China Oceanwide has entered into an agreement with destination resort developer and operator Kerzner International Holdings Limited to open the first Atlantis resort in the U.S. in Ko Olina on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, the companies confirmed Thursday.
China Oceanwide and Kerzner International have partnered with master developer The Resort Group on the project.
The planned 26-acre resort will overlook the Honu and Kohola Lagoons and feature several intriguing attractions for guests of all ages, including an Aquaventure Waterpark, The Ambassador Lagoon and The Lost Chambers Aquarium, among others.
Atlantis Ko Olina will also boast 800 guestrooms and suites and 524 residences.
Amenities will include private gardens and pools as well as luxury retail shops, restaurants and bars, a spa and a fitness center.
“Atlantis resorts are iconic entertainment destinations that significantly contribute to the surrounding community, and Hawaii will be no exception,” said Kerzner International president and CEO Jean-Gabriel Pérès in a statement. “Ko Olina is an incredible project with exceptional partners in global leaders China Oceanwide and The Resort Group. Atlantis will astonish and amaze, as well as celebrate the history and culture of Hawaii.”
“An unsurpassed location will provide endless wonders, with its magnificent sense of discovery, whilst also pioneering previously unseen experiences.”
Atlantis Resorts COO Serge Zaalof called Hawaii the “perfect location” for the brand’s next resort, while The Resort Group founder Jeffrey R. Stone expects the resort to attract the all-important millennial market.
“We believe strongly that Atlantis will bolster the already strong tourism market, increasing visitor spending and adding much-needed hotel rooms to the island,” said Steven Wang, senior vice president of China Oceanwide subsidiary Oceanwide Resort Paradise HI LLC, in a statement.
Stone confirmed back in September that a deal had been reached to develop the first Atlantis resort in the U.S., telling Hawaii News Now that the project would create as many as 1,800 jobs and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in city and state revenues.
But it’s been nearly one year since sources close to the situation informed the news outlet that the chain was in the process of finalizing a deal to construct the resort.
The final cost of the project as well as a timetable for when it will open remain unclear.
Steele Luxury Travel