About Us

H.T. Hayashi

HTH Corporation was founded by the late H.T. Hayashi – a builder, visionary and one of the pioneers of the Hawaii visitor industry. In 1964, he first recognized the need for a hotel between downtown Honolulu and Waikiki that would offer guests a central location, near shopping, dining and popular attractions. This led to the development of the Pagoda Hotel & Floating Restaurant. Surrounded by its famous koi (carp) ponds and Japanese garden, the Pagoda is still treasured today by both local islanders and visitors.

In 1970, Mr. Hayashi acquired the Pacific Beach Hotel in legendary Waikiki, transforming its second tower into a local landmark featuring the three-story, 280,000-gallon saltwater Oceanarium – the largest in the state.

John R. Hayashi

Appointed in June 2009, John Hayashi, nephew of H.T. Hayashi, became President of HTH Corporation. He began his career in 1979 at the Pagoda Floating Restaurant, where he held several food and beverage positions as well as regional and international sales management positions. In
1993, he was appointed general manager of the Pacific Beach Hotel, was named corporation general manager of HTH Corporation in 1997, then became corporation vice president in 2003.

John has been an active member of various professional associations in Hawaii including the Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association, the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, the American Red Cross and the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce.