The JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina has renovated its banquet and meetings area with the unveiling of the Hokulani Ballroom.

Formerly known as the Pavilion at Ihilani, the re-named Hokulani Ballroom has a new modular design, retractable walls, new interiors and furniture, climate control and broadband wireless capability.

The expanded ballroom measures 15,600 square feet and can accommodate up to 1,100 guests for banquets and 2,000 guests for theater-style presentations.

"The Hokulani Ballroom will add to the appeal of our resort as a potential meeting and event location outside of Waikīkī," said Dan Banchiu, general manager of JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa.

KAISER WORKERS TO PROTEST SUBCONTRACT

About 500 unionized workers from Kaiser Permanente's Hawai'i facilities have scheduled a "limited duration strike" and picketing Jan. 19 at the company's Honolulu clinic to protest the company's plan to subcontract pharmacy services to a Mainland company.

UNITE HERE Local 5, which represents about 1,800 Kaiser workers in the state, said yesterday it gave federal officials the required 10-day notice of its intention to undertake the labor action.

The strike is scheduled to begin at 6 a.m., union officials said. Although no ending time was set, the strike could last up to several days, the officials said.

Yesterday's announcement came one day after the union filed an unfair labor practice charge against Kaiser over the subcontracting issue.

8.3 MILLION FOLKS FLEW HAWAIIAN IN 2009

Hawaiian Airlines said it flew a record 8.3 million passengers last year.

The state's largest carrier topped its previous record of 7.9 million set in 2008.

Hawaiian, founded in 1929, said its December passenger count was up 8.8 percent to 700,967. The airline said its planes were 83.6 percent full during the month, up from December 2008's 79.5 percent.

MAC SNACK WRAP ARRIVES IN PACIFIC

McDonald's is introducing one of the chain's signature sandwiches, the Big Mac, to local consumers in a new form: the wrap.

The burger chain for more than a year has been testing the Mac Snack Wrap in some Mainland and Canadian restaurants, and now is rolling out the product to its 84 restaurants in Hawai'i, Guam and Saipan.