Press Room
Please review our News Releases and Newsletters below to learn the latest developments and answers to your most frequently asked questions.
News Releases 
June, 2009 AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS
Gersonde Named General Manager of Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
MAUNA KEA RESORT, HI – Prince Resorts Hawaii (PRH) has announced today the appointment of Jon A. Gersonde as general manager of The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the Big Island of Hawaii. Gersonde joins the legendary hotel as it undergoes a $150 million restoration that will be completed by midDecember this year.
"Jon brings to The Mauna Kea strong leadership and many years of experience in managing luxury hotels in Hawaii and other resort areas,” said Donn Takahashi, president of PRH. “I’m confident that his creative management style and track record of operational excellence will complement Mauna Kea’s reputation as a world class hotel of the highest caliber."
Gersonde will be coming to Mauna Kea from The Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki where he has been general manager since 2005. He also was general manager of Kapalua Bay Hotel & Ocean Villas in Kapalua, Maui; The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa near Palm Springs, and was with Hyatt International for 10 years opening hotels and resorts throughout the Pacific Basin.
"The very name, The Mauna Kea, is among the greatest names in hotels and I’m delighted and privileged to have this opportunity," said Gersonde. "My job will be to ensure that the unprecedented renovation that is underway elevates Mauna Kea to a higher level of elegance, while at the same time ensuring that the fabled charm and classic style of the hotel remains timeless."
A graduate of Michigan State's School of Hospitality, Gersonde has 23years of luxury hospitality experience and he and the hotels he has managed have received numerous hospitality awards over his years in the industry. Gersonde has relocated to the Big Island with his wife, Lynn and two of his three children.
Gersonde takes charge of one of the world's iconic hotels, the brainchild of Laurance S. Rockefeller who opened The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in 1965 and personally oversaw every detail of its perfection.
The 258room property is currently closed for a yearlong restoration that includes rooms, restaurants and other facilities. The adjoining Mauna Kea Golf Course is also closed for an extensive overhaul under the guidance of Rees Jones, son of Robert Trent Jones, Sr. who originally designed the course. It will reopen in December this year.
Situated on 60 acres overlooking Kauna'oa Bay, one of the finest natural white sand beaches in Hawaii, The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is known for its a remarkable sense of place that enhances without intruding on dramatic natural surroundings. In 2007, the American Institute of Architects recognized the hotel as one of the 150 best works of architecture nationwide.
Liana Mulleitner
Prince Resorts Hawaii
8089444411
lmulleitner@hiprince.com
Newsletters
04/27/09 - Mauna Kea Resort Spring 2009 Newsletter
02/09/09 - Mauna Kea Resort Winter 2008 Newsletter
07/24/08 - Mauna Kea Resort Summer 2008 Newsletter
04/24/08 - Mauna Kea Resort April 2008 Newsletter
04/03/08 - Mauna Kea Resort Spring 2008 Newsletter
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Dara Lum
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Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808) 539-3491
Email: dlum@mcneilwilson.com
