Kona Kai Resort & Marina Renovates 'Vessel' | See Inside the Refreshed Shelter Island Mainstay

August 13, 2014

Shelter Island's Kona Kai recently completed a $22 million refreshment and is ready to delight guests with an intimate SoCal experience in a fresh environment of casual elegance, where nautical chic meets beach bungalow. Travelers will experience brand new guest rooms, revitalized in-room amenities, a refreshed pool and meetings spaces, and a completely renovated lobby and waterfront restaurant - Vessel.

Kona Kai's signature restaurant Vessel offers New American cuisine consisting of coastal fare incorporated with local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients — taking traditional delicacies and giving them a flavorful twist. Vessel’s new renovations feature a stunning outdoor patio set against the colorful backdrop of the picturesque marina, a 360-degree bar at its center and a video wall showcasing local landscapes, and new tiki bars with furnished cabanas.

In addition to the restaurant’s complete renovation, Vessel is also introducing new executive chef, Roy Hendrickson. A Southern California native, Hendrickson emerged into the hospitality and food industry at just 15-years-old when he started his culinary experience as a server at a hotel restaurant in England, where he spent his high school years. A few years later at just 21-years-old and back in California, Hendrickson made the decision that he wanted to pursue cooking as a life-long career. Now boasting 13 years of cooking experience, as well as growing from a line cook to sous chef to executive chef, Roy Hendrickson is the new executive chef at Vessel and is excited to share his diverse knowledge, techniques and Southern California culinary experiences.

For more information on Vessel or to make reservations,  visit resortkonakai.com/shelter-island-restaurant.