Hawai'i hotels less full in May

By Michele Kayal
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i hotels overall were emptier this May than they were in the same month last year, but budget properties showed a steady increase, according to a consultancy report.

The state's overall hotel occupancy for the month was 67.7 percent, a drop of 4.6 percentage points compared to May 2000, according to figures released yesterday by Hospitality Advisors LLC.

Still, room prices continued to rise, with the statewide average climbing $6 to $139 a night.

Occupancy at luxury hotels, the standout of last year's runaway visitor market, dropped 6.9 percentage points to 70.5 percent for the month. But their average daily rates continued to rise — nearly $9 to $220 a night.

Although overall statewide occupancy for budget hotels decreased slightly, strong increases in the frugal-minded Canadian market boosted low-cost properties on O'ahu by 10.6 percentage points to 75.2 percent occupancy, and on Maui by 3.9 points to 74.4 percent.

Rates for budget rooms on O'ahu also rose $1.50 to $46.62; although on Maui, budget rooms cost $4 less than last May, at $65.07 a night.

Occupancy declined on all islands, most notably on the Big Island, which saw only 58.4 percent of its rooms full, a decline of 8.2 percentage points compared to last May.

Kaua'i also suffered, filling only 70.5 percent of its rooms, compared to 77.7 percent last May.

For the first five months of the year, 75.7 percent of Hawai'i's hotel rooms have been full, a drop of less than one percentage point compared to the same period last year.

Average room prices have increased $7 to $146.96 a night.

Michele Kayal can be reached at mkayal@honoluluadvertiser.com.