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Aqua Hotels in Hawaii

Aqua Hotels and Resorts was founded in 2001, making it one of Hawaii's newest hotel management companies. In the beginning, Aqua emphasized its low prices, but later they went through a period during which they targeted a more upscale visitor. At that time they had a hotel category called "Aqua Elite" that included the elegantly decorated Renew Hotel. Today Aqua no longer has an elite hotel category, but they still have properties that will interest a wide range of Hawaii visitors from budget travelers, to families, to those looking for moderately priced hotels with extra amenities such as spas, ocean views, and on-site restaurants. Aqua is one of the Aqua Aston Hospitality hotel brands.

A history of Aqua Hotels and Resorts in Hawaii since the company was founded in 2001.

2009 Aqua Hotel News

ADDED IN 2009
-Kauai Beach Resort (formerly Hilton)
-Hotel Molokai

  • Hotel Wailea Maui (formerly Diamond Wailea)

    KAUAI BEACH RESORT: In July of 2009 Aqua Hotels and Resorts took over managing the 350 room former Hilton Kauai Beach Resort and the only hotel on Molokai Island, the 53 room Hotel Molokai.

    AQUA WAIKIKI PEARL: Also in July of 2009, the name of the 135 room Aqua Honolulu Prince Hotel was changed to the Aqua Waikiki Pearl, after a $5 million renovation project was completed.

    HOTEL WAILEA MAUI: In June of 2009 the Diamond Wailea Resort and Spa, a resort on the island of Maui that was managed by Aqua Hotels and Resorts, was renamed the Hotel Wailea Maui The hotel's owner, Black Diamond Hospitality Investments of Honolulu, also initiated a hotel room upgrade that was expected to be completed by October 1, 2009. The Hotel Wailea Maui was built in the late 1980's.

    DIAMOND WAILEA RESORT: In On January 1, 2009 Aqua was awarded the management contract for the 72 room, all suite, Diamond Wailea Resort and Spa in South Maui. The Diamond Wailea sits on 15 acres of land above the luxurious Wailea Resort east of Kihei, in South Maui. The resort was built in the late 1980's as an exclusive club for wealthy Japanese visitors, and when Aqua resorts took over its management it still had traditional men's and women's ofuro hot baths.

    As of January 2009, Aqua Hotels and resorts was managing 12 Waikiki hotels under its "Aqua Boutique" and "Aqua Lite" Brands. In 2009, Aqua began repositioning itself from being a collection of elite and upscale boutique hotels, to a lower cost, and more personalized service, alterative to the more expensive boutique hotels and large resort.

    2008 Aqua Resorts News

    ADDED IN 2009:

  • Park Shore Waikiki Hotel
  • Waikiki Beachside Hotel (formerly Aston)
  • Waikiki Honolulu Prince Hotel (renamed Waikiki Pearl in 2009)

    LOST IN 2009:

  • Aqua Renew Hotel

    In November of 2008, Ben Rafter was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Aqua Hotels and Resorts.

    THREE NEW HOTELS ADDED: Between January and September of 2008, Aqua receiv management contracts for three additional Waikiki hotels, the Park Shore Waikiki Hotel, the Waikiki Beachside, And the Waikiki Honolulu Prince Hotel.

    As of September 2008, Aqua was managing 13 Waikiki hotels.

    2008 September 8
    Aqua Hotels Institutes ESOP
    In September of 2008, Aqua Hotels and Resorts converted into Hawaii's first employee-owned hospitality chain.

    2008 August
    - Waikiki Aqua Hotel Becomes Best Western
    Also in August of 2008, Aqua relinquished its contract to manage the Hotel Renew when that hot's management contract was awarded to the Unique Boutique Hospitality Group, a member of Luxe Worldwide Hotels. Sometime after that that change. Aqua retired the "Aqua Elite" hotel category brand, presumably because the Hotel Renew was its only hotel in that category.

    2008 July 1
    Aqua Hotels to Manage Park Shore Waikiki

    2008 June 30
    Aqua Hotels to Manage Park Shore Waikiki

    2008 April 8
    Aqua Hotels Opens Third Spa in Waikiki
    The Aqua Resorts hotel chain opened their third spa in Waikiki, at their Aqua Aloha Surf and Spa Hotel. The Aqua Aloha Surf Spa is 900 square feet in size and it has two treatment rooms, one designed for individual treatments and one for couples treatments.

    2008 April 7
    Aqua Hotels Opens Third Waikiki Spa

    2008 March 7
    Aqua Hotels Takes Over Management of the Honolulu Prince
    Aqua Resorts CEO Mike Paulin announced that Ramsfield Hospital Finance selected Aqua to manage their newly acquired Honolulu Prince Hotel as of March 26, 2008. This management chan The 121 room Honolulu Prince buget hotel is lccated at 415 Nahua Street and it was formerly managed by ResortQuest Hawaii. Aqua will rename the hote the Aqua Honolulu Prince and it will be one of Aqua's budget priced "lite" hotels. This management change increased the number of Aqua hotels ind Waikiki to 12.

    2008 March 3
    Aqua to Manage Honolulu Prince

    2008 February 22
    Aqua Coconut Plaza Hotel To Close for Renovations
    On February 23, 2008 Aqua Resorts closed their Aqua Coconut Plaza Hotel for renovations. The 81 room hotel reopened in June of 2008 with a new name: The Coconut Waikiki Hotel.

    2008 February 11
    Owners Put Aqua Continental Back on Market

    2008 January 28
    Aqua to Manage Waikiki Beachside

    2007 Aqua Resorts News

    AQUA HOTELS AT THE END OF 2007
    Boutique Brand Hotels
    -01. Aqua Aloha Surf and Spa (spa was new in 2007)
    -02. Aqua Bamboo and Spa
    -03. The Equus (formerly Polo Inn)
    -04. Aqua Palms and Spa (formerly Waikiki Parkside)

  • 05. Aqua Waikiki Wave (formerly Aqua Coral Reef)
    Lite Brand Hotels:
  • 06. Aqua Coconut Plaza
  • 07. Aqua Continental
  • 08. Aqua Island Colony
  • 09. Aqua Waikiki Marina
  • 10. Ocean Tower Hotel

    The Aqua Elite Brand was added in 2007, to represent Aqua's highest end hotels. The Elite brand was retired when Aqua was no longer managing the Aqua Renew Hotel.

    Attention to its Customers Drives Aqua Hotels' Growth (Aug)

    2006 Aqua Resorts News

    AQUA HOTELS AT THE END OF 2006
    Boutique Brand Hotels
    -01. Aqua Aloha Surf
    -02. Aqua Bamboo and Spa
    -03. The Equus (formerly Polo Inn)
    -04. Aqua Palms and Spa

  • 05. Aqua Waikiki Wave (formerly Aqua Coral Reef)
    Lite Brand Hotels:
  • 06. Aqua Coconut Plaza
  • 07. Aqua Continental
  • 08. Aqua Island Colony
  • 09. Aqua Marina
  • 10. Ocean Tower Hotel

    Between the end of 2005 and the end of 2006, Aqua Hotels and Resorts added five hotels to their management porfolio, and they stopped managing one, bringing the total number of Aqua hotels in Waikiki to 10 by the end of 2006. Hotels added in 2006 included The Equus (formerly the Polo Inn), the Coconut Plaza, the Continental Surf, the Island Colony, the Ocean Tower, and the former Aqua Coral Reef, which reopened after extensive renovations as the Aqua Waikiki Wave.

    Two other changes in 2006: The Aqua Lite Line brand was added represent Aqua's most affordable hotels and Aqua launched a all new, more sophisticated

    Other 2006 Aqua News:
    - Aqua Hotels Will Manage Coconut Plaza (Dec)
    - Aqua Spends $26 Million on Renovations (Nove)
    - Aqua Doubles Capacity (Oct)
    - Aqua Adds a Ninth Waikiki Hotel (Sep)
    - New Aqua Brands: More Luxury at Higher Prices (Jul)
    - Aqua's Brands from Lite to Boutique to Elite (Jul)
    - Aqua to Manage Coral Reef Hotel (Jun)
    - Aqua Rebrands Hotel (Feb)
    - Aqua Properties: Now There Are 8 (Jan)
    - Aqua to Run the Continental Surf (Jan)
    - Aqua Hotel Adds to Waikiki Portfolio (Jan)

    2005 Aqua Resorts News

    AQUA HOTELS AT THE END OF 2005
    -1. Aqua Aloha Surf (new in 2005)
    -2. Aqua Bamboo and Spa (spa added in 2005)
    -3. Aqua Kuhio Village
    -4. Aqua Marina
    -5. Aqua Palms

    Aqua Hotels and Resorts opened its first spa in June of 2005, in a small building next to the swimming pool of the Aqua Bamboo Hotel. Because of that change, the hotel was officially renamed the Aqua Bamboo Hotel and Spa. The "Aqua Boutique Collection" brand was also launched in 2005, to position Aqua as a collection of boutique hotels.


    - Aqua Hotels Opens First Spa (Jun)
    - Aqua Breaking Away from Budget (May)
    - 204-room Aloha Surf To Get $2.5M Remake (Mar)
    - Aloha Surf to be Sold Unit by Unit (Mar)
    - Aqua Hotels Refines Brand (Mar)
    - Condotel Market Takes Off (Feb)
    - Waikiki Hotels Going from Tired to Trendy (Jan)
    - Aqua to Manage Newly Completed Aqua Palms (Jan)
    - Aqua to Manage Aloha Surf Hotel (Jan
    - Aqua Hotels Takes Over Aloha Surf (Jan)

    2004 Aqua Resorts News

    AQUA HOTELS AS OF THE END OF 2004:
    -1. Aqua Bamboo
    -2. Aqua Kuhio Village
    -3. Aqua Marina
    -4. Aqua Palms (new in 2004)

    AQUA CORAL REEF AND SUITES: I believe the Aqua Coral Reef and Suites was no longer listed becaues it was undergoing extensive renovations. The Coral Reef Hotel reopened later as the Aqua Waikiki Wave.

    AQUA PLAMS: When units at the Palms in Waikiki went up for sale in August of 2004, all 248 of the units were sold out within 9 hours, because of the high demand for studio and one bedroom condominium units in Waikiki. Because of construction delays and buyer pullouts, about 45 of those units were back on the market by May of 2005, and selling for about $116,000 to $225,000. LaeRoc Partners bought the Palms in 2001 for about $12.7 million, when it was known as the Waikiki Parkside Hotel. Initially they planned to operate it as a hotel, but later they decided to sell it as condotel units. Interior designer Terrence Burke was hired to decorate the condotel and Aqua Hotels and Resorts was hired to manage it. In May of 2005, Aqua was expecting to open the Aqua Palms in July or August of 2005.

    Hotels Hit July Occupancy Record

    2003 Aqua Resorts News

    AQUA HOTELS AS OF THE END OF 2003:
    -Aqua Bamboo
    -Aqua Coral Reef and Suites
    -Aqua Marina

    At the end of 2003, Aqua was still managing three resorts, but by then the Aqua Coral Reef had been named the Aqua Coral Reef and Suites. For more information see the December 2003 Hawaii Business Magazine article by Alex Salkever: "Mike Paulin's Wet Ride Home"

    2002 Aqua Resorts News

    As of the end of 1992, Aqua Hotels and Resorts was managing three Waikiki Hotels:
    -Aqua Bamboo
    -Aqua Coral Reef
    -Aqua Marina

    2001 Aqua Resorts News

    Aqua Hotels and Resorts is a hotel management and operations service founded in 2001 by Hawaii hotelier Michael V. Paulin. In 1978 Michael and Andre S. Tatibouet created the Aston Hotels and Resorts management company, and nine years later he left that company to form Marc Hotels and Resorts, which he sold to Sunterra in 1997. In 2001 he formed his newest hotel management company, Aqua Hotels and Resorts.


    All Overnight Lodging in Hawaii

    The Islands of Hawaii

    Visitor Attractions in Hawaii

    State of Hawaii Travel Guide


  • See also:
    Pictures of Hawaii
    Destinations in Hawaii
    Hawaii for Visitors




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