Dive Brief:
- IHG Hotels & Resorts will restore Hawaii’s Coco Palms Resort and convert the property under its Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants brand, the company announced Wednesday.
- The historic hotel — which welcomed celebrity guests including Elvis Presley, Rita Hayworth and Gene Autry in its day — has been neglected since 1992, when Hurricane Iniki damaged the property.
- IHG will conduct a “historically sensitive restoration” of the property on Kauai, which will become a “west coast flagship” for Kimpton. The end result will be the company’s first Hawaii property in its growing luxury and lifestyle portfolio.
Dive Insight:
Following a “transformation,” the property will reopen as Coco Palms, A Kimpton Resort in 2026.
Leanne Harwood, IHG’s newly appointed SVP and managing director for luxury and lifestyle in the Americas, said the company is “incredibly excited to establish our luxury and lifestyle presence in Hawaii.”
“Hawaii beckons travelers seeking both relaxation and discovery, and this wholly reimagined resort will welcome not only visitors, but also the local community, with unique, culturally respectful experiences all within an inspiring boutique luxury setting,” Harwood added.
Native Hawaiian advisors will guide the restoration “to ensure guests are welcomed with an authentic, culturally rich experience,” IHG said. Following restoration, the property will feature 350 accommodations spread across low-rise hotel buildings and cottages.
Resort guests will be able to access a 15-acre coconut grove, where the hotel will offer everything from meditation to movie nights, as well as a spa and three outdoor swimming pools. Food and beverage options will include a rooftop bar, a pool bar and a shoreline restaurant.
The hotel is owned by Utah-based real estate private equity firm Reef Capital Partners and operated by Highgate.
IHG is expanding its luxury and lifestyle portfolio, which includes the InterContinental, Six Senses, Hotel Indigo, Kimpton, Regent and Vignette Collection brands.
Earlier this year, Harwood was appointed to spearhead luxury and lifestyle growth in the Americas, specifically.
In a full-year 2023 earnings report published earlier this year, IHG said the segment was “particularly growing fast.”
