Elia Hospitality was created to curate unique hospitality experiences based on our spirit of love and aloha embedded in our unique culture, locations, design and experience.  We aim to be recognized and known as the Love + Aloha company...

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We believe that our roots in Hawaii ground us with the foundation of aloha, the spirit of exploration and our global experiences brings together the ability to execute with excellence.

 

Over 1000 years ago, the Hawaiian voyagers traversed throughout the Pacific reaching the Western coasts of the Americas and the Eastern shores of Asia.  Keeping with the explorers spirit, in 1881, King David Kalakaua was the first reigning Monarch to travel around the world and first to travel to America.  King Kalakaua was a global citizen and pioneer in many respects and was the first honoree of the State Dinner at the White House.  We especially honor and love King Kalakaua's brave soul to travel the world (out of love) in the hopes of saving the Hawaiian culture and people from extinction.  King Kalakaua was also an innovator, having personally met Thomas Edison and installed electricity on the grounds of his palace "Iolani Palace" a full year ahead of even the White House.

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The founder of Elia grew up in the hospitality industry as his parents were in the travel and restaurant industry in Hawaii.  He started working at the age of 12 washing dishes and as a airport greeter and driver, and later at the International Marketplace.  He moved to New York at the age 21 to pursue and explore his passion for the investment world.

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Working as a Financial Analyst for a 210 year old British real estate firm Jones Lang Wootton Realty Advisor, one of his early assignment was the asset management of the 1,304 room Hawaiian Regent in Waikiki.   The opportunity to be involved with such an important asset in the history of Hawaiian hospitality and Asian hotel business made a lasting impression.  Hawaiian Regent was one of the first hotels to be managed by Regent International, which was considered the closest competitor to Four Seasons Hotel in Asia.  In addition to the growth of Regent, some of the founders have created and led some of the leading hotels such as Halekulani and hotel companies such as Adrian Zecha's Aman Resorts and Georg Rafael's Rafael Group which were later sold to Mandarin Oriental.

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Messr. Rick Cho's investing path kept taking him back to hotels, especially boutique hotels when his company was pursuing a deal to purchase a hotel on Miami's South Beach in 1996.  Fast forward to mid 2000s, his firm became the most active financier of hotel condos in Hawaii having arranged over $500 million in debt and equity for Hilton Kauai, Renaissance Hotel Ilikai (and selling of Yacht Harbor which became Edition Waikiki), Regency on Beachwalk, Aloha Beach Kauai and others.  In 2006, he acquired the 228 room Royal Garden Hotel in Waikiki and Elia Hospitality was born.

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Rick has traveled over 50 countries in far reaching places such as Algeria, East Timor, Mongolia, Laos, Latvia, Bashkortaston and to popular destinations - St. Lucia, Krabi, Saigon, Santorini, Amalfi Coast, Bangkok, Seoul and others.  Rick has developed a perspective from watching the hotel industry evolve over the past 20 plus years, especially in cities such as Sanya, Danang, Ibiza, Phuket, Bali and others which have provided a unique consumer perspective in the areas of hospitality, hotels and food.

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As such, we are building a core team of hoteliers with love and passion for hospitality.  Our leaders and teammates have worked at the finest resorts and hotels in Dubai, Bali, Tokyo, New York, Chicago and Miami to name a few.  We look forward to seeing you in our journey to do hospitality right, based on the foundation of love and aloha.  

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Love x Aloha

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Rick Cho

Proprietor

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