PRINCEVILLE — The long-awaited 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay opened its doors for the first time on Wednesday, ushering in a sustainability-first luxury experience on Kaua‘i after nearly three years of renovations and a complete rebrand.
“We pray a blessing over this ‘ohana,” said kahu Jade Wai‘ale‘ale, as she led the blessing ceremony. “From the very top and front of the house, all the way to the back of the house and down below, all the way to the pool and out to the ocean.”
Formerly St. Regis Princeville Resort, the hotel now operates under the 1 Hotels brand — a global luxury resort chain with an environmentally-conscious spin.
“Our company was founded upon honoring nature and being a platform for change, so those are very dear words to us — ‘honoring nature and being a platform for change’ — and we talk about that all the time with the team,” said Jon Gersonde, general manager at 1 Hotels.
“We understand that it’s a shared responsibility — as we say, ‘a shared kuleana’ — to protect the environment for future generations to come. We want to lead the history and turn heads by showing what can be accomplished.”
To avoid creating waste, nearly every piece of packaging used by the hotel is fiber-based and compostable, with much of the remaining packaging utilizing bioplastics. The hotel aims to reach 90 percent waste diversion.
A number of changes were also made in an effort to protect seabirds, who often injure themselves after becoming attracted to artificial lighting. The building has been painted a neutral earth tone to reflect less light, outdoor light fixtures are all in compliance with a shearwater standard, and the company has partnered with Save Our Shearwaters to benefit seabird protections at large.
Additionally, 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay has made efforts to benefit the local community. Several local farms have been called upon by the hotel to provide ingredients for the hotel’s dining establishments, and employers have made a concerted effort to find prospective employees who share 1 Hotel’s drive for wellness and sustainability.
Once employed, workers even have the opportunity to gain paid time off if that time is spent volunteering in the community through the hotel’s Pay it Forward program.
“We know that this is more than just a destination, because at the end of the day this is the place where you live, you work and you play,” said Raul Leal, CEO of 1 Hotel parent company SH Hotels and Resorts. “We’re very respectful of that.”
During the ceremony, Dana Hazelton read a message from Gov. Josh Green in recognition of the hotel’s renewed operations.
“I celebrate the reopening of 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay and the resurgence of this resort as a main economic driver for Kaua‘i’s North Shore community,” she read. “I look forward to the revival and continued cooperation between 1 Hotel and local sustainable nonprofits that promote ‘aina-based programs to perpetuate Kaua‘i’s culture and values and its ultimate prosperity.”
She continued, speaking in support of the Pay it Forward program and congratulating the entire 1 Hotels team on Green’s behalf.
“While Kaua‘i continues to reopen, I am confident that 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay will preserve this model of long-term resiliency and wellness for the North Shore of Kaua‘i,” she read.
Speaking for Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami, county Managing Director Michael Dahilig voiced support for the hotel’s mission for sustainability and community benefit.
“It’s more than just a structure,” Dahilig said. “It’s more than just a plan. It’s more than just drinks that are served at the bar. It’s people — the faces of this island that put themselves forward to welcome all of the world to this place.”
He continued, offering his gratitude for keeping construction workers employed throughout the pandemic.
“That needs to be mentioned,” he said, “because the developers of this resort took a chance on Kaua‘i when no one wanted to take a chance on anybody around the world. So, thank you for that as well.”
Finally, Dahilig expressed best wishes for the resort’s future to hotel management and staff. “Congratulations,” he said. “We look forward to how you folks will integrate into our community.”
