World’s Most Expensive Resort Ever To Be Built In Hawaii For $2 Billion

A deal that would see the most expensive holiday resort ever built is close to being completed. The estimated cost is to be in excess of more than $2 billion. Atlantis Resorts is in the final stages of a securing plans to construct one of its renowned ocean-themed resorts in Hawaii.

The resort will reportedly cover a 15-acre expanse of land on the Diamond Head side of Disney’s Aulani Resort, and will apparently bear resemblance to one of Atlantis’ other resorts The Palm in Dubai. There will be a mix of hotel, condo and timeshare units, sources said

Ko Olina Developer Jeff Stone announced the project over a decade ago in the governor’s office with landowner billionaire Takeshi Sekiguchi.

Amelia Lim, a vice president of valuation and advisory services for CBRE Hawaii, declined to comment on the project, but speaking to PBN said she wouldn’t be surprised if a well-capitalized group or partnership was to build a large format destination resort along the lines of Aulani – “Ko Olina can certainly support development on this scale because it has both availability of suitable sites and extensive infrastructure”.

There’s no timetable for the Atlantis project and it still has to go through permitting and regulatory processes before construction can start.

Atlantis Resorts is a subsidiary of Kerzner International and operate resorts in Nassau, Bahamas, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which each feature Aquaventure a large water park concept initially launched at the Bahamas Paradise Island resort.

The Bahamas complex boasts a 141-acre waterscape, which includes fresh and saltwater lagoons, pools, marine habitats, water slides and river rides.

The Hawaii resort will feature some spectacular aquatic attractions – a huge interactive aquarium, hotel rooms that offer an aquarium view, a dolphin experience, and shark habitat.

Luxury resorts are increasingly offering such unusual, unique and extravagant amenities to differentiate themselves from competitors

At over 50 locations around the US and Canada, the Kimpton Hotel chain offers a special service for visitors feeling lonely during their stay – the ‘Guppy Love’ program whereby hotel staff will place a goldfish in any guest’s room for the duration of their stay.

If guests are feeling as though their stay is lacking a bit of spontaneity and excitement, at the Namale Resort & Spa in Fiji guests are taken to a surprise location without notice, for a private four-course picnic in a spectacular setting.

For those who like to lounge by the pool, The Club Hotel & Spa in St. Helier, Jersey, has a sunshine butler on hand to polish sunglasses, give out sunscreen, and provide iced towels and fresh watermelon to guests while they relax on their poolside loungers.

At Rosewood Hotels around the world, a white-gloved fragrance butler on hand to visit your room with 10 high-end designer fragrances to suit all tastes, at all times – five for women and five for men.

The Atlantis Resort would join Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts’ first hotel on Oahu at the Ko Olina Resort, which is replacing the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa.

The new Four Seasons hotel will include 371 guest rooms and suites, restaurants and bars, a kids’ center, meeting rooms, a ballroom, a spa and fitness center, a wedding chapel, tennis courts, pools, and cabanas.

There’s no timetable for the Atlantis project and it still has to go through permitting and regulatory processes before construction can start.

Tourism accounts for a significant portion of Hawaii’s economy and up until 2007, Japanese tourists on average were the most profitable customers.

The average Japanese tourist now stays only 5 days, whereas the average Asian from China and Korea stays more than 9.5 days and spends 25% more.

Hawaii has seen an increasing share of foreign tourists from South Korea Canada, Australia, and China increasing 13%, 24% and 21% respectively since 2010.

(Photo by Kent Nishimura-Pool/Getty Images)