Published on Jan 13, 2013
Dolphin entangled with fishing line rescued by divers in Kona Hawaii
Update: I learned that the hook and all line were removed after I spoke with the diver. I would prefer to correct the video caption, but you tube does not have the option to reload without loosing all your beautiful comments and thought. Blessings to all I can inspire. Martina (Camera Woman)
It was another great year at the annual Nā Kukui netlinks event. This year it was hosted at the Oahu Country Club.
Ho`okipa is a fundraising event for students in the Kapi’olani Community College culinary arts and hospitality and tourism programs. Culinary and hospitality and tourism students work closely with their instructors to make this event happen.
Chef Ronnie and I bought seats to support the Kapi’olani Community College culinary arts and hospitality and tourism program. It was a great night catching up with old friends and making new ones.
Ho‘okipa KCC Culinary at Convention Center Chef saying aloha to Jason Peel, Chef Chris Kajioka and Chef Ronnie
Kevin and I attended the annual “Emerald Ball” hosted by the The Friends of St. Patrick.
Hosted at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii’s Manoa Grand Ballroom on Saturday. The event featured Irish food and performances by Helen Loftus, Celtic Waves, Hawaii Irish Dance and Kieran Murphy; past St. Patrick’s Day parade chairman Chuck Wall was also honored as Irish Person of the Year.
To see more photo BY KAT WADE / Special to the Star-Advertiser
A story from Stephanie Silverstein Reporter-Pacific Business News
Mar 3, 2014, 3:20pm HST
Inland American Lodging Group Inc. said Monday that it has purchased the 645-room Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel for approximately $183 million.
The hotel will continue to be managed by Aston Hotels & Resorts.
“We are thrilled to add the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel to our portfolio,” Marcel Verbaas, president and CEO of Inland American Lodging Advisor Inc., said in a statement, noting that Oahu is one of the top-performing hotels markets in the country, with Waikiki comprising the most vibrant lodging market in the Islands.
The Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel, located at 2570 Kalakaua Ave. in Waikiki, was previously owned by RHAC LLC, a joint venture between Gaylord Entertainment Co. and RREEF Global Opportunities Fund II. It is the 12th-largest hotel on Oahu, according to PBN research.
The hotel has 23 floors and 645 guestrooms, including 42 suites, 90 percent of which have private balconies overlooking Waikiki Beach. The hotel has 3,300 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space and 19,400 square feet of retail space, which is leased by restaurants including Tiki’s Bar & Grill.
“With its superior location in this high barrier-to-entry market, this asset provides the opportunity to achieve high occupancy levels and premium [revenue per available room] growth,” Verbaas said. “The addition of this hotel not only further improves our geographic diversification but also exemplifies our strategy of increasing our portfolio RevPAR through acquisitions in markets with outsized growth projections.”
Stephanie Silverstein covers tourism, retail and money for Pacific Business News.
Chef Ronnie has prepared an amazing treat for this year’s Chocolate Festival. Made with love and a bit of skill, Chef has prepared a Crunchy Hawaiian Chocolate Spring Rolls with a Peanut Butter Crème Hand Rolled Spring rolls filled with chocolate cake, local chocolate ganache, dusted with Tahitian Vanilla Sugar.
Sitting down to plan a wine dinner. Great ideas from Master Sommelier Patrick Okubo of Young's Market Company of Hawaii, Chef Ronnie, Michael Miller, and Teresa Milton.
We are looking forward to having Winemaker Jesse Katz from Roth Winery & Lancaster Estate Winery host a wine dinner party at Tiki's Grill & Bar on Monday March 10th. -- at Tiki's Grill & Bar.
On Super Bowl Yelp Sunday, we take a look at some of the ono grindz you can get at restaurant Tiki's Grill and Bar in Waikiki at game time and during happy hour.