Dive Brief:
- Marriott International signed an agreement with Memphis, Tennessee-based hospitality investment fund Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners to convert The Resort at Kapalua Bay on Maui’s northwest coast under its luxury St. Regis Hotels & Resorts brand, the hotel company announced.
- Marriott has assumed management of the 146-key resort spanning 25 acres of oceanfront. KWHP will continue to own the property, which is slated to officially debut under the St. Regis brand in 2027 following a renovation.
- The agreement “reflects our continued momentum in growing a best-in-class luxury resort portfolio that resonates with today’s discerning luxury traveler,” said Dana Jacobsohn, Marriott’s chief development officer for global mixed use and luxury across North America. The conversion comes as growth in luxury hospitality contributes to Hawaii’s continued recovery.
Dive Insight:
Located along “one of Maui’s most treasured coasts,” the resort offers 146 multi-bedroom residences with ocean views of Kapalua Bay, according to Marriott. The property also offers a 40,000-square-foot spa with 19 treatment rooms and ocean-view wellness facilities; nearly 35,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space; as well as several outdoor pools, including a multi‐tiered, cascading lagoon pool, per a release.
The Kapalua Bay resort expands Marriott’s luxury portfolio to “one of the most iconic leisure destinations in the world,” Jacobsohn said. Marriott now has roughly 30 open properties across Hawaii and six in the pipeline, the company shared.
In June 2024, Marriott announced it would convert the 450-room Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu under its luxury Ritz-Carlton brand. Marriott assumed management of that property after Host Hotels & Resorts acquired it from Blackstone Real Estate for $725 million. Marriott also operates The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Kāʻanapali.
Marriott is among hotel competitors expanding its luxury portfolio growth across Hawaii amid the destination’s ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and 2023 Maui wildfires. Outrigger Hospitality Group, in particular, is reinvesting $250 million to $300 million in property renovations across the islands, the company’s chief commercial officer told Hotel Dive last month.
Beyond Hawaii, many hotel companies are focusing on luxury growth as high-end consumers prioritize spending on experiences and travel over goods, CEOs shared during fourth-quarter 2025 earnings.
Roughly 10% of Marriott’s pipeline rooms globally are in the luxury segment, CEO Anthony Capuano said during an earnings call last month.
