WAILUA — Vianne Tabata of American Saving Bank said she always liked the roof of the resort that sits adjacent to a heiau, the popular Lydgate Park complex and the area where the Wailua River meets the sea. “The designers
WAILUA — Vianne Tabata of American Saving Bank said she always liked the roof of the resort that sits adjacent to a heiau, the popular Lydgate Park complex and the area where the Wailua River meets the sea.
“The designers made it even more attractive with its use of enhancements and color,” Tabata said.
Tabata was among the about 100 guests who attended last week’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, a partnership with the Kauai Chamber of Commerce and the Hilton Garden Inn at Wailua Beach.
“This is where we had prom dates because my son liked the koi,” Tabata said. “We came here a lot.”
Ray Blouin, general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn, said the hotel has been a fixture in the lives of many island residents.
The resort has been open about a month.
During the work leading to Tuesday’s ceremonial opening, Blouin said the resort’s employees were placed in the sister Aston/Aqua properties until the makeover was completed.
The Hilton Garden Inn at Wailua Beach offers 7,460 square feet, including the revitalized Kuhio Ballroom, the Hilton Conservatory, a business center, and its restaurant and lounge.
Harvey Kinoshita of the East Kauai Lions Club was in attendance with the Lions District Governor Kelvin Moniz, enjoying the celebration ahead of the Lions District Convention which will be the first major event at the new resort. Kinoshita is the co-chair of the convention which will bring Lions from clubs on the neighbor islands to the Hilton Garden Inn for its annual convention.