One of at least two Hawaii island treehouses available for vacation rental is being featured by TripAdvisor.com, which says travelers can stay at these places and "indulge their inner child."
It is doubtful most children who loved treehouses and tree forts ever envisioned the sort of comfort offered at the featured sites.
On the travel site the Big Island accommodation is referred to as "Exotic Treehouse at Kilauea Volcano on Big Island," though its owners call it Mahinui na Lani.
TripAdvisor lists the treehouse’s queen-size bed, cedar hot tub on the lanai, outdoor shower and other amenities.
Rates for Mahinui na Lani start at $200 a night, but a kama­aina discount is available, said co-owner Gail Armand.
The treehouse is about 4 years old and was built "to go along with our wedding business," she said.
The Mahinui wedding pavilion and the treehouse are in the rain forest, though they are not in the same spot.
Armand and her partner Robert van Sluis did a "global search" for the right person to build the treehouse. One from Germany specialized in sleeker, more urban designs, while Roderick Romero, out of New York, "had a more organic approach … which seemed to fit the rain forest," she said.
"We wanted it to match, to go along with the scenery and the land, and look like it belonged," Armand said.
Couples who marry in the pavilion don’t have to stay in the treehouse, which is a short walk from Volcano Village. Likewise, honeymoon couples who want to stay in the treehouse don’t have to have their wedding ceremony in the pavilion.
"People come from all over the world on (their) honeymoon" to stay in the treehouse, she said.
Oh, the other treehouses TripAdvisor is featuring are in Rincon, Puerto Rico; and Canterbury, Whippingham and Taunton, in the United Kingdom.
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On the Net:
» mahinui.com/treehouse
HAUTE GOODIES TAKE FLIGHT
Three Haute Confectionery Boutique treats soon will be offered aboard Hawaiian Airlines’ domestic flights.
Owner Elizabeth Hata Watanabe will make her first delivery to the airline next week, after which passengers will have the opportunity to buy her boutique bakery’s chewy coconut shortbread, chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies or mochi crunchies — or all three, for that matter.
She’s excited about the opportunity to market her products through Hawaiian Air and hopes to expand to the carrier’s international flights with additional confections.
While her sweet treats currently are prepared in a rented commercial kitchen, "I’m still looking for a space" in which to permanently establish her business, she said.
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On the Net:
» hauteconfectioneryboutique.com
AND THAT’S SPECIAL BECAUSE…
The Association of National Advertisers is seeking entries for its 13th annual Multicultural Excellence Awards.
The coverage pitch struck your columnist as amusing because, well, we live in multicultural Hawaii, where most if not all local advertising that shows people is multicultural.
Of course, it’s a mainland-based organization, so its view of multiculturalism seems rather limited, through our eyes.
"The ANA Multicultural Excellence Awards are the premier showcase for outstanding and creative work done in African-American, Asian, Hispanic and LGBT marketing," said Bob Liodice, president and chief executive officer of the ANA, in a statement.
At least something we in Hawaii take for granted is getting its due on the mainland. Hopefully Hawaii advertising and marketing agencies enter and show their mainland counterparts how it’s done.
The entry deadline is Aug. 9, and awards will be presented in November.
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On the Net:
» www.ana.net/awards
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Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.
