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Hotel occupancy rises in January

Advertiser Staff

Hawai'i hotels were 76.5 percent full in January, up 5.3 percentage points from the same month a year earlier, according to Hospitality Advisors LLC's monthly hotel survey.

All islands posted increases, with O'ahu reaching the highest average occupancy level at 77.7 percent in January, up from 73.7 percent a year ago.

The latest numbers reflect the continued turnaround in hotel occupancy in recent months.

Ameron parent reports loss

Ameron International Corp., the parent of Ameron Hawaii, went from a profit to a loss in its most recent quarter, in part because of the concrete strike on O'ahu.

Ameron International reported a loss of 34 cents per share on sales of $129.7 million for the first quarter, which ended in February. Ameron earned 27 cents per diluted share on sales of $130.6 million in the first quarter of 2003.

Cruise industry regulation stalls

A bill to regulate environmental practices of the cruise industry has stalled at the Legislature.

Maui Rep. Joe Souki, D-8th (Wailuku, Waiehu), who heads one of key committees handling the bill, said he does not expect lawmakers to pass any cruise environmental regulation legislation this year.

"I think we need to continue to study the situation," Souki said.