The all-new White Sands Hotel has unveiled a property-wide redesign encompassing new guestrooms, amenities and a brand-new restaurant and bar concept, Hey Day. A hidden gem that unabashedly celebrates the bamboo bar culture of the 1960s and 70s, White Sands Hotel provides a sunny oasis among Honolulu’s urban setting. Managed by Springboard Hospitality, a leading hospitality management company with more than 35 independent and branded properties throughout the U.S., White Sands Hotel once again claims its place as one of Waikiki’s best-kept secrets, a tropical illusion that invites all to drop in and tune out.
Honolulu-based design team The Vanguard Theory concepted the new look for White Sands Hotel, which is anchored in mid-century modern design with a distinctive island flair that embodies the eclectic, inspiring spirit of Waikiki.
“White Sands Hotel was originally built in 1957, designed by a local architect named Edwin Bauer,” said Michelle Jaime, principal/creative director, The Vanguard Theory Inc. “Bauer designed three modest walk-up buildings around a coffin-shaped pool framed by tall Kukui and Coconut trees. The guestrooms were designed with small kitchens and the pool courtyard became the social living space for all its guests. Across the street Donn Beach, arguably the ‘founding father of tiki,’ opened International Market Place (IMP). IMP was famous for its extravagant expression of Polynesia, its dazzling entertainment and its notable restaurant and club scene. Unfortunately, over the years, IMP became kitschy, fell into disrepair and was eventually demolished to become a mall in 2016. Just like IMP, most of Bauer’s designs were demolished for high-rise flagship hotels. White Sands Hotel became one of the last fixtures of old Waikiki. We knew it was our duty to preserve Old Hawaii and celebrate the history of Waikiki during an era of ultimate swag.”
From the moment guests enter through its bamboo-lined entry, White Sands Hotel feels like stepping back in time to an era of playful hospitality, when Hawaii’s Polynesian culture influences were felt around the world. The hotel’s 94 guestrooms and suites are centered around a courtyard pool with a cascading waterfall, grotto-style hot tub and lush gardens. The reimagination, although new, embodies vintage Hawaii vibes and offers guests an irreverent take on what it was like to work and play in Hawaii during the Jet Age. Designed for today’s thoroughly modern traveler, White Sands Hotel is now the most energy-efficient hotel in Waikiki, generating almost all its energy from solar power.
“The White Sands design will make guests feel like kids again,” Jaime said. “It’s whimsical, playful and has many nooks to discover. There are hidden doors, swings, fire and a waterfall. Guests will feel like they either transported back in time or they’ve discovered the portal to Never Never Land.”
With a unique blend of old-school style and contemporary comfort, all guestrooms include a private lanai and a wet bar, perfect for mixing Mai Tai’s on hazy afternoons. A palette of butterscotch yellow, olive green and cyan blue punctuate the vibrant fabrics used throughout rooms, complementing the distinctive bright orange and white umbrellas that ring the pool. Throwback touches are found throughout the hotel: whether the bright blue, curly cord landline telephones or the vintage cigarette machines that now dispense locally made artwork, White Sands Hotel invites guests not to take life too seriously while embracing a slower pace.
“The shoji screens, one of Bauer’s signature design elements, were unfortunately beyond repair. To respect his vision, we designed statement headboards inspired by Byobu or Japanese folding screens. The headboards were treated like pieces of art and it created a big visual impact. We collaborated with local artists to create one-of-a-kind artwork such as the shaka robe hooks and paintings that hang in each room. To activate the courtyard, we let vintage IMP inspire the aesthetic. Large orange fringed umbrellas surround the pool and are visible from every room. The addition of gas tiki torches offered a little glimmer at night. Finally, the pool deck was hand-stamped and stained to look like Hawaiian basalt,” Jaime noted.
From the team behind the beloved Chinatown hotspot, Fête, the heart of the hotel is Hey Day, an open-air restaurant and bar led by Chef Robynne Maii that will serve farm-to-table, new continental cuisine with a throwback Hawaiian twist as an homage to Maii’s local heritage. The restaurant will work with farmers and purveyors in Oahu to serve authentically local cuisine. The centerpiece of Hey Day is a large, circular poolside bar with hanging chairs, that welcomes guests to swing, sip and swap stories as they enjoy stiff drinks crafted by several of Waikiki’s most popular mixologists.
Positioned in central Waikiki, White Sands Hotel is located a block and a half from the famed Waikiki Beach and a few minutes’ walk to the International Market Place, a hotspot of shopping and dining.
“In the last decade, hotel designs followed the trend of minimal precious white spaces,” Jaime said. “We wanted to create a space that guests felt like they could have fun and relax in. So, we made sure that the hotel felt lived in, added quirky things you’d find at your auntie’s house and added Hawaiian elements that gave a sense of place.”
