Edition, the Ian Schrager-Marriott collaboration of boutique hotels, has made its debut in Waikiki. Designed by Yabu Pushelberg, the 353-room hotel (formerly the Ilikai Yacht Harbor Tower) feels like a modern and luxurious beachfront home. Guests enter the lobby through double-height teak shutters, where the design reflects the surfer’s paradise beyond the hotel’s walls. A wall-to-wall installation by artist and former professional surfer Herbie Fletcher is made from over 100 collected broken surfboards from the sport’s best pipeline surfers. The piece hangs above the custom-made reception desk, crafted from sculpted plywood transformed into an organic shape and finished using the techniques and traditions of local Hawaiian surfboard making. A polished, raw concrete stairway anchors the space. In the Lobby Bar, oversized sofas and custom furnishings provide a comfortable backdrop for a rotating bookcase featuring various installations by local artists as well as curated collections of one-of-a-kind objects, books, and memorabilia.
The hotel’s 353 luxurious rooms and suites are decorated in natural tones and rich woods with distinctive design touches to create a soothing sense of organic luxury with the character of a home away from home. The rooms have oversized windows overlooking the city, pools, yacht harbor, and Pacific Ocean; many have furnished terraces with sliding louvered doors offering shuttered shade, filtered sunshine, or dramatic vistas across the city to the ocean beyond. On the 17th floor, the 1,500-square-foot penthouse boasts an expansive wraparound landscaped terrace, views across Oahu’s harbor and ocean, original artwork, private dining room, kitchen, entertainment center, library, and bedroom
In the restaurant and nightlife department, chef Masaharu Morimoto brings his original cuisine to Morimoto Waikiki at Edition, designed by Schoos Design. The Crazybox nightclub promotes a raw atmosphere, thanks to large rusted steel doors, a concrete stairwell, a 30-foot-long bar made of weathered steel, use of 40,000 reclaimed antique light bulbs, and undulating silver leather banquettes designed by Yabu Pushelberg.
Outdoors, a private playground awaits. The Sunrise Pool reflects the changing deep hues of the Pacific and features shallow lounging areas with chaises that appear to be floating on the water. The naturally aged gray teak decking complements custom-made teak chaises and oversized daybeds. A grove of more than 20 mature Hawaiian “Autograph” trees and plantings of pink bougainvillea and fragrant jasmine create a lush garden, courtesy of landscape designer Deborah Nevins. Adjacent to the Sunrise Pool is a lanai that’s reminiscent of a galleried veranda running the length of a tropical plantation house. The Private Sunset Beach and Bar boasts an inland private beach overlooking the ocean and its own shallow, circular lagoon furnished with lounge chairs. Lush gardens planted with palm trees and indigenous foliage add to the feeling of an exotic oasis. Rounding out the outdoor offerings is a movie theater. Other hotel amenities include a spa and a luxury ballroom that can seat 920.
