Big Changes in Waikiki: Waikiki Beach Walk
One of Waikiki's biggest projects in decades is the total renovation of an 8-acre area (bound by Saratoga Rd., Kalakaua Ave., Lewers St. and Kalia Rd.) called the "Waikiki Beach Walk." The project, by Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, cost some $460 million.
Phase One, completed in 2007, reconfigured the formerly very congested area (narrow streets, with lots of delivery trucks double-parked, crowded sidewalks, and no vegetation) into an oasis of broad sidewalks, tropical foliage, water features, open space and new, totally renovated hotels. Eleven hotels were razed, upgraded, or changed to suites or condos. Five hotels and one timeshare condominium remains. The bad news for budget travelers is the more-affordable near-oceanfront hotels, neighborhood eateries, and small independent shops have been replaced with luxury (higher-priced) properties with 90,000 square feet of swank shops and trendy restaurants to match, all linked through pedestrian bridges and connecting walkways.
Changes to the hotels in this area include:
The former 480-room Ohana Reef Towers is now a 193-condominium unit timeshare, operated by Outrigger, and renamed Wyndham Waikiki Beach Walk.
The Ohana Edgewater and Ohana Coral Seas were razed and replaced by Waikiki Beach Walk, a 90,000-square-foot retail/entertainment complex with 40 retail shops, four major restaurants, four smaller food and beverage spots, and an open pedestrian plaza.
The former Ohana Waikiki Village and the Ohana Waikiki Tower hotels, which had a total of 881 rooms, were demolished and an Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk, with a total of 421 suites, was built to replace them.
The Outrigger Reef on the Beach totally refurbished its rooms.
The Ohana Islander Waikiki, on the corner of Kalakaua Avenue and Lewers Street, is in the process of renovating its 280 units.
