WAIPOULI — When the designers came out onto the lawn, the seeds of The ISO were planted, said Ala Perreira, the general manager of the newest boutique hotel on the Royal Coconut Coast.
“The designers were impressed with the large lawn that went up to the water’s edge, the continuation of the water to the horizon,” Perreira said. “ISO — an acronym for Island, Sky, Ocean — is also based on a term in mathematics — equal. ISO is literally where the island meets the sky and is lapped by the ocean.”
Perreira was joined Friday afternoon by a host of dignitaries, including property owners Gary Oda and Rick Fried, Castle Resorts and Hotels President and COO Alan Mattson, a leadership crew from Castle Resorts and a few guests from Castle Resort properties in New Zealand, as the 79-room property was blessed and dedicated as The ISO.
“We’re excited to launch The ISO as Kauai’s newest boutique hotel,” Mattson said. “It has always been a gem of a property with its direct oceanfront location, expansive lawn, pool and one of the island’s most popular restaurants — The Bull Shed. Now, it will be even more spectacular.”
Formerly known as the Mokihana Resort, the property went through a $5 million renovation project including the lobby, the addition of a breakfast room, guest rooms, the building’s exterior and grounds.
As the only property on Kauai’s Eastside that sits on the ocean’s edge without any separation, the exterior make-over included the addition of a lanai to the Bull Shed restaurant, a fire pit and a filtered water station.
Guest rooms feature a rustic, contemporary decor and include a refrigerator, coffee maker, flat screen television, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB capable clock radio, logoed canteen coffee mugs and refillable water bottles.
The ISO offers guests yoga and other fitness options on the oceanfront lawn as well as bicycles to explore the area and the four-mile coastal path, Ke Ala Hele Makalae. The hotel is also located conveniently to hiking trails, golf, waterfalls, gardens, and the Lihue Airport. It is also in close vicinity to shops and restaurants.
All guest room rates include a complementary continental breakfast served from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. daily.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
