All photos courtesy of The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Honolulu.
Have you ever wondered what it’d look like to combine the luxury of Italian design and natural beauty of Honolulu? Now you don’t have to imagine.
Mana’olana Partners unveiled The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Honolulu’s new kitchen and bathroom designs in collaboration with renowned Milan-based designer, Molteni&C|Dada. This marks the Italian designer’s debut on the Hawaiian islands.
“As one of the world’s most influential tastemakers, Molteni&C|Dada is synonymous with sophistication and class and stands for everything that the Mandarin Oriental brand represents,” said James Ratkovich, co-managing partner of Mana’olana Partners, in a press release. “We are elated to welcome our future Residents to the Residence Gallery to experience the true-to-life Molteni spaces.”
Designed by Dianna Wong Architecture and fabricated by Molteni&C|Dada, the 99 exclusive residences will feature custom Italian bathrooms with a selection of two dramatic color palettes.
The Daybreak Palette will include Dada light oak wood cabinetry, Dada pewter metal trim, Dada Maxxigloss white lacquer cabinetry, White Carrara marble Kitchen counter and backsplash, and ADM White European Oak wood flooring.
The Nightfall Palette will have Rhone camel stained Oak wood flooring, Dada Eucalyptus wood kitchen cabinetry, Dada Titan metal trim and Grigio Lido Opaco Marble counter and backsplash.
Residents will have premier access to a private amenity level comprised of a luxury pool and lounge area with sun cabanas, a chef’s kitchen with a dining room, state-of-the-art theater and more.
Residents and hotel guests alike will be able to shop in the Retail Salon, which holds the finest merchandise from couture fashion and accessories to jewelry and luxury timepieces.
Prospective owners can virtually experience the building through the Residence Gallery, which features an interactive touchscreen, in which users can explore floor plans, renderings, views and fly-through videos as well as tour vignettes of the Dada-designed kitchens and bathrooms.
Select residences are available in the low $2 millions and up to $35 million, which includes the most expensive penthouse on the market in Honolulu.
The Residences at the Mandarin Oriental, Honolulu has unveiled a first look at the exquisite residences that are ushering in a new era of luxury in Hawaii.
Developed by Salem Partners and conceived by an acclaimed team of international designers from Meyer Davis and Dianna Wong to Hart Howerton and Fluidity Design, the collaboration has never before been seen and will likely never exist again.
The Mandarin Oriental, Honolulu will push the boundaries of design and innovation and raise the bar for luxury high-rise living in Honolulu. Located on of the most iconic street corners in the state, the 36-story tower will rank among the most lauded architecturally significant buildings in the world.
The tower will also house 125 chic and contemporary guest rooms and suites, designed to reflect the local culture while paying homage to Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s heritage. Starting from the 19th floor, 99 exclusive residences will represent the most distinguished residential offering available in the world, each conjuring a sense of effortless extravagance and timeless sophistication.
Located in the heart of the Ala Moana District, adjacent to the world-renowned Waikiki District and surrounded by the city’s most affluent neighborhoods, Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Residences, Honolulu is situated directly across the street from the Hawaii Convention Center and Ala Moana Center, the world’s largest open-air shopping destination. At the intersection of Kapiolani Boulevard and Atkinson Drive, the tower is the first project approved under the city’s newly adopted Ala Moana Transit Oriented Development Plan.
Residents will have access to a private resident-only amenity level that features a luxury pool, outdoor lounge space complete with cabanas and fire pits, as well as a karaoke room, and Dolby Theater along with privileged access to an array of top-notch amenities and services offered at Mandarin Oriental, Honolulu.
Photos courtesy of The Residences at the Mandarin Oriental, Honolulu.
Saying goodbye to bright colors, bold patterns and traditional island-style design, homebuyers are beginning to revive the trend of tropical modernism.
Creating a seductive, high-end feel while still drawing inspiration from local traditions, tropical modernism puts a spin on traditional island-style décor. Many buyers are paying premium prices for this trend, which calls for clean lines, a muted color palette and the use of exotic woods and stone.
Hoping to gain the attention of buyers, these Hawaiian homes are bringing back tropical modernism:
Kukui’ula
Kauai, Hawaii
This resort and real estate community on the sunny south shore of Kauai embodies the trend of tropical modernism through various custom homes, bungalows, villas and cottages. Celebrating indoor-outdoor living, Kukui’ula’s home design features breezy, open floor plans with a minimalistic approach to let the outdoors in. Highlights include floor-to-ceiling windows, outdoor showers in glass covered bathrooms and kitchen backsplashes with lush greenery.
Photos courtesy of Kukuiula
Hualalai Resort
Kailua-kona, Hawaii
Furnished by award-winning designer, Gina Willman, 72-3548 Kulanakauhale features contemporary interiors and clean lines complemented by natural materials. With versatile indoor-outdoor living space, the views of Hualālai Volcano, Mauna Kea and the Kohala Mountains are as spectacular as the panoramic Pacific Ocean views.
Photos courtesy of Hualalai
Montage Residences Kapalua Bay
Maui, Hawaii
Residence 2604, a sleek residence designed by Bassman & Blaine, offers a relaxed, yet luxurious feel that pairs well with the world-class destination that is Kapalua Bay. The muted color palettes are highlighted with a pop of color to draw the attention to the scenic ocean background and provide a timeless, high-end feel for even the most discerning of buyers.
Photos courtesy of Montage Residences Kapalua Bay
Luana Garden Villas
Maui, Hawaii
The residences at Luana Garden Villas are thoughtfully designed for island living and combine tropical palette colors with sleek angles and geometric patterns. With residences available in two distinct color schemes, Vibrant and Serene, the interiors at Luana reflect the exterior natural landscape through a contemporary lens. The Serene scheme is inspired by the rare Hinahina (Silversword) plant that grows on the slopes of Haleakalā. This plant is believed to evoke serenity and peace and its soft greyish-white color informed the color palette for the Serene scheme. Characteristic of tropical modernism, Luana features wide, open spaces throughout each room and the expansive lanai at each villa.
Photos courtesy of Luana Garden Villas
Photos courtesy of Nic Lehoux
Ward Village
Honolulu, HI
Ward Village honors the rich culture of Hawaii’s past while transforming the destination into a model 21st century sustainable community, epitomizing tropical modernism by truly building a city of the future. Waiea, the first residential tower to be completed at Ward Village, has a sweeping, unparalleled glass façade and spacious view-oriented interiors. The interior, designed by Tony Ingrao, complements the building’s exterior with refined, exceptional detailing throughout. Ingrao embraced a clean aesthetic, keeping the design elegant and streamline — from sleek marbled bathroom walls to the clean, effortless lines of the kitchen and living spaces.
BIG ISLAND’S LATEST PRIVATE LUXURY DEVELOPMENT IN NEARLY A DECADE IS MAKING ITS MARK ON THE HAWAIIAN LANDSCAPE AND THE RESIDENTIAL MARKET.
By Samantha Myers
This is an extended version of an article originally in Unique Homes Ultimate 2017. Click here to view the print version. Also check out our breaking story on Kohanaiki’s clubhouse from February 2017.
There’s nothing like stepping out of a pressurized plane cabin into Big Island’s pacific breeze. But Kohanaiki — a private club community only two miles from Kona International Airport — takes that refreshment a step further. Handed lava rock-filtered water and a chilled towelette in a private shuttle, we headed to the source of this impeccable service — a place both breathtaking, and where you can catch your breath.
Like most homesites on Kohanaiki, our 3-bedroom hale offered an inland backdrop of Hualālai’s mountains and views extending to the pristine coastline. A tour of the 450-acre property via electric golf carts, the main form of transportation on property, and a walk-through of the brand-new, 67,000-square-foot clubhouse provided a true understanding of life here.
“The Kohala Coast of Big Island is famous for its year-round sunny, tropical vacation weather,” says James Lynch, sales executive for Kohanaiki Realty, LLC. “It’s a perfect environment for indoor-outdoor living.” Kohanaiki’s distinct architectural style, a contemporary interpretation of traditional Hawaiian design, was developed by a handful of esteemed architects. The sleek, atmospheric outdoor-orientated architecture is not only a selling point for its available homesites, but is also a paradise-like setting for its amenities.
With our freshly caught cuisine enjoyed at the signature open-wall sushi bar and chophouse Kōnane, and beach dining with seating that spills onto the white-sand beach, the open-air became our dining room.”This is a setting where shoes are optional, as life can be lived here pure and natural,” Lynch adds.
A tour around the Rees Jones-designed golf course offers ideal vantage points of the carefully planned and preserved landscape — where smooth greens interlace with black volcanic rock, environmentally protected anchialine ponds, ancient sites and six masterful oceanfront holes for golfers. You gain an appreciation of the land and what Kohanaiki has done to both preserve and accentuate its features while at the same time providing a comfortable lifestyle for its members.
“Kohanaiki appeals to people with a taste for adventure, an appreciation for the finer things in life, and a desire for a laid-back environment,” says President and CEO Joe Root. If you’re craving indoor activity on a rainy day, you’ll have to imagine the rain. But the clubhouse offers a fitness center, movie theater, bowling alley, bar and secret cigar lounge among other hidden treasures.
The shores are some of the best snorkeling and surfing spots on the island, and our time with the “A-Team” — expert ocean sport guides — set us up with snorkels and paddleboards instructing us to the best spots to see marine life. We didn’t have to stray far before we were swimming alongside schools of bright fish and watching a sea turtle dance around the reef. The next day, our charter on Kohanaiki’s yacht, the Kaikea, let us swim alongside thirty-plus dolphins and gave us front-row seats to a humpback whale show while enjoying breakfast on the boat.
In between water sports, we were able to visit the spa, which offers an extensive menu of treatments. We opted for a couple’s spa treatment in a heavenly private courtyard — the “Botany of Bliss” — which included a soak in a custom-blended herbal outdoor bath for two, followed by individual La’i massages.
The comfort provided by the spa and locker rooms was even unexpectedly rivaled by the golf “comfort stations” located throughout the property. These stations provide an air-conditioned retreat during a round of golf or a tennis match, and are fully stocked with any type of snack or treat imaginable, as well as frozen mai tai machines and cold wine and beer. One may find themselves spending more time here than out on the course.
While luxurious relaxation prevails in any corner of the property, our tour with Joe around Kohanaiki showed us details that one may not notice upon first glance, or on their own explorations. This included the wide-range of art celebrating the Hawaiian heritage and the history of Kohanaiki’s property. The collection includes over 200 art pieces, including prints, paintings and artifacts. “The clubhouse features one of the most robust and extensive collections of authentic, museum-quality art pieces on the island,” says Root. “It was important to give the clubhouse a sense of place through this robust collection of artwork. We have been collecting any of these pieces over the past decade, and are pleased with how they seem to weave in seamlessly with the design of the clubhouse and help to give it the character and historical context that make it so much more than just a building.”
A visit to the wine tasting room revealed a collection of rare vintage wines — 50 years worth of Château Mouton Rothschild — among some of the resident’s wine lockers, which are located throughout the property, especially around the eating spots. Residents can have a bottle of wine handy at any given moment. Kohanaiki has made it a priority to bring wine to their residents, a drink not as common on an island location due to costs of importation. While we were visiting, we attended a beachside wine dinner collaboration between Kohanaiki and Kosta Browne Winery, from California. Enjoyed with other members, the four-course meal featured pairings with 2013 and 2014 Russian River Valley Pinor Noirs (and others) alongside a delicious, delicate menu including crispy seared snapper and a dish of duck breast, confit and Colorado lamb. For dessert, it was a Tahitian vanilla bean crème brûlée enjoyed with a remarkable 40-year-old Tawny Port.
“Our membership is the best part of Kohanaiki,” says Root. “We have attracted an incredible group of well-traveled, sophisticated and successful people who have chosen Kohanaiki as their place to disconnect and just have fun with their friends and family.” With a $150,000 entrance fee and $25,000 annual membership fee, Kohanaiki is at the forefront of full-service luxurious living.
“In most cases these homes are our members second or even third homes. We try and make multiple home-ownership as easy as possible with our residential services program,” says General Manager George Punoose. “We take care of your entire pre-arrival, stay and post-departure experience by attending to all aspects of your home — housekeeping, landscaping, pool care and even grocery shopping.” Our visit to Kohanaiki was a testament to this service — upon our arrival, the fridge and pantry were fully stocked with over a week’s worth of groceries, the home was lit up and an iPad was connected to a sound system playing the ideal relaxing vacation music you’d want to hear upon arriving in paradise.
Just some of the many residential options at Kohanaiki.
The property puts being social and incorporating family as primary ideals for their membership. “We are a family friendly resort and we’ve attracted families small and large, with parents and grandparents seeing this place as something their family will enjoy for generations,” says Root. “Kohanaiki uses vertical memberships that enable siblings, children and grandparents to be full members of the club. Whatever we can do to make it easier for families to come together is a good thing.”
The philosophies of Kohanaiki, instituted by a stellar team, have been reciprocated by the public. Kohanaiki is one of the hottest new luxury residential spots to own property on, not only on Hawaii, but anywhere — and they have the celebrity clientele and sales to prove it. “The recent grand opening of the new clubhouse was a key milestone validating Kohanaiki as the premier private, gated community in the Hawaiian Islands, resulting in record-breaking sales of over $60 million over the past 60 days,” says Lynch.
“Our members are a sophisticated set that have traveled and experienced the finest things in life,” says Punoose. “Our goal here is to still exceed their high expectations.” Here, at Kohanaiki, attention to detail is not sufficient. Instead, a staff that masters the details awaits Kohanaiki’s fortunate members who retreat in this otherworldly community.
Kohanaiki offers two ownership options: custom homesites where you can purchase a plot of land and build your own home, or choose a home from a full-range of turnkey and fully furnished developer-built homes in various sizes, styles and configurations. Kohanaiki also offers fee-simple real estate ownership. Fee-simple means that the real estate is owned forever in perpetuity and can be passed down from generation to generation. Less than 5% of all the land in the Hawaiian Islands is available for fee simple ownership, therefore, Kohanaiki represents a rare opportunity for families to own in a world-class oceanfront community here in the islands and build long-term legacy wealth.
Opening of first mixed – use residential tower marks major milestone for Ward Village Community.
On November 17, 2016, The Howard Hughes Corporation, welcomed its first residents to Ward Village, the company’s 60-acre community in the heart of Honolulu. Developed by the Howard Hughes Corporation, Waiea will be the first mixed-use residential tower.
Along with its first residences, Waiea®, Ward Village includes three additional mixed-use residential towers – Anaha, Aeʻo, and Ke Kilohana – which are currently under construction. Aeʻo will complete construction in 2018; it will include 466 residences and O‘ahu’s flagship Whole Foods Market. Ke Kilohana is slated for completion in 2019, and the 424 home tower welcomes a flagship Longs Drugs to the neighborhood.
Between downtown Honolulu and Waikīkī, Waiea includes 174 residences and will be home to internationally acclaimed restaurant Nobu Honolulu. In mid-2017, Anaha will include 317 residences and the first Merrimanʻs restaurant on O‘ahu.
Waiea’s architecture is influenced by its shoreline location, the cultural connections to water and the story of Hawaiian fishing god Kuʻula and his son ʻAiʻai. Waia also features work by internationally renowned artist, Tony Cragg. By year’s end, Auahi Street will provide dedicated bike lanes, offering a pedestrian-friendly experience.
“Today marks a major milestone for Ward Village as we welcome our first residents to this growing community. The vision of Ward Village is to create a thriving neighborhood in the heart of Honolulu, and that vision became reality today,” said Todd Apo, Vice President of Community Development, The Howard Hughes Corporation. “Waiea’s name and design honor the history of this place and highlight our efforts to honor the past while building a brighter future for Honolulu.”
Waiea, which means “water of life,” was designed by renowned Vancouver-based architect James K.M. Cheng in partnership with locally-based WCIT Architecture, and makes a stunning contribution to Honolulu’s skyline. Waiea’s interior design by Tony Ingrao complements the building’s exterior, with refined and exceptional detailing throughout the its homes and common spaces.
Michelin-star chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa will open his flagship Honolulu restaurant on Waiea’s ground level in December, joining a variety of dining at Ward Village.
Ala Moana Beach Park and Kewalo Harbor can be seen from the building’s amenity level. Amenities features an infinity edge lap pool, state-of-the-art fitness center, playground, splash pad, dog walk, outdoor lounges and entertaining spaces. Indoor amenities include a private theater, library, golf simulator, spa, as well as multiple dining and entertaining spaces.
Ward Village presents architecture, local shopping, dining and the arts and culture of Hawai‘i for a unique experience for its residents and visitors. Homes in a variety of price points are available in the five Ward Village towers currently for sale. The Information Center and Residential Sales Gallery is located at the iconic IBM Building at 1240 Ala Moana Blvd.
For more info, visit www.wardvillage.com
Photo credits from Ward Village