While many visitors know that “the Garden Island” is a popular English nickname for the oldest of the main Hawaiian islands, traditional Hawaiian chants and modern songs celebrate the majesty of Kaua‘i i ka mālie — Kaua‘i in the calm. It’s that tranquility, along with the island’s lush foliage and ancient culture, that has inspired the new look and feel of OUTRIGGER Kaua‘i Beach Resort and Spa in Līhu‘e.
“What’s beautiful about Kaua‘i is that it’s really an island of peace,” notes Chris San Nicolas, the resort’s general manager. “And even though we’re close the airport, we’re nestled in peace. Once you drive through the tunnel of trees, it’s very secluded and quiet — what you listen to is the ocean. It’s a serene atmosphere that we’re attracted to.”
After OUTRIGGER acquired the resort in 2023, the company began working with interior design firm 11fiftynine to bring that serenity and other local touches to the property. According to San Nicolas, the designers drew particular inspiration from the natural elements in Hawaiian legends involving Pele, the fire goddess whose sister Hi‘iaka traveled to Kaua‘i on her behalf, and the ocean journeys of Kawelo-lei-makua, a semi-mythical hero from Hanalei. They also incorporated “the elements of Kaua‘i — the beautiful botanicals, the flora and what’s happening in the ocean near our property,” San Nicolas says.
“Being in Kaua‘i is about the lava, the ocean, the land, and it really is the ‘āina (land) that we try to replicate. Everything on our property from our guest rooms, all of the material and the furniture, is really centered around the story,” she explains.
Guests can already see the results in the hotel’s 200 signature guestrooms, while new public spaces will debut later this spring. It’s easy to spot the influence of the blue ocean and adjacent Nukoli‘i Beach, which is dotted with white coral, driftwood and ropes that have floated off of fishing boats. Couches, carpets, headboards and pillows bear shades of turquoise, while coral-patterned armchairs sport wooden arms twisted like rope. Asymmetrical mirrors are framed with actual rope.
Locally-produced artwork in the rooms and throughout the resort also reflects its unique environs, including abundant flora and views of sunrise over the ocean, according to San Nicolas. “We also have art inspired by sunset in Hanalei and the Nāpali Coast,” she adds.
The resort’s four buildings have also been renamed to highlight their presence on Kaua‘i. The first wing is named Maile, after the fragrant native rainforest vine woven into highly prized lei. “You can only find it growing up in Kokē‘ē,” San Nicolas notes. The new name of the second wing, Mokihana, comes from an endemic shrub “significant to Kaua‘i because it only grows here,” she says.
Wailua, the third building, shares its new moniker name with the nearby town where the Wailua River meets the ocean. “It means ‘the joining of two waters.’ The crossing of the two waters here is our pools and the ocean,” San Nicolas explains.
“Our guests can enjoy four beautiful pools and even though people can’t swim in our ocean, because of the surf, you can have beautiful sunrises,” she continues. “It’s where people come to reflect. This where we do our daily yoga and have the opportunity to take in the calmness. You have people who are not swimmers or into water sports, but they can still walk the beach for miles.”
The new name of oceanfront Building Four is even more straightforward: Ke Kai, the ocean. From here it’s easy to get a jump start on a self-guided beach cleanup with a kit provided by the resort. “At OUTRIGGER we love to make sure we’re protecting our ocean. It’s important to take care of our land, our ocean and our reefs,” San Nicolas says.
“At Nukoli‘i, one of the issues we have is microplastic debris. One of our artists, Allegra Scribner, takes those microplastics and she designs beautiful artwork from them. We have an installation that shows what you can do instead of throwing it away,” San Nicolas notes. Scribner holds two workshops a month called ‘Ōpala (“trash”) Art that include teaching how to collect the debris. “They really resonate with guests,” San Nicolas says.
The names and décor of newly renovated banquet rooms, Orchid and Jasmine, are a nod to the blooms of the Garden Island, as is dramatic floral installation by Noah Harder’s Waikapu Collective that will hang behind the front desk when the transformed lobby debuts in June. That’s also when the new chef-driven culinary program is scheduled to open.
Those planning a stay this fall will be able to experience an entirely new addition to the resort, the Voyager 47 Club Lounge, provided they book a Club room or suite. The roomy lounge with indoor and outdoor seating will offer daily breakfast and sunset nibbles with local craft beer, artisan cocktails and wine, while serving between mealtimes as a relaxing oasis overlooking the pool and verdant garden — yet one more reflection of Kaua‘i ka mālie.
