Mauna Kea Restoration

The 310-room Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, opened in 1965 by Laurance Rockefeller and the first luxury resort on the Big Island of Hawaii, will close on July 10, 1994, for restoration work expected to last between one and two years.

“We think of this as a restoration of a 28-year-old lady,” said longtime general manager Adi Kohler. “The hotel is in perfect condition from a maintenance point of view, but the style of the bathrooms is outdated and the new colors are lighter. The hotel needs to be brought into the year 2000.”

Kohler said plumbing and air conditioning will be extensively renovated and “the interior . . . needs to be updated.”

The closure will coincide with the opening of the 350-room Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, the second hotel at Mauna Kea Resort.

People have asked “how can anyone build (another hotel) in such a tough economy,” Kohler said. “It fits into the master plan created by Mr. Rockefeller. We were supposed to have three hotels, three golf courses and a marina. A third hotel is out of the question, but a third golf course is in the planning stages.”

Both hotels are owned by the Seibu Group, a Japanese company. During the restoration, the Mauna Kea’s resort facilities, including golf and tennis, will remain open.

Reservations and information may be obtained by calling (800) 882-6060.