Business briefs

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Sales executive to join Starwood

Pleasant Holidays executive Karen Schulz Hughes will join Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide effective April 2. Hughes, vice president of marketing and product development for Hawai'i's largest wholesale tour operator, will become Starwood's regional director of sales and marketing for Hawai'i and French Polynesia, said Starwood Hawaii director Keith Vieira.

"Her depth of knowledge, especially in the last four years at Pleasant, is the perfect match for what we need for this position," Vieira said. Hughes will take over for John Votsis.

New credit card offered by bank

First Hawaiian Bank yesterday introduced an Aloha AirAwards Visa credit card, allowing users to earn free trips on Aloha or United airlines.

The bank said the new card is in response to Bank of Hawai'i's decision to sell its $226 million Visa credit card portfolio to American Express.

Visa and American Express have been battling around the world to get their cards into the hands of more consumers, but the Bankoh deal will be the first time American Express will offer its card through an American bank.