Midprice hotel operator Hampton Inn & Suites has agreed to manage one of two hotels slated to be part of the planned regional mall Ka Makana Ali’i in Kapolei.
The deal announced Monday will give the brand owned by Hilton Worldwide its first presence in Hawaii.
The 175-room Hampton Inn at Ka Makana is expected to start construction in mid-2015 and open in 2016 as part of the mall’s 750,000-square-foot first phase anchored by Macy’s, Forever 21, H&M and a movie theater.
Ka Makana is being developed by Florida-based DeBartolo Development on 67 acres in East Kapolei owned by the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. The agency and DeBartolo inked a 65-year land lease for the project last month.
Hampton is a chain with 2,000 hotels. The brand, which attracts about an even mix of business and leisure travelers, was established in 1984 and acquired by Hilton in 1999.
Hilton has six hotel and seven time-share properties in Hawaii.
Despite demand from budget travelers, Hawaii was the only state without a Hampton hotel. The hotel at Ka Makana is expected to cater to visitors and residents.
Ed Kobel, DeBartolo president and chief operating officer, said in a written statement that adding a globally recognized hotel brand to the mall project will make it easier for kamaaina and visitors alike to enjoy all the area has to offer.
Bill Fortier, a senior vice president of development for Hilton, added in a statement,"As one of the world’s most sought-after travel destinations, it is only fitting to expand Hampton Hotels to Hawaii, bringing a successful mid-priced product to the market."
Ka Makana is slated to be built in two phases with a total of 1.4 million square feet of leasable space including offices and two hotels.
If built as envisioned, the $500 million project would become the third-largest shopping center in Hawaii, the first regional mall built on Oahu in more than 30 years and potentially the largest job center in the Kapolei area, with 6,500 long-term jobs created by businesses at the complex.