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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, June 13, 2008

Royal Hawaiian Center putting on a 7-day show

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Ho'okena will perform at 6 p.m. on June 14 in The Royal Grove.

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Kaukahi plays at 6 p.m. on June 19 in The Royal Grove.

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The Royal Hawaiian Center, which dropped "Shopping" from its name, will celebrate the completion of its $115 million renovation with a slate of events June 14 through June 20.

"Nou Ka Hale: Our House Is Your House" is the theme of the open house and grand reopening.

This is the complex that fronts the Royal Hawaiian Hotel (now closed for a spruce-up, reopening Jan. 1) and the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. It is a dining, shopping and entertainment destination with a clutch of new tenants, home to 110 boutiques, high-end couture fashions, souvenir and clothing merchants, and restaurants galore — from steak houses to Chinese cuisine, from sushi coves to Mexican fare — and spread over four stories and 310,000 square feet of merchandising.

Still to come: the "Waikiki Nei" show and showroom, on the center's fourth floor, nearing completion for a July 8 launch. The facility — with a high-tech showroom-theater that will convert to a nightclub after showtime — also houses an ultralounge for the party crowd, with appeal to the wee-hour clientele. It looms as a major player in the future growth of Waikiki and a prime magnet to get locals as well as visitors back on the strip.

"This is an exciting time for the center," said Marlene Akau, general manager for Royal Hawaiian Center. "We have a variety of activities and entertainment for the public to join us in celebration of this milestone."

The face-lift now gives the center's three blocks along Kalakaua Avenue easy access and a welcoming allure. No more boarded-up storefronts on Waikiki's main avenue.

The Royal Hawaiian Center is utilizing its grassy open space — The Royal Grove — for several major free performances with high appeal among visitors and residents alike (see box). Among the musical headliners are three groups that have won Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (the Island version of the Grammys): Ho'okena on June 14, The Makaha Sons on June 15 and Kaukahi on June 19.

Cultural events, such as 'ukulele lessons and lei-making, will also be part of the open house.

The Royal Hawaiian Center is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Its parking garage is next to the Sheraton lot, with a $4 fee for four hours with dining validation or $2 fee for two hours of merchant validation, with a six-hour limit of combined validation.

Information: 922-0588, www.royalhawaiiancenter.com.

• • •

ROYAL HAWAIIAN CENTER OPEN HOUSE

June 14-20

922-0588

Free

THE SCHEDULE:

  • June 14:

    Noon-1 p.m. — Royal Hawaiian Band, The Royal Grove

    3-5 p.m. — Aaron Sala on piano, Paina Lanai

    6-7 p.m. — Ho'okena, The Royal Grove

  • June 15:

    3-5 p.m. — Aaron Sala, Paina Lanai

    6-7 p.m. — The Makaha Sons, The Royal Grove

  • June 16:

    11 a.m.-noon — Lomilomi class, ground level, Building A, near Fendi

    3-5 p.m. — Pat Sylva on piano, Paina Lanai

    6-8 p.m. — Puuhonua, The Royal Grove

  • June 17:

    9:30-11 a.m. — Hawaiian quilting, third level, Building A, near Chibo Okonomiyaki

    10-11 a.m. — Hula class, The Royal Grove

    3-5 p.m. — Pat Sylva, Paina Lanai

    6-8 p.m. — Kawika Trask and Friends, The Royal Grove

  • June 18:

    10-11 a.m. — 'Ukulele class, ground level, Building A, near Fendi

    3-5 p.m. — Aaron Sala, Paina Lanai

    6-8 p.m. —Keoahu, The Royal Grove

  • June 19:

    10-11 a.m. — 'Ukulele class, ground level, Building A, near Fendi

    3-5 p.m. — Pat Sylva, Paina Lanai

    6-7 p.m. — Kaukahi, The Royal Grove

  • June 20:

    10-11 a.m. — 'Ukulele class, ground level, Building A, near Fendi

    1-2 p.m. — Lei-making class, ground level, Building A, near Fendi

    4:30-6:30 p.m. — Aaron Sala, Paina Lanai

  • Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.