Find out what updates this Big Island resort has underway as part of its amazing renovation.

Going into 2024, OUTRIGGER Kona Resort & Spa went ahead and said, “New year, new look”—and from what we’ve seen, it’s a top-to-bottom glow-up. The Keauhou Bay property on Hawaii Island (the Big Island) was the former Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa until its acquisition by OUTRIGGER Resorts & Hotels in 2021. Now, the resort is gaining a design to better suit its vibe, a welcoming blend of laid-back leisure and authentic Hawaiian culture.

Renovations—totaling a neat $60 million and including updates to common spaces around the grounds—are expected to be completed early this year, giving travelers more to look forward to from their upcoming Hawaiian vacations.

WHAT’S CHANGING

First and foremost, the resort’s overall look-and-feel. A partnership with Honolulu-based design firm Looney & Associates is not only in keeping with OUTRIGGER’s commitment to showcasing local talent, but a decision that’s brought a polished, mid-century modern-influenced tropical comfort to OUTRIGGER Kona. Focusing on modernizing the resort as much as enhancing its aesthetics, by the time the renovations are finished, the property will boast a thorough transformation.

That doesn’t mean, however, that the features former and repeat guests loved will go away. Improved but not replaced, vacationers can still enjoy:

• 511 refreshed rooms and suites, some with views of the Pacific Ocean
• The relocated Voyager 47 Club Lounge, open to those who have booked a club-level room and serving breakfast and an evening pupu
• Redesigned experiences at both the adults-only and oceanfront family-friendly pools
• An updated 24-hour fitness center
• The oceanfront spa, which will introduce its brand-new experience by the end of the year
• Revamped meeting spaces for business and celebrations alike in the largest convention center on the Kona Coast
• All the main facilities (including thoroughly renovated restrooms), but with a fresh coat of paint
• The twice-weekly Feast & Fire Luau dinner show, held on Mondays and Thursdays
• Visits to the historical fishing village on the grounds

WHAT’S ALL-NEW

You can’t have a complete renovation without new additions, and OUTRIGGER Kona Resort & Spa is certainly delivering. Brand-new to the resort will be:

• The check-in—now relocated—and lobby experience, reset with new paint, furniture, fixtures, and a digital storyboard
• Piko Coffee & Wine Bar for the perfect accompaniment to island views, whether with a wake-me-up or a happy hour, at the latest rendition of a favorite local haunt
• An Aloha Center cultural hub where guests can learn about the traditional Hawaiian activities offered on site
• The Coral Kids Club for keiki ages 4 – 12, offering arts and crafts, cultural experiences, and more
• Not to be outdone, a Game Room for entertainment and socializing
• A Wedding Lounge where nuptial couples can meet with the resort’s events team to plan their special event, whether a private elopement or a grand affair 

And to access it all, a series of new, modern elevators has been installed across the property.

This is only the latest in a series of impressive changes OUTRIGGER Resorts & Hotels has been making to its properties. Want to learn more? Check out how the Grand Navigator Suite at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort was made over.