$50 million Marriott makeover produces new face, more smiles

NAWILIWILI — Kirk Pierpoint is just one of the lasting results of a $50-million renovation project that celebrated its completion Thursday at the Kaua‘i Marriott Resort & Beach Club.

“Kirk is the point man on the project, arriving here about a year ago,” said Brad Snyder, Marriott Kaua‘i area general manager.

“As the project nears its end, he is supposed to be packing his bags and heading to another, but he likes it here so much, he’s now the new director of engineering.”

Pierpoint helped create the many improvements and makeover for the resort located in the Kalapaki ahupua‘a. Now, in his new capacity he needs to maintain it.

Snyder said the resort undertook the project about a year ago with a budget close to $50 million.

Thursday’s traditional-Hawaiian ceremony derived from home-dedication roots breathes life into the project as the staff went about its work without the sound of jackhammers and plywood walls obscuring their paths.

A lot of credit for the project

finishing “under budget, and on time, goes to the management team and the staff at the Kaua‘i Marriott,” Snyder said.

“The project started during the downturn in the economy resulting in less hours for employees who had to deal with the renovations,” he said.

“But throughout the project, they maintained a high level of guest satisfaction which is a testament to their commitment to professionalism and dedication,” said Snyder.

“What started out as a renovation project has now turned into a rejuvenation project because there are more smiles when you see the staff.”

Snyder said the last time a ceremony of this sort was held was when the Kaua‘i Marriott opened its doors in June 1995, and the property is looking better today than when it opened.

“We are moving forward with excitement and confidence that we will be a favored choice of accommodations for the different markets — leisure, business, group meetings and Marriott Rewards members,” Snyder said in a release.

“We’ve had a strong presence on Kaua‘i since 1995 and, now, the new hotel rounds out our luxurious Kaua‘i Lagoons resort offerings that include our award-winning Kaua‘i Lagoons Golf Club and vacation ownership by Marriott Vacations Club.”

Some of the major facets of the multi-million-dollar makeover at the 365-room resort located on Kalapaki Beach include:

∫ Completely-transformed guest rooms and Presidential Suite with modern residential furnishings and lanai to take advantage of ocean, garden and mountain views;

∫ Refurbished, open-air Kukui’s on Kalapaki Beach restaurant, featuring a permanent buffet and the new Toro-Tei sushi bar;

∫ Refreshed Aupaka Terrace lobby lounge offering breakfast items and morning coffee in a relaxed atmosphere overlooking the bay and swimming pool;

∫ A new keiki pool featuring a slide and water-spout features, complementing the hotel’s signature, 26,000-square-foot outdoor swimming pool with five whirlpools;

∫ Conference and social-event space comprised of 19,702 square feet of indoor meeting space and almost 60,000 square feet of outdoor event space in ocean, garden and pool settings. The enhanced Kaua‘i Ballroom is the largest on the island, divisible into three sections, and accommodates up to 1,750 guests for receptions, and 1,000 for banquets. On-site audio-visual and Wi-Fi Internet connections are also offered;

∫ An expanded porte cochere and an improved main lobby and registration desk.

To help celebrate the completion of the makeover, specials are being offered in “Free for Fall” rates which start at $209 a night for a pool-view guest room that includes free Internet access, free room upgrade, free golf for children with a paying adult at the Kaua‘i Lagoons Golf Club and a variety of discount coupons for retail outlets on property.

Visit www.kauaimarriott.com for more information.

• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.