Maui's Ritz-Carlton Kapalua to Unveil Pricey Renovations on Jan. 7th

Where: 1 Ritz Carlton Drive [map], Kapalua, HI, United States, 96761

1/02/2008 at 1:14 PM
Tags: Hotel Renovations, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Hotel News, Maui Hotels

We fantasized about leaving our cubicles for the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua in Maui last October thanks to the hotels killer view but we were saddened to discover the resort was closed due to a $160 million make-over.

But on Jan. 7th, we are free to flee our cubicles again--not just in our mind but in reality as the hotel is set to re-open then. The hotel actually opened its doors last Friday for the PGA Mercedes-Benz Championship but even then crews were still working to get things all fixed up.

All 445 guest rooms as well as the lobby, fitness center, restaurants and other public areas have been upgraded. A new spa will open in March and residential suites will go on the market sometime in mid-January. Additionally, an entire wing of the hotel was converted into 107 suites, making it more family-friendly. And instead of using a bland standard Ritz-Carlton decor scheme, the hotel will focus on its Hawaiian heritage. The Honolulu-Advertiser wrote:

[T]he resort has moved away from the Ritz's "cookie-cutter" Old World style, and redesigned its rooms and public areas with a Native Hawaiian motif, incorporating local art, images of significant native plants such as breadfruit and ti, and meaningful objects, like calabash bowls.

Hotel staff will be trained to explain the history, meaning and cultural significance of the items to guests.

The only sad thing is that when hotels do top-to-bottom renovations, a price increase usually occurs and at this Ritz, the room rate jumps up nearly $200 to $599 a night. So will probably have to stick to cube dreamin' after all.