Hilton Hawaiian Village, the largest resort complex in Waikiki, is preparing for expansion.
Construction of the 515-room, 36-story Ala Moana Boulevard Tower (AMB Tower) is expected to begin in 2024 or 2025 if permits are granted as planned.
Estimated construction period is about 30 months. The construction site is a plot next to the Crand Waikikian Tower, the site of the former Japanese-style steakhouse Kobe Restaurant.
The construction cost has not yet been disclosed, but it is expected to be described in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIS).
Park Hotels & Resorts, which owns the Hilton Hawaiian Village, said an additional environmental impact report would be published around December.
The total construction cost is 420 million dollars, and there are 418 rooms. When the AMB Tower is built, the entire Hilton Village will expand by approximately 0.5 acres.
According to a report by Star Advertiser, Park Hotels & Resorts purchased the largest section of the site for $5.2 million in 2018.
The Kobe restaurant building was owned by ABC Store affiliates.
It is said that an ABC Mart store is also planned to be in the AMB Tower.
There are various opinions regarding this construction plan.
Waikiki Improvement Association President Rick Egd said in a statement that the construction of the AMB Tower is a process of replacing the current aging building with a state-of-the-art technology that will make the entrance to Waikiki more attractive.
On the other hand, the Waikiki Residents’ Association is said to be opposed to the construction of the AMB Tower for reasons such as population density, increased traffic congestion, and lack of parking.
However, Bob Finley, chairman of the Waikiki Residents’ Association, said that the residents’ association had not yet announced an official position, and explained that there would be more opportunities for residents to review the construction plan.
In addition, it is known that some point out that the right to sunlight is violated or that the sea level rise is insufficient.
Park Hotels & Resorts senior vice president Jonathan Puiz said the AMB Tower will increase Waikiki’s visitor capacity and improve traffic by keeping visitors within the Hilton Village grounds.
Norman Hong, chairman of Group 70 International Inc (G70), a construction company that will be in charge of constructing the AMB tower, said that drainage problems and infrastructure improvements will be implemented in accordance with city and state regulations.
Finley, chairman of the Waikiki Residents Association, explained that Park Hotels & Resorts’ water saving system has the same idea and direction as the Waikiki Residents Association.
In addition, he added that it is true that additional hotels are needed because the short-term rental business regulation strengthening law (Law 22-7) recently entered into force by the city government can increase the demand for accommodation by short-term visitors.
Hawaii Hotel Association (HHA) President Jerry Gibson said the AMB Tower will be able to increase visitor capacity in Waikiki, the heart of the tourism industry, and will be able to mitigate illegal short-term rentals.