B on Hawaii

The wares at 841 Bishop Street are neatly stacked within a pair of long, glass cases. Carefully hand-printed signs give brief descriptions of what resides on each silver plate: "Orange Pekoe and Pekoe Cut Black Tea" is one, the contents of which emit a sweet floral scent when the dark chocolate shell is snapped open.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts announced this week that The Lodge at Koele will undergo a $50 million renovation, as funded by Castle & Cooke and property chairman David Murdock. The work will begin in less than a month, and should be completed by November of this year, according to a release.

Last month the Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. (ML&P), which owns 23,000 acres of land on Maui's west shore, ended our suspense as to what will take the place of the Kapalua Bay Hotel, slated to be razed this June.

Every destination has one. That over-the-top, A-list only, impeccably appointed estate or boutique hotel, that nary a single percent of global travelers can afford.

Oahu's is called The Sullivan Estate.

Ah, dining for a cause. There's no better excuse. Ever heard of Remy Martin Louis XIII? It's that fancy looking bottle on the very tip-top of your favorite bar. Yep, the one that costs $200 per glass (if not more). The folks at Rﾎmy Martin have gotten together with the folks at Halekulani to offer the "Rﾎmy Martin Ultimate Dinner", available now through December 30, 2007.

At a recent "Yoga + Chocolate" event held at the Halekulani, we were introduced to Katrina Markoff, the founder of Vosges Haut-Chocolat, based in Chicago.

The Royal Lahaina Resort -- which this newsletter reported on in our very first issue, sixteen months ago -- has completed a $30 million renovation of its 12-story, 330-room Lahaina Kai Tower in Kaanapali, Maui.

There's nothing like a little excitement in the Oahu culinary scene to start off this week's newsletter. If you remember when we broke the news that The Bistro at Century Center was closing due to a conflict between the restaurant owners and their landlord... the saga continues.

Tiffany's & Co.