PKF-Hawaii, an accounting and consulting firm, today reported that the statewide occupancy rate last month was 71.48 percent, a 4.5 percentage point decline from 75.98 percent in November 1995. That represents the seventh consecutive month of lower statewide occupancy rates and is the lowest November result since 1983 when rate was 64.91 percent, said Erik Kloninger, a PKF-Hawaii manager.

"It was a pretty big downturn," said Kloninger.

The lower occupancy rate comes as hotel revenues slipped nearly 1.5 percent to $88.80 per room from $90.12 in November 1995. But the statewide average daily room rate was up 4.7 percent to $124.22 last month from November 1995's $118.60.

The results come as a separate PKF survey found that hotel managers generally are optimistic about business prospects next year.

A total of 69.8 percent of 54 general managers of local hotels and resort condominiums said they expect their properties' operating profit will improve in 1997, compared with this year, while 11.3 percent of the respondents said their profit will decrease. Some 18.9 percent of the managers predicted flat profits next year.

For Hawaii hoteliers, November typically is a very slow month. But PKF noted that occupancy levels were down on the four major islands while the year-to-date statewide rate through November slipped to 76.55 percent from 76.86 percent for the same period in 1995.

For November, Oahu had the highest occupancy rate among the islands at 77.31 percent, down from 82.12 percent in November 1995. Kauai posted the smallest proportional decline, dropping to 61.54 last month from 63.21 percent. Maui's rate slipped to 68.01 percent from 73.23 percent. The Big Island's rate fell to 60.94 percent from 62.93 percent.