News Releases
2018

* Information contained in this news release is current as of its date of announcement. Be aware that information contained herein is subject to change without notice.

Leading Hawaii Luxury Hotel Halekulani to Expand into Okinawa
Halekulani Okinawa to Open in July 26, 2019

October 23, 2018
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
Mitsui Fudosan Resort Management Co., Ltd.

Tokyo, Japan, October 23, 2018 - Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd., a leading global real estate company headquartered in Tokyo, announced today that it has decided on July 26, 2019 as the opening date for Halekulani Okinawa, which is under construction in Onna Village, Okinawa Prefecture.

The hotel will start accepting reservations before it officially opens from February 2019.

For 100 years since its founding in 1917, Halekulani has welcomed countless repeat visitors with its prime location on the Waikiki beachfront, timeless elegance, and warm hospitality. “Halekulani” means “House Befitting Heaven” in Hawaiian, and the hotel provides guests with a sincerely delightful stay in keeping with its name.

Halekulani Okinawa, the second Halekulani hotel, will make its appearance in Onna Village on the main island of Okinawa, which has some of Japan’s most beautiful beaches. The resort faces approximately 1 mile (1.7 km) of coastline, and features 360 rooms, each with a picturesque ocean view of a shining emerald sea and white sand beach. Situated in the Okinawa Kaigan Quasi-National Park, the abundant natural scenery of the resort can truly be described as a paradise. While the facility is a beach resort, it is set among lush Okinawan trees, and the eye is drawn into the glistening sea and greenery amid the sound of waves crashing on the beach. From the moment guests arrive at the resort, they are completely removed from everyday life able to the sparkling sea and the ocean’s roar as the setting sun sinks slowly beneath the waves on the horizon.


The lobby faces the sunset*1

Facility Features

(1) Landscape design to enjoy nature

The facility boasts expansive grounds covering approximately 936,460 ft2 (87,000 m2) in total, with landscaping carried out by Belt Collins Hawaii, which has a strong track record in landscaping for beach resort hotels around the world. Generous spaces have been provided throughout the resort so that all guests are encapsulated in stillness and quiet, while enjoying the therapeutic benefits of nature.

(2) All guest rooms allow for ocean views with Halekulani’s design

All 360 rooms have at least 538 ft2 (50 m2) of space, and 47 rooms are refined and polished suites between 818 ft2 to 3,164 ft2 (76 m2 and 294 m2). In addition, five of the buildings are villas with their own private pools and natural hot springs.

All Facility interiors have been designed by New York-based Champalimaud Design, which has a reputation for elegant motifs.

The guest rooms have inherited the traditional Halekulani theme of “seven shades of white,” a classy and simple color scheme that sets off the sublime view outside the windows. In every space, the elegant design melds with the sea and sky, symbolizing the style of Okinawa’s new luxury resort.


Guest room

(3) Four unique restaurants, including Innovative*1 under the supervision of Chef Hiroyasu Kawate

The hotel houses four signature restaurants: All-day Dining, Innovative, Steak & Wine, and Japanese Cuisine. These offer a host of unique, highly original dishes that bring out the full flavor of ingredients from all over Japan, including local Okinawan foods; some dishes you can’t eat anywhere else. The Innovative restaurant has decided on the appointment of Two-Star Michelin chef, Hiroyasu Kawate (Florilege) as a consulting chef.


Restaurant (Innovative)

(4) Colorful facility designs that enable longer stays

Halekulani Okinawa offers a stay experience on a whole new level of diversity and luxury provided by an impressive array of facilities. These include a beachfront of glistening white sand extending along a north-south direction, five different style indoor and outdoor swimming pools, including a pool adorned with around 1.5 million mosaic tiles in the shape of Halekulani’s signature orchid and one of the most prestigious spa facilities in Japan with a bath fed by a natural hot spring.


Spa treatment room

Halekulani Okinawa will inherit the accumulated traditions and spirit of Halekulani, while making full use of the attractions of Okinawa, such as its abundant nature and culture, aiming to create a one-of-a-kind luxury resort. Mitsui Fudosan will provide spaces and hospitality that will make guests want to come back again and is eagerly anticipating the first guests.


A pool with the signature orchid motif

*1 Innovative offers the chef’s highly original French-based cuisine designed to bring out the full flavor of the ingredients.
* All perspective drawings in this news release are computer generated images.

Overview of Halekulani Okinawa (planned)

Name of Hotel Halekulani Okinawa
Opening July 26 ,2019
Location 1967-1 and other lots, Shimobukurobaru, Azanakama, Onna Village, Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture
Planned Site Area Approx. 938,028.5 ft2 (87,145.70 m2)
Transportation (Access) About 75 minutes by car from Naha Airport
No. of rooms 360 rooms
Guest room sizes Standard room (308 rooms): 538 ft2 (50 m2)
Suite room (47 rooms): 818 ft2 to 3,164 ft2 (76 m2 to 294 m2)
Villa (5 units): 883 ft2 to 1,776 ft2 (82 m2 to 165 m2)
Dining Facilities All-day Dining: 130 seats (including 24 terrace seats)
Innovative: 82 seats (including a private room with 10 seats)
Steak & Wine: 124 seats (including 32 terrace seats)
Japanese Cuisine: 36 seats
Bar: 41 Seats
Entertainment area: 88 seats
Barbecue (Seasonal operation): 52 seats
Pool bar: 32 seats
Spa Five treatment rooms, bath fed by a natural hot spring
Banquet hall Ballroom: 2,142 ft2 (199 m2) (Can be divided in two, with a terrace) Conference room
Other facilities Swimming pools (Four outdoor, one indoor)
Fitness gym
Shops
Kids room, etc.
General Manager Jun Yoshie*2
Executive Chef Hiroshi Takahashi*3
Consulting Chef (Innovative) Hiroyasu Kawate*4
Operating company Mitsui Fudosan Resort Management Co., Ltd.
Official Website https://www.okinawa.halekulani.com/en/

*2 Career Profile of General Manager Jun Yoshie Joined PRINCE HOTELS, INC. in April 1983. Subsequently worked as Director of Marketing at Grand Hyatt Tokyo, Director of Sales & Marketing at Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, Executive Assistant Manager and Sales & Marketing at The Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo, General Manager at The Ritz-Carlton in Okinawa, and was appointed as General Manager at Halekulani iOkinawa in November 2017.

*3 Career Profile of Executive Chef Hiroshi Takahashi Joined PRINCE HOTELS, INC. in March 1984. Subsequently worked at Hilton Tokyo Bay and Park Hyatt Tokyo before appointment as Sous Chef at The Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo in January 2007. Appointed Executive Chef at Halekulani Okinawa in July 2018.

*4 Career Profile of Consulting Chef Hiroyasu Kawate (Innovative) Worked as Sous Chef at Three-Michelin-Star restaurant “cante sans” for 11 years before opening his own restaurant Florilège in 2009. Awarded one star in the MICHELIN Guide Tokyo 2016, and two stars in the MICHELIN Guide Tokyo 2018. Ranked third in “Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018.”

Access


Click map to enlarge

Overview of Halekulani (Hawaii)

Halekulani Timeline from 1984 (Including Main Awards)

1984
  • Grand opening of Halekulani as an international luxury hotel following redevelopment by Mitsui Fudosan (soft opening in 1983)
  • Opening of the French restaurant La Mer
1989
  • Obtained fifth place in the “Readers’ Choice: World’s Hotels” category of a survey by Conde Nast Traveler Readers magazine
1990
  • La Mer receives the AAA (American Automobile Association) Five Diamond Restaurant Award for the first time.
  • Obtained first place in “World’s Best Tropical Resorts” category of a survey by Conde Nast Traveler Readers magazine
1997
  • Obtained eighth place in “World’s best hotel services” category of Travel + Leisure magazine
1999
  • Gourmet Magazine
    Obtained first place in “World’s Hotels, Overall” category Obtained first place in “World’s Hotel Rooms” category La Mer awarded fifth place in “World’s Most Romantic Places” category
2003
  • Opening of SpaHalekulani
2004
  • Obtained Four Stars Award with highest score in the “America’s Best Hotel & Resort Spas” category of a survey by Mobile Travel Guide
2006
  • Obtained first place in “Best Resort and Spa Services” category of a survey by Travel + Leisure magazine
2007
  • Obtained first place in the “Best Services” category of the Leading Club Gold Award chosen by Leading Hotels of the World
2015
  • Included in “Gold List: World’s Best Hotels” by Conde Nast Traveler Readers magazine
2017
  • Included in “The World’s Best 2017 Hall of Fame Winners ” by Travel + Leisure magazine
2018
  • La Mer
    Received Five Diamond Restaurant Award for the 29th consecutive year from AAA (American Automobile Association)
    Named as a Five Star Restaurant by Forbes Travel Guide for the 6th consecutive year.
  • SpaHalekulani
    Received the Four Star Spa Award from Forbes Travel Guide for the 9th consecutive year.
2019
  • Halepuna Waikiki to open in autumn

Overview of Halekulani

Name Halekulani
Location 2199 Kalia Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96815, U.S.A.
General Manager Ulrich Krauer
Founded 1917
Opened 1984 (current hotel was opened after redevelopment by Mitsui Fudosan)
Ownership and Management Halekulani Corporation (100%-owned subsidiary of Mitsui Fudosan)
Facility Overview Guestrooms (453)
Orchids oceanfront restaurant
La Mer French restaurant
House Without a Key casual dining restaurant
Lewers Lounge bar
SpaHalekulani
Website http://www.halekulani.jp/ (Japanese)
https://www.halekulani.com/ (English)