aquamarine Pacific waters. You can sink right into the big beds and not want to get up, but then you don't want to miss Hawaii, after all.
As you might guess, this luxury does not come cheap. Even at the Kahala, though, you can save money by taking advantage of special deals. The Kahala still won't be a steal but it will slide into range for more travelers. The hotel is offering a fourth night free with a minimum four-night stay with partial ocean views from $395 through October (rates climb after that), including complimentary breakfast for two, as part of its 'ocean promotion' package. It also offers a fifth night free with a minimum five-night stay as part of its 'Kahala family values' promotion; this deal, from $515 a night per room, allows families to occupy connecting rooms and includes two kids' activities. My wife found slightly cheaper rates at Expedia.com than on the hotel's own site. But be advised if you're thinking about going, that such sale rooms go fast and not all rooms in the hotel are on sale.
In sum, it's pricey but special, and if you can meet the tariffs, the Kahala is a wonderful, restful, romantic place to calm down, chill out and rest up.
Opened in 1964 by Conrad Hilton, himself, this favored reboubt of celebrities was the Kahala Hilton for years. Then it became a Mandarin Oriental. A few years back, it became just the Kahala, managed by Landmark Hotels Inc. and financed by Hawaii investors who poured $52 million into a renovation that is just now receiving the finishing touches. (http://www.kahalaresort.com/). All 306 guest rooms were freshened during the re-do, the number of spa rooms were doubled to 10 and colors in hallways, guest rooms and the hotel's gorgeous carpets were lightened up. One thing that didn't change is the Kahala's signature chandeliers, which have adorned the main lobby and expansive adjoining spaces since the 1964 opening. Another is the hotel's popularity with guests who are excitedly tying the knot; we glimpsed half a dozen on-site weddings in the eight days we were at the hotel.
Beautiful it is, with serene, soft colors and a minimum of Island kitsch. Restful it is, with the sound of the trade winds and the sight of tall, thin palm trees bending in the wind, big breakers rolling offshore beyond the reef, and waves gently lapping at the wide, white-sand beach. And educational it is, with a newish 'dolphin encounter' for children and adults that allows you to slip into the hotel's private, enclosed dolphin lagoon, swim right up to one of a half dozen playful bottlenose dolphins, touch them a little and reward them with a fish snack.
Even the resort's more touristy touches are fun; it has a wall of fame in an otherwise workaday hallway near the business center (open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with two PCs for guests to use), featuring framed, wall-mounted photos of famous people who have stayed in the hotel. They include, among many others, Richard Nixon, lei-bedecked and in a business suit, Elton John, Snoop Dog and former Hawaii guy Barack Obama when he was still a U.S. Senator.
Even the food is good - very good. It ranges from a plentiful and high-quality breakfast buffet in the ground-floor restaurant Plumeria, to a casual, on-the-beach lunch place called Seaside Grill for the flip-flops and Aloha shirt set, to Tokyo Tokyo for fresh Japanese fare, to the more formal, fine-dining restaurant Hoku's, one of the best dining destinations on Oahu. We took a number of meals around the hotel and were not disappointed. As with most any hotel, you can eat in your room, too, though we spent most of our wakeful time sitting on our lanai (balcony), reading or gazing out at the clear, aquamarine Pacific waters. You can sink right into the big beds and not want to get up, but then you don't want to miss Hawaii, after all.
As you might guess, this luxury does not come cheap. Even at the Kahala, though, you can save money by taking advantage of special deals. The Kahala still won't be a steal but it will slide into range for more travelers. The hotel is offering a fourth night free with a minimum four-night stay with partial ocean views from $395 through October (rates climb after that), including complimentary breakfast for two, as part of its 'ocean promotion' package. It also offers a fifth night free with a minimum five-night stay as part of its 'Kahala family values' promotion; this deal, from $515 a night per room, allows families to occupy connecting rooms and includes two kids' activities. My wife found slightly cheaper rates at Expedia.com than on the hotel's own site. But be advised if you're thinking about going, that such sale rooms go fast and not all rooms in the hotel are on sale.
In sum, it's pricey but special, and if you can meet the tariffs, the Kahala is a wonderful, restful, romantic place to calm down, chill out and rest up.
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