When the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel re-opens in December after being closed for two years, it will have recovered from extensive earthquake damage, feature fewer but larger rooms and a new interior look.

General manager Jon Gersonde took over a month ago at the Big Island luxury resort — in the midst of a $150 million repair and renovation project. "It's very extensive," he said.

The hotel closed after the Oct. 15, 2006, earthquake caused major structural damage to the building.

Gersonde said the hotel's exterior will remain the same but the interiors are being redone. He said many of the rooms are being reconfigured, making the rooms much larger.

About 420 employees were laid off when the hotel closed. Gersonde said most of those workers are expected to return. The hotel is publishing a newsletter to keep in touch and update them on developments.

Gersonde, 47, said the hotel, which is part of Prince Resorts Hawai'i, is doing the renovations in such a way that they preserve what's important to loyal guests.

"It's a careful bridge between the old and the new," he said. "Making sure not to alienate them but creating enough allure to attract new customers."

He said the renovated hotel will feature large baths with separate shower, bath and two sinks. "The bathroom is essentially about a third of the size of the room," he said.

In recent decades, the Kohala Coast of Hawai'i has become internationally known for its luxury resorts. But in 1965, when Laurance S. Rockefeller developed the hotel, the area was known more for its dry climate and vast lava fields.

The hotel developed into a luxurious but understated escape.

Gersonde left another historic Hawai'i hotel — the Royal Hawaiian Hotel — to take this job. The Royal, coincidentally, recently closed for renovations.

Originally from Michigan, Gersonde has worked in the Asia-Pacific region for 20 years with more than a decade in Hawai'i.

He and his family moved to the Big Island to take the job. "What a fun and exciting project," he said. "It's just a magic place."

Although the Royal Hawaiian and the Mauna Kea Beach are different, he said they share a loyal following of guests — some who have been returning for generations.

He said the needs of those guests are "very important" at a time when travelers have so many options where they can stay.

Return visitors will still see the trademark orange plumeria logo, he said.

Gersonde said he took the job as "a wonderful opportunity, a new challenge."

Although the Royal Hawaiian plans to close for only six months and Mauna Kea for two years, both are scheduled to reopen the same month.

Gersonde said golfers also are watching for the updates to the golf course. Closed since May 2007, the course is in the midst of a "tee to green restoration" which includes replacing all the grass under the guidance of well-known designer Rees Jones.

The course may reopen a bit earlier than the hotel, in November.