The Hilo Naniloa Hotel and Golf Club will be reopened and rebranded as the DoubleTree by Hilton Hilo at the Naniloa in spring 2016. The property sits on 70 acres along Hilo Bay and will feature a 7,200-square-foot ballroom in addition to other meeting space, and an entertainment venue named Willie K’s @ The Crown Room. The hotel will have a farm-to-table restaurant, golf course and offers easy access to water activities, downtown Hilo, the Mauna Kea Observatory and Hilton International Airport.
The 252-room Mauna Kea Beach Hotel will debut the new Kaunaoa Ballroom in January 2016. In the space that was formerly Kaunaoa Bar & Grill, the ballroom will feature views of Kaunaoa Bay, 4,000 square feet of indoor meeting space, outdoor prefunction areas and a boardroom. The hotel’s Copper Terrace bar and restaurant, known for its sunset viewing, is also being renovated and will reopen this December.
At the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay, which has a 10,000-square-foot ballroom and over 100,000 square feet of outdoor event space, groups can participate in the program “Brand Your Own Hoe,” which lets groups work together to customize a Hawaiian canoe paddle with Polynesian symbols and design. As part of this teambuilding activity, a cultural expert can talk about the traditions and legends of the hoe as well as the meanings of the symbols and design options.
The 341-room Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows offers groups activities that focus on Hawaiian culture. Attendees can join a historian on walks through the petroglyphs, ancient fishponds and trails that surround the property. There are also “Talk Story Evenings” that incorporate Hawaiian legend, hula and music. The hotel’s Hale Hoaloha Pavilion is a 10,800-square-foot indoor/outdoor venue that can accommodate up to 600.
