As part of the purchase of the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa by DaVinci-RP Operating Lessee Inc in November 2004 (See "Hilton buyers include famous names and a familiar face" in the Nov. 29 edition of the Journal.) the hotel will be undergoing about $12 million worth of renovations. The renovations will include improvements to the Magas wing the Maga’lÅhi tower the Islander Terrace Roy’s and landscaping. When all the renovations are completed including the $7 million invested into the renovations to the TÅsi Club (See "Hilton opens up another hotel on Guam" in the May 1 edition of the Journal.) and Genji nearly $20 million would have been invested into the Hilton’s renovations.

Manfred H. Pieper general manager of the Hilton told the Journal "First we will start with the room renovations of the Magas wing. That is to begin early June. It is anticipated to take about three months." Renovations to the Magas wing should be completed by August. Once those renovations are completed the renovations to the Maga’lÅhi wing will begin. "We expect all of the renovations to the rooms to be completed by October."

Pieper said the buildings would not be closed during the renovations. "It will be done floor-by-floor. The rooms will be taken out of order floor-by-floor and then immediately put back. The renovations should not disturb the guest since there will not be any major work done just the repainting of the rooms and changing the furniture.

The work is not expected to take long because the Hilton will be undergoing a soft renovation. The renovations include repainting the rooms changing the bathroom fixtures changing the carpet and replacing all of the furniture. "It is pretty much a quick exercise " he said.

The interior design of the rooms will also be changed. Pieper said "It will be reminiscent to what we have created for the TÅsi Club. The only difference is in various rooms in the tower we will have a proper working desk and various amenities which are helpful to the business traveler since in our case the business traveler makes up about 25% of our total business." Pieper said that while the rooms will have a place for business travelers it will also reflect a sense of relaxation and will have a resort feel to it. All the renovated rooms will be equipped with flat screen televisions and trundle beds similar to the TÅsi.

Renovations to Roy’s are scheduled to begin July and take one week to 10 days to complete. "When it comes to Roy’s there will be a new color scheme. We will be acquiring new chairs using new fabrics new carpet and wallpaper but the layout of the room and the type of cuisine we offer will remain the same because we have found that Roy’s still works. It is still successful for us so there is no reason for us to change the concept. We will just freshen up the restaurant." Pieper said the renovations to Roy’s will reflect an elegant tropical environment. The kitchen at Roy’s will also be renovated. "There will be some changes done to the kitchen. We will be installing new equipment to make it more productive.

"In August we will be doing the Islander Terrace. The terrace is the workhorse of the hotel. It is open 365 days a year from six in the morning to midnight serving breakfast lunch and dinner " Pieper said. Renovations to the terrace are scheduled to take four to six weeks ending early September. While the terrace is undergoing renovations the Marianas Ballroom will be converted to the Islander Terrace.

"There (Islander Terrace) we will have major changes in regards to new furniture carpets granite floors. We will have a totally new buffet with proper extraction. Right now we have live cooking stations but we do not have proper extraction which makes it at times a little uncomfortable " Pieper said.

The Hilton also plans on renovating the lobby and Tree Bar replacing the furniture and expanding the coffee shop. In addition to those renovations the Hilton’s exterior is currently undergoing repairs and being repainted. All the renovations are expected to cost between $9 million and $10 million.

"Last but not least we will be investing nearly $2 million in additional landscaping. It will be a combination of adding and making certain changes. The landscaping was not included in the purchase agreement so DaVinci has done more than what it was required to " he said.

Pieper said the Hilton wants to give its guests the impression of being surrounded by nature where guests can get away from what people typically see as Tumon. "We are the only place where guests can see the ocean hear the ocean and smell the ocean at the same time." MBJ