[ISLAND HOPPING]
Princely shopping
Now that the holidays are near, the Prince Hotels are offering vacation shop-overs on Oahu and Maui.The Hawaii Prince Hotel in Waikiki is offering its Kama'aina Shopover Package through Dec. 27, which gives you a $25 Ala Moana Center gift certificate when you book a stay, at $110 per night for an oceanview room.
If you need to pick up a few gifts on Maui, stay in an oceanview room at the Maui Prince Hotel, Makena Resort, for $139 and receive a gift certificate to use at the Shops of Wailea.
A Hawaii ID is required at check-in, and some restrictions and blackout days apply. For more information, call 956-1111 on Oahu or 808-874-1111 on Maui.
Romance in paradise
If you've got romance and the holidays in mind, Ko Olina is offering a romantic renewal-of-vows wedding ceremony and -- thinking ahead to spring -- a few ways to start young lives together in style.The $800 Renewal of Vows Ceremony package includes a choice of gazebo or Lagoon Lawn for the site; a member of the clergy to perform the ceremony; a Micronesian ginger lei for the bride; a maile lei for the groom; and a bottle of house champagne for toasting, allowing for a maximum of 20 persons in the ceremony.
For those about to be married, the $1,200 Apo Aloha ("Circle of Love") package includes a choice of wedding site; fresh floral decorations; a choice of a five-strand pikake lei or traditional wedding bouquet for the bride; a choice of maile and pikake lei or boutonniere for the groom; a harpist to play the "Hawaiian Wedding Song"; and Ihilani memento.
The priciest package is the Ihilani "Heavenly Splendor," which includes all of the above, plus professional photographer and videographer services and photo album, at $2,800.
In between are the La O Mea Makanee "Day of Treasure," at $1,800, and Mau Loa "Forever" package, at $1,500.
For more information, call 679-0079 or 800-626-4446.
Aston deal extended
Aston Hotels & Resorts Hawaii has extended its "ASTONishing" fourth-night-free promotion into mid-2002. Guests will receive a free night after paying for three nights at participating Aston properties on Maui, Kauai, Oahu and the Big Island.The offer is valid on bookings that take place from Jan. 4 to June 30, 2002.
In addition to the fourth night free, the package gives guests:
>> Buy-one-get-one-free luau.
>> ASTONishing Deals Book valued up to $700.
>> No extra-person charge.
Based in Honolulu, Aston Hawaii operates 33 condominium resorts and hotels. Call 800-321-2558 from Hawaii, or 800-92-ASTON (922-7866) from the mainland or Canada for reservations. The TDD phone number is 800-441-2344; or go online at www.astonhotels.com.
Adding more holiday cheer at Puopelu this year is a festive collection of Christmas aloha shirts, which will be on display in the library through Jan. 4. All of the shirts were produced by isle manufacturer Reyn Spooner over the past 15 years, and are on loan to Parker Ranch from private collections. Reyn Spooner creates tradition
with ‘Hawaiian Christmas’ shirtsStar-Bulletin Staff
Introduced in 1983, "Hawaiian Christmas" is Reyn Spooner's annual limited-edition print commemorating the holiday season.
The fabric design changes every year, but constant elements in each year's design are a wreath-bedecked nene goose and, since 1984, the respective year of issue cleverly placed within the imagery.
"We had no idea how popular the first limited-issue shirts would be," says Tim McCullough, president and CEO of Reyn's and Reyn Spooner. "The incredible response we had in 1983 inspired us to date each design starting with the 1984 issue."
While attending the Queen's Hospital Auxiliary Annual Christmas Auctions of the early '80s, McCullough and his wife, Kooksie, were amazed by the festive holiday attire worn by the women, and noticed there was very little Christmas Hawaiiana for men.
According to Tim, "During the 1982 auction, we were looking around the event at this continuing disparity and then looked at each other and smiled, because we were both thinking the exact same thing: Let's make our own limited-issue Hawaiian Christmas design that both men and women could enjoy."
Over the years, "Hawaiian Christmas" has become a collectors' item, coveted by Reyn Spooner fans far and wide. Because each design is a limited run, once the shirts sell out, there is little if any chance of obtaining a past issue.
In recent years, customers have started phoning in their orders for "Hawaiian Christmas" as early as August, guaranteeing them a shirt when production is complete.
"Hawaiian Christmas 2001" features color-block, hand-stitched quilt designs with stylized images such as leaping reindeer, snowshoes, pineapple and poinsettias, a smiling snowman, a "Mele Kalikimaka" stocking, Santa -- both surfing, and posing with his board -- and, of course, the date. The shirt is offered in a green or a blue combination, pullover or button-front men's shirt styles.
The current shirt costs $65 and is available on the Big Island at Reyn's at Parker Ranch Shopping Center, the Orchid at Mauna Lani and the Hilton Waikoloa; on Kauai at the Hyatt Regency Kauai; on Maui at Whalers Village and the Shops at Wailea; and on Oahu at Ala Moana Center, Kahala Mall and the Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel; or visit www.reyns.com and go to the online store.