What's New on Kauai

First Annual Kaua‘i Marathon to be Held September 2009
December 2008
The first annual Kaua‘i Marathon will be held September 6, 2009. All the beauty of Kaua‘i – sparkling blue water, pristine white sand beaches and lush rainforests – will be seen from a runner’s-eye view during this inaugural event. The scenic course, which starts at Po‘ipu Beach, will donate net proceeds to local charities. Registration and further information is available at www.thekauaimarathon.com.

Media Contact:
Bob Craver, co-race director, The Kaua‘i Marathon
Phone: 808-283-2078
barkmaui@aol.com
www.thekauaimarathon.com

---

Ko‘a Kea Hotel & Resort (former Po‘ipu Beach Hotel) Opening in 2009
January 2009
The new beachfront Ko‘a Kea Hotel & Resort is will open its doors in April 2009. The 121-room hotel will feature guestrooms and suites with fresh, crisp colors and sleek furniture to highlight the exterior views. The new hotel also includes a lounge, the stunning new restaurant Red Salt, and The Spa at Ko‘a Kea. The property is right on Po‘ipu Beach, utilizing the original footprint of the former Po‘ipu Beach Hotel.

Media Contact:
Erin Franklin, senior account executive, Victoria King Public Relations, Inc.
Phone: 310-207-5175
erin@vkpr.com
www.koakea.com

---

Princeville Resort Rebranding to St. Regis
January 2009
In September, Princeville Resort began renovations of its 252-room luxury cliff top property on the north shore of Kaua‘i. The renovations will elevate the brand of the Starwood property, which is currently a four-star resort, as a St. Regis, the hotel company’s most exclusive brand. Completion is scheduled for spring 2009.

Media Contact:
Stephanie Kaluahine Reid, director of public relations,
St. Regis Princeville Resort
Phone: 808-826-2286
stephanie.reid@stregis.com
www.stregis.com/Princeville

---

Whaler’s Cove Renovates its Rooms
January 2009
The 39-room Whalers Cove property in Po‘ipu has just completed renovating six of its 1,400-square-foot condo units.  The condo upgrades included stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, tile floors and large 2-person showers.  Also, the 2,000-square-foot Ali‘i Penthouse with wrap-around lanai and dramatic ocean views will soon be completed and available for weekly rentals.

Media Contact:
Marianne Martin, general manager, Whaler’s Cove
Phone: 800-225-2683
mmartin@whalers-cove.com
www.whalers-cove.com

---

Aloha Beach Hotel Completes Renovations
December 2008
Aloha Beach Hotel, a 216-room beachfront property, recently completed it multimillion-dollar renovation. The hotel, which is now managed by ResortQuest Hawai‘i, updated all hotel rooms, retiled the ocean pool and made improvements to the pool deck. The hotel also started work on renovating its 1-bedroom cottages.

Media Contact:
Lisa Cripe, director of marketing, ResortQuest Hawai‘i
Phone: 808-931-1482
lisa.cripe@resortquesthawaii.com
www.resortquesthawaii.com

---

Poipu Shores Completes Exterior Renovations
November 2008
Castle Resorts & Hotels’ 39-room oceanfront condo resort, Poipu Shores, has completed its two-phase multimillion-dollar renovation. The property upgraded its exterior façade and common areas including the lanai, swimming pool, walkways and BBQ areas. It also renovated more than 30 percent of its rooms. As part of the renovation, the resort now offers high-speed Internet access in every room.

Media Contact:
Donna Wheeler, senior director of marketing, Castle Resorts & Hotels
Phone: 808-524-0900
dwheeler@castleresorts.com
www.castleresorts.com

---

Princeville Ranch Adventures Adds New Zipline
October 2008
Princeville Ranch Adventures recently added a new line to its zip course. The new “Lehua” line is 460 feet in length and is integrated into the regular zipline tours, “Zip N’ Dip Expedition” and “Zip Express”. The course now offers eight different zip lines, plus a bonus “bunny” line. Both tours allow guests to soar over breathtaking valleyw, walk through the treetops and cross over a waterfall on a suspension bridge.

Media Contact:
Corinne Travillion, sales manager, Princeville Ranch Adventures
Phone: 808-826-7669
corinne@adventureskauai.com
www.adventureskauai.com

---

Just Live! Expands to Create New Tours
December 2008
Just Live!, a training and adventure company specializing in ropes and zipline courses, has expanded. The company built new zipline courses that take guests on up to seven new zipline runs (up to 800 feet in length), and include up to five bridge crossings. Its new zipline operations also offer a Full Moon Zip Tour, allowing guests to enjoy the Treetop Tour by the light of the full moon.

Media Contact:
Julianne Lester, founder/president/co-owner, Just Live!
Phone: 808-482-1295
info@justlive.org
www.justlive.org

---

Merriman’s Restaurant Expanding to Kaua‘i
September 2008
Peter Merriman, renowned chef and owner of Merriman’s Restaurant on Hawai‘i's Big Island, will bring his highly acclaimed business to the Garden Isle with two concepts under the same roof: a fine dining experience upstairs and a market cafe downstairs. The restaurant will be located in the new Kukui‘ula Village, which is currently under construction in Po‘ipu. It is slated to open in 2009. Merriman is a three-time finalist in the James Beard Awards for Best Chef, Pacific Northwest and Hawai‘i.

Media Contact:
Paul Gamache, director of operations, Merriman’s Restaurant
Phone: 808-885-6822
info@merrimanshawaii.com
www.merrimanshawaii.com

---

Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort & Spa Goes Green by Using Solar Power
September 2008
Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort & Spa has installed an 18,500 square-foot, 280-kilowatt photovoltaic system at the 602-room hotel. This new system generates 438,000-kilowatt hours of power annually and reduces the hotel’s carbon dioxide emissions by more than 237,000 tons. The amount of electricity generated by the system is equivalent to what’s needed to power 300 homes.

Media Contact:
Diann Hartman, public relations manager, Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa
Phone: 808-240-6436
dhartman@hyatt.com
www.grandhyattkauai.com

---

Malie Launches Organic Products
July 2008
Malie, makers of luxury bath and beauty products on Kaua‘i, recently announced the launch of its new Organic Aromas of Paradise, which can be used as a perfume or room spray. Malie uses natural and organic ingredients in its products whenever possible, only sourcing materials made in Hawaii and the U.S. It also uses 100% post consumer recycled materials for its product packaging.

Media Contact:
Lindsey Noelani Fritz, creative marketing director, Malie
Phone: 808-431-4027
lindsey@maliekauai.com
www.maliekauai.com

---

Po‘ipu listed as one of TripAdvisor’s Favorite U.S. Destinations
May 2008
TripAdvisor released its inaugural list of Travelers’ Choice Top 100 Worldwide favorite destinations. Po‘ipu is listed as #4 in the Top 25 destinations for the United States. Winners were determined by TripAdvisor travelers’ favorite places and overall popularity. For a complete list, visit www.tripadvisor.com/TCDestinations.

Media Contact:
Jody Kono Kjeldsen, Poipu Beach Resort Association
Phone: 808-742-7444
jody@poipu-beach.org
www.poipu-beach.org

---

### Last Updated: 1/14/09