I haven't seen the finished Pauhia lounge setup on the first floor (I heard that the bar has been ordered and will be setup soon) but as it was when I visited this last December, I much prefer having the Lava Lounge located on the second floor.

Currently patrons of the restaurant must walk through the bar area and there is no view to speak of (other than diners) for the Pauhia loungers. This reminds me a great deal of moving furniture around in a house every few years, there isn't a good reason for it except that people like to try new things every now and then.

My heart goes out to Doug. He is an amazing bartender, (I don't even drink), and really made his lounge a special space. It will be hard for him to recreate this feeling on the first floor with waiters rushing to and fro amongst the bar loungers. My guess is that business declines at the Pauhia lounge vs. the Lava Lounge and that business picks up at the Beachtree bar which is right on the water and has an extended deck right on the water. I'll hold final judgement until I visit it next year, after they have opened the bar and completed their vision. And, this should in no way deter people from going to Hualalai. This place is amazing!