The Pacific Beach Hotel’s 280,000-gallon aquarium shut down May 9 as the owners gear up for major renovations at the Waikiki property.

All but one fish — a large grouper named Sam — has been relocated elsewhere, hotel employees told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Tuesday.

The Oceanarium Restaurant surrounding the aquarium is closing Sept. 1.

“The whole point in eating there is watching the fish, so I’m glad we brought our kids and grandkids last year, because without the fish we wouldn’t go and it’s too expensive,” said Nancy Lopp, a hotel guest from Indiana who frequently visits Honolulu. “They should lower their prices.”

Hotel executives informed employees last month about the closure of the Oceanarium, along with the Aloha Center Cafe, which closes at the end of the year. The oceanfront Pacific Beach Hotel is across Kalakaua Avenue from Kuhio Beach in the heart of Waikiki.

Rob Robinson, Pacific Beach Hotel general manager, said in an emailed response that he was working to lessen the impact of the renovations on hotel workers.

“Our employees are the heart of our hotel and we are making every effort to mitigate the impact to them. We continue to work very closely with the labor union on this matter,” said Robinson.

He did not say how many workers would be affected by the renovation or how extensive the work would be.

The hotel’s owner, HTH Corp., and workers under the International Longshore and Warehouse Union were embroiled in acrimonious legal battles for more than 10 years starting in 2002, when workers first began efforts to organize into a collective bargaining unit. In 2013 unionized workers ratified their first contract with management at Pacific Beach Hotel.

Union officials did not return calls Tuesday.

The hotel plans to reopen the aquarium in 2017 as the centerpiece of a new lounge and bar, an employee said. Built in 1979, the tank is normally host to hundreds of different species of Indo-Pacific marine life. In 2011, 180 of the 400 or so fish that lived in the three-story aquarium died when the ozone level in the massive aquarium got too high.

“Once completed, it will be home to a stunning new coral reef and marine life that pay homage to the waters off Waikiki,” Robinson said. “These changes are part of a full redevelopment plan of the hotel that will be announced in the coming weeks.”

A Pacific Beach Hotel spokeswoman said the hotel will not be closing during the renovations.

“It’s sad, but, I mean, the hotel’s great. We haven’t had any other problems, really,” said Diane Muddle, visiting from Sydney. “My husband’s more disappointed (about the closed aquarium) than me.”

The Pacific Beach Hotel’s website notified guests that the exterior of the Oceanarium Tower is undergoing balcony restoration and painting.

“During this project guests may experience some maintenance noise,” the notice said. “For safety reasons, the hotel pool and hot tub will be closed for the duration of this project. Alternative pool arrangements have been made at a neighboring hotel where Pacific Beach Hotel guests may access and enjoy during their stay.”

The hotel will offer a breakfast buffet starting in September in a third-floor banquet room. and once renovations are complete, a new eatery will open in an area above the Oceanarium, currently home to the Neptune lounge, according to an employee who asked not to be identified.

“When we actually booked the hotel, I wasn’t aware of it. The day we got here, they had just closed it the day before, so we didn’t get even get a chance to see it. When we actually went down for the feeding, that’s when we were told that it was closed,” said Alaska resident Sandra Delasllagas, who was born in Hawaii and is visiting for the first time in about 15 years. “We were disappointed. I wanted my (9-year-old) son to be able to see it, too. That’s one of the main reasons we booked this place.”