Maui hits 20 years as top island in the U.S.

Maui was named the top U.S. island for the 20th consecutive year, and Four Seasons Resort Hualalai is the top resort in Hawaii, according to the 26th annual Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.

Of the world’s top 25 islands, Kauai is ranked second, Oahu placed eighth, Hawaii island is 10th and Lanai is 17th.

Hawaiian Airlines was ranked third among U.S. airlines, with Virgin America coming in at No. 1 followed by JetBlue Airways at No. 2.

In addition to the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, three other Four Seasons Resort properties ranked in the top four: the Four Seasons Resort Lana‘i, The Lodge at Koele; Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea; and Four Seasons Resort Lana‘i at Manele Bay. At No. 5 among the top 20 resorts in Hawaii was St. Regis Princeville Resort on Kauai.

The winners among cities, islands, hotels, resorts, cruise lines and airlines around the world were chosen by the magazine’s readership, which cast 1.3 million votes.

There were 1,351 winners of the 2013 Readers’ Choice Awards.

Fridge energy program aids Molokai residents

A group of 60 Molokai households is expected to save nearly $400 a year on electricity bills thanks to a program that allowed the families to exchange their old refrigerators for a high-efficiency model at a discounted price.

Households could purchase Energy Star-approved refrigerators at a cost of $250 under the Hui Up! 2013 program run by Blue Planet Foundation, Hawaii Energy and Sust‘ainable Molokai. The new refrigerators were delivered and the old ones hauled away at no charge to participants.

The new refrigerators are expected to cut the electric bill of each participating household by an average of $374 a year, according to a news release from Blue Planet. The residential electric rate on Molokai is about 46 cents a kilowatt-hour, roughly 40 percent higher than the residential rate on Oahu. There are plans to extend the Hui Up! program to as many as 300 households on Molokai.

ON THE MOVE

Aio, a parent company of Pacific Basin Communications, has hired Andrew Grassi as marketing director of Pacific Basin Communications. Grassi was previously a special events manager at Hearst Media and also served in the advertising and tourism programs of Afar Media for tourism agencies in Europe and the Pacific. 

Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher has announced the hiring of Lindsay E. Orman as a litigation associate. Orman attended George Washington University Law School and graduated with high honors.