There’s no higher phrase to explain Kona Village – nestled in Kahuwai Bay alongside the western coast of the island of Hawaii – than as a paradise. Thought-about a sacred spot by the primary Polynesian settlers who’ve known as it residence in centuries-old village of Kaʻūpūlehu, Kona Village Resort was first established in 1965 and run by a husband and spouse group who welcomed company for many years with an enthralling ‘ohana (household) spirit.
The resort was the progenitor of immediately’s now-globalized barefoot luxurious development, discovering new company over the a long time as an if-you-know-you-know place the place family and friends wouldn’t be encumbered by all of the noise of contemporary life – telephones, televisions, radios, clocks or the assault on our minds by the 24-hour information cycle. Inbuilt reverence to Polynesian tradition and kicking off the hale thatched-roof design development that’s commonplace amongst resorts dotting the Pacific, Kona Village has all the time been a secret hidden in plain sight amongst all the opposite Hawaiian trip locations.
That each one modified on March 11, 2011 when an earthquake off the coast of Japan rippled throughout the Pacific and reworked right into a devasting tsunami that swept away this quaint, little nook of the world. It appeared like the tip, however hospitality finds a means…
Inside design to mirror a up to date aesthetic that ideas towards minimalism however nonetheless with sturdy nods to the area’s heritage
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The Rosewood Rebirth
Following almost a decade of planning and reconstruction below the stewardship of actual property collective Kennedy Wilson in addition to a cultural committee composed of lineal descendants of the unique village, the lodge formally reopened its doorways on July 1, 2023, because the 150-key Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort.
Throughout this time, painstaking measures have been taken to thematically design the premises in reverence of the fierce oceans, magmatic volcanism and luxurious flora which have formed the Hawaiian archipelago, whereas additionally forging forward as an entirely sustainable, LEED-certified resort by utilizing pure or reclaimed supplies and establishing a renewable microgrid based mostly off 9,000 photo voltaic panels over a 2-acre plot. Moreover, the 81-acre resort premises preserve 22 anchialine ponds (these with subterranean connections to the ocean) in addition to 21 archeological websites, along with new onsite cultural middle.
Collectively, this is likely one of the purest examples of hospitality’s resiliency to endure and surpass hardship then come out much more astounding in consequence. It’s the one Hawaiian property to earn three keys for Michelin’s lodge information.
Not solely does the redesigned Kona Village honor its previous, but it surely’s boldly transferring ahead with design evolutions like that of Asaya Spa which honors the lava outcrop and petroglyph fields it’s constructed upon with darker woods and blackened accents to distinction the luxurious greenscapes in all instructions.
Previous to our current occupation, certainly one of your two authors right here, Larry, ran a hospitality and tourism advertising and marketing company that proudly known as Kona Village a shopper some twenty years in the past. And so, simply as hospitality finds a technique to stand the check of time, life has introduced us full circle again to Kona Village, on this occasion by granting us the chance to take a seat down with Daniel Scott, Regional Vice President and Managing Director of Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort for an interview on what offers this property a lot soul.
Let’s begin along with your profession thus far.
I’ve been with Rosewood Inns & Resorts for twenty years, and through that point, I’ve had the chance to work at a few of the most iconic properties within the portfolio. Previous to becoming a member of the wonderful group at Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort, my tenure with the model took me to Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort, Rosewood Sand Hill, and most just lately, Rosewood Mayakoba. Throughout this time, I additionally served as a Regional Vice President, overseeing The Carlyle, A Rosewood Lodge, Rosewood Washington, D.C., and Rosewood’s Caribbean assortment. Over the course of my profession, I’ve gained a deep understanding of luxurious hospitality and the significance of making long-term emotional connections and lasting relationships with company whereas positively impacting the local people.
One of the crucial rewarding experiences of my profession was cofounding Centro Educativo Ok’iin Beh in 2017. This bilingual faculty was established to supply high quality training for the kids of Rosewood Mayakoba workers and households in the local people. Immediately, it serves over 500 college students and stands as a mirrored image of my perception that hospitality extends past distinctive service. It’s about protecting the tradition of the vacation spot on the forefront and creating a long-lasting, optimistic affect on the folks and locations we’re a part of.
Are you able to describe the restoration course of and the transition to Rosewood?
Kona Village has all the time been an icon in its personal proper, and after it was shuttered in 2011 as a result of tsunami, there was a collective dedication to bringing it again in a means that honored its legacy. The restoration was a seven-year redevelopment course of led by proprietor Kennedy Wilson, in shut partnership with Kamehameha Faculties and a Cultural Management Committee comprised of native lineal descendants, cultural advisors and neighborhood leaders of Kaʻūpūlehu.
Each side of the resort’s revival was guided by a accountability to protect the land’s historical past and pure magnificence. Our purpose was to retain the essence of what made the unique Kona Village so beloved, whereas introducing trendy sustainability initiatives and fostering a way of unaffected luxurious with an genuine connection to the folks and land of Hawaiʻi.
The ultraluxury lodge class has grow to be extremely aggressive over the previous decade. What are the hallmarks that distinguish the Rosewood model, and the way are these mirrored at Kona Village?
At Rosewood, we have now all the time believed that true luxurious is deeply private and related to the essence of a spot. Our guiding philosophy, A Sense of Place®, ensures that every of our properties is an genuine reflection of its vacation spot.
At Kona Village, that is woven into each side of the expertise, from the structure and design to the cultural programming and sustainability efforts. The resort was designed by Greg Warner of Walker Warner Architects and the interiors have been created by NICOLEHOLLIS, each of whom deeply understood the necessity to honor the land’s heritage whereas creating one thing that felt each trendy and timeless. For sustainability, the resort is powered by photo voltaic vitality from our personal solar energy microgrid, have three buildings which are LEED Gold licensed and have dedicated to a zero-waste initiative.
Past that, our connection to Hawaiian tradition runs deep. We work carefully with a Cultural Management Committee and have a devoted onsite cultural middle to make sure that company not solely expertise luxurious but additionally achieve a significant understanding of the traditions and tales that make this land so particular. We intention to ship a way of unaffected luxurious with an genuine connection to the folks and land of Hawai‘i, grounded in service that’s private, not pretentious. It’s this simplicity – executed to perfection – that enables company to really feel actually cared for, current within the second, and embraced by the spirit of aloha.
Multigenerational journey is a worldwide megatrend that Rosewood has excelled at assembly. With Kona Village having earned recognition from Condé Nast as one of many high ultraluxury household resorts on the earth, what do households really need from a luxurious resort? What facilities, companies, and room configurations can be found to handle any such journey?
Households immediately need extra than simply lovely lodging; they’re searching for immersive, significant experiences that deliver them collectively whereas additionally permitting every member of the family to create their very own particular moments. At Kona Village, we’ve designed the resort to satisfy these wants in a number of methods.
Our lodging embody 150 visitor hale and kauhale, starting from one to 4 bedrooms, offering households with ample area to remain collectively whereas additionally having privateness when wanted. For bigger teams or multigenerational vacationers, our signature kauhale lodging – the Ocean Entrance 4-Bed room Maheawalu Kauhale, Ocean Entrance Accessible 4-Bed room Kumukea Kauhale and ‘Ohana Pool 4-Bed room Kauhale – set a brand new benchmark for luxurious household journey in Hawai‘i. These expansive, residence-style retreats provide between 6,500 to eight,500 sq. toes of indoor and out of doors area, non-public swimming pools, devoted butler service, and thoughtfully designed communal areas, permitting households to assemble whereas nonetheless offering moments of non-public retreat.
Past the lodging, Kona Village presents unforgettable experiences that deliver generations collectively and deepen every visitor’s connection to Hawai‘i. Households can sail the waters of Kahuwai Bay aboard our conventional canoe, get pleasure from intimate Celestial Dinners below the celebrities, and discover the island’s wealthy panorama by means of curated off-property excursions – from native farmers markets to black-sand seashores and lava caves. On the coronary heart of all of it is the Ka‘uluola Cultural Middle, providing hula and ‘ukulele classes, in addition to excursions of historic petroglyphs.
