Aloha and welcome to another episode of the Hawaii Vacation Connection!

Today I’m giving you my top recommendations for how to fast track into relax mode during your Hawaiian vacation. You know how after a vacation ends you feel like it took half the time just to decompress and unwind? Well don’t let this happen again! Maximize your relaxation time by following a few (or all) of these tips and feel the island vibes almost immediately.

Actually, it will be immediate, since my first tip happens before you even the ground! From the plane to the drive to the hotel to the restaurant, settle into relax mode and get the most out of your holiday in Hawaii. I think you’ll enjoy this highly entertaining topic!

Hawaii Vacation News

We have some great news to share, along with Hawaii travel news, an entertaining main discussion topic and lastly, Hawaii vacation reviews that have been booked within the last 24-48 hours. We’re getting a lot of summer vacation requests right now, so if you’re thinking about a trip to Hawaii this summer season, be sure to call us as soon as possible! The deals go quick and the prices go up!

First off, I wanted to be the first to tell you MY exciting news, and that is the launch of our new and highly improved website that just happened this week. If you haven’t already checked out Hawaii-aloha.com be sure to do so! We have tons of updated content, revitalized pages, an organized and easily navigable blog and podcast page, high res photos to accompany everything and so much more. After seven months, I have to admit I am hugely relieved to have this thing finally up and running!

In other news, two new stores have broken ground in Waikiki, the first is H&M and the second is Tori Richard. H&M had a launch party on March 27th and lines were formed to get into the department store for days after the opening. Tori Richard, an alohawear brand opened a new redesigned store in Ala Moana on Oahu and has plans to open another store in June at the Kahala Hotel & Resort.

And speaking of openings, after eight months of renovating a 1,200-square-foot spot at 62 N. Hotel St. in Chinatown, the area's new French-Latin kitchen, Restaurant Grondin, has officially opened for dinner as of Monday, March 31st. The owners, Jenny Grondin and David Segarra, are a soon-to-be-married couple and decided to blend their heritages together to create the theme of Grondin, with the help of Chef Andrew Pressler, who was recruited from New York. If you’re in town and enjoy fusion cuisine, be sure to check this place out and give us a review!

In travel news, Go Airlines has officially shut down, which doesn’t seem to come as a shock to many Hawaii tourism officials. Go was providing just 1,050 total available air seats to Kauai each week when according to HTA, Kauai receives a total of 169,700 interisland air seats each week. Executive director for the Kauai Visitors Bureau Sue Kanoho said she was just happy they gave two weeks notice. “In the past, we’ve sometimes had less than 24 hours [from carriers going out of business],” Sue reports.

The word ‘babymoon’ seems to be gaining more credit in the travel industry, as the St. Regis Princeville on the North Shore of Kauai is reaching out and marketing to babymooners. What is a babymoon you ask? “It’s that last chance before their life is totally changed to really just enjoy each other,” said Paula Simpson Takamori, the owner of Oahu-based Travel to Paradise. “It’s a last chance to relax, to spend time alone together, to just sit on a beach and look at the sunset [before] their whole world changes.” So if you don’t need to save money for diapers or college, I suggest planning your babymoon with Hawaii Aloha Travel!

If you happen to live in the Bay area of California and are looking into that vacation to Hawaii, good news- Hawaiian Airlines has announced plans to reinstate its daily, nonstop flight between Honolulu and San Jose, California on May 16.