Hilton Grand Vacations Moving Ahead on Hawaii Timeshare Conversion
Monday, June 27, 2011
Last month, Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare purchased the Ohana Islander Waikiki Hotel, a property that has not been in use as a hotel since 2008.
Build as a 285-key hotel, Hilton timeshare plans to convert the property into an upscale urban timeshare resort, which will be called Hilton Grand Vacations Club-Waikiki Beach Walk. Already Hilton is looking at designers and architects for the project, which the timeshare company plans as a transformation into 143 one-bedroom vacation ownership suites.
Plans call to get the hotel to timeshare transformation underway as soon as possible with a re-opening date set for 2013. The property was originally purchased from Outrigger Enterprises Group, and Outrigger is expected to act as the property manager of the timeshare.
Says Mel Kaneshige, Outrigger’s executive vice president for real estate and development, “Our new relationship with Hilton Grand Vacations fits perfectly within our ‘Many Brands, One Ohana (Family)’ strategy of managing not only our proprietary Outrigger and Ohana brands, but other brands as well. “
He adds, “With this transaction, Outrigger will now be managing hospitality properties for four of the top five global brands, including Hilton’s Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk. This new Hilton Grand Vacations property at Waikiki Beach Walk will also add to the diversity of hospitality product available there and give guests one more reason to spend their vacations at Waikiki Beach Walk.”
Hawaii Timeshare is Good for Local Economy
As area residents know all too well, the old hotel property has been somewhat of an eyesore for several years. Once scheduled for renovation, the construction was stopped, leaving the hotel shuttered and with a massive construction crane hovering over the rooms, some of which are enclosed only by tarps that flap in the ocean breezes.
The transformation should mean a good boost to the local construction industry followed by new long-terms jobs at the property and a welcome injection into the economy from the Hawaii timeshare owners and renters who will soon be vacationing there.
