Originally Posted by
kokinos
AM good to see you back on here. But it's not always about the real estate value!
I prefer Grand Hyatt Kauai over Kea Lani without question. I remember when I first walked into the Kea Lani and was walking down the hall to my room on that orange/brown carpet and thinking to myself I've seen much nicer resorts in Mexico. The grounds at Kea Lani aren't anything to write home about. Polo Beach is easily the best part of this hotel.
Kea Lani sits on 100 year leased land. Kea Lani is about as old as the Orchid. My point is from a business perspective, the hotel needs to be economically viable in the longterm. To acquire land, and pop a building, the hotel rates must be sustainable to pay the amortization of the inputs.. otherwise why build a hotel at all from an investment standpoint?
A note, Grand Wailea, Four Seasons, as well as the Ritz Kapalua, Orchid, all went through foreclosure this last economic downturn. Goes to show the costs far outweighed the market ability to sustain these high end choice properties.
Kea Lani isn't the prettiest hotel, but I sure love the location.. imho Wailea is the best location in all of the Hawaiian islands to vacation.
Kok.. we've gotta catch up on another round soon!