Hawaii hotels offer deals, perks to lure visitors

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Hotel consultant Joseph Toy, chief executive of Hospitality Advisors, said a number of hoteliers predicted the softening and prepared with contingent marketing plans, which are now being rolled out.

Toy said hotels should still have a good year, but not as good as they experienced in the past few years.

"I don't think the party is over, but I think we are definitely in a softer market and definitely past our peak," he said.

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Many hotel operators say bookings are strong for the summer season and they will not need to offer many perks.

While the Japanese market continues to slump, a substantial decline this year was tourists from the East Coast. Fewer airlines are flying directly from the East Coast to Hawaii and more people are again considering foreign destinations, such as Europe or the Caribbean.

"Hawaii competes with the world now," Wienert said. "As people get more comfortable with flying, especially international, I think you will see travel patterns changing a little bit.

"However, we hope we're still perceived as foreign in nature, but domestic in all that we are and do," she said.
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Some say fewer tourists and higher rates may not necessarily be a bad thing for Hawaii.

Walter Jamieson, chairman of the University of Hawaii's School of Travel Industry Management, said if Hawaii is sincere about attracting high-end tourists and not going for volume, it has to accept the fact that the numbers may be down.

He said it's very encouraging if the hotels can continue to charge higher rates.

"That says something about the quality of experience and perceived value," he said. "I'm not one that panics when visitor numbers go down."

If you go ...
Hawaii
Gohawaii.com or 800-464-2924.
Outrigger Hotels & Resorts
Outrigger.com or 800-688-7444.
Web site offers links to two dozen properties in Hawaii, including hotels, condos, resorts, spas.
Hilton Hawaii
Hilton properties: Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa, Honolulu, 808-949-4321; Hilton Waikoloa Village, Waikoloa, 808-886-1234; Hilton Grand Vacations Club, Honolulu, 808-942-2345; Doubletree Alana Hotel-Waikiki, 808-941-7275.
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
Hyatt properties: Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa, Koloa, 808-742-1234; Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa, Honolulu, 808-923-1234; Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, Lahaina, 808-661-1234.
Source: The Associated Press
Price sensitivity may also be an issue, but many in Hawaii's tourism industry don't believe so.

Hawaii is the most expensive state in the nation in which to vacation, according to a survey by AAA last year. The average cost for food and lodging for a family of four in Hawaii was $559 a day, more than double the national average and more than $200 higher than the next closest state, Nevada.

Jamieson said Hawaii hotels are still competitive with mainland hotels.

"You've got the beach at the front door, and within a short drive, you can be in a rain forest or watching world-class surfers," he said. "I'm one that's fairly bullish about the destination in terms of what we have to offer."

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