1 Hotel Hanalei Bay begins welcoming guests

i By March 2, 2023 No Comments

1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, the flagship property of luxury lifestyle brand 1 Hotels, has opened on the north shore of Kauai, Hawai’i.

If you can’t find it in nature, you won’t find it here is the biophilic design principle that inspired the resort’s $300 million transformation, in line with 1 Hotels’ mission to connect people, place and nature. Indigenous and endemic vines and plants weave through low-impact structures that blend into their surroundings, causing the hotel to virtually vanish into its cliffside site.

The multi-year conservation plan replaced non-native and invasive species with wildlife-friendly vegetation. Nearly a third of the site was restored with native and adapted vegetation. The lobby, reception, and open-air entranceway feature reclaimed teak joists, puka lava stone walls and ceilings hand-woven from abacá – all locally sourced.

This is an image of a guestroom, 1 Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii. Photo courtesy of 1 Hotels.

1 Hotel Hanalei Bay’s 252 rooms, including 51 suites, have floors fashioned from local black basalt, reclaimed teak and abaca furnitue, and traditional punai daybeds. All accommodations have oversized openable windows with views of the bay.

By opting for reconstruction as opposed to new construction, a significant amount of waste was diverted from landfills. Working in collaboration with RE-use Hawaii, nearly 150 tons of on-site furniture, fixtures, equipment, and other materials were salvaged, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is on track to operate as a 100% Certified Carbon Neutral and TRUE zero-waste certified oasis, in-line with the brands other U.S. properties.

1 Hotel Hanlei Bay also features:

  • 29,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including five indoor spaces and five outdoor spaces;
  • green roofs that reduce and filter stormwater runoff, mitigate heat island effects and improve air quality through carbon sequestration as well as hospitng a organic chef’s garden;
  • the 18,000-square-foot Bamford Wellness Spa, which offers body treatments inspired by local culture and native medicinal plants/organic ingredients and includes a cryotherapy chamber, hyperbaric chamber, infrared saunas with halotherapy, Dreampod ice baths, a Somadome meditation pod, and a salt pod flotation chamber;
  • the 10,000 square-foot Anatomy fitness center helmed by former NHL athlete Marc Megna, which includes an outdoor beachfront jungle gym, dedicated spin/all-function room, and indoor and outdoor yoga spaces;
  • a 1 x  Vitahealth Medi Spa (launching in May 2023) offering a 360-degree integrated medicine program;
  • several f&b options – 1 Kitchen (all-day dining), Welina Terrace (modern Japanese cuisine), The Sandbox (poolside dining), Kai Maikai (snack bar), Neighbors (all day grab-and-go), Waioli (shave ice desserts), The Juice Bar, and Lobby Farmstand (stocked with local produce);
  • a range of sports facilities (tennis, pickleball, golf) and water sports – the Bay’s surf is suitable for surfers at all levels;
  • and three saline pools.

“Hanalei Bay is the culmination of everything we’ve sought to achieve with the 1 Hotels brand,” said Barry Sternlicht, 1 Hotels’ founder and chairman. “What makes the opening of this property such a special moment for me is that my family and I vacationed in the area for deades. When I first visited, I found the existing hotel not in keeping with its natural landscape. I had a vision of creating an extraordinary resort that would combine the magic of a lush native lanscape with the region’s rich culture and history. We’ve brought that vision to life with a unique hospitality experience that pays tribute to these wonderful local traditions where nature is the CEO, where the building integrates with the boundless beauty of its surroundings, and all our guests can experience the wellness, soothing and healing properties of the extraordinary island of Kauai.”