[AMERICA ATTACKED]

Hotels make room
for layovers after
mainland attacks

Unplanned arrivals plus guests
who cannot leave need a place to stay

Mainland terror hits home

By Alan Vaughn
avaughn@starbulletin.com

Hotels across the islands appear to have enough extra rooms to accommodate guests who cannot leave as well as unplanned arrivals, though the counts were preliminary this morning.

Hotels across the islands are counting available rooms to determine how many are available, said Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kauai Visitors Bureau.

"Basically, we're assessing what we have available and how many visitors we have on-island," Kanoho said.

The count was still going on this morning, coordinated through the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. Officials statewide hope to meet in the afternoon once there is a better assessment of available hotel space, Kanoho said.

There is adequate space on all islands to house all guests, said Gail Chew, a vice president with the bureau.

Normally, an unexpected influx of visitors is easy enough to handle since other guests are leaving, said Murray Towill, president of the Hawaii Hotel Association.

"We're having to go property to property to see what kind of excess capacity they have available," he said. "The big question is when is the airport going to be open?"

A Japan Airlines plane was diverted to Kona this morning, and the passengers will be accommodated at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, said Ross Wilson, president of Current Events, a public relations company for the Big Island Visitors Bureau. He did not know how many passengers were on the plane.

Outrigger Hotels and Resorts established a special "compassion rate," said Jim Austin, director of public relations.

The local hotel chain has 9,300 rooms across the state and was anticipating 2,600 to 3,000 guests, who will not be arriving. Any guests who need to extend a stay or arrived on a diverted flight will be accommodated, Austin said.

"We've looked at the number of inbound flights and the number of guests, even unplanned, and we're prepared to handle guests who choose to come to Outrigger or those the airlines send to us," Austin said.

The hotel's compassion rate differs among its properties, and Austin declined to disclose it.

Hotel guests were being advised to relax and not attempt to get to the airport, he said.

"I think most people are in their rooms glued to their TV sets," he said.