Running on empty
May hotel occupancy slim
May offered another bleak month for Maui County hotels and vacation rentals with only 12.6 percent and 7.2 percent occupancy, respectively, with the tourism industry shut down due to COVID-19.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority released its monthly “Hotel Performance Report” on Wednesday and its “Hawaii Vacation Rental Performance Report” on Thursday.
The Wailea region with major hotels shuttered was not included in the hotel report. It is usually the highest revenue and occupancy region in Hawaii. Many hotels closed or reduced operations in late March; all passengers arriving in Hawaii since March 26 have had to quarantine for two weeks. The quarantine was expanded to interisland travel April 1.
Gov. David Ige has been slowly opening up the state, allowing interisland travel without quarantine on June 16 and announcing Wednesday the lifting of quarantine on transpacific travelers who get tested.
The revenue per available room for Maui County hotels in May was $15, down 94.5 percent from $263.37, and average daily room rate was $117 a night, down 66.4 percent from $345.33.
The Lahaina-KaanapaliKapalua region logged revenue of $4, room rates of $70 and occupancy of 5.8 percent in May. “Other Maui County,” which includes regions outside of Wailea and Kaanapali, logged revenue of $31, room rates of $134 and occupancy of 22.8 percent.
Maui County room supply was down 53.3 percent in May compared to last year with 184,400 room nights. Room revenue was $2.7 million, down 97.4 percent from $103.9 million.
For the first five months of the year, Maui County’s room revenue was $244, down 22.8 percent; room rates, $447, up 10.4 percent; and occupancy, 54.6 percent, down 23.5 percentage points.
Vacation rentals were deemed nonessential and not allowed to operate under emergency orders initially issued in late March. But on June 16, those properties in Maui County were allowed to house guests who were not subject to the travel quarantine.
The Maui County unit supply for May was down 62.9 percent compared to a year earlier. Unit demand was down 96.5 percent leading to 7.2 percent occupancy, which was down 68.9 percentage points.
Average daily rate was $243, down 38.7 percent.
In May, Wailea-Kihei had unit occupancy of 5.8 percent and daily rates of $201.04, which was down 46.9 percent from last May. LahainaKaanapali-Napili-Kapalua logged occupancy of 8.2 percent and daily rates of $282.28, down 36.6 percent.
The report noted that unlike hotels, condos and timeshares, vacation rental units are not necessarily available yearround and often accommodate larger numbers of guests than traditional hotel rooms.
A vacation rental is defined as a rental house, condo unit, private room in a private home or shared room/space in a private house. The report does not differentiate between permitted and unpermitted units.