Dive Brief:
- One year after catastrophic wildfires tore through the Hawaiian island of Maui, the 27-acre Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows has reopened its doors to guests, according to a release obtained by Hotel Dive.
- In tandem with the reopening, the resort has debuted two new food and beverage outlets, in addition to “significant enhancements” across the property.
- Royal Lahaina originally paused its operations to “support the community and house displaced residents,” a spokesperson told Hotel Dive. Though last year’s wildfires caused significant damage to Lahaina hotels — and displaced many residents who worked in the tourism industry — travel to Maui is returning.
Dive Insight:
Royal Lahaina’s new food and beverage outlets include oceanfront restaurant Lahaina Noon and poolside bar Pineapple Moon, open for service Sept. 3. Las Vegas-based TableOne Hospitality created both concepts.
The resort features 333 rooms and 127 bungalows. The bungalows have been “meticulously updated,” according to the resort, with “mid-century-inspired” decor. The lobby and pool areas have also gotten a refresh intended to “elevate the guest experience,” according to Royal Lahaina.
Visitors are returning to Maui, but their numbers are still far below those before the fire. In July, there were approximately 237,000 visitors to the island, a “significant decrease” from the 297,000 visitors in July 2023, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
Hospitality companies elsewhere on the island are recovering from the effects of the deadly fires, too. Earlier this year, Marriott Vacations Worldwide noted that ongoing recovery in Hawaii negatively impacted its overall sales.
All the same, Maui hotels have played a major role in relief efforts. Some offered space to responders and aid workers in the disaster’s immediate aftermath, while other properties housed displaced Maui residents much longer.
Meanwhile, hospitality organizations like the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the Hawaii Hotel Alliance and Maui Hotel & Lodging Association played a role in working with emergency teams, hotels and airlines to get those in danger off the island and provide support.
In September, the Hawaii Tourism Authority launched its “Mālama Maui” campaign, intended to encourage tourists to return to the island. “From people and businesses that rely on tourism to drive Maui’s economy, the call is clear: Maui needs the support of visitors now more than ever,” the organization wrote in a release.
A Maui News report in January, however, called tourists’ return “a double-edged sword,” noting that 6,000 residents were still being housed in hotels and vacation rentals at the time.
