(you can click on the above pic for a larger view)
i was dismayed to see this new york times' article about the kapalua bay resort on maui getting ready to be mowed down and built into timeshares. not that i could ever afford to stay in such a place, but i think it's unfortunate that such a lovely piece of architecture is being torn down. and a hotel gives the average joe more of a chance to experience a glamourous bit of hawaiian paradise than a timeshare does.
the reason i even know about this place is because i did some work for starwood hawaiian hotels a few years back and was flown out to the hotels and resorts i was to illustrate. it was a great job in that way because, having never been to hawaii before, i could not possibly understand what it feels like to be there through the stay-at-home kind of research. this resort's central building was built in the '70s and is modern, but i think it would have stood the test of time. there are no doors or windows and as you walk into the lobby, you feel little removed from all the surrounding nature. also, the buildings are set way back from the water, so if you go down to the beach or just sit on the lawn, you don't have a big building hovering over you.
anyway, i was sad to hear something pretty, albeit mostly only attainable for the upper crust, was being replaced by something unpretty and still for the wealthy.
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