While Hawaii has no shortage of acclaimed, well-known resorts with convention-size meeting facilities, there are also under-the-radar island properties geared for the small or midsize group looking for a retreat atmosphere or sense of owning the place. Here are a few options in a diversity of locations.
Lumeria Maui
Affiliated with Healing Hotels of the World, Lumeria Maui bills itself as a luxury retreat and wellness destination. The new 24-room property in upcountry Maui near Makawao features cuisine from organic and locally sourced ingredients, gardens, a yoga studio and indoor and outdoor event space.
Lumeria is the creation of Los Angeles interior designer Xorin Balbes, who restored and repurposed the property’s 1911 Craftsman-style buildings that once housed plantation workers. Along with instruction in yoga and meditation, Lumeria offers customized programs related to health and personal well-being, Hawaiian culture and sustainable agriculture.
“We’ve had corporate groups who are here for retreats and team building, as well as executives here for a board meeting,” Balbes says. “We’re secluded and offer a sense of connectedness, which can create a real bonding experience.”
Travaasa Hana
Formerly the Hotel Hana-Maui, Travaasa Hana offers one of Hawaii’s most remote and magical settings amid the rainforest at the end of Maui’s legendary Road to Hana. It’s a bit less remote these days with the new addition of twice daily service into Hana Airport from Kahalui on Mokulele Airlines.
Accommodations at the luxury property include 23 junior suites in the main building and 47 plantation-style Sea Ranch Cottages with high wood-beamed ceilings and private lanais, many with hot tubs. The property offers an award-winning spa, a Hawaiian cultural program and 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, including the freestanding Plantation Guest House.
“We do a lot of incentive business and executive retreats, with some groups taking over all of the cottages or the entire property,” says Hubert Aaron, events manager at Travaasa Hana. “Team-building exercises are big here, including some out-of-the-ordinary options like archery and the traditional island practice of throw net fishing.”
Horseback riding along the beach is another option, with Hana the only place in Maui where this is allowed, according to Aaron. PageBreak
Kauai Beach Resort
Part of the Hawaii-based Aqua Hotels group, the 225-room Kauai Beach Resort is a “canvas” for groups who want to take over the property and make it their own, according to Janice Ishihara, director of sales at the resort. Although part of the Poipu resort complex, the hotel is not connected to other properties by a beach path, so it offers a sense of privacy, she says.
Along with its own beach, the resort also has a pool deck area with waterfalls and lush tropical landscaping. There is also an 8,600-square-foot ballroom.
“We’re different from the big-brand properties, offering a true old Kauai plantation feel,” Ishihara says. “What also sets us apart is that we’re geared for the mid-priced meeting or incentive. We’re not at the high-end and work with a variety of budgets.”
Vive Hotel Waikiki
Even the bustling heart of Waikiki can be a location for a small meeting seeking a sense of exclusivity. The 125-room Vive Hotel Waikiki, which just opened in the former Continental Surf Hotel site on Kuhio Ave., can host groups of up to 20 on its penthouse level on the 22nd floor. The floor offers three luxury guest rooms and an elegant living room-like meeting area with ample seating and views of the Pacific and Waikiki.
Guest units at the property include 22 Lifestyle Junior Suites, all with ocean views, rain showers, 42-inch high-definition LED TVs, complimentary Wi-Fi and seating areas. All guests receive complimentary continental breakfast.
Lava Lava Beach Club
The perfect crescent-shaped beach of Anaeho’omalu Bay, a rare white-sand beach on the Big Island, is the setting of the Lava Lava Beach Club, and event area with four guest cottages in the Waikoloa Resort. Each oceanfront cottage offers 576 square feet of space, a covered lanai with teak furniture, a separate living area with a queen-size daybed, free Wi-Fi and amenities that include a concert-size ukulele. The property, which works with Pacific Gourmet Catering, also has a restaurant and spacious lawn that is available for events.
