Starwood Hits Brakes On Controversial Kauai Glamping Resort

The developer of a widely contested plan to install a luxury glamping resort on the first three holes of a Kauai golf course no longer intends to pursue the project.

Starwood Capital Group said in a prepared statement on Tuesday that it will pull out of the county permitting process.

Starwood, which purchased the former Princeville Resort and nearby golf courses, had set forth a plan that would put tents within 150 feet of residential homes.

The developer had said it would build hundreds of new single-family homes on the golf course if it doesn’t get its way with the glamping resort.

But Starwood has since changed its position.

“We are going back to the drawing board and intend to review all of the potential options for development that will be available to us when the current land-use covenant expires in 2026,” said Jason Cruce, vice president of Starwood Capital Group.

The Princeville at Hanalei Community Association said it’s in talks with Starwood to dedicate the golf course acreage as open space, with no development, as part of a community benefits package. In exchange, the homeowners association said it would agree to support certain Starwood development projects.

No agreements have been forged yet and discussions between Starwood and the homeowners association are ongoing, according to a press release from the homeowners association.