Aqua to Manage the Waikiki Coral Reef Hotel
Owned by Andre Tatibouet Since 1973
HONOLULU, HI, January 27, 2006. Aqua Hotels & Resorts announced today that it has been named to manage the Coral Reef Hotel, a 247-room property that has been owned by Andre S. Tatibouet since 1973. Renamed the Aqua Coral Reef, the hotel is located next to the International Marketplace at 2299 Kuhio Avenue. According to Tatibouet, "The property will undergo a major renovation this spring at a total cost of over $7 million."
No stranger to Hawaii's hotel industry, island-born Tatibouet, the founder of ASTON Hotels & Resorts, has played a major role in the business, begun in 1948, when his family opened their first Waikiki hotel. "The selection of Aqua is the result of my confidence in this dynamic, young company founded and run by Michael Paulin, who worked as my Senior Vice President at ASTON," said Tatibouet. "Mike is a 30-plus year veteran of the Hawaii hotel industry with the skills necessary to successfully take the Coral Reef Hotel to a new level, as an Aqua property. The hotel will remain open during the renovation as work is scheduled to take place on two floors at a time. With views of the ocean directly across the open treescape, created by the Marketplace, and a short walk to Waikiki Beach, the upgraded and repositioned Aqua Coral Reef will quickly find its place among the outstanding hotels in Waikiki."
When complete, the improvements will earn Aqua Coral Reef's place as an Aqua Boutique Hotel, having all of Aqua's Seven Pillars - including FREE high-speed internet, flat-screen TV, spa, fitness center and continental breakfast. The Aqua Coral Reef is slated to have an entirely redesigned, new lobby and welcoming entrance. The suites and over-sized guest rooms, as well as the baths, will have a very contemporary look and feel, featuring an ocean, coral reef theme, appropriate to its name.
Mike Paulin, owner and CEO of Aqua Hotels & Resorts said, "I am delighted to secure this property for Aqua. It enjoys excellent name recognition in Waikiki and is well-positioned to benefit from the scheduled upgrades. More importantly, though, I'm really looking forward to working with Andre again."
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