Apparently, the Waikiki EDITION Hotel has been hosting large lively parties on Sundays.  Below is a video of one such party posted by someone on YouTube:

I live on another side of the Ilikai, so don’t get to witness these events.  But I’ve read written accounts of those by Ilikai owners.  Quite graphic descriptions, with comparisons to fraternity and sorority type of parties.  Apparently, noise and other related issues are becoming a contentious area.

P.S.: For those not familiar with The Ilikai and Waikiki Edition history: Since they were built, for over 40 years, they were one entity, part of one and same The Ilikai Hotel, until a couple of years ago.

Pacific Business News of Oct. 5, 2010 reports, “Marriott, Ian Schrager open Waikiki Edition.” They report that Edition had a soft opening as of Sept. 28, with a grand opening scheduled for Oct. 15.  Edition’s offerings will include Morimoto Waikiki restaurant (already open, fine dining) and upscale nightclub Crazybox.

If you are in town, take a moment to visit and tour the new Edition.  It is truly delightful.  What a gorgeous place.

Portions of the new Waikiki Edition Hotel, such as the bar and pool area, are now open.  The Hawaii Magazine online has a preview of the new Waikiki Edition Hotel, with pictures, click on the link.  If you are in town, take a moment to visit.  The way they renovated it is stunning and gorgeous, no question.

For those not familiar: The Waikiki Edition Hotel is located at the site of the Yacht Harbor Tower (YHT).  The YHT was developed by Chinn Ho in the 1960s as an annex to The Ilikai, as one project, and for over 40 years was an integral part of The Ilikai, with The Ilikai and YHT being one project. – Until the embattled developer Brian Anderson with his company Anekona got here and caused much destruction to the icon, landmark property.  Questions remain about the legality of that sale and separation of the YHT into a separate project, based on Hawaii statutory and case law.

Also, disputes continue between The Ilikai AOAO, and also Ilikai Marina AOAO, and the Edition regarding easements, including a state easement, to pass through the new Edition from the Hobron Ln to The Ilikai and to the beach area.

Place of The ILIKAI sign (right after it was removed about a month ago) on the Yacht Harbor Tower where the Waikiki Edition Hotel is located.

Here is the website for the Waikiki Edition Hotel that is supposed to open at the Yacht Harbor Tower (which for over 40 years was part of our Ilikai):

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/hnleb-the-waikiki-edition/

Pacific Business News of June 7, 2010 reported that Waikiki Edition hotel is scheduled to open in October 2010 (click on the link to read it). 

That is in the Yacht Harbor Tower, which for over 40 years was an integral part of our Ilikai.

The article gives some more details on the plans there, including plans for “an exclusive Crazybox nightclub, as well as a full-service spa, outdoor movie theater and ballroom.”

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 6^th 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.

Today we (Ilikai owners that is) had a really interesting Meet and Greet meeting with two senior executives from the Edition Hotel that is planned to open at the Yacht Harbor Tower.  Lots of information.  I took good notes and will post a summary in the next couple days (time permitting).

Here is something interesting and exciting coming up.  Representatives of the Edition Hotel planned to be opened at the adjacent Yacht Harbor Tower have scheduled a Meet and Greet Meeting with Ilikai owners.

The notice posted at the Ilikai states:

Notice Waikiki Edition Meet and Greet

Tuesday, January 26, 2010, Courtyard (or Kauai Room if raining) 5:30 PM

“Dan Flannery, Managing Director of Edition Hotels and Michael Rock, General Manager of The Waikiki Edition Hotel would like to invite all owners to meet their new neighbors and learn more about The Waikiki Edition.  This would be an excellent opportunity to voice any concerns or have questions answered about the new hotel.”

I am planning to attend and will report on this website what we learn.  Be there!

According to some some blogs, “the red-headed love child of Ian Schrager and Bill Marriott, Edition, the duo’s new boutique hotel brand, will debut its Waikiki location in mid-2010, with a Studio 54 and Iron Chef Masahara Morimoto’s first Hawaii restaurant.” 

From what we have been hearing, Edition is supposed to be at the Yacht Harbor Tower, and so is Morimoto’s restaurant (we actually have a copy of the Morimoto restaurant’s contract).  This is the first time I’ve heard about plans for a Studio 54.  (It’s a night club, there is one, for ex., in Las Vegas, at MGM Grand.)

Here is a media report on the Edition Hotel to be opened at the adjacent Yacht Harbor Tower.  (For those not familiar with its history, Yacht Harbor Tower was developed by the Ilikai’s original developer, Chinn Ho, as an annex to the Ilikai.)  The Morimoto restaurant is expected to be located in the area where the wedding chapel used to be, fronting the ocean.  They are also planning to add a VIP Pool with Sky Bar.  Those are to be located on the upper deck adjacent to the Ilikai tower.  It is really exciting that we will have this as our neighbors, something to look forward to.  With that said, man, they still have problems to solve.  The fact that they still do not have their liquor license is just one.  But there are also questions whether or not certain county requirements have been fulfilled.  Often, in these situations, it just takes some unhappy third-party contestant to derail things.