Outrigger Maui Eldorado In The News

Aloha Kakou:

This article about Maui appeared in the Tuesday's Woodinville Weekly. Woodinville is a town near Seattle. The author did stay with us several months ago. You can see where our name is mentioned at the bottom of the article.

http://www.nwnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1268:shed-your-cares-and-&catid=90:travel&Itemid=125

Good News Bears Repeating

Aloha Kakou:

I shared the press releases from the Hawaii Tourism Authority with you yesterday. Here's the Maui News' take on first quarter visitor statistics:

http://mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/530951.html?nav=10

New Unit For Sale

Aloha Kakou:

J109 is the latest unit for sale at the Maui Eldorado:

http://www.mauirealestate.net/GetSearch.php?WhatMLS=342822

March, First Quarter Visitor Stats Up

Aloha Kakou:

The Hawaii Tourism Authority today announced the state's visitor statistics for March, 2010.

Visitor expenditures for the entire state were up 12.7% this March compared to last. Maui's visitor spending was up 25.2% and arrivals were up 14.2%, leading all the major islands in gains.

Maui also lead all the major islands in growth for the first quarter of 2010, with 8% more than the same period last year. Oahu was the next closest for additional visitor arrivals during this period, up 2.8%.


HTA Statement on March 2010 Tourism fin



March 2010 Visitor Stats News Release _Final

Travel Outlook Positive, With Caveats

Aloha Kakou:

While this article discusses travel in the very broadest sense, it does make some points that make sense in our situation:

- people who have jobs are more confident that they will continue to keep them;
- the 1st quarter rise in the stock market is buoying traveler's confidence;
- vacation stays remain shorter, instead of 10 days, travelers now stay 7, for example;
- airfares have increased 10 to 15 percent;
- travelers are insistent upon getting the best possible deal.

http://imarketnews.com/?q=node/12306

Yahoo Reviews

Aloha Kakou:

TripAdvisor.com is not the only website that offers reviews. Here's what they're saying about us on Yahoo:

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-345269-outrigger_maui_eldorado_condominiums-i

Grocery Delivery Notice

Aloha Kakou:

Here's another mention that I just found from December 31, 2009 regarding our grocery delivery service:

http://travnow.blogspot.com/2009/12/whats-new-in-hawaii.html

Now in Korean!

Aloha Kakou:


You never know who is saying what about you. Here's a Korean language blog mentioning the Outrigger Maui Eldorado.


Unless you have a Korean language pack installed on your computer and you can read that language, you'll have to click on the "Translate" button to see what they're actually saying .


http://kr.blog.yahoo.com/kjdetter/7787

Alaska To Add Daily Nonstop To OGG

Aloha Kakou:

Beginning October 1, Alaska Airlines will add daily service to Kahului from San Diego.

The airline will also add seasonal flights from Portland and Seattle to Kona starting in November.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20100422/BREAKING03/100422043/Alaska+Airlines+to+add+three+more+flights+from+the+West+Coast

Rates Down, Occupancy Up For Last Week

Aloha Kakou:

Compared to the other three main islands, Maui had the largest increase in occupancy for the week ending April 14 compared to last year. Island occupancy was 67.3%, up 5.5% from last year. Unfortunately, even though Maui had the highest ADR for Hawaii of $218.35, that is down 10% from the same period last year.

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2010/04/19/daily40.html?ana=from_rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_pacific+%28Pacific+Business+News+of+Honolulu%29&utm_content=Twitter

Quotes of Note

Aloha Kakou:


Here are a few quotes worth considering from an article by property technology consultant John Inge in the Spring, 2010 issue of Hospitality Upgrade:


"With guests' easy access to other travelers' instant comments on sub-par experiences, an increased, steady level of investment in hotel facilities has become essential to keeping those comments positive."


"Given the massive adoption of flat-panel screens in homes, the presence of a CRT display in a hotel guestroom can only be an immediate disappointment even before it's switched on, and hotel that fail to implement flat-panel displays will find it much harder to generate repeat business."

The words of a professional! An upgrade to flat panel televisions will help to instantly update your unit. Let us know how we can help you to achieve that upgrade.

Luxury Travel Up

Aloha Kakou:

With an increase in luxury travel to Hawaii of 18%, can a rebound for the rest of us be far behind?

http://www.travelagentcentral.com/consortia/vacationcom-reports-rise-luxury-travel-sales-20964

Maui Forclosures Show No Letup

Aloha Kakou:

While the number of home foreclosures in Maui County continues to be near record levels each month, the number of properties sold at auction, short sold or having loans modified continues to be just a few each month.

That means a large backlog of properties that need to be sold at distressed prices before the real estate market here can recover, which could take two or three years.

http://mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/530587.html?nav=10

Maui Eldorado Sales List

Aloha Kakou:

Here's a list of the sales prices for units here at the Maui Eldorado.

http://www.jamesbfoster.com/pdfs/011_Maui-Eldorado-Apr-5-10_4bba4a627e06a_.pdf

Exterior Corridors Are In, Says Survey

Aloha Kakou:

Guests actively seek out hotels that have exterior corridors, according to a survey commissioned and published by Red Roof Inns (a mainland chain that has, surprise!, exterior corridors.

While some of the survey information is compelling, I'm grateful that we don't have motorcyclists who stay here with their own bikes!

http://www.hotelsmag.com/article/456159-Red_Roof_Says_Its_Guests_Prefer_Exterior_Corridors.php?nid=3457&source=link&rid=14377667

Aloha Kakou:

Sales of condominiums on Maui rose 82% this March, with 122 units sold versus 67 last year.

March's median condo price was $512,250, up 9% from March, 2009's $468,000.

Kaanapali led the sales increase with 41 new units sold at the Honua Kai project.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20100412/BREAKING01/100412037/Maui+home+sales+surge++but+median+prices+see+mixed+results

Hawaii Weddings Down

Aloha Kakou:

With the current state of the economy, the number of non-Hawaii residents getting married here has decreased by 30% since 2005, current figures show.

Many couples are now choosing to get married in a less expensive location, such as the Caribbean, or are shunning destination weddings entirely, instead opting to spend more on their festivities at home.

Of those couples still getting married in Hawaii, many are having smaller weddings.

"Marriage is a major component to the tourism industry," said Alvin Onaka, who heads up the Department of Health's vital statistics office as the state's registrar. He said that several factors may be involved in the steady decline in nonresident marriage licenses, but the economy is by far the biggest.

Hawaii's Department of Health issued 5,596 marriage licenses for nonresidents, down 13% from 2008.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20100412/NEWS01/4120351/Hawaii+losing+some+enchantment++as+wedding+site+for+nonresidents

Maui's February Occupancy, Revenue Up

Aloha Kakou:

Compared to last February, Maui's hotel room occupancy jumped from 70.1% in 2009 to 77.9% in 2010.

Some analysts consider this information as evidence that the islands have turned the corner towards an economic recovery.

"We seemed to have bottomed out in losses in terms of room rates," said Joseph Toy, president and chief executive officer of Hospitality Advisors. "As occupancies get firm, hotels are going to be able to manage those rates a little bit better and start raising."

February's highly discounted room rates were more than offset by the gain in room nights.

http://www.starbulletin.com/business/20100409_Mauis_hotels_gain_revenue.html

Opaque Hotel Deals Spread To Traditional Wholesalers

Aloha Kakou:

When you think of opaque hotel deals, you usually think of Priceline or Hotels.com, where you "name your own price" and if your rate matches the rate offered by one of the hotels, you've bought yourself a room. In these situations, the name of the hotel is revealed only after you've paid and locked in a reservation.

While this situation may work fine for some travelers, anyone who is more choosy about their accommodations may not be happy with the result, as the attached article illustrates.

http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/a-mystery-hotel-promotion-shows-its-not-always-about-the-stars/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+tripso+%28Consumertraveler.com%29

Molokai Radio Station Changes Hands

Aloha Kakou:

KMKK, at frequency 102.3, Molokai's only radio station, was taken over by its new owner, Ohana Broadcast Group last Friday.

The station will feature a broad mixture of songs from the classics to today's contemporary music, all commercial free, at least for now.

http://themolokainews.com/2010/04/05/a-new-radio-company-on-molokai-ohana-broadcast-group-debuts-hawaiis-na-mele-102-3/

Municipalities Eyeing Hotel Tax Increases

Aloha Kakou:

Across the country, various municipalities are considering increasing taxes on visitors as their coffers run short.

Hotel room taxes run from 10.05% in Burbank, CA to 17.95% in New York City.

State legislators last year increased Hawaii's Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) one percentage point as of July 1, 2009. A further one percentage point increase is scheduled for this July 1, making our total TAT 13.4166%.

Raising the TAT in Hawaii may be more of a negative impact here as most visitors are leisure, and they already have the idea that Hawaii is an expensive destination. Even thought the new tax only adds another $2 per night on a $200 a night room, just hearing that the tax rate is 13.4166% may be enough to make potential guests reconsider.

When I'm talking to our guests about our tax rate and they start to be upset, I ask them what the hotel tax rate is in their city. Most people are completely unaware of how visitors to their own town are taxed.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/hotels/2010-04-05-1Ahoteltax05_ST_N.htm

A Different Review Site

Aloha Kakou:

IgoUgo.com is a site similar to TripAdvisor.com, where guests can post hotel reviews. Here's what they had to say about the Outrigger Maui Eldorado:

http://www.igougo.com/lodging-reviews-b164649-Lahaina-Outrigger_Maui_Eldorado.html

Travelers Say The Darndest Things

Aloha Kakou:


I laughed at this article about the questions travelers ask. You might find some of them humorous yourself.

http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/there-are-no-stupid-questions-but-some-people-try-hard/comment-page-1/#comment-21715

While here on Maui I have been asked:

Where can I change my money to Hawaiian money?
Does the water go all the way around the island?
Where do you keep the whales at night?
And my favorite: Can you give me driving directions to Pearl Harbor?

Everybody's Getting Into The Act

Aloha Kakou:

While competition for design has, in the past, been the most feverish between upscale hotels, now even motels are getting into the act. The design competition between budget chains like Super 8 and Red Roof Inn is becoming intense as properties remodel their rooms away from the traditional, dowdy, downscale look to rooms with design and amenities that are fresh and contemporary. Perhaps we need to consider how we, too, can become a bit more stylish.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/travel/04prac.html?src=me&ref=travel