300 attend Mariana Ocean opening

Marianas Ocean opened with a grand party last Friday at the Mariana Resort & Spa. (Photos by Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Kan Pacific Saipan opened Marianas Ocean with much fanfare last Friday with over 300 guests motoring to the island’s northern tip to take part in the unveiling of the retail store for soap and other beauty products.

No less than Mariana Resort & Spa president Yoshihiro Kitami and family welcomed VIP guests from the government and private sector to the grand opening.

Kitami said Mariana Ocean will offer tourists in the CNMI an opportunity to share their island experience with family and friends back home.

He said tourists can relive the wonderful memory of their vacation on Saipan with the over 50 soap scents, bath salts, lip balms and lip butter, body and facial lotions, various body creams and hair mists that the new store offers.

Kitami, who was accompanied by his two sons and uncle, said their family has had an ongoing 25-year love affair with Saipan starting with the opening of the 18-hole Mariana Country Club golf course and progressed with the building of Mariana Resort & Spa and now continues with the grand opening of Mariana Ocean, which will have two locations—one at the Marpi landmark and one at the more centrally located Garapan tourist district.

Mariana Resort & Spa general manager Gloria Cavanagh said the turnout would have easily topped 400 if not for the heavy rain on Friday.

“There were about 300 people altogether who attended. If the weather was better, I am quite sure that we would have had almost 400. We are very happy, though, with the turnout. I believe that everyone had fun. The owner has been unable to stop smiling since the event, the public reaction was fantastic. I want to thank those that were there to help celebrate our grand opening. The remarks were of happiness to find a luxurious locally made product that they can share with their family and friends off-island.”

Acting governor Jude U. Hoschneider also spoke during the event and congratulated the Kitami family and Kan Pacific for the opening of Mariana Ocean.

“It’s always encouraging to see new businesses opening their doors on our islands because it’s a great indicator of how well our economy is doing. Local business is the driving force of our islands. It buoys our citizens, improves our communities, and grows our island economy. It is for that reason that our government needs to work together with our businesses to ensure their continued success.”

The grand opening of Mariana Ocean was both a visual and gastronomic delight, with Kan Pacific spending over $12,000 for the sumptuous buffet spread that included fresh and grilled seafood, various delectable desserts, and even executive chef William Retardo’s famous paella dish.

Red and white wine, pink and blue champagne, as well as other spirits also flowed freely all evening and as if that’s not enough, the hotel also didn’t scrimp on the décor with two-foot ice sculptures of dolphins and swans adorning the buffet tables.

Other VIPs that attended the grand opening of Mariana Ocean were former governor Juan N. Babauta, former lieutenant governor Diego Benavente, Sens. Pete Reyes (IR-Saipan) and Paul Manglona (IR-Saipan), Rep. Edmund Villagomez (Cov-Saipan), and other government officials and private sector leaders.