Life Reimagined

A THOUGHTFUL RENOVATION BRINGS A MODERN LOOK—AND THE SAME AUTHENTIC FEELING OF HOME—TO HUALĀLAI RESORT.

BY REBEKAH BELL

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DON RIDDLE

GENUINE STYLE - Updates to the resort’s accommodations remain true to the property’s organic, homey feel while weaving in refreshingly contemporary elements.

Since 1996, when the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai opened its doors and the first ownership residences were offered, Hualālai has fostered a community of refined comfort, relaxed living, and Hawaiian culture. Soon that indelible legacy will speak to Hualālai’s beloved Member families and return guests through a multimillion-dollar renovation of the resort, which began last May and will finish by midyear. Led by Michael Booth, principal of the San Francisco–based interior design firm BAMO, the project includes not only a thoughtful redesign of the resort’s 243 hotel rooms, but also the addition of various groundbreaking accommodations and amenities. Once completed, the cohesive renewal will cast new light on the unique elements—oceanfront golf, world-class cuisine, island sunsets, the aloha spirit— that have always made Hualālai home.

The advent of a new decade was the perfect time to update Hualālai. Built in the footprint of an ancient Hawaiian fishing village and originally designed in a “Kona upcountry” style, with slate floors, mahogany trim, and walls of glass that open to the ocean, the resort was enchantingly beautiful but also ready for renewal. “We wanted to modernize the property and make it more refreshing on the interior,” says Jay Uyeda, Hualālai Resort’s director of development.

To accomplish this, Booth envisioned a modern aesthetic that stays true to the organic, homey feel of the property while also reimagining it for current and future Member families and the resort’s frequent guests. “When you’re making a change to something people consider their second home,” says Booth, “you’ve got to be really careful to make sure it has that same welcoming feeling.”

Booth’s design team decided to keep the existing slate floors—an iconic element of the property’s look—in the private guest rooms and bungalows. To create more texture and warmth in the rooms, they used upscale natural grass-cloth wall coverings imported from France. They also amplified the original design’s minimal mahogany wood trim around the baseboards and ceilings, adding more wood paneling to accommodate brand-new media walls that span the entire length of the living rooms. In addition to 65-inch televisions (standard rooms) and 75-inch TVs (suites), the new media walls also incorporate bars with a tailored food-and-beverage experience.

“We’re targeting a personal experience to our guests, so we’ll have a bottle of their favorite wine available or milk for their kids in the refrigerator,” says Patrick Fitzgerald, president and CEO of Hualālai Resort. “All the rooms will also be updated with contemporary-style furniture that’s very comfortable and loungy.” Because past patrons felt that the rooms were too dark at night, Booth’s team has added hidden, indirect light to brighten up the rooms (and a dimming system so the mood can be changed as desired).

EXTREME COMFORT - Thoughtfully renovated rooms make guests feel at home, with features such as new media walls, indirect dimmable lighting, and elegant bathrooms with expansive vanities.

In the luxe bathrooms, the design team replaced the original granite with a travertinetype marble and installed vanities with soft lighting. In the suites, traditional dining room tables have been replaced with bar-style islands made from cholla wood and stone. “The islands take up maybe half the space that a big dining room table does, so we can put a proper seating area into the extra space to make the living room more gracious and prone to entertaining,” says Booth. On the outdoor terraces, updated patio furniture and a dedicated dining area allow guests to take full advantage of the island’s alfresco lifestyle.

Once completed, Hualālai’s renovation will have added second stories and outdoor decks to the Hawai‘i Loa Presidential, Makaloa, and Ho‘onanea villas, making the villa-room accommodations Hawai‘i’s largest and most luxurious. Also noteworthy is an all-new bungalow with six oceanfront guest rooms, among them a suite with its own swimming pool. No doubt, the bungalow’s prime location—neighboring Kumukea Beach at the resort’s northern boundary—will ensure that guests enjoy truly unforgettable views.

Another memorable new spot will be the resort’s eagerly anticipated culinary academy. Expected to debut by summer, the roughly 2,600-square-foot facility on ‘Ulu Ocean Grill’s second floor will have six cooking stations where Members and guests can take classes, plus a display kitchen where local and visiting chefs can do presentations.

From a design perspective, the glassed-in academy will “have a lot of wood and stone, so it will look very much in tune with the property,” says Four Seasons Resort Hualālai’s food and beverage director, Alessandro Cartumini. “There’s going to be very modern kitchen equipment with more of a residential feel.” The latter, he says, will help guests feel that the meals they learn from the experts will be ones they can re-create at home in their own kitchens. (Past guest instructors at the resort have included James Beard Award winners and Michelin star chefs.) An outside terrace will seat about 35 people; indoors, a large communal table, a lounge area for entertainment, and an audiovisual system will round out the environment. For guests—who might learn to make a sauce from fruits found only in Hawai‘i, or observe firsthand a sushi chef visiting from another part of the United States or the world— the takeaways promise to exceed expectations: “You’re right up off the ocean,” says Cartumini, referring to the academy’s location. “Just the view—that you can see Maui and the horizon, and you have the smell of the ocean and the wind— the sensation you get there; you’re not going to be able to get it anywhere else.”

Altogether, a fresh but familiar resort is emerging from the renovation, with finished updates and imminent final touches that are unique and unmistakably Hualālai. This, of course, is just as the design team intends. Booth notes, “I want guests to look at the updated property and say, ‘Wow, this is so wonderful and yet it still feels like home.’ ”

KEEPING IT REGAL

FRESH WATER - Adjoining the lava-rock-rimmed edge of Hualālai’s King’s Pond—a swimmable aquarium brimming with sea creatures—is a new pool that allows for swimming next to the marine life, with a close-up view. OPPOSITE PAGE: The newly renovated lānai off oceanfront room 903 at King’s Pond crescent.

Hualālai’s beloved King’s Pond—a 1.8-million-gallon swimmable aquarium with more than 1,000 fish and sea creatures—is making a new splash. Carved out of lava rock, the pond now gives Members and guests a unique perspective on its tropical contents, thanks to enhancements from Pennsylvania-based BrightView Design Group & Pre-Development. “We designed a pool fairly close to the edge of the pond, so you’ll be able to theoretically swim up to the edge and look down into it,” says managing principal Brent Lloyd. “We wanted guests to be able to swim next to a great diversity of marine life.” The pool’s design incorporates a tile mosaic of sea turtles and a spotted eagle ray—the latter an homage to Kainalu, the 25-year-old spotted eagle that calls King’s Pond home.

Surrounded by ipe wood decking, the pool area will also include a 400-squarefoot marine center, Kumu Kai, where guests can participate in educational programs and experiences. Designed as a counterpart to the ocean adventures offered by the resort’s Alaka‘i Nalu, the new center will provide an array of lessons, from tidepool talks and pre-snorkeling fish discussions to turtle viewings and squid dissections. Short movies and guest speakers will also be featured. —R.B.

Alfresco seating at the recently opened Hualālai Golf Hale.

KING OF CLUBS

Of the resort’s updates, the recently opened Hualālai Golf Hale is, indeed, the game changer: a 3,000-square-foot space with three hitting bays, a Topgolf Swing Suite indoor simulator, and a roomy outdoor patio (below), among other amenities. Located at the driving range for the Hualālai Golf Course, the facility is open to Members and guests and offers high-tech training and assessment and programs tailored to the individual, all overseen by the new director of instruction, Brady Riggs. The ambience is family-friendly, with food, games, and big-screen TVs being just some of the creature comforts in the lounge and comfort station. —R.B.