At times, the dust is so bad that even after housekeepers have cleaned a Kiahuna Plantation unit in the morning, you can write your name in the dust on the kitchen counter in the afternoon. The dust and noise problems,
At times, the dust is so bad that even after housekeepers have cleaned a Kiahuna Plantation unit in the morning, you can write your name in the dust on the kitchen counter in the afternoon.
The dust and noise problems, though, pale in comparison to the lost revenues at Kiahuna, next-door neighbor to the construction zone that will eventually become Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club.
That’s the word from Jim Hill, general manager for Outrigger Kiahuna Plantation, which manages over 200 of the 333 total Kiahuna units.
He called the loss of revenues associated with guests not wishing to stay near a construction zone, even close to the world’s greatest beach, combined with deep discounts that had to be offered just to get warm bodies into the units closest to the construction, “an economic tragedy” for owners.
“It’s definitely been a hit,” said Hill, adding that the conversion of the old Waiohai Hotel into a timeshare resort is expected to last two more years.
Shuffling guests last year was the most difficult task, when demolition work was going on. Some owners probably realized half the income last year that a unit in a normal year would generate.
“We lost huge amounts of money last year.”
He was quick to point out that some periods of the construction have been quieter than expected, and that cooperation with Marriott representatives has been better than expected in some cases as well.
“Anytime you get construction next to existing businesses, there will be some problems.”
Still, even he probably didn’t anticipate the dust problems, exacerbated by some barren areas of the Waiohai grounds. He figures some of the Kiahuna building exteriors will have to be repainted once the Waiohai construction is completed.
Then, there were the two occasions when workers pumping water out of the basement area of the Waiohai inadvertently flooded out some of the Kiahuna grounds, Hill said.
Marriott, Hill continued, has obtained permission from the Knudsen family to use a portion of the old Poipu Beach Hotel grounds for construction parking. When a backhoe was brought in to clear some of that area, it took out some of the buffer vegetation between the Kiahuna and construction properties, Hill said.
Representatives from Marriott could not be reached for comment, but at last check the project was on schedule. That means four of the nine buildings are expected completed before this year is over.
Of the remaining five buildings, three are expected completed in spring or summer of next year, with the final two not scheduled for completion until summer 2004.
Business Editor Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
