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 referred to 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 friends for many years with a captivating ‘ohana (household) spirit.
The resort was the progenitor of at the moment’s now-globalized barefoot luxurious pattern, discovering new friends over the many years 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. In-built reverence to Polynesian tradition and kicking off the hale thatched-roof design pattern that’s commonplace amongst resorts dotting the Pacific, Kona Village has at all times 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 remodeled right into a devasting tsunami that swept away this quaint, little nook of the world. It appeared like the top, however hospitality finds a means…
Inside design to mirror a up to date aesthetic that suggestions towards minimalism however nonetheless with sturdy nods to the area’s heritage
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The Rosewood Rebirth
Following practically 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 resort formally reopened its doorways on July 1, 2023, because the 150-key Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort.
Throughout this time, painstaking measures had been taken to thematically design the premises in reverence of the fierce oceans, magmatic volcanism and plush 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 keep 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 among 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 resort 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 company that proudly referred to as Kona Village a shopper some 20 years in the past. And so, simply as hospitality finds a solution 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 provides this property a lot soul.
Let’s begin along with your profession to this point.
I’ve been with Rosewood Motels & Resorts for 20 years, and through that point, I’ve had the chance to work at a number of the most iconic properties within the portfolio. Previous to becoming a member of the superb 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 lately, Rosewood Mayakoba. Throughout this time, I additionally served as a Regional Vice President, overseeing The Carlyle, A Rosewood Resort, 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 friends whereas positively impacting the area people.
Some of the rewarding experiences of my profession was cofounding Centro Educativo Okay’iin Beh in 2017. This bilingual faculty was established to offer high quality training for the kids of Rosewood Mayakoba workers and households in the area people. As we speak, 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 an enduring, constructive influence 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 at all times 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 facet of the resort’s revival was guided by a accountability to protect the land’s historical past and pure magnificence. Our aim 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 resort 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’ve got at all times 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 facet 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 had 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 power from our personal solar energy microgrid, have three buildings which can be 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 friends not solely expertise luxurious but in addition acquire a significant understanding of the traditions and tales that make this land so particular. We goal 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 permits friends to really feel really cared for, current within the second, and embraced by the spirit of aloha.
Multigenerational journey is a world 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 planet, what do households really need from a luxurious resort? What facilities, companies, and room configurations can be found to handle this kind of journey?
Households at the moment need extra than simply stunning lodging; they’re searching for immersive, significant experiences that convey 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 embrace 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. ft of indoor and outside area, personal swimming pools, devoted butler service, and thoughtfully designed communal areas, permitting households to collect whereas nonetheless offering moments of private retreat.
Past the lodging, Kona Village provides unforgettable experiences that convey generations collectively and deepen every visitor’s connection to Hawai‘i. Households can sail the waters of Kahuwai Bay aboard our conventional canoe, take pleasure in intimate Celestial Dinners below the celebrities, and discover the island’s wealthy panorama via 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 Heart, providing hula and ‘ukulele classes, in addition to excursions of historic petroglyphs.
