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POSTED: Friday, November 21, 2008

WEEKLY OCCUPANCY

Hotel snapshot for the week ending Nov. 15:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

	OCCUPANCY	CHANGE	RATE	REVPAR*
U.S.	56.2%	-7.4%	$106.23	$59.75
Miami	79.7%	0.3%	$155.95	$124.33
New York	76.5%	—13.7%	$301.97	$230.98
Oahu	71.7%	-0.9%	$162.90	$116.85
San Francisco	71.5%	-15.9%	$154.17	$110.25

 

Hawaii in popular Christmas spots

Online travel retailer Orbitz said recently that Honolulu ranks as the fourth most-popular travel destination for the Christmas holiday this year, while Lahaina took the No. 9 spot. Lahaina is a newcomer to the list this year, while Honolulu jumped from 13th in 2007.

Las Vegas is the top destination, followed by Orlando, Fla., and New York City. Data is based on hotel and package bookings on Orbitz.com for stays between Dec. 20 and Dec. 29.

Orbitz also said that Las Vegas is ranked as the busiest Thanksgiving airport in the U.S. this year, up from No. 10 last year. The data is based on air ticket sales on Orbitz.com with arrivals and departures between last Saturday and Nov. 30.

 

ML Macadamia trading extended

Stock trading for ML Macadamia Orchards LP under the ticker symbol “;NUT”; has been extended through the close of the New York Stock Exchange on Monday to help with a transition to the Over-The-Counter Bulletin Board.

The NYSE announced Nov. 13 that trading would be suspended prior to the opening of trading today because the company is unable to maintain NYSE's required market cap of at least $25 million on a 30-trading-day average.

 

Letarte swimwear opens store

Letarte, a luxury swimwear brand, opened its flagship store on Saturday in Paia, Maui.

Letarte is donating 10 percent of sales during the first week to the Surfrider Foundation, Maui Chapter, which works to protect and preserve oceans, waves and beaches.

Lisa Letarte Cabrinha and Michele Letarte Ross are the sisters behind the Letarte label.

Founded in 2000, the company started off in a handful of select resorts and boutiques.

 

Isle Obama Web site launches

Isle writer Rob Kay said yesterday that he has launched www.obamasneighborhood.com, the first Web site to focus exclusively on how Hawaii influenced President-elect Barack Obama.

The site includes sections on where Barack Obama lived in Hawaii, his Punahou years, information on his lower Makiki neighborhood, and a tourism section that visits places on Oahu that he has mentioned in articles and speeches.

 

Maui General completes merger

Maui General Store Inc., based in Hana, said yesterday it acquired the outstanding stock of RDX Holdings Ltd. in a reverse merger transaction completed Nov. 12.

RDX Holdings is a company organized in the Virgin Islands that manages the assets and operations of China's Heilongjiang Hairong Science and Technology Development Co. Hairong does business in three divisions including business networks and software, financial informational delivery and cultural productions.

The company said in a regulatory filing for the quarter ending Sept. 30 that it has an accumulated deficit of $611,431, and no working capital: “;These factors raise substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue,”; the filing said.