Hawaii-based Turtle Bay Resort has been reimagined for the first time since opening in 1972.
The 450-room Turtle Bay Resort is located in Oahu on 1,300 acres of land, including beaches and conservation space. According to CoStar data, the hotel is owned by BRE Hotels & Resorts, an affiliate of Blackstone Inc., and operated by Pyramid Global Hospitality. Blackstone bought the resort in 2017 for $332.5 million from Oaktree Capital Management.
The redesign has been led by Los Angeles-based designer and architect Dianna Wong. On-property enhancements include a new lobby and lobby bar, new restaurants, an updated pool deck, a new adults-only pool and all new guest rooms.
Hotel News Now caught up with Jon Gersonde, vice president and managing director of Turtle Bay Resort, for more about the resort's transformation, his outlook on travel demand and goals ahead.
Gersonde was appointed the role in August 2023.
What's new on property?
Although Turtle Bay Resort reopened to the public in July 2021 with our public spaces, we continued with the renovation by sectioning off areas of the resort. With our Nalu Spa as the last area to be reimagined, we completed our full renovation this past May. Every aspect of the resort has been reinvented by taking its cues from nature. Longtime guests and newcomers alike will be able to feel a sense of relaxation once they step foot into the resort.
The new light-filled lobby has had walls replaced with windows to create panoramic views of the beaches, surf and sky in all directions, and now features a new lobby bar, Off the Lip, with an unbeatable sunset view.
The renovation also introduced new restaurants including signature restaurant Alaia, featuring fresh produce from our own on-property Kuilima Farm, and the Ocean Club Lounge. This exclusive new enhancement option provides guests with upgraded amenities, designated concierge, breathtaking sunset views from the lounge, and services including daily breakfast, lunch and nightly libations with light fare.
Kuilima Farm, our 469-acre farm, operated by Pono Pacific, is open to the public with farmstands and supplies Turtle Bay Resort and other local restaurants with 2,000 pounds of produce each week.
We’ve updated our terraced pool deck with a new adults-only pool, a kids’ pool stacked with two water slides, a redesigned family-friendly pool and family pool cabanas.
Rooms were redesigned by LA-based interior designer, Dianna Wong, and have ocean views from every room type including suites and our Ocean Bungalows. Turtle Bay Resort now has two Ali’i Suites, also known as our presidential suites, which offers two full baths, two spacious balconies to see the sunrise and sunset, two living spaces and a walk-in closet.
How has business from meetings and events recovered?
We’ve seen plenty of group business since the resort reopened. In addition to the guest rooms, interior designer Wong carried the same nature-influenced aesthetic through to all of the meeting and event spaces. Turtle Bay Resort offers two ballrooms, five meeting rooms and seven outdoor locations, all of which are the perfect backdrop for business meetings/corporate retreats, weddings, family gatherings and social events.
In addition to the new design elements, all of the spaces have been outfitted with state-of-the-art audio/visual and video conferencing capabilities, lighting and dimming systems and high-tech signage.
Along with this transformation, the resort has introduced a number of new cultural, wellness, culinary and adventure activities, perfect for groups and team building, such as Oceanside Beach Yoga, Kuilima Farm Private Tour, Night Glow Golf at the Putting Course and Turtle Bay’s Signature Paniolo Lu’au dinner show.
What’s your general outlook for demand in 2024?
We are optimistic for 2024. Pent-up desire among travelers to explore and experience new destinations continues to persist. At Turtle Bay Resort, we’re actively investing in improving and expanding our resort offerings to meet the evolving preferences of our guests. These enhancements include unique experiences and amenities in our newly reimagined Ocean Bungalows, wellness programs and innovative treatments in our newly renovated Nalu Spa, and our continued commitment to sustainability efforts, including our 468-acre Kuilima Farm.
Have you noticed if inbound travel from Japan is ticking up?
Traditionally, Japanese travelers have a preference for staying in the Waikiki area. However, we've observed a slight increase in Japanese visitors this past summer. While Japanese travelers often seek the experiences that Honolulu and Waikiki offers, we believe this shift towards the North Shore signifies an evolving interest in exploring the more serene and nature-rich aspects of Oahu.
How much demand is there from the surf tourism community?
With North Shore, Oahu, arguably being the mecca of surf with some of the biggest surf competitions that take place just a few miles from Turtle Bay Resort, and us being the only resort on the North Shore, we certainly see and welcome a great amount of surfers especially during surf season, November to March.
We also partner with the Jamie O’Brien Surf Experience who offers surf lessons for all skill levels. O’Brien was born and raised on the North Shore and is a well decorated professional surfer. With five miles of coastline just on our 1,300 acres of land, we’re fortunate to have amazing surf breaks available for both guests and locals to enjoy at Turtle Bay Resort.
How would you describe your short-term and long-term goals?
Our short-term and long-term goals revolve around providing exceptional guest experiences and adapting to industry trends and new technology.
Our immediate focus is on delivering hyper-personalized experiences. We aim to consistently provide exceptional service, innovative amenities and unforgettable moments for our guests. Technology plays a vital role in our long-term strategy. Our use of customer relationship management systems enables us to have a deep understanding of our guests and their customer journey. We will not only meet but anticipate the needs and preferences of our guests, creating a truly exceptional and memorable stay.