Past Meets Future: Cool New Art and Culture at Outrigger Reef
When you arrive at Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort, you first meet the past, greeted by Kalele: a 100-year-old, namesake outrigger canoe. Then you pass along a stone pathway weaving alongside a bubbling stream that represents the waterways that Waikiki was named for. And now you’ll also venture into a new kind of past meets present—and an inside glimpse at the Hawaiian cultural renaissance.
Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort recently added to our lineup of cultural cool, from storytelling to virtual sailing to lounging alongside iconic woven-rope murals. Check out our shortlist of the newest highlights, and stay and play in Waikiki for the ultimate art-meets-adventure getaway.
Go Virtual Sailing
The expanded Aʻo Cultural Center, a flagship virtual exhibit from digital artist Kari Kēhau Noe will set the stage at the resort's new cultural hub. Through immersive projection, feel like you're sailing the sea on one of the legendary Polynesian voyaging canoes from the Mālama Honua (“to care for the Earth”) Worldwide Voyage—bringing the genius of Polynesian wayfinding to (in-motion) life.
Hang with Wa‘a and Keiki (and Reclaimed Treasure)
See the oversized mural, I Ka Wa Ma Mua, Ka Wa Ma Hope (Through the Past is the Future), from Hawaiian artist Kamea Hadar. Featuring tradition-meets-what's-next depictions of Hawaiian keiki (children) crewing a traditional wa‘a (sailing canoe), the piece celebrates the connection and legacy of the past with the promise and possibility of the next generation to protect and care for the Earth. Plus, see the trash-to-treasure “Coming Home” mural of Diamond Head made of reclaimed fishing nets created by famed activist artist Ethan Estess.
Lounge with Famous Paintings and Sculptures
Hang out in the new Herb Kawainui Kāne Lounge alongside works from Kāne himself, the late artist, historian, and Polynesian Voyaging Society founder. You'll also get up-close and personal with a lounge-wide, woven-rope sculpture by fiber artist Marques Hanalei Marzan, representing the islands' beautiful interconnectivity and ancestral ties.
Get Lei’d and Try Your Hand at Hula
Feel truly immersed in the local culture by participating in traditional Hawaiian activities yourself—from hula dancing to ukulele lessons to making lei or kukui nut kupe‘e bracelets.
Past Meets Future, Continued
The $80 million transformation of Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort continues throughout this year, with anchor restaurant Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman slated to open by the end of 2022—and famous Kani Ka Pila Grille has already undergone a transformation, and nightly live music (and great food) is back!
Book your culture-cool escape now!
