Mufi's Message

We’re just a few weeks into Spring, and it seems a lot of new properties have been “springing” up lately. Here in Waikiki, The Grand Islander by Hilton Grand Vacations recently had a successful opening, and Prince Waikiki (formerly Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki & Golf Club) just completed a $60M renovation and name change. Meanwhile, new hotel properties such as The Laylow Waikiki, Holiday Inn Express Honolulu-Waikiki, Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach, The Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach, and Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki have elevated the scene on Kuhio Avenue, especially with the newly refurbished International Market Place added to the mix.

On the west side of Oahu, Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina is relatively new, and this week Thursday a Coffee Talk & Tour event presented by the HLTA Oahu Chapter will be staged at the new Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton - Kapolei. Finally, on Maui, The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas is scheduled to open this weekend on April 15.

Spring also means that many graduating high school and college students are nearing the end of the school year, collecting scholarships for college or aiming to find a career soon after graduation. Here at HLTA, we have taken a vested interest in supporting high school and college students, as we provide a plethora of scholarships and mentorship opportunities. 

For the past seven months, twelve college students studying travel industry management at UH, HPU, and BYU- Hawaii have been paired up with twelve of HLTA’s finest General Managers for a mentorship program that we worked with Art Sarkissian of Here and Now Consulting to initiate. Next Wednesday, their mentorship will culminate in a ceremonial luncheon held at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa. We look forward to hearing the stories and lessons learned from both the mentees and mentors at this event, and are already excited for the 2nd annual mentorship program to begin.

Also taking place in the coming weeks is our 13th annual Citizen-Scholar Awards to be held at The MODERN Honolulu on April 27 that is co-sponsored by the Department of Education and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. For this event, 42 HLTA members are sponsoring a $1000 scholarship and lunch for 42 of Hawaii’s brightest public high school students. This year, HLTA is also giving out an additional $2500 scholarship to the top student from each county: Hawaii Island, Kauai, Maui, and Oahu. Mahalo to all the sponsors who have contributed to this event.