Oceanfront Hotel Re-Opens on Hawaii’s Hilo Bay

By Keith Loria, Contributing Editor

The Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo

Hilo, Hawaii—DoubleTree by Hilton has opened The Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo – a DoubleTree by Hilton, a 320-key oceanfront hotel on Hilo Bay in Hawaii, transforming the hotel from a budget property to a four diamond, upper-upscale, full-service property.

“This historic hotel has undergone a $30 million renovation, which is nothing short of a total transformation,” Phyllis Branco, The Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo’s general manager, told Commercial Property Executive. “We are the only flagged hotel just 29 miles or a 45-minute drive to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and we are only a few minutes from Hilo airport.”

Guest rooms offer complimentary Wi-Fi, a generously sized work desk, a microwave, refrigerator, in-room safe and DoubleTree Sweet Dreams Sleep Experience beds. Guests who upgrade to a spacious suite may also relax in a separate living area and enjoy breathtaking ocean views from the balcony.

The hotel includes a new porte-cochere, a new bay-view lobby, state-of-the-art fitness center, 13,000 square feet of meeting and event space, the upgraded Willie K. concert hall, and upgraded guest rooms with oceanfront views, from Hilo Bay to Mauna Kea and beyond.

The property marks DoubleTree by Hilton’s first hotel on the Big Island, designed to deliver a world-class guest experience that is true to the spirit of the Merrie Monarch Festival, true to aloha, and true to the meaning of Hula.

“I believe that our employees, being surrounded by the spirit of Hula, will be better able to treat our guests with a different tone than they’ll find anywhere else, and our guests will in turn be able to experience the soul of Hula through its working relationship with the hotel,” Branco said. “Everything about the theme of the hotel is centered around respecting the cultural tradition of Hula.”

Kim Taylor Reece, one of the most famous Hula photographers in the world, is the artistic curator for the entire hotel and has provided $4 million worth of Hula art.

The Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo – a DoubleTree by Hilton is located on 70 acres of oceanfront property, offering views of Hilo Bay and the Mauna Kea Volcano.

“Hilo is known for adventure—there are incredible waterfalls, beaches and hikes here,” Branco said. “As a DoubleTree by Hilton, the Grand Naniloa Hotel now offers guests the opportunity to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, with our brand new in-house center for Kapohokine Adventures, Hawaii Island’s top adventure company.”