Chamber redesigns its logo and website

The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii has refreshed its logo to represent the unity of Hawaii businesses through membership in the organization, coupled with a wave to reflect the change the chamber is working to accomplish, according to President and CEO Sherry Menor-McNamara.

The website also has been redesigned to be "an improved resource and tool for new members to access information, enable two-way communication and to take action," she said in a statement.

The site features a new portal for Hawaii’s manufacturers, a sector the Chamber sees as having potential to boost the state’s economy.

Menor-McNamara thanked the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, as well as its publisher and Chamber Chairman Dennis Francis, for resources and time toward the new logo and website.

5 cans needed for free L&L saimin burger

Those eager to try a free L&L Drive-Inn saimin burger during a 10 a.m.-to-noon promotion today need bring in only five canned food items for the free burger, which normally sells for $5.95. Customers who bring in 10 canned food items can redeem the donation for a loco moco version of the saimin burger.

The canned-goods-for-burger exchange applies only to the first 200 customers in line at the Keeaumoku Street L&L in Walmart. The promotion initially would have required a 10-can donation for a saimin burger, and 15 cans for the loco moco, which sells for $6.95. The company announced the reduced donation amount Wednesday. The canned goods will be donated to the Hawaii Foodbank.

Meanwhile, the saimin burger and egg-topped loco moco version are now available at most L&L locations, according to founder Eddie Flores.

Hawaii Biotech gets $1.1M anti-toxin grant

Hawaii Biotech Inc. has been awarded a $1.1 million federal grant to continue its work into the development of anthrax anti-toxin drugs.

The initial round of funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is part of a five-year grant totaling $7.4 million. The institute is part of the National Institutes of Health.

"Research and development of vaccines and treatments to protect against infectious diseases will help keep our families and communities healthy and safe," said U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz.

"Hawaii Biotech is doing important work to find vaccines for some of the biggest global health threats, like anthrax, and this grant will help give them the resources they need. Achieving this competitive grant highlights Hawaii’s continued growth in the high-level research and development community."

Hawaii Biotech is a privately held biotechnology company focused on the development of prophylactic vaccines for established and emerging infectious diseases and anti-toxin drugs for biological threats.

Maui hotel makes Travel + Leisure list

The Andaz Maui at Wailea is the only Hawaii hotel named to the Travel + Leisure magazine "It List" for 2014.

The magazine’s ninth annual ranking of "the coolest new hotels" names 70 properties of various sorts and styles, from luxurious outdoor camps to gleaming glass skyscrapers.

Andaz transformed the long-vacant hotel property into a resort with what T+L termed "297 minimalist rooms" that has three infinity pools and a spa.

The "It List" is available now online, and the magazine issue hits newsstands Feb. 14.

The Andaz Maui was to be among the Maui hospitality and restaurant properties to get some TV time Wednesday night as the second of a two-part "Top Chef" finale played out on the Bravo cable channel.

City ranks third as romance destination

A TripAdvisor.com couples’ getaway survey ranks Honolulu the No. 3 destination for a romantic trip.

Beating out Honolulu as a planned destination were San Francisco at No. 1 and Las Vegas at No. 2.

TripAdvisor said 92 percent of its respondents will enjoy an amorous escape in 2014, up from 78 percent in 2013. Among that group, 17 percent will take a couples trip for Valentine’s Day.

Of all respondents, 61 percent are planning travel to a beach or ocean destination, 39 plan a city getaway, nearly a quarter, or 24 percent, want an island escape, while 21 percent and 18 percent, respectively, will head for the mountains or countryside.

In TripAdvisor’s January Travelers’ Choice Awards, the Koa Kea Hotel & Resort in Poipu, Kauai, was selected as the ninth-most romantic hotel in the U.S.

The top three hotels for romance all are in California, and are, in order, Honor Mansion, A Wine Country Resort, in Healdsburg, the Desert Riviera Hotel in Palm Springs and Bardessono in Yountville.

IN THE NEWS

Expenses associated with the sale of Tesoro Corp.’s Hawaii operations contributed to a net loss of $7 million in the fourth quarter, the company reported Wednesday.

The results included a net loss from discontinued operations of $3 million related to selling its Hawaii business, according to Tesoro. Tesoro’s $7 million fourth-quarter loss compared with net income of $27 million in the year-earlier quarter.

Tesoro completed the sale of its Hawaii operations to Petroleum Corp. on Sept. 25. Par Petroleum bought the refinery, along with Tesoro’s chain of 31 gas stations and other assets, for $75 million in cash plus up to $40 million more in contingent payments. Par Petroleum also paid about $400 million for Tesoro’s inventory of refined petroleum products.

ON THE MOVE

Four Seasons Resort Lanai has appointed:

>> Lori Holland to director of public relations. She previously served as executive director of public relations at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and has worked at communications firms that represent hospitality and tourism clients. 

>> Joseph LaBreche to director of marketing. He previously served as director of marketing at Four Seasons Resort Nevis, West Indies, and also held senior marketing, sales and operations positions with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hard Rock Hotels and Stouffer Hotels and Resorts. 

The Epilepsy Foundation of Hawaii has announced Samantha West as its executive director. She previously worked as a Hawaii Peace Corps representative and also was Hawaii-Pacific Islands Campus Compact strategic planning coordinator. 

Hawaii National Bank has appointed Bryan Luke as its president and chief operating officer. Luke has 15 years of experience in finance; he joined Hawaii National Bank in 2006 and was later promoted to executive vice president in 2009. Before the bank, he provided financial consulting services for Standard & Poor’s and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

SHIP AHOY!

Today’s ship departures