Shell Vacations Club Purchases Units at Famed Ilikai Resort in Waikiki, Hawaii Enhancing Hawaiian Vacation Ownership Destinations to New and Prospective Members
Many of Shell Vacation Club's 90,000 owners/members now enjoy traveling to its four existing Hawaiin resorts. The block of units to be called The Waikiki Marina Resort at the Ilikai on Oahu, will offer new and existing members yet another Hawaii island experience through Shell Vacations Club.
(PRWEB) April 18, 2005 -- Shell Vacations has recently announced the purchase of a block of units in the Ilikai complex to be called The Waikiki Marina Resort at the Ilikai on Oahu. The Ilikai has been the backdrop for several major television shows and home to a long list of presidents, celebrities and dignitaries who have enjoyed its special aloha over the years.
Located at the gateway to Waikiki, the Ilikai of today is a mixed-use property that contains a combination of fully owned condominiums, hotel accommodations and now vacation ownership units.
Closing on the units took place on April 5, orchestrated by Jeffrey Server, Shells Executive VP of Acquisitions & Development.
According to Sheldon H. Ginsburg, Shell Vacations President & CEO, The purchase of this inventory in a prime location at the Ilikai represents an extraordinary opportunity for Shell Vacations and is a result of us listening to our existing members when they tell us where they would like us to develop new SVC resorts. The Waikiki Marina Resort is one of three new resorts that Shell will be developing in 2005. The other two are Napa, California and Whistler, B.C., which were also acquired and/or developed based on the vacation wants and desires of our member base."
Our entire Hawaii team is very enthusiastic about this new acquisition. It is a natural addition to our existing four resorts located on Kona and Kauai. Sales will begin in April and we plan to open a new off-site Preview Center in Waikiki in early summer. With many of our 90,000 owners/members enjoying traveling to our four existing Hawaii resorts, the Waikiki Marina Resort at the Ilikai offers members the opportunity to experience yet another Hawaii island with Shell Vacations Club," said Simon Crawford-Welch, Shell Vacations Executive VP of Sales and Marketing.
These highly desired units will be sold by the Hawaii regional offices of Shell Vacations, headed by Robert Foster, RRP, Regional Director, SVC-Hawaii, and placed into the points-based Shell Vacations Club. The companys other Hawaiian resorts include Holua Resort at Mauna Loa Village, Paniolo Greens and the Kona Coast Resort in Kona and the Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy on Kauai.
The 80 Ilikai units were totally refurbished in 2002 and are ready for owner occupancy. Each studio unit sleeps four and is equipped with a full kitchen. Views overlook Ala Wai Harbor, the city and the Pacific Ocean.
Famous for being the spot to view sunsets, visitors still gather daily at sunset at Sarentos Top of the I" Italian restaurant to enjoy spectacular panoramic views of the Honolulu skyline, the picturesque Ala Wai Yacht Marina next door, Diamond Head, and sky high vistas of the Pacific Ocean. The Ilikai is a five-minute walk to the massive Ala Moana Shopping Center and eight miles from the Honolulu International Airport.
Amenities for Shell Vacations Club members include a swimming pool, tennis court, complete workout facilities and a parking garage. The four restaurants in the complex include Sarentos Top of the I", with its breathtaking views of Honolulu; Canoes, serving regional Hawaiian cuisine in an indoor-outdoor setting; Paddles Bar, serving cocktails and light fare with expansive views of the ocean, and Tanaka of Tokyo, voted one of the best Japanese restaurants in the country.
A Bit of History
Thirty stories high and standing at the virtual entrance to Waikiki, when it was built in 1964, its 1,050 units opened a new chapter for Hawaiis tourism industry. The Ilikais distinctive three-winged, Y-shaped glass and concrete structure was a landmark in Hawaiis architectural/construction history. It was the islands first large, luxury high-rise and one of the largest buildings of its kind anywhere, well known for its dazzling views of Waikiki.
The Ilikai was also the worlds largest "condominium", with its developer Chinn Ho responsible for helping to push for the first condominium legislation enacted by any state in the U.S. in 1961. Among its many other historical achievements was its then revolutionary glass elevator, one of the tallest in the world and Hawaiis very first.
In recent years, the Ilikai has been the backdrop for a host of television shows and movies. During its 12-year run, in the 60s and 70s, the opening sequence of Hawaii Five-0 filmed Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett surveying his Hawaii domain. Magnum P. I. with Tom Selleck also utilized Ilikai locales, as did Raven and Jake and the Fatman and several episodes of Charlies Angels.
Recalling the expression If walls could talk" it is interesting to note that cast members from James Micheners Hawaii stayed at the Ilikai, as well as Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Gerald Ford, a host of ambassadors, movie stars and other celebrities such as Michael Jordan, Dolly Parton, Mickey Mantle, Lucille Ball, and countless other legends of the past and present ... even Elvis Presley.
Shell Vacations is one of the nations largest independent vacation ownership developers, now operating 19 resorts in six states and Canada along with various preview centers. The company has over 2,500 employees and a hospitality division serving close to 90,000 owners/members.
For additional information, please log on to http://www.shellvacationsclub.com
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