Isle hotels record
fewer guests, higher
rates for February

Oahu sees occupancy rise;
Molokai room rates
leap 23 percent

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By Russ Lynch
Star-Bulletin

Hawaii hotels and resort condominiums had a slight decline in occupancy last month compared with February 2000, but room rates were higher, according to a monthly industry report.

Hotel industry consultant PKF-Hawaii yesterday reported a statewide occupancy average of 86.52 percent for last month, down about one-third of a percentage point from 86.87 percent in February 2000.

Last month's statewide average daily room rate was $166.67, up 5.2 percent from $158.38 in February 2000.

Oahu did better than most of the neighbor islands, with an occupancy level of 88.86 percent last month, up two points from 86.83 percent in the year-earlier month.

Big Island occupancy slipped to 85.42 percent from 86.17 percent, and Maui fell more than three points to 85.26 percent from 89.64 percent.

Occupancy on Kauai rose slightly to 80.08 percent from a year-earlier 79.63 percent, and February occupancy on Molokai rose to 65.37 percent, from a year-earlier 64.23 percent.

Molokai's biggest improvement was in room rates, showing an average of $100.75 a night last month, up 23.4 percent from $81.67 in February 2000.

Maui had the highest islandwide average room rate in February, $223.13, up 10.4 percent from a year-earlier $202.03. The Big Island average last month was $193.34, down 1.9 percent from $196.98. Kauai's average February room rate was $179.06, up 5.2 percent from a year-earlier $170.28, and the average Oahu rate was $126.22, up 4.2 percent from $121.16.