Tourism officials yesterday carefully monitored Hurricane Flossie as Big Island hotels updated guests and readied themselves for a storm.

Many hotels said yesterday reports about the hurricane had little impact on business.

"The mood is very good, and it's sort of business as usual," said Alan Mattson, president and chief operating officer of Castle Resorts & Hotels.

As of yesterday afternoon, reservations for 11 rooms had been canceled at Castle's 286-room Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, and there was one early check-out, Mattson said.

But the 11 rooms that were canceled were quickly snapped up by members of the media going to the island to cover Flossie, he said.

Hotels were preparing visitors for the bad weather expected today, and urging them to stay indoors until the winds and rains have passed.

Carrie Alvarez, of Las Vegas, said the precautions were necessary and she wasn't too upset about losing a couple days of her vacation.

Alvarez is on the Big Island to see her daughter start at the University of Hawai'i-Hilo. She said in Hawai'i you have to expect strange weather. "You'd have to be stupid if you didn't," she said.

About 20 guests in the past 24 hours have canceled their hotel reservations at the Naniloa Volcanoes Resort in Hilo, said front desk clerk Malama Valentino.

"We've had a lot of cancellations, both from people coming from the Mainland and from O'ahu," Valentino said.

If Flossie should hit Hilo, Valentino said, the hotel will direct guests to an evacuation center at the YWCA near UH-Hilo.

Big Island Mayor Harry Kim said all the hotels have warned guests of the storm and plan to evacuate on-site if needed. Kim said people planning trips to the Big Island need not cancel, but also said airlines could cancel flights and at some point the airport could close.

George Applegate, executive director of the Big Island Visitors Bureau, said state and county officials were forwarding updates on Flossie to Big Island hotels, airports and visitor-related companies.

NO CANCELED FLIGHTS

The 137-room Hilo Seaside Hotel — which has a mostly local clientele — had a handful of cancellations yesterday from Mainland visitors, said general manager Rochelle Sanchez-Kagawa.

Overall, the cancellation rate for hotels has not grown and as of yesterday afternoon there were no canceled flights in and out of the Big Island or other islands, said state tourism liaison Marsha Wienert. By lunchtime, the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau's toll-free call center had received only about a half-dozen calls of concern, she said.

"What we're telling them is that there is a hurricane watch (for the Big Island), and as of right now there are no other watches for any of the other islands," Wienert said. "And no, we do not believe you should cancel your reservation at this time."

Updated information on Flossie was being sent to hotels "so they continue to communicate to the guests in regards to the storm," Wienert said. The HVCB's Web site also has a link to updates on Flossie.

SHELTERS AT HAND

A majority of the hotel properties on the Big Island will be able to shelter employees and guests in place, Wienert said, adding that the industry is "well prepared."

The Hilo Hawaiian Hotel was preparing sandbags, and management company Castle Resorts notified travel partners that the company would waive cancellation penalties this week for clients unable to travel because of Flossie, Mattson said. The hotel also has reviewed evacuation plans and is prepared to evacuate to a shelter should civil defense officials order the action, he said.

As of early yesterday, Starwood Hotels & Resorts — including its Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa on the west side of the Big Island — had not experienced cancellations from the storm. The Sheraton Keauhou put together a flier to alert guests to the hurricane watch, spokeswoman Candice Kraughto said.

The Fairmont Orchid Hawaii on the Kohala Coast kept guests updated with information through an in-room television system and a flat-screen TV in the lobby, said spokeswoman Aven Wright-McIntosh.

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com.