CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Halekulani concierge Sally Yates displays a program that includes Iolani Palace tours while front-desk receptionist John Ross looks at Honolulu Symphony tickets.

---

Hey, big spender

Isle hotels are targeting affluent
tourists by offering amenities once
only found at upscale resorts
like the Halekulani

Wealthy Americans now make up 40 percent of Hawaii's domestic travel business and the state's visitor industry is catering to them by upgrading rooms, offering discounts and even giving out free plush robes to their infants.

The Wealthy American vs. The Wannabe Wealthy Americans ... » earn their own wealth » pay less than $400 for a suit » carry a Sears credit card » drive a Chevy or a Ford Wannabes ... » are burdened by household debt » own an expensive watch » spend lots of money on clothes » carry a Neiman Marcus charge card » drive a leased Lexus Source: Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell Victims of the bed wars Hotel housekeepers belonging to UNITE HERE Local 5, the hotel employees' union, report that ever-increasing luxuries in Waikiki hotel rooms, such as heavier bedding, have come at the expense of their health and safety. According to a recent survey of Local 5 housekeepers: » 95 percent of housekeepers work in pain » 70 percent of housekeepers don't have enough time to take full meal breaks » 59 percent of housekeepers take pain medication on a weekly basis Source: UNITE HERE Local 5, which represents 11,000 hospitality workers in Hawaii

The travel habits and preferences of affluent Americans have begun to change the way that Hawaii tourism experts must market the destination and how businesses, ranging from hotels to tour operators, attraction managers and retailers, advertise their products. These visitors like to spend money and they have incredible resources. However, their psychology is different than that of their predecessors, the free-spending Japan market of the last decade. Hawaii's newest dominant traveler, having survived the loss of wealth associated with the dot-com collapse and 9/11, is after value as well.

"The status symbol for today's affluent traveler is getting a better deal than the person sitting next to you," said Peter Yesawich, chief executive officer of YPB&R, a leading predictor of travel trends.

Consumer satisfaction at hotels is increasingly driven by improvements in food and beverage, costs and fees and hotel services, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2005 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index.

"With all the costs involved in travel today, guests are looking for a more all-inclusive experience when they book a hotel reservation," said Linda Hirneise, partner in the global travel and hospitality practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "While there is no replacement for good customer service, consumers want all the comforts of home when they stay at a hotel, and they don't want to be nickeled and dimed to get them."

Guests accompanied by infants at the Halekulani, one of Oahu's top luxury resorts with a world-class reputation, get crib baskets filled with amenities such as baby powder and tiny plush robes. The price of a room night also comes with complimentary museum tickets and passes to attractions such as the Iolani Palace. Guests also have access to exclusive amenities, such as a specialty tour of Doris Duke's former home Shangri La or tickets to the Honolulu Symphony.

"From the moment guests arrive, they are pleasantly immersed in the Halekulani lifestyle," said Janis Clapoff, Halekulani general manager.

Guests at the premier hotel have access to a library of reading selections, personal wine consultants, custom-designed menus and complimentary use of a business suite that includes complimentary Internet, business supplies and an array of refreshments, Clapoff said. Poolside services include magazines, bottled water, sunscreen, CD players and CDs, chilled cloth and pool robes, she said.

"Since Halekulani's inception, our commitment to sophisticated service has never compromised," Clapoff said. "However, our guest profiles and specific needs have indeed changed, given the nature of globalization of product and technology and the expectation of instant gratification. Therefore, we continually develop unique and relevant Halekulani services and amenities."

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM The Halekulani offers such amenities as a crib basket, with baby powder and a tiny plush robe, and poolside added-value items, such as magazines and CD players.

"We are focusing on more affluent markets," Paulin said.

Earlier this summer, Aqua began toning up its budget image by offering amenities, such as spa services, which are more often found at higher-priced traditional hotels, he said.

"The result has been consistent occupancies above 90 percent," he said.

In anticipation of its $460 million Outrigger Beach Walk redevelopment along Lewers Street, Outrigger Hotels & Resorts also has renovated several of its budget-based Ohana hotels, including the Ohana East and Ohana West, said David Carey, Outrigger's president and CEO.

"Our Ohana products are migrating up," Carey said, adding that the company is also in the process of repositioning its beachfront Outrigger Reef Hotel and has plans to turn the Islander Waikiki into a boutique hotel.

The success of value-added amenity campaigns and renovations has resulted in the widespread upward repositioning of hotels in Hawaii, said Joseph Toy, president of Hospitality Advisors LLC. As Hawaii's travel industry has continued to rebound from its post-9/11 travel slump, even the state's budget and economy hotel chains have begun to benefit from the ability to invest significant funds to renovate guest rooms, enhance amenities, and improve food and beverage offerings.

"The market votes with its dollars," Toy said, adding that upgrades at the Waikiki Beach Marriott, the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa and the Ilikai Hotel have been supported by demand from the state's changing visitor industry.

Even though average daily room rates at Hawaii's hotels have experienced aggressive growth, visitors are booking more upscale and luxury properties, Toy said. By the end of last year, 53 percent of Waikiki's occupied room nights were in upscale or luxury properties-- a 33 percent increase from the year 2000, he said.

"We've seen an increase in the demand for luxury properties because there's been a rise in income and standard of living," Toy said. "Our hotel industry has seen a shift to a more affluent base, with average daily rates and visitor spending going up."

While demand for Hawaii's upscale and luxury hotels have put the state at the top of the U.S. market for hotel performance, the flip side is that greater expectations from visitors has decreased job satisfaction for some workers.

Housekeepers like Evelyn Marcelino, who has worked at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for 31 years, said her job duties have increased substantially with each hotel upgrade.

"It takes 10 to 15 minutes longer to clean the rooms at this hotel than it did when I started," Marcelino said, adding that Royal Hawaiian guest rooms now have four pillows per bed and almost twice the number of towels.

Hotel housekeepers belonging to UNITE HERE Local 5, the hotel employees' union, leafleted tourists in Waikiki and Honolulu last week to let them know that luxury can be a pain. The ever-increasing luxuries in Waikiki hotel rooms have come at the expense and safety of hotel housekeepers, said Andy Lee, a spokesman for Local 5.

"While housekeepers have to clean the same number of rooms as they did 20 years ago, their workload has increased, due to the introduction of duvets, more pillows, heavier mattresses and sheets and more amenities," he said.