Jetsettersblog

Keauhou Beach Resort on Hawaii Island invites music lovers and Hawaiian cultural enthusiasts to a weeklong Aloha Music Camp on July 1-7. Guests can enjoy classes in ukulele, slack key guitar, hula, oli (chant), lei making, and instrument crafting. Instructors include world-class musicians and performing artists like:

Alan Akaka, steel guitar
Kaliko Beamer-Trapp, Hawaiian language and ukulele
Dr. Samuel Gon III, oli (chant)
Uluwehi Guerrero, hula
Ozzie Kotani, slack key guitar
Dennis Lake, ukulele building
Herb Ohta, Jr., ukulele
Anakala Philipo Solatario, storytelling and kukakuka (discussion)
For more information and registration, visit www.AlohaMusicCamp.com.

Looking for a new way to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year? Renew your marriage vows at Outrigger Hotels and Resorts on the most romantic day of the year. A non-denominational kahu (priest/officiate) will conduct complimentary vow renewal ceremonies for hotel guests registered at any Outrigger Hotel in the Hawaiian Islands. Couples will receive a certificate and a photograph memento to commemorate the special day. For more information, visit www.Outrigger.com.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Guests can now enjoy a newly renovated Courtyard Kauai at Coconut Beach featuring $13 million of updated public spaces, restaurants, meeting rooms, lobby, and recreational amenities. Highlights of the renovation, which was completed in January, include a reconfigured pool, new jacuzzi, expanded fitness center, family game room, and an eLounge with the latest technology for guests to stay connected with friends and families while on the island. The ocean-view restaurant, Voyager Grill, is also offering new menus featuring Hawaii Regional Cuisine with fresh ingredients from local farms. For more information, visit www.Marriott.com.

TRANSPORTATION

On June 7, United Airlines will launch a new daily route between Washington DC’s Dulles International Airport and Honolulu International Airport (Oahu), providing the only nonstop service between the two points. United is currently the largest carrier servicing Hawaii from the mainland U.S. For more information, visit United.com.

ACCOLADES

Five Hawaii establishments have been awarded with the AAA Five Diamond Award and 28 others have earned the Four Diamond Award for 2012.

The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua (Maui), Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, and Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Kaupulehu (Hawaii Island) earned the Five Diamond status in the lodging category while Oahu’s Chef Mavro and La Mer at the Halekulani both earned Five Diamond designations for the restaurant category.

For more information and to see a complete list of the Five Diamond and Four Diamond winners, visit www.NewsRoom.AAA.com.

TripAdvisor’s 2012 Traveler’s Choice Awards honors several Hawaii hotels in various categories voted on by the website’s readers. The Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea led the pack, earning the most honors including No. 3 for Best Hotels in the US, No. 12 for Best Hotels for Service in the US, and No. 16 for Best Luxury Hotel in the US. Other highlights for Hawaii include:

St. Regis Princeville (Kauai): 6th for Best Luxury Hotels in the US

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Kaupulehu (Hawaii Island): 16th for Best Hotels in the US

Koa Kea Hotel and Resort (Kauai): 23rd for Best Hotels in the US

The Kahala Hotel and Resort (Oahu): 25th for Best Luxury Hotels in the US

Travaasa Hana (Maui): 25th for Best Relaxation/Spa Hotels in the US.
For more information, visit TripAdvisor.com.