Calm renewal in Waikiki

A boutique hotel aims to create an oasis in the busy tourist district

San Francisco-based designer Jiun Ho beat out four other finalists with his plans for a chic retreat in Waikiki to be called Hotel Renew, though the response to his initial presentation was met with reservation.

"No one was talking," said Ho. "Then, 'What happened to the colors?' ... It took me a while to convince the team."

The designer takes his cue from natural elements. Nods to water, earth and the sun are evident in the sand-colored reception area and in hallways and rooms of his dream hotel, which is about 30 percent complete.

"When it comes to themes (for a hotel in the tropics), the typical impression is that there will be a lot of colors. I wanted to have a completely different sense of balance," said Ho.

To win over the owners, Napili Partners, and management, Ho invited them to his design studio in San Francisco, where his living room and guest rooms are set up much as he sees the hotel rooms and lobby.

"I was told, 'Now I can understand,'" said Ho.

General manager Terry Dowsett was along on that trip, and says he did have to warm up to the idea of a color-free scheme. "Being in the industry for 29 years, you are used to a brightly colored environment. I saw the renderings and drawings, but it wasn't until I saw the models that I was able to envision (the end result)."

Come October, Ocean Tower Hotel, at 129 Paoakalani Ave., will officially be reborn as Hotel Renew, a 70-room boutique hotel designed to appeal to sophisticated travelers.

Owners propose that the selling point will be its esthetic sense.

Ho is in the process of overseeing the hotel's makeover, from rooms to the staff's uniforms. He even designed the flatware, baskets and vases.

Standard mustard-yellow drapery and green-and-pink bedding will be replaced by a monochromatic color scheme. In one complete room, water is suggested through S-curled shapes running through the pale carpet, sheets and headboard. Flowers and bowls of fruit add splashes of color. Sliding wall panels block out sunlight, and storage space is maximized through platform beds and dark wooden benches. Other touches include 500-count Egyptian cotton sheets, bathrobes and plush towels.

For those seeking a connection to the outside world, each room will have a projection-screen or flat-screen plasma television, computer and complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access.

The team behind Hotel Renew proposes that this casually elegant hotel -- with rates expected to be set at $300 for guest rooms or $595 for one of the two suites -- will be an oasis of calm, less than a block from Waikiki Beach.

"There's great potential, great location," said Ho. "I wanted to create something that is timeless and long-lasting. Some high-design, avant-garde places have a don't-look, don't-touch feel. I wanted a space for people to gather (and feel comfortable)."