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The Aqua Skyline at Island Colony will make its debut after its owner and management company complete a $6 million overhaul of the former Island Colony Hotel.
Guests will be staying in improved guest rooms this month; however, additional renovations to the common areas are not expected to be completed until February.
"We are excited to keep pace with Waikiki’s renewed popularity by evolving into a boutique hotel experience that is on par with the expectation of today’s traveler," said Will Tanaka, president of American Pacific Hotels, owner of the 110-room hotel, which is inside a 740-room mixed-use building.
Aqua-managed hotel rooms at 445 Seaside Ave. have been redecorated in a palette of green and silver. Wenge-colored cabinets and furniture, granite countertops, flat-screen LCD TVs, new tile in bathrooms and kitchenettes, and upgraded bedding and linens have been added. The hotel also is working on improving its arrival experience by adding new landscaping and completing front desk and lobby renovations. Pool upgrades include new flagstone tile decking, a rebuilt Jacuzzi and a re-tiled pool with orchid design. Wooden trellises, potted plants and new furniture also have been added. Aqua also has added barbecues, a fitness center and a retail shop to the lobby level, and has plans to open two additional dining venues.
"Given the dramatic difference in overall guest experience, we felt it appropriate to rebrand this property with a name that more closely reflects the new look and feel of the hotel," Elizabeth Churchill, Aqua’s senior vice president sales and marketing, said in a news release.
Churchill said this latest project is part of Aqua’s ongoing mission to reinvigorate the image of Hawaii. Some $40 million of hotel enhancements are taking place across Aqua’s 22 hotels. Aqua is completing renovations or has already upgraded the Park Shore Waikiki, Aqua Lotus Honolulu, Hotel Wailea Maui, Kauai Beach Resort and Volcano House.
