Hawaiian hotels, cruises thriving
Good news from Hawaii: hotel occupancies are way up and the cruise business is flourishing.
Hawaii hotels were 86 percent full during the last week of 2011, while the statewide average room rate rose 6 percent from the same week in 2010, according to a report by Hospitality Advisors LLC and Smith Travel Research.
.The average daily room rate statewide during the week ending Dec. 31 was $308.77. The occupancy rate, 86.4 percent, was six percentage points higher than the same week a year before, reported Pacific Business News.
Maui had the highest room rate in the state last week at $453.15, which was 8.3 percent higher than a year ago. Maui’s occupancy rate was 87.7 percent, which was 4.8 percentage points higher than the last week of 2010.
Kauai’s occupancy rate was 78.5 percent, but that was 11.6 percentage points higher than a year ago. The average daily room rate on Kauai was $314.44, which was 5.9 percent higher than a year ago.
Oahu hotels were 89.7 percent full, 5.6 percentage points higher than a year ago, while the average daily room rate rose 5.1 percent to $241.62.
The Big Island’s occupancy rate was 77.9 percent, 5.9 percentage points higher than a year ago, while the average daily room rate was $303.99, a 4.3 percent increase from 2010.
In the cruise area, Hawaii is the fifth most-popular cruise destination, but it is still generating less than 3 percent of all cruise bookings.
Despite the low volume, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser is reporting that Hawaii's popularity is improving. Based on the most recent Cruise Holidays 2012 Cruise Trends report, Hawaii is currently No. 5, up from No. 7 last year and No. 8 in 2010.
The Caribbean is still the No. 1 cruise destination, followed by Europe at a distant second.
By David Wilkening
David
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