Big Isle tourists hold the line
The Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, one of the hotel properties nearest the projected path of Hurricane Flossie, was running at 100 percent occupancy yesterday despite the impending arrival of the state's most unwelcome guest of the season.
While 11 guests canceled reservations at the 286-room property and one guest checked out early, all vacancies were quickly scooped up by members of the media, said Alan Mattson, president and chief operating officer of Castle Resorts and Hotels.
"We're still going to end up sold out tonight, and it's calmer than you would expect it to be," said Mattson, whose company also operates the Waimea Country Lodge, the Kona Reef and the Kona Bali Kai on the Big Island.
"Most of our guests are less concerned about the hurricane and more concerned about having a good vacation and touring the volcano," he said.
Still, hotel management set up a command post at company headquarters yesterday and met with workers to go over hurricane preparedness plans, Mattson said. Workers also readied sandbags, and the company kept in close contact with Hawaii's Civil Defense, the agency that will make the call if an evacuation is deemed necessary, he said. Hotel management also sent a letter to Hilo Hawaiian Hotel guests yesterday updating Flossie's status, Mattson said.
Similar procedures took place throughout the islands yesterday as hoteliers and other members of Hawaii's fragile visitor industry began gearing up for potential disaster. At 48 hours from impact, most members of the visitor industry hit a major milestone in their emergency plans and began pulling together special command teams, notifying customers, getting emergency infrastructure ready and finalizing evacuation plans.
"Our communications with members of the state's visitor industry began over the weekend," said State Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert. "They have been well informed so that they can make the necessary arrangements to ensure the safety and security of their employers and our guests."
Management and workers at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa in Kona have gone through multiple scenarios in preparation for Flossie, but the company is always prepared for natural disasters, said Candice Kraughto, director of public relations for Starwood Hawaii.
"We just tested our emergency preparedness plan a month ago," Kraughto said, adding that the resort is monitoring Flossie's progress and has been in contact with Civil Defense and state and all other disaster preparedness agencies.
Starwood sent Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa guests written notification yesterday of Flossie, she said. Yet, like the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, Starwood has reported few Flossie-related vacancies, Kraughto said.
"There are no major hotel or airline cancellations to, from or between our islands," Wienert said. "It's busy as usual, except there's just a pesky little storm out there."
Major Hawaii airlines, including Aloha Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Mesa Air Group's go! do not anticipate any changes in their schedules.
"All systems are go," said Aloha Airlines spokesman Stu Glauberman. "We have dispatchers that monitor the weather around the clock, and when there's a need to, we'll make determinations."
Aloha, however, says it will waive change fees for passengers with tickets for travel today or tomorrow. The value of the tickets can be applied to future travel one year from the date of issue.
Chief Executive Bill Boyer of Kona-based Mokulele Airlines, which operates the new go!Express, said the aircraft based there -- a new fleet of turbine-engine Grand Caravans -- will be moved to Maui if necessary. Island Air and Pacific Wings, likewise, are keeping an eye on the weather.
NCL America also expects to maintain its cruise schedules to Hilo and Kona, weekly ports of call for each of its three vessels.
"Protecting the safety and security of our passengers and crew aboard each of our three vessels is paramount," said spokeswoman Denise Hayashi. "We continue to closely monitor Hurricane Flossie and will adjust operations as needed."