JANUARY’S SIZZLIN’ NEWS FROM HAWAI‘I’S BIG ISLAND

01/05/2010

Come to the Big Island and explore Hawai‘i’s Island of Adventure

Hawai‘i’s Big Island (Jan. 5, 2010) – Hawai‘i’s Big Island has all kinds of New Year’s resolutions for travelers: a diversity of unparalleled accommodations with special deals, the ongoing eruption of Kīlauea volcano, and enough adventure and warm weather flowing all year long! Hau‘oli Makahiki Hou!

ADVENTURES, ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

Happy Birthday, Dear Kīlauea. Happy Birthday to YOU! Jan. 3 marked the 27th year of Kīlauea’s continuous east rift zone eruption, and Hawai’i County Mayor Billy Kenoi proclaimed January 2010 as “Volcano Awareness Month.” The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), in conjunction with Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai’i County Civil Defense and the University of Hawai’i at Hilo will celebrate all month long with special public events, hikes and programs. And HVO, located next to Jaggar Museum on the rim of Kīlauea’s summit caldera, turns 100 in 2012! Seismic monitoring upgrades and more special programs will lead up to the century celebration. Learn more at hvo.wr.usgs.gov. Want more in 2010? Visit the Big Island Visitors Bureau’s Calendar of Events at www.bigisland.org/calendar for details about volcano-related happenings, and additional events throughout the New Year.

Flightseeing Specials. Iolani Air Tour Co offers fixed-wing specials to meet most any travel budget. Want to see red-hot lava from the air? The Hilo Hundred is only $100 per passenger departing from Hilo International Airport. The $200 Fixed Wing Flyer offers circle-island tours around Hawaii Island with no fueling stops, only $200 per person. Visit www.iolaniair.com for details.

Hawaii Forest & Trail Combines Fire & Water for Huge Savings! Save $50 per person by booking either the Kīlauea Volcano or Twilight Volcano adventures, in conjunction with either the Kohala Waterfalls or Waipi‘o Rim Hike adventures. Visit www.hawaii-forest.com or call toll-free, (800) 464-1993 and mention the Fire & Water Combo.

FREE Dolphin Show at Dolphin Quest! Enjoy new complimentary dolphin shows every Tuesday at 4:15 p.m. starting Jan. 5 at Dolphin Quest Hawaii, located at the Hilton Waikoloa Village resort. Visit www.dolphinquest.com for details.

Got Popcorn? The Big Island Film Festival has a new location at Mauna Lani Resort. This celebration of narrative filmmaking, May 12-16, 2010, is a movie-lover’s paradise IN paradise, with at least 50 short and feature-length films to screen, celebrities to salute, screenplays to polish with the pros, awards, Hawaiian music, and more. Free family films at The Shops at Mauna Lani; evening movies at Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows; daytime screenings at The Fairmont Orchid. Tickets/info at www.BigIslandFilmFestival.com

Looking for more to do? Click www.bigisland.org/calendar for detailed information about additional Hawai‘i Island happenings in 2010.

ACCOMMODATIONS

New Waipi‘o B&B! Start the New Year with a rejuvenating stay at the new Waipi‘o Rim B&B – the ONLY lodging overlooking majestic and mysterious Waipi‘o Valley. Book four nights and the fifth is FREE. Sip wine and enjoy pupu from the private deck while taking in a priceless view. Visit www.waipiorim.com or call (808) 775-1727.

50th State of Aloha Package at Hilton Waikoloa Village. Commemorate the Aloha State in 2010 as Hilton Waikoloa Village celebrates more than 50 years of Hawai‘i’s statehood. Stay a minimum of five nights and receive the fifth night at $50, a keepsake memento of two commemorative State of Hawai‘i quarters, a $50 resort credit to be used for spa, dining or beachcraft rentals. Available now through Dec. 31, 2010. Subject to availability, terms and conditions. For details, call (808) 886-1234, (800) HILTONS, or visit www.HiltonWaikoloaVillage.com

Discover paradise in the new year with the Aloha Nights Package at the oceanfront Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa located on the sunny Kohala Coast. Guests who stay for a minimum of four consecutive nights and book the Aloha Nights Package receive the fourth night free, complimentary Internet access or $50 resort credit, and daily breakfast for two. Starting at $250 per room, the package is available through Dec. 24, 2010. Visit www.waikoloamarriott.com.

Lusciously Free Luxury. In 2010, the luxurious Halii Kai at Waikoloa will serve complimentary continental breakfast at the Ocean Club Bar & Grill, reserved exclusively for resort guests. Regularly priced at $12 per person, the buffet is complimentary for up to 2 people per Villa, offered Mon. through Sat., 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Call (800) 367-5004 or visit www.haliikairesort.com.

Win a Free Stay and $100 Food Credit in 2010. Start the New Year off right by entering to win a three-night stay in the brand new rooms at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel. Every month in 2010, a winner will be drawn for a three-night stay plus $100 food credit. Enjoy the only white sand beach in historic Kailua Village, and the unique history and culture of the area, for FREE! Visit www.konabeachhotel.com to enter.

Save more at the oceanfront Royal Kona Resort with Aloha Special Value Rates for 2010. Bay Tower Standard View rooms from $115/night or upgrade to a Bay Tower Ocean View room from $135/night. Offer valid now through Dec. 21, 2010. Rates based on double occupancy and do not include tax. Offer subject to availability and blackout dates. Call 800-22-ALOHA (222-5642) or visit www.RoyalKona.com.

Now’s the time to plan your winter getaway at Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows and take advantage of the 2010 Book Early Bonus. Book by Feb.14, 2010 for travel through March 31, 2010 and enjoy value rates from $278 per night. Snorkeling, cycling, historic tours, and ‘ukulele lessons are a few of the many complimentary guest activities. No resort fees. Some restrictions apply, call (800) 367-2323 or visit www.maunalani.com.

The Fairmont Orchid, Hawai‘i is turning 20! Enjoy 20 percent off the best available room rate in the ocean view category and higher as low as $279 per night, plus 20 percent off of resort amenities (including dining, Spa Without Walls treatments and Beach Shack rentals). Offer is valid for new reservations through Dec. 20, 2010. No minimum stay required. Offer may not be combined with any other promotion, based upon availability. Call (800) 845-9905 or visit www.fairmont.com/orchid.

Enjoy more at *Mauna Kea Beach Hote*l with FREE Nights. Book by Jan. 31, 2010 and receive the fourth night free for travel now through June 13, 2010, starting from $450/night. Stay at Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel from $299/night and receive the third night free. Enjoy two natural white sand beaches, world-class service, two championship golf courses, seaside tennis courts and spa treatments. Reciprocal signing privileges. Some restrictions apply. Call (866) PRINCE-6 or visit www.princeresortshawaii.com.

Suite Deals in Hāmākua. The gorgeous Waianuhea Bed & Breakfast celebrates recent enhancements to its luxury suite, Kaulana Akea. Upgrades include a private Jacuzzi, a new gas stove and refrigerator. Reserve three nights or more in 2010 in the Kaulana Akea suite and enjoy a complimentary three-course dinner any night of your stay. Suite rate is $400 per night, visit www.waianuhea.com or call toll-free (888) 775-2577.

Aston Hotels & Resorts offers front-row seats to the world’s most active volcano, Kīlauea. Aston’s Big Island Volcano Adventure package provides guests with deluxe accommodations and admission for two adults to join the Kīlauea Volcano Adventure Tour. Starting rates at Aston Kona by the Sea, $188 per night; Aston Shores at Waikoloa, $198 per night; Aston Waikoloa Colony Villas, $206 per night. Three-night minimum stay required, valid now through Dec. 21, 2010; restrictions may apply. Visit www.AstonHotels.com or call (866) 774-2924.

Kalaekilohana Bed and Breakfast in Ka‘ū introduces “Spend Freely,” the most flexible stay credit in Hawai‘i. Fill up with gas, have a great meal, or shop for gifts. Spend freely anywhere in the Ka‘ū District, bring your innkeepers the receipt, and they’ll credit your account up to $50 a day. Why resort to just one choice when you can inn-joy a whole community? Stay a minimum of three nights and “Spend Freely” throughout 2010. Visit www.kau-hawaii.com or call (808) 939-8052.

Military Discount. In honor of our nation’s armed forces, Bougainvillea Bed and Breakfast in Ka‘ū offers an unprecedented two free nights with one paid night for military with ID, valid now through Mar. 1, 2010. Call (800) 688-1763 or (808) 929-7089 or visit www.bougainvilleabedandbreakfast.com.

TASTY TIDBITS

Four Seasons Resort Hualālai debuts “Big Island Farm to FSRH Table,” for a family, friends and colleagues. A resort chef accompanies you to a Big Island farm, where guests help harvest crops, everything from “Wow” Heirloom Tomatoes to “Fungal-Jungle” Mushrooms. The chef then whips the ingredients into a delicious picnic lunch. The experience is tailored to for each group. For details and reservations, call Monica Balanay at (808) 325-8000 and visit www.fourseasons.com/hualalai.

“Juice 101” is slated to open this month at The Shops at Mauna Lani. The juice, smoothie and coffee bar from Hawai‘i restaurateurs Denise Walters and Matthew Zubrod will feature hand-pressed vegetables, fruit juices and smoothies, and an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients and general well being from food. The shop will also serve healthy selections such as pressed sandwiches and salads. Call (808) 885-9501 or visit www.theshopsatmaunalani.com for info.

Banana for Breakfast, Anyone? A new Farmers Market has just debuted on the front lawn at Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa. The market is open from 8 a.m. to noon each Wednesday. This is in addition to the Saturday morning Farmers Market at the Keauhou Shopping Center. Along with local farm-fresh fruit, produce, coffee, flowers, vendors also offer craft products with primary ingredients or materials that come from Hawai‘i Island’s land or waters. www.SheratonKeauhou.com

Special note to media: The Big Island Visitors Bureau (BIVB) recognizes the use of the ‘okina [‘] or glottal stop, one of the eight consonants of the modern Hawaiian language; and the kahakō [ā] or macron (e.g., in place names of Hawai‘i such as Kīlauea). However, BIVB respects the individual use of these markings for names of organizations and businesses.

For BIVB’s press kit, photo gallery, press releases and industry news, visit “media.bigisland.org”:http://media.bigisland.org

Big Island Visitors Bureau Media Contact:
Jessica Ferracane, Irondog Communications, (808) 895-5740, jessica@irondogpr.com