Aunty Sally Kaleohanoʻs Lūʻau Hale in Hilo to reopen for private functions

Hawaiʻi County Department of Parks and Recreation is reopening Aunty Sally Kaleohano’s Lū‘au Hale at the Ho‘olulu Complex in Hilo for private function reservations beginning on July 1, 2023. 

The county shuttered the facility in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic when all community centers were closed. In September 2020, the Hawai’i State Department of Health and the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency began using the facility as a COVID operations center. The two agencies continued to use the facility while the Civil Defense office building underwent renovations.

The department will transition Aunty Sally Kaleohano’s Lū‘au Hale to an online reservation system.  Until that transition is completed, reservation requests must be submitted via email and will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. 

No in-person requests will be accepted at the Recreation Division office service window or via public-initiated phone calls. 

Reservation requests will be accepted, staggered by calendar months, to allow time for staff to process the anticipated demand.  Email requests for reservations may be sent beginning at midnight on the respective date.  

The following stipulations will apply to the reservation process:

• Reservation requests must be emailed to [email protected]  and must include the requestor’s first and last name, phone number and one reservation request date. Each request date must be submitted via a dedicated email.   

• Emails received by the Ho‘olulu Complex will use the date and time received to determine the eligibility of the request.  Emails received prior to the corresponding effective date(s) will not be considered.   

• Reservations will be accepted only for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Other days of the week will be reserved for trainings, public functions, elderly congregate meals, etc. 

• Reservations will be processed in the order received based on the date and time when the email request is received.  Reservation requests will be limited to one calendar day per person (no full-weekend or consecutive-day reservations.)

• Recreation Division personnel will call individuals requesting reservations beginning at 8 a.m. on the Monday of that corresponding week. Individuals will have one business day to complete the permitting and payment process. Acceptable payment methods are cash, personal check, cashier’s check or credit card.

• Permits and payment must be completed by the person who initiated the requested reservation in person. No exceptions. All permits and payments will be completed at the Ho‘olulu Complex Office at 799 Pi‘ilani Street in Hilo.

For more information, please call Dean Goya, Recreation Specialist, at 808-961-8078 or consult the Department of Parks and Recreation Administrative Rule 4 for additional information and requirements associated with using this facility.