Historic Honolulu hotel to undergo transformative $100 million renovation

The Outrigger hotel on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu will be undergoing a $100 million restoration and renovation to bring the historic property up to 2026 luxury standards, the hotel’s parent company announced this week.

Outrigger Hospitality Group said the iconic Oahu hotel will be reimagined as a “design-led, barefoot luxury destination more deeply connected to the ocean, surf culture and sense of place” that is unique to the Waikiki neighborhood.

“This stretch of Waikīkī is both culturally significant and foundational to Outrigger’s identity,”
CEO Jeff Wagoner said in a news release. “Our role is to steward this iconic resort with care while thoughtfully evolving the experience to meet the expectations of today’s traveler.”

The new “grand transformation” is inspired by the history of Waikiki, with designs that are heavily influenced by the water and land of the beloved coastline that is considered the birthplace of modern surf culture.

“A sweeping staircase and subtle patterns inspired by ʻĀpuakēhau Stream guide guests from arrival to ocean — referencing the historic waterway that once carried fresh water from the Koʻolau Mountains to this shoreline and shaped the landscape guests now move through,” the company says. “From arrival onward, spaces open toward the ocean and are shaped by the trade winds and rhythms of the shoreline.”

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Among the major renovation components, the resort’s Voyager 47 Club Lounge has been reimagined and expanded to three-times its former size with floor-to-ceiling views of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head, the most recognizable landmark on Oahu and, arguably, all of Hawaii.

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The project is being completed with close collaboration with local artists, designers and cultural practitioners, the company said, including the Honolulu-based strategy and planning firm DTL.

“To design in Hawaiʻi is to remember,” said DTL’s president Mālia Kaʻaihue. “Our work at Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort was shaped by the ʻĀpuakēhau Stream, by the genealogy of the land, aliʻi and people of this place, and by the rhythm of the kahakai. For kamaʻāina and malihini alike, we wanted the generational abundance of Waikīkī to be felt in every material, every motif, every moment.”

Kamaʻāina typically refers to longtime residents and natives of Hawaii, and malihini is often used to describe visitors or strangers to the land, aka, tourists.

The Outrigger Waikiki resort is the flagship hotel of Outrigger Hospitality Group, and the company’s most important and historic property. The hotel was built nearly 60 years ago on the former site of the Outrigger Canoe Club. The company itself was founded in the 1940s by Roy and Estelle Kelley, who designed the Outrigger. The company credits the Kelleys as being the first entrepreneurs to offer “modestly priced hotel rooms in Waikiki.”

Is Outrigger Waikiki closed?

Despite the massive undertaking to revitalize the Outrigger Waikiki, much of the property will remain intact and functional during construction.

Duke’s Waikiki, Hula Grill and Blue Note Hawaii will remain open for food and drinks and live entertainment.

“From early mornings with the surf community to late nights shaped by live music, they maintain the familiarity and energy that have made the resort a favorite for generations of kamaʻāina and visitors alike,” the company said in its news release.

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Officials said the newly imagined guestrooms are expected to debut later this year, and the full resort transformation will follow—although an exact date was not disclosed.

For the latest progress on the Outrigger Waikiki Resort renovations, or to sample some of the offerings of Waikiki and the greater Honolulu region, visit Outrigger Waikiki’s Instagram page, or follow the company’s news page.