Representatives of Hyatt Hotels were in New York City Tuesday night to promote the latest strategies at the company's Hawaii hotels. Here’s what Travel Agent uncovered.
Andaz Maui Partners With Maverick Helicopters
Guests can take part in an exclusive Maui culinary experience in partnership with Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort and Maverick Helicopters.
Guests will take flight over Maui’s authentic and remote landscape on a Hawaiian culinary experience. A group of six passengers will soar over Maui’s North Shore with Executive Chef Isaac Bancaco, taking in sea cliffs and waterfalls with aerial shoreline perspectives above Paia, Hookipa, Haiku and beyond, before landing in the Hana rainforest.
Once in Hana, the group will learn about the culture, history, land, native vegetation and plants of the area before returning back to the 15-acre beachfront Andaz Maui for an intimate cooking class in the resort’s signature restaurant, Ka’ana Kitchen, utilizing the fresh fruit and produce from their helicopter experience.
This experience, which launched this month, will be offered once a month at $1,200 per person.
Visit maui.andaz.hyatt.com
Inside the Hyatt Regency Maui’s New “Regency Club”
The newly renovated Regency Club, located on the ground floor of the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, offers exclusive use for resort guests, as well as indoor and outdoor lounge space overlooking the resort’s Oriental Gardens and Pacific Ocean.
It’s a solid upgrade opportunity for honeymooners, families and business travelers who would like to have a more private place to hang out on the grounds, as well as enjoy food throughout the day.
Guests who book a Regency Club upgrade with their room will get daily complimentary continental breakfast, daily local and national newspapers, light snacks and refreshments throughout the day and light hors d’oeuvres and Hawaiian-inspired desserts in the evenings.
Visit maui.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html
Meet Grand Hyatt Kauai’s New Nightclub
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa’s former nightclub, Kuhio’s, has been refreshed and repurposed to encompass a 900 square-foot hospitality lounge for guests with early arrival/late night flights, a 1,166 square-foot meeting space and 2,600 square feet of office space.
Owners of the Grand Hyatt Kauai, Kawailoa Development, sought to retain the original look and feel of the entrance while being as “green” as possible, reusing materials to keep the Kuhio’s feel alive. The departure lounge area at the forefront of the building has all original woodwork, with the space designed to highlight this.
Visit kauai.grand.hyatt.com
Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach's New Waking Tour on Oahu
Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach on Oahu will launch a special walking tour centered around the cultural history of the area.
Dubbed “E hoʻāla e” (Revive, Renew, Restore), this tour will be held once a week to provide guests an in-depth look at the history and culture of the island, culminating in a visit to the onsite "Historical Exhibit."
Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach will be offering a special group offer for select dates in 2018. Groups can have easy access to entertainment, shopping, dining, spa, and cultural immersion, with rooms starting at just $215 per night.
Visit www.waikiki.regency.hyatt.com/cultural-activities
Hyatt Continues Wellness Push, Acquires Exhale
Hyatt is continuing its big push into wellness travel by acquiring Exhale, a spa brand with 25 locations in markets throughout Hawaii, the mainland United States and the Caribbean.
In announcing the acquisition last summer, Hyatt cited Exhale’s loyal guest following and dozens of branded programs. Hyatt said that Exhale locations and programming will be part of the World of Hyatt platform in the future, bringing new experiences for loyalty program members.
The move follows Hyatt’s acquisition of wellness travel provider Miraval Group earlier in 2017. That deal brought Miraval’s flagship property, the Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa, under Hyatt’s umbrella, as well as the recently acquired Travaasa Resort in Austin and the Cranwell Spa & Golf Resort in Lenox, MA. The transaction also included the Miraval Life in Balance Spa brand, which opened its first location in Dana Point, CA, last year.
According to the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), the wellness travel market is expanding 50 percent faster than the overall travel industry. Importantly for travel agents, wellness travelers also spend 130 percent more than the average client. The niche is especially popular among younger guests, with 43 percent of Millennial respondents in MMGY Global’s 2017 Portrait of the American Traveler citing “spa” as an influential feature when selecting a hotel or resort - well above the overall average of 31 percent.
The spa has been making significant inroads in the cruise space as well, with the announcement earlier this year that major spa brand Canyon Ranch is bringing wellness tours to Oceania Cruises, building on an existing agreement to operate Canyon Ranch SpaClub at Sea facilities onboard Oceania ships. Earlier this summer, Linblad Expeditions-National Geographic announced a partnership with Exhale, in which the two companies will co-offer “Base Camp Baja” wellness voyages.
Visit www.hyatt.com and keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for all your latest travel news. Be sure to follow Travel Agent’s Joe Pike on Twitter @TravelPike and Instagram @pike5260.
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