Luxury lifestyle hotel brand, 1 Hotels, has opened a new flagship hotel in Hawaii, on the island of Kauai.
The latest 1 Hotel to open, joining a collection of wellness and sustainable luxury properties, is 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay on Kauai Island in the Hawaiian Islands.
1 Hotels, established in 2015, was founded by Barry Sternlicht who holidayed in this pocket of Hawaii with his family for decades.
“When I first visited, I found the existing hotel not in keeping with its natural landscape. I had a vision of creating an extraordinary resort that would combine the magic of a lush native landscape with the region’s rich culture and history,” said Sternlicht.
“We’ve brought that vision to life with a unique hospitality experience that pays tribute to these wonderful local traditions where nature is the CEO, where the building integrates with the boundless beauty of its surroundings, and all our guests can experience the wellness, soothing and healing properties of the extraordinary island of Kauai,” said Sternlicht.
Design notes
Inspired by an ‘If you can’t find it in nature, you won’t find it here’ mantra, the 252-room hotel’s biophilic design principle has seen an imaginative transformation in line with the brand’s mission to connect people, place, and nature.
Indigenous and endemic vines and plants weave through low-impact structures that blend seamlessly into their surroundings, causing the hotel to almost disappear into its cliffside site. A conservation plan replaced non-native and invasive species with wildlife-friendly vegetation including white hibiscus and nau, native to the Hawaiian Islands, restoring nearly a third of the site with native and adapted vegetation.
The lobby, reception, and open-air entranceway lead guests on a journey deep into Hawaiian history and mythology. Much of the original building was removed and replaced with streams and gardens. Reclaimed teak joists, puka lava stone walls, and ceilings hand-woven from abacá, a natural leaf fiber harvested from a cousin of the banana tree, are locally sourced.
Featured in the rooms and suites are handwoven floors crafted from local black basalt, reclaimed teak and abaca furniture, and traditional punai daybeds.
Sustainability
1 Hotels opted for reconstruction as opposed to new construction, which enabled opening up the resort to the sky and embracing the property’s natural surroundings while diverting waste away from landfills.
In collaboration with local partner RE-use Hawaii, nearly 150 tons of onsite furniture, fixtures, equipment, and other materials were salvaged, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is on track to operate as a 100 per cent certified carbon neutral and TRUE zero-waste certified oasis, in line with the brand’s other U.S. properties.
Green roofs reduce and filter stormwater runoff, mitigate heat island effects and improve air quality through carbon sequestration. Planted with pili grass, pohinahina, and nanea, the roofs host an organic chef’s garden from which fresh herbs, vegetables, and micro-greens are harvested for culinary creations.
Wellness offering
An expansive Wellness Centre offers a diverse menu of services, models, and methods tailored to fulfill a guest’s preferences and medical, physical, and spiritual needs. Transformative experiences are offered by the Bamford Wellness Spa, Anatomy, and the 1 Hotels’ Within Collection: a curated category of hospitality for guests seeking multi-day and a la carte wellness journeys.
The Bamford Wellness Spa provides an open, serene setting for wellness sessions designed to nurture mind, body, and spirit. The Anatomy fitness centre offers state-of-the-art, 24/7 cardio equipment and strength training, and mind and movement group classes.
Hanalei Bay is a world-class surfing destination with year-round conditions to suit surfers at all levels. Guests of the hotel can take advantage of a unique opportunity to surf with Bill Hamilton, the renowned Kauai surfer and shaper, who will custom craft your personal surfboard, collaborate with you on its design and tailor it to your wave-riding style. Guests can schedule a session with Hamilton, followed by a private lunch or dinner.
1 Hotels is managed by SH Hotels & Resorts, a sustainable hotel brand management company. Further 1 Hotels are currently in development in London (Mayfair), Cabo San Lucas, Paris, Elounda Hills (Crete), Austin, Copenhagen, Riyadh, and Melbourne.