Sporting a pool with a view, the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the Big Island topped the American Express Departures survey with a score of 91.27 out of a possible 100 points.
Neighbor isle resorts
rank high for luxury
There just might be a pot of gold at the end of one of Maui's famous rainbows. Five of its luxury hotel properties, more than on any other Hawaiian island, made a recent list of ultimate travel picks among American Express magazine readers.
Departures, a luxury lifestyle magazine published exclusively for American Express Platinum Card and Centurion members, surveyed 51,000 readers to arrive at a top 15-list of luxury hotels in Hawaii. While Maui properties garnered the majority of reader's votes, six other Neighbor Island properties were named to the list as were four on Oahu.
The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the Big Island topped the survey with a score of 91.27 out of a possible 100 point. The results of the Departures list will be published in the May/June 2004 issue.
"We are fortunate to have so many luxury properties in the state of Hawaii," said Marsha Wienert, Gov. Linda Lingle's tourism liaison, who added it's no surprise the list was dominated by neighbor island properties since these destinations have actively sought a higher-end clientele.
Maui, which saw visitor spending rise more than 7 percent last year, has been particularly successful in gaining its share of the luxury market, said Wienert, who is the former head of the Maui Visitors Bureau.
"Maui has been successful in establishing a brand and image that attract higher spending visitors," she said.
Maui also offers visitors higher-priced attractions, such as eco-tours, horseback riding, cruises and golf. Events like the Maui Film Festival have also helped Maui position itself as a luxury destination, said Lori Kennedy, spokesperson for the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, which placed second in the property ranking.
"Maui continues to look for opportunities to provide travelers with the kinds of experiences that they seek and to give them reasons to come back," Kennedy said.
As the economy continues to improve and as airlines offer more direct service to the Neighbor Islands, more affluent visitors will visit the garden isle's luxury resorts, said Sue Kanoho, director of the Kauai Visitors Bureau. Kauai's direct flights started increasing in April and additional flights are slated to continue through the summer, she said.
"People are kind of looking for a fantasy vacation, and the wind is right for picking properties that they can really splurge on," Kanaho said.
Being named as a top property increases tourist traffic, said Kathleen Horrigan, general manager of the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.
"Certainly the readers of these top-upscale travel publications give weight to these rankings when making travel decisions," Horrigan said.
The Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel is likely to see more fall and winter bookings as a result of the hotel's high ranking, said Vivienne Gan, director of communications.
"Departures readers include the kinds of guests that the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii and other luxury properties seek," Gan said. "The readers belong to the right income market and basically they have always been guests of the Kahala Mandarin Oriental hotel."
Top 15 luxury hotels in Hawaii
American Express Departures magazine readers recently named their ultimate travel picks for Hawaii.
Resort Score (out of 100) Four Seasons Resort Hualalai 91.27 Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea 88.84 Princeville Resort 83.87 The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua 80.87 Halekulani 80.58 Grand Wailea Resort 79.82 Kahala Mandarin Oriental 74.90 Hilton Waikoloa Village 68.51 Royal Hawaiian 68.13 Fairmont Kea Lani 66.13 Manele Bay Hotel 64.41 Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows 62.93 Lodge at Koele 57.01 Kapalua Bay Hotel 56.63 Alii Tower at Hilton Hawaiian Village 55.06 Source: American Express
