The Marriott Hotel Services is in the process of obtaining a liquor license for the Yacht Harbor Tower. They are scheduled to present their case at the upcoming meeting of the Waikiki Neighborhood Board tomorrow, April 13, 2010, at 310 Paoakalani Avenue 7:00-9:30 PM. Click here to view the agenda for the meeting. The “Liquor License for Former Yacht Harbor Tower at the Ilikai” item is listed on the agenda for 9:05 PM. Generally, they stick with the agenda’s timeline, so attendees interested in certain items do not necessarily need to be there for the entire meeting.
Then the next step would be a public hearing held by the Liquor Commission regarding this application. This hearing is scheduled for Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 4 PM, at the office of the Commission on the 6th floor of the Pacific Park Plaza, 711 Kapiolani Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96813. Click here to view the Notice of Public Hearing regarding this Liquor License application.
A couple of comments re this. This application is for the upcoming Edition Hotel that is scheduled to open at the Yacht Harbor Tower. There is A LOT of excitement and enthusiasm about the Edition Hotel. It is terrific news and we look forward to this!
Having said that, one needs to consider practical issues and learn lessons from what is happening now on the Hilton Hawaiian Village side of the Ilikai. For over a year already, hundreds of Ilikai owners and visitors on that side have been victims of the terrible noise coming from the Hilton Luau. Following numerous complaints to the Liquor Commission, the Commission’s investigators measured the noise level, documented that it was over permitted levels, cited Hilton, and Hilton paid some fines (a drop in a bucket by their standards). The luau and noise continue. Multiple Ilikai owners tried for months to convince the previous Board of Directors of the AOAO to intervene. That Board’s position was, “It is your personal problem.” How could it be a personal problem when it is affecting 1/3 of the building? We don’t know yet the position of the current Board (the new Board is of March 2010). With the new Board there is new hope.
Back to the YHT: One could look into making sure this liquor license has certain parameters. It is much easier to prevent this type of problems than to try to solve them later on. But if you are an Ilikai owner on the Harbor side and counting on the Board of Directors and the AOAO legal counsel to take care of this and to protect your interests while you can sit back and relax, then, in my opinion, you are living in a fantasy world.
From what I hear, some Ilikai owners are planning to attend both the Waikiki Neighborhood Board and the Liquor Commission meetings. You may be able to car-pool.