On November 20, the 12-story hotel overlooking Fort DeRussy Park and just steps from Waikiki Beach, will become the Aloha state's first 100 percent smoke-free hotel. Appropriately enough, the conversion date coincides with the American Cancer Society's "Great American Smoke Out."
To commemorate the smoke free conversion date, all day long hotel management will be handing out free "kick-the-habit kits" consisting of chewing gum, teeth whitening toothpaste, herbal tea and a pamphlet with tips for kicking the smoking habit and health benefits of a smoke-free lifestyle. The kits will be available to registered guests until December 31, 2003, while supplies last.
The 110-room boutique style hotel has spent more than three months to complete the painstaking process of cleaning and renovating all rooms and public areas. All fabrics, carpeting, furnishings, wall coverings and air filtration systems are being replaced, cleaned or chemically treated to remove the remnants of smoke and smoke odor. Cost to complete the conversion was not disclosed.
"Over the last few years, we have noticed a decreasing demand for smoking rooms and an increasing sensitivity to any odor or exposure to cigarette smoke," said director of brand development Bitsy Kelley. "With twelve properties in Waikiki, it made good business sense to convert one of our properties to a 100 percent smoke-free environment. We're hoping it strengthens our guests' loyalty to OHANA Hotels for future visits."
The smoke-free policy even extends to Buzz's Steakhouse, which operates a bar and restaurant located on the lobby level.
Guests holding reservations for smoking rooms have been contacted and transferred to other OHANA hotels. The OHANA Reef Lanai, at 225 Saratoga Road, is one of OHANA Hotels' family-friendly budget hotels offering close beach access, spectacular ocean and park views, rooms with balconies and some with kitchenettes, coin-operated laundry facility, complimentary continental breakfast, and SimpleSaver Rates that start as low as $109. Its lobby and guest rooms were renovated less than two years ago. All guest rooms now include a coffee maker, refrigerator, hair dryer and ironing board. Guests have use of the beach, pool, Serenity Spa and Cowabunga Kids Club at the nearby Outrigger Reef on the Beach.
OHANA Hotels & Resorts operates 16 moderately priced properties located on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii's Big Island and Guam. The brand is a division of Outrigger Enterprises, Inc., the largest locally owned lodging company in Hawaii and one of the fastest growing lodging companies in the Pacific. Under its two hotel brands - Outrigger Hotels & Resorts and OHANA Hotels & Resorts - the company currently operates or has under development 48 hotels and resorts throughout the Pacific region, representing more than 12,000 hotel rooms and condominium units in Hawaii, Micronesia, Australia and the South Pacific. Outrigger's affiliate, Outrigger Lodging Services, operates nearly two-dozen hotels and resorts throughout the U.S. Mainland.
For reservations or information, call your preferred travel professional or OHANA Hotels & Resorts toll-free at 800-462-6262 within the U.S., Guam and Canada. Elsewhere call 303-369-7777. For online information or reservations, Internet users can log onto www.ohanahotels.com. OHANA Hotels' e-mail address is reservations@ohanahotels.com.