Front Elevation: New Hawaii
Luxury on Lanai, Kauai and the Big Island.
Print
Email
Bookmark
ShareFebruary 1, 2007
Allyson and Denny Weinberg are world travelers. During their long marriage, they have toured France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Israel and Ghana. However, when it came time to purchase a vacation home, the couple decided to buy domestically—in Hawaii.What beckoned them to Hawaii were the turquoise waters, the
silky sand, the tropical ocean breezes and their own memories. The Weinbergs,
whose primary home is in Southern California, had taken their children—now ages
23 to 29—to Hawaii for many family summer and Christmas holidays. "It’s just
like paradise there," says Allyson Weinberg. "There’s no other place quite like
it."
The dining pavilion and great room of the new Keolu
clubhouse at the Four Seasons Hualalai resort on the Big Island of Hawaii. The
clubhouse is reserved exclusively for Hualalai homeowners. Top photograph by Kyle Rothenborg. (Click images to enlarge); function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Seasoned globetrotters are always looking for the next
far-flung vacation hot spot. However, at the same time they are also seeking the
familiar with a dash of the exotic, which is what Hawaii represents. More of
them are now buying second, third and fourth homes in Hawaii as developers
rush to keep up with demand.
"At this price point and the distance, we are really competing with the rest of the world," says A. Holtzman, president of Kukui‘ula, a luxury home development on Kauai. "We are an exotic island location, but we’re located within the United States, which gives people a tremendous amount of security in terms of personal safety and for their investment."
Computer mogul Michael Dell certainly knows a good investment when he sees one. In mid-2006, Dell, through his New York investment vehicle MSD Capital, in partnership with the Rockpoint Group of San Francisco, acquired the Four Seasons Hualalai resort on the Big Island. Dell already has the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea in his portfolio.
The Weinbergs say that Hawaii’s domestic location was a key factor in the purchase of their $5 million, three-bedroom, 3,500-square-foot oceanview home on Lanai two years ago. "We wanted to support our economy and we liked it for the ease of travel," says Allyson, whose husband is a retired health-care executive.
More people are discovering, or rediscovering, Hawaii. For example, Lihue Airport on Kauai recently increased thenumber of nonstop flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix to six daily. Kauai has experienced annual visitor growth of 6.8 percent in 2005, resulting in more than one million visitors. In August and December, the Westside of Los Angeles appears to virtually empty out, as it seems everybody’s gone to Hawaii for the holidays.
Indeed, more often than not, a Hawaii homeowner, who hails from
the
mainland, started out as a hotel guest. And that is what the newest luxury
residential communities are banking on. By offering top-of-the-line
luxury
resorts, developers are hoping to lure home buyers. The
following is a rundown
of some of the latest and most notable
developments on Lanai, the Big Island and
Kauai.
