Sonesta unveils first property in Hawai‘i

NAWILIWILI — The clean white signs fronting the entrance off Rice Street said it all — Royal Sonesta Kaua‘i Resort.

Paul Toner will remain as the general manager for the property that shed its chapter as the Kaua‘i Marriott Resort as the Sonesta flag was unfurled by Kaupena Kinimaka and Ben Napoleon, two of the longest-employed associates at the resort located on Kalapaki Beach.

“We are excited to join Sonesta’s portfolio during this time of monumental growth,” Toner said. “As the brand’s first and only location in Hawai‘i, we are proud to represent the Sonesta brand in the state.”

The unfurling of the flag marked the end of the conversion of the hotel to a Royal Sonesta, one of seven Sonesta brands. Royal Sonesta hotels boast generous appointments for an indulgent and culture-filled stay.

Royal Soneta Kaua’s Resort’s joining the Sonesta International Hotels Corporation U.S. portfolio expands the brand’s national footprint in key tourism regions and contributes to the company’s monumental 350 percent growth in less than six months, states a release.

On Oct. 7, 2020, Service Properties Trust (SVC), the hotel’s owner, announced plans to transition the branding and management of nearly 100 of their hotels to Sonesta. Management of nine of the hotels included in the transfer were previously transitioned to Sonesta on Dec 15, 2020, launching the company’s latest brand, Sonesta Select.

It is the first Sonesta property to open in Hawai‘i, and Simon Rusconi, the Sonesta Vice President of Operations, declared it Hawai‘i Day where Sonestans from the corporate office created a video welcoming the Kaua‘i property to the Sonesta family with aloha attire and spirit.

Rusconi also made the announcement of Toner’s position amidst cheers of the ‘ohana, including special guests Sue Kanoho of the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau, Mark Perriello of the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce, and Mark Benner of the Hawai‘i Lodging and Tourism Association, Kaua‘i Chapter, that stopped the heartbeat of the resort just long enough to celebrate and toast the new chapter for the Kalapaki resort.

According to the Sonesta website, “our mission at Sonesta is to wow every guest, team member, partner and community in which we operate by delivering quality, value, and amazing hospitality. We bring these values to every one of our more than 380 properties in eight countries — and counting.”

Sonesta cares deeply about the health and well-being of guests and employees and will ensure that corporate policies for safety are implemented in each new hotel property from Day One. Stay Safe with Sonesta is a rigorous health and cleanliness program outlined for all U.S. hotels to take the company’s standards on safe and clean hotels to the next level in response to the COVID-19.

Working with Ecolab, Inc., a leading provider of cleaning and disinfecting solutions for the hospitality industry, Stay Safe with Sonesta will meet or exceed applicable CDC and/or governmental requirements and guidance related to the ongoing pandemic. The program will continue to evolve to align with new protocols and follow updated guidance from public health authorities that will maintain greatest levels of protection for guests and employees of Sonesta.

Royal Sonesta Kaua‘i Resort is conveniently located on Kalapaki’s white-sand beaches, just two miles from the Lihu‘e Airport. The resort features more than 350 luxurious garden, pool, or ocean view rooms and suites as well as 27,758 square feet of flexible meeting space and an on-site fitness center and spa.

Guests of Royal Sonesta Kaua‘i Resort will be encouraged to enroll in Sonesta Travel Pass, the brand’s award-winning and nationally-recognized guest rewards program that gives its members perks, points, privileges and exclusives in addition to the warm, friendly service and little extras found at any Sonesta.

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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.