Volume XIV, No. 2 January 17-February 6, 2013 Aqua Hotels changes name to Aqua Hospitality and creates three hotel brands Aqua Hotels & Resorts has changed its name to Aqua Hospitality (www.aquahospitality.com) and announced the restructuring of its 24-property group into three distinctive brands. In a little over a decade Aqua Hospitality, formerly known as Aqua Hotels and Resorts, has developed a highly successful and diverse collection of hotels and resorts. Starting on Oahu, the company now operates on all six major Hawaiian Islands. “Hawai‘i is a melting pot and Aqua’s comprehensive global outreach has made our hotels and resorts as diverse as Hawai‘i itself,” said Aqua Hospitality’s President and CEO Ben Rafter. “That diversity has led Aqua to create three distinct brands that reflect the unique characteristics of our major market segments – luxury seekers of customized experiences, value and adventure-oriented guests and budget-conscious travelers.” MONOGRAM HOTEL COLLECTION℠ represents an elite group of stand-alone and independent hotels and resorts providing a highly personalized luxury experience. Each hotel has a distinct name and identity and is unique in personality, environment and design. All the properties offer a boutique experience and promise to be the highlight of any getaway. O‘ahu hotels include The Modern Honolulu and Lotus Honolulu. AQUA HOTELS AND RESORTS® offers stylish, mid-priced hotels that present excellent value and lifestyle services rooted in Hawai‘i’s rich cultural traditions. Savvy travelers will appreciate the convenient added services that make an Aqua Hotels and Resorts stay fun, convenient and positively practical. O‘ahu hotels include Continued on next page Inside this issue: 1-2 Aqua changes name to Aqua Hospitality and creates three hotel brands Hawaiian to Launch Taipei-Honolulu Service in July 3 Hawaiian to Add Fleet of Long-Range, Single-Aisle Aircraft Alexander Valley Vineyards Wine Dinner Party Menu at Tiki’s 3 Hawaiian Sets New Record with 9.48 Million Passengers in 2012 Celebrate the Year of the Snake at Royal Hawaiian Center 4-5 Enjoy 2013 with special Prince Resorts Hawaii packages Duke Kahanamoku Challenge, February 24 6 Star of Honolulu's Premier Whale Watch Cruise Hawaii’s Premier Cultural Festival seeking volunteers 7 Say "ti amo" to your special someone this Valentine’s Day at Il Lupino Locally-owned surfboard storage company to open in Waikīkī 8 Royal Hawaiian Center features exciting entertainment lineup Lole Hawai‘i relocated at Royal Hawaiian Center and beer & wine garden at Waikīkī Pro Bowl Block Party 6th Annual International Waikīkī Hula Conference 9 Travel Wishes are granted as Aston Hotels & Resorts announces Outrigger Weekly Events & Promotions, January 20 – 26 One Million HawaiianMiles Sweepstakes Winners Hoopdance Fitness 10 Hawaiian Airlines Appoints Doreen Lawrence, VP of Inflight Services Yoga Wednesdays 10 Aston Hotels & Resorts Announces Tara Dine Director of Marketing Outrigger Weekly Events & Promotions, Jan 27 – Feb 2 11 Duke’s Waikiki Rings in 2013 with Live Music Kani Ka Pila Grille – January Entertainment line-up Royal Hawaiian Center – February Entertainment Calendar Hawaiian #1 in November Star of Honolulu’s Early Bird Whale Watch Cruise . and MORE Continued from front page Aqua Aloha Surf Waikiki, Aqua Bamboo Waikiki, Aqua Ilikai Hotel & Suites, Aqua Palms Waikiki, Aqua Park Shore Waikiki, Aqua Queen Kapiolani, Aqua Skyline at Island Colony, Aqua Waikiki Joy, Aqua Waikiki Pearl and Aqua Waikiki Wave. LITE HOTELS℠ is a group of eclectic, economy hotels that appeal to budget-minded travelers. These guests are seeking the most bang for their buck and appreciate the fundamentals — service, convenience and cleanliness. O‘ahu hotels include Ewa Hotel Waikiki, Maile Sky Court, Pagoda Hotel, Polynesian Plaza and White Sands Hotel. Waikīkī Wiki Wiki Wire - Newsletter Deadline The WIA newsletter is published 2x per month—generally on the first and third Thursday. Waikīkī-related news and information submitted by members for the Waikīkī Wiki Wiki Wire should be received no later than 4pm Wednesday for newsletters published and distributed on Thursday. Information received after the deadline will be considered for inclusion in the following issue. Photos which accompany stories are always welcome and, for best results, should be attached to the email as a separate jpeg - maximum 1 MB each imabe please. Single page PDFs are also welcome but they should look like flyers and not press releases (without media contact information, dateline, city, etc.). Your kokua is appreciated. Mahalo. Page 2, Jan 17-Feb 6, 2013 Page 2 Waikīkī Wikiwiki Wire Hawaiian to Add Fleet of Long-Range, Single-Aisle Aircraft Deliveries of New Airbus A321neo Aircraft Starting in 2017 Hawaiian Airlines today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with airframe manufacturer Airbus to acquire 16 new A321neo aircraft between 2017 and 2020, with rights to purchase an additional nine aircraft. The long-range, single-aisle aircraft will complement Hawaiian’s existing fleet of wide-body, twin-aisle aircraft used for long-haul flying between Hawai‘i and the U.S. West Coast. “Everyone at Hawaiian wants us to keep our position as the market leader in service quality, cost efficiency and choice of destinations. Ordering the A321neo will secure this legacy on routes to the U.S. West Coast beyond the middle of this decade,” said Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines. “The A321neo will be the most fuel-efficient aircraft of its type after its introduction in 2016. With its slightly smaller size we’ll be able to open new markets that are not viable for wide-body service, while also being able to augment service on existing routes to the West Coast of North America.” At 146-feet-long, the A321neo will seat approximately 190 passengers in a two-class configuration (First and Coach) and has a range of 3,650 nautical miles. The aircraft will offer the more comfortable seat widths found in the twin-aisle Airbus A330. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, however, the aircraft have a total list-price value of approximately $2.8 billion if all of the purchase rights are exercised. The new acquisitions are also contingent upon Hawaiian signing new agreements with its pilots and flight attendant unions covering operation of the new aircraft type. If new agreements are reached, the fleet expansion is expected to generate roughly 1,000 additional jobs at Hawaiian. “This is a significant investment in the future of both Hawaiian and Hawai‘i. Our tourism-based economy and local employment will benefit as we continue our strategy of diversifying our business while improving the efficiency of our operation,” Dunkerley commented. “We have come to think of Hawaiian Airlines as ‘ohana’ (family) and are very pleased to add yet another branch to our tree with this pending expansion of the Hawaiian Airbus fleet,” said John Leahy, Airbus chief operating officer, customers. “Hawaiian has gotten great results with their A330s. The passengers, the employees and the accountants for the airline all recognize the advantages of Airbus aircraft, and now they will benefit even further by flying the most popular single-aisle family in the sky.” Hawaiian currently operates a fleet of 43 aircraft, comprised of 25 wide-body, long-haul aircraft (294-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft and 264-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft), and 18 narrow-body 123-seat Boeing 717-200 aircraft for Neighbor Island flights. Hawaiian’s existing orders include an additional 13 new A330s between 2013 and 2015, and six next-generation, longer-range A350XWB-800 aircraft starting in 2017. The existing fleet of 16 Boeing 767s will phase out over the next 10 years. Hawaiian Sets New Record with 9.48 Million Passengers in 2012 Hawaiian Airlines, Inc., a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA), today announced its systemwide traffic statistics for December, fourth quarter, and full year 2012. Hawaiian carried 9,484,204 passengers in 2012, the most in the company’s history. Passenger statistics for December and the fourth quarter were also company records. Page 3, Jan 17-Feb 6, 2013 Page 3 Waikīkī Wikiwiki Wire Robert “Kui” Wright named Outstanding Lodging Employee of the Year by Hawai‘I Lodging & Tourism Association Robert “Kui” Wright, head bartender at the Mai Tai Bar at The Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort, was named the Outstanding Lodging Employee of the Year today at the Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association's (HLTA) Na Po‘e Pa‘ahana (the hardworking people) awards luncheon at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. Wright was selected to receive the lodging industry’s top annual award based on his exceptional professionalism, service on the job at The Royal Hawaiian and outstanding community service. “It’s hard to imagine the Mai Tai Bar without Kui. His presence behind the bar is a welcome sight for many of its return guests. Though his talents as a superb mixologist and his open and friendly demeanor, Kui personally enhances each and every guest’s experience in Hawaii,” wrote Valerie Okawa, human resources manager at The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, A Luxury Collection Resort who nominated Wright for the award. “His dedication as a true ambassador of the aloha spirit allows him to carry on a tradition of excellence at the Mai Tai Bar.” The Outstanding Lodging Employee of the Year award was one of nine awards presented at the annual statewide luncheon honoring Hawaii’s top hospitality industry employees. “We congratulate Kui on his outstanding achievement in being named the best of the best in our industry,” said George Szigeti, president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association. “Our winners and finalists are an example of the thousands of employees that make Hawai‘i so special.” Recipients of HTLA’s accolades are selected based on nominations submitted by their supervisors and co-workers, and are judged on the basis of outstanding and exceptional service to lodging guests, co-workers and the community.