Hilo Seaside Hotel under new ownership

Hospitality company Soul Community Planet, or SCP, on Thursday announced the purchase of the 138-room Hilo Seaside Hotel.

The fee-simple hotel was listed for sale for $20.08 million by Colliers International Hawaii in November last year.

The hotel will undergo a $4.6 million renovation and reopen as the SCP Hotel Hilo on June 1. The property will begin taking reservations April 15.

All Hilo Seaside Hotel employees can continue employment and will become “team members” of SCP Hospitality, the company said.

The 2.23-acre seaside property was founded by Richard Kimi in 1956 and was continually operated by the Kimi family until this acquisition.

SCP announced it will continue the legacy of the Kimi family, with Breeani Sumera-Lee, a fourth-generation Kimi family member, named as general manager.

“SCP already embodies the aloha spirit that the Hilo Seaside Hotel has become known for,” said Sumera-Lee. “We look forward to connecting the SCP values of healthy, kind and green to the deep roots of our own culture and to providing authentic and genuine Hawaiian experiences for our guests.”

Adding to the recently completed renovations of the hotel’s open-air lobby, pool, pool deck and other public areas, SCP’s planned renovation will include updating guest rooms and bathrooms, the introduction of several new suites and the addition of the SCP’s signature Peaceful Rooms.

SCP also plans to build a market that will offer healthy, locally-sourced food and beverages. A full solar array and electric vehicle charging stations will be added, as well.