Burton Landscape Architecture Studio joins The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua and its owner BRE Hotels & Resorts in celebrating the recent success of the property following a $100 million transformation. Completed in December 2022, the renovations added more outdoor living space, more privacy, and more luxury to the iconic Hawaiian hotel. As a key project partner, Burton Studio guided the landscape enhancements at the resort, where the outdoor spaces are at the forefront of its recent upgrades. Developed from Burton Studio's tailored design concepts, the completed renovations have enriched the guest experience at the property and reaffirmed its status as a premiere destination on Maui.

Outdoor Enhancements
While The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua property received a substantial upgrade overall, there was a particular emphasis on enhancement of outdoor spaces. The Aloha Pavilion, a large event venue, has been transformed through extensive architectural upgrades and a new pre-function garden. The swimming pool complex has been remade into the focal jewel of the property with full rim flow perimeters at all three levels, and cascading black rock waterfalls to connect them. New sun shelves provide luxurious lounge space within the water itself.

 
A signature addition to the property is the new Fire Lanai Collection, a series of ground floor rooms with private garden-style living areas that include shade trellises, lounge furniture, and private fire pits. These expanded patio spaces doubled the private living space associated with each room, and offer meticulously detailed outdoor perches that frame views to the property's dramatic surroundings. Even as the Fire Lanai rooms command increased rates, they have proven enormously popular. After having been almost continuously sold out since their debut, the property has decided to add more, which are currently under construction.

Through its close collaboration with BRE Hotels & Resorts, Burton Studio crafted the early landscape renovation concepts for all portions of the property, and carried those through to construction documentation and construction coordination. Matthew MacLeod, Partner at Burton Studio, says, "Each property's individual setting is paramount to our design approach, and we craft a unique solution for each project based on our study of that context. For this effort, we were fortunate to work closely with the property's cultural advisor in order to responsibly implement the updates with regard for the adjacent ancient burial ground and other historic neighboring developments."

In a recent feature in Forbes Magazine, travel journalist Larry Olmsted highlighted The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua's pools and their "tumbling waterfalls over black rock, [which evoke] the natural wonder and lava of Hawaii," and raved about the "meticulously landscaped tropical flora" following the recent reconstruction.


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