Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort is proud to welcome Austin Watkins to its growing team as Director of Sales and Marketing. With over two decades of experience in the luxury hospitality industry working across corporate leadership, operations, and sales and marketing roles, Austin will support the resort as it readies for its highly anticipated opening in 2023 on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island of Hawai‘i. Leveraging his vast expertise as well as his strong familiarity with the Hawaiian market following many years spent working on several of its islands, he will be responsible for spearheading and implementing the resort’s innovative sales and marketing strategy leading up to the launch and beyond. Austin’s appointment to the team holds a special significance for Austin, as his family lives in the nearby town of Waimea and he has many fond memories of the destination collected over the course of his life.
Prior to joining Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort, Austin held the position of Managing Director of Marketing and Hospitality Sales at Timbers Resorts in Winter Park, Florida, where he oversaw the sales and marketing program for the brand’s portfolio of luxury resorts and residence clubs. Before Timbers, Austin held multiple senior marketing positions at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, where he was posted at six different locations across three countries, including the Four Seasons Hualalai in Hawai‘i, the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore and the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. He began his hospitality career with Ritz Carlton Hotels and Resorts at multiple properties in both Hawaii and California.
“We are thrilled to have Austin join our growing family at Kona Village,” says Sandra Estornell, Managing Director of Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort. “His seasoned knowledge of the luxury hospitality sales and marketing space, as well as his personal ties to the island, make him a valuable asset and we are grateful to have him on board as we prepare for opening.”
Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort is an iconic Hawaiian retreat that has laid dormant since 2011. Conceptualized and developed by intrepid explorer Johnno Jackson in the early 1960’s, the original property captured the wanderlust of travelers worldwide and was quickly affirmed as a destination of choice. However, the history of the Kolaha Coast and the ahupua’a of Kaupulehu dates back long before it become renowned as a one-of-a-kind vacation spot. Inhabited nearly 1,000 years ago, the site was once home to migrating settlers from Polynesia, who were navigators and sailors by nature. The village became a place of trade and commerce due to easy access by the coast. Memories of the destination’s renowned deep-sea fisherman are immortalized in the petroglyphs that can be found in and around the boundaries of Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort today.
Upon its debut in 2023, the reimagined property will draw inspiration from the history of the site, local culture and natural elements to create a unique guest experience that complements the distinctive Hawaiian setting. Sprawling across 81 acres of stunning geologic landscape, Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort will feature bespoke accommodations including 150 unique, standalone guest hales complete with private lānais and outdoor showers, offering guests a luxurious sense of seclusion in a breath-taking setting. The property will also be home to an array of distinct dining outlets and word-class amenities such as an elevated spa, a state-of-the-art fitness center, multiple pools, tennis courts, and more.
