Ilikai Hotel & Luxury Suites facts for kids

Ilikai Hotel & Luxury Suites
Hotel facts and statistics
Location	Honolulu, Hawaii
Coordinates	21°17′04″N 157°50′18″W / 21.28444°N 157.83833°W / 21.28444; -157.83833
Opening date	29 February 1964
Architect	John Graham, Jr.
No. of rooms	343 Hotel 80 Time share 586 Condominium
No. of floors	26

The Ilikai Hotel & Luxury Suites is a famous tall building right by the ocean in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii. It has both hotel rooms and condos. When it first opened in 1964, the Ilikai was the very first fancy high-rise hotel in Hawaii.

Many people know the Ilikai because it shows up in the opening of the TV show Hawaii Five-O. The show's main actor, Jack Lord, stands on a balcony at the top of the Ilikai as the camera zooms in. This same scene was used again in the opening of the 2010 remake of the show.

History of the Ilikai Hotel

The Ilikai was built by Chinn Ho, a very successful businessman, along with two partners. The building was designed by John Graham, Jr., who also designed the famous Space Needle in Seattle. The main part of the building has three sections that spread out from a central point, making a "Y" shape.

From Apartments to a Hotel

When construction started in 1961, the building was first planned to have only apartments. But as the project went on, Chinn Ho took full control. He decided to change the plan. The building would now have both apartments (condos) and hotel rooms.

Because the hotel rooms were originally designed as apartments, they were quite large. Many even had their own kitchens! Two special features of the Ilikai, its outside glass elevator and a restaurant on the roof, were added during construction after the plan changed to include a hotel.

Opening and Growth

The Ilikai opened its doors on February 29, 1964, with a total of 1050 units. Because the hotel was so popular, Chinn Ho quickly announced plans for another building next door. This new part, called the Yacht Harbor Tower, added 360 more hotel rooms.

Over the years, the Ilikai Hotel has been managed and owned by different companies. It was known as The Westin Ilikai for a while. Later, it became The Ilikai Hotel Nikko Waikiki. In 2000, it joined the Marriott hotel family and was called the Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki.

Recent Changes

In 2006, the hotel part of the property was sold again. The rest of the building had already become private condos and time-share units. In 2009, a company called iStar Financial took over the remaining hotel rooms. They brought in Aqua Hotels and Resorts to manage them.

In 2010, the Yacht Harbor Tower, which was now a separate building, reopened as a new hotel called the Waikiki EDITION Hotel. This hotel was part of Marriott's luxury brand. However, after a disagreement, it was renamed The Modern Honolulu Hotel in 2011.

Many famous people have stayed at the Ilikai Hotel. For example, Ronald and Nancy Reagan stayed there in 1968.