occinteriordesign

Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel Interior Renovation

Elise Kunihiro

 photo #1: photo credit: www.hotels.com

        Located on one of the most premiere white sand beaches on the Big Island of Hawaii, the Hapuna Prince Hotel began their interior renovation project in phases, starting in 2011 and finishing in the fall of 2013.  While the open-air architecture of the hotel remained untouched, a local Oahu-based interior design firm Philpotts and Associates was hired to update the lobby, guest rooms, pool area, and restaurants.  The colors, artwork, fabrics, and furnishings were inspired by the natural setting and history of the hotel’s location on the Kohala Coast.
   
         The Hapuna Prince has been a favorite family destination since I was young, and I’ve been lucky enough to visit again this week for a friend’s wedding and share firsthand the transformation of the hotel interior by updating the furnishings and materials.  The building itself sits on the bluffs above the white sand crescent beach, and the massive structure features enormous columns, open-air lobby, curved staircases, and skylights.  All of the rooms are ocean-facing, capitalizing on the beautiful ocean views and breezes.  The melding of indoor-outdoor space in the public areas is connected even more with the surrounding environment in the selection of natural dark slate flagstone floors, glass railings to optimize unobstructed views, stained wood paneling, lava rock walls, and a selection of native plants.     

 photo #2: photo credit: www.hotels.com

  In need of the most attention were the guest rooms, which had not been majorly updated since the hotel was built in 1994 and were certainly outdated.  The previous decor resembled more of a kitschy beach cottage vibe as opposed to a modern tropical luxury destination that the hotel was aiming to achieve in their renovation project.  Philpotts and Associates incorporated more elements of Hawaiian culture in the design by including traditional motifs.  The new floor treatment included replacing the older carpet with a custom woven beige boucle decorated with an olive colored palm print, bringing a more graphic element to the room.  The Polynesian theme continues with the addition of a neutral, but vibrantly patterned wallpaper on the wall behind the beds, giving that particular wall an animated pop.  The wallpaper is a kapa print, a traditional Hawaiian paper made from bast fibers and printed with geometrical shapes that are bold and direct.  The other walls remain painted in a calming off white to balance the combination of patterns on the floor, fabric, and walls. 
 

( photo #3)
photos clockwise: new materials including the carpet, lamps, wallpaper, light wood furniture, fabrics, and bedding.

         Previously white washed furniture has been replaced with more contemporary light hardwood.  The bed frames and one of the side tables both have bamboo incorporated into their design, playing on the tropical theme.  The rooms used to have wicker sitting chairs, but have since been replaced with dark rattan chairs with seating cushions and pillows upholstered in a canvas fabric decorated with a colorful tropical plant design.  Traditional colonial style floor and table lamps have been replaced with more contemporary pieces that are just as beautiful as they are functional.  Wide drum off-white linen lampshades sit on artisan clear glass bases as well as tall Japanese inspired ceramic lamp bases, adding a more visually striking and exotic element to the room than the previous traditional colonial style fixtures.  The old pale watercolor printed quilts have been replaced with plush new bedding in simple white and the beds now tailored with linen bedskirts.  To give the room a pop of color, bright orange blankets are folded at the base of the bed adding a dimension of modern style, matching the orange flowers found in the seating cushion fabric.  Sliding glass doors open to a wide lanai with updated modern patio furniture.  One of the nicest features of the room renovations include the addition of white wooden shutters that slide on a track parallel to the sliding glass doors so they can not only be adjusted to filter light, but also slide completely out of the way to each side to reveal an unobstructed ocean view.  The easiest change to give the room a modern, updated feel was one of the most obvious solutions — replacing the old boxy televisions with a 55” high-definition television.  

(Photo #4)

        This renovation project also included enhancements to Hapuna’s pool area by adding a new stone pool deck and updating the lanai furniture. The lobby and three restaurants, Ocean Terrace, Reef Lounge and Beach Bar, have been refreshed and updated with posh gathering areas and modern furnishings.  Having seen the hotel before and after, the materials the hotel and Philpotts and Associates have chosen have made the resort feel more modernized and sophisticated and work really well in the architectural space.  The updated design has given consideration to the surrounding tropical location and incorporated elements of culture and history.  The redesign has successfully accomplished creating a place of relaxation where I could relax and enjoy the beautiful Hawaiian beach, living up to it's award winning status. 

Resources:
1.  http://www.hotels.com/ho108652/hapuna-beach-prince-hotel-kamuela-united-states/
2.  http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/hawaii/big-island/review-55238.html
3.  http://www.princeresortshawaii.com/hbph-room-refresh.php
4.  http://www.mcneilwilson.com/client-news/201303/3401
5.  http://www.princeresortshawaii.com/hapuna-beach-prince-hotel/press/mauna-kea-beach-hotel-and-hapuna-beach-prince-hotel-complete-multi-million-dollar-refresh
6.  http://www.scientificsymposiums.com/store/store_files/HBP_Renovation-12.pdf