NEWS & NOTES Kaua’i positioned as above ‘upscale’ According to average daily room rates for Kaua’i, and corresponding prices and categories (economy, midprice, upscale and luxury) statewide, Kaua’i hotel rooms average above upscale, and below luxury, according to figures from
NEWS & NOTES
Kaua’i positioned as above ‘upscale’
- According to average daily room rates for Kaua’i, and corresponding prices and categories (economy, midprice, upscale and luxury) statewide, Kaua’i hotel rooms average above upscale, and below luxury, according to figures from officials at Hospitality Advisors.
The average daily room rate for a Kaua’i hotel room in October was $176.66, up from $165.43 in the same month last year. That places the average-priced Kaua’i hotel room above the state average for a room considered upscale ($148.99) and luxury ($233.51).
Chamber membership meeting set
- Alan Landon of Bank of Hawaii is the guest speaker at the Kaua’i Chamber of Commerce quarterly membership meeting and annual silent auction, set for this Thursday, Dec. 8, in the evening, at the Kaua’i Marriott Resort & Beach Club. There is a charge for dinner. Please call 2457363 for more information.
Starbucks, Jamba giving back
- The Starbucks Coffee “Give a Gift, Receive a Latte,” Lokahi Gift Giving Program is on now through Monday, Dec. 26, at both the Kukui Grove Center and Kaua’i Village shopping center locations, as is the “5-a-Day Keeps Hunger Away” program at Jamba Juice outlets in both malls.
Those bringing in unwrapped gifts valued at $5 or more, for children or adults, to Starbucks, will receive coupons for complimentary Starbucks coffee or tea beverages. Suggested gifts are toys, games, books and toiletry items. There is a limit of five coupons per customer. This special partnership between officials at Starbucks, The Salvation Army and KHON-TV helps bring holiday cheer to families in need, a Starbucks spokesperson said.
Those bringing in five cans of fruits and vegetables (minimum size 12 ounces each) to either Jamba Juice location will receive free smoothies.
Starbucks offers holiday specials
- Officials at Starbucks Coffee stores in Hawai’i have rolled out the traditional red cups, signaling the start of the holiday season at Starbucks Hawaii, they said. The holiday lineup includes Starbucks Christmas Blend coffee and a variety of traditional seasonal beverages including the eggnog latte, gingerbread latte and peppermint mocha. And, for the first time in Hawai’i, Starbucks leaders introduce an exclusive holiday Starbucks card and matching acrylic travel tumbler featuring tropical palm trees, a surfboard and canoe paddle.
“For many customers in Hawai’i, the red cup and our handcrafted holiday beverages symbolize the start of the holiday season, and a time to enjoy holiday traditions and gather with friends and family at their local Starbucks coffeehouse,” explained Greg Meier, president of Coffee Partners Hawaii. “We’re also pleased to introduce our new Hawai’i-exclusive holiday Starbucks cards, which we’re certain will become a collector’s item due to limited time offering.”
Starbucks Christmas Blend is a unique holiday tradition that Starbucks customers have come to anticipate since its creation more than 20 years ago, he said. An array of indulgent seasonal treats can also be enjoyed at Starbucks during the holidays, including the cranberry bliss bar and pumpkin scone.
Starbucks Bearista Bears are stuffed animals, with both mama and papa Bearista dressed in red-velvet quilted jackets. There are many gift sets of coffee as well, he added, as well as four, seasonal musical compilations: “The Starbucks Hawaiian Holiday Blend” (exclusive to Starbucks Hawaii), “Christmas Sparkle,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and “A Sleigh Full of Songs.”
“The Starbucks Hawaiian Holiday Blend” features the Brothers Cazimero, Willie K., Na Leo, Melinda Caroll, Amy Hanaiali’i Gilliom, and many more.
Also available is a new release, “Possibilities,” from Herbie Hancock. The genesis of Hancock’s newest CD highlights a diverse group of world-renowned musicians who represent genres of music well beyond the world of jazz, including John Mayer, Sting, Annie Lennox, Joss Stone and Jonny Lang, Paul Simon, Carlos Santana and Christina Aguilera.
From now through Saturday, Dec. 31, www.TheRedCup.com offers interactive users a surprise and delight every single day, he continued. Log on everyday to have some fun, play games, download holiday recipes, view humorous holiday animations, and experience the joy of the holidays that only happens once a year at Starbucks, he added.
Since entering the Hawai’i market in December 1996, officials at Coffee Partners Hawaii, an authorized licensee of Starbucks Coffee International, have opened 53 Starbucks stores, creating over 1,100 jobs in Hawai’i. Leaders of Coffee Partners Hawaii give back to those in the communities in which they do business through gifts to officials with organizations of the charitable pillars, which include: the environment, AIDS research, literacy and culture and the arts.
Starbucks Corporation leaders are leading retailers, roasters and branders of specialty coffee, with more than 10,000 retail locations around the world.
Kaua’i Visitors Bureau Annual Membership Luncheon set
- This Friday, Dec. 9 is the date of the Kaua’i Visitors Bureau Annual Membership Luncheon, at the Kaua’i Marriott Resort & Beach Club, with registration at 11:30 a.m., and lunch and the program at noon. The program includes a recap of advertising and public relations actions in calendar 2005, highlights of the calendar 2006 marketing plan, and guest speaker, Judy Drosd, former Kaua’i film commissioner and now with the state arts, film and entertainment office. The charge is $30 per person. Please call the KVB office,
245-3971, for reservations and more information.
Chamber business directory coming soon
- All those interested in advertising in the 2006 Kaua’i Chamber of Commerce Community Guide & Business Directory, and community map, should contact Sue Finley of IBA Publishing, toll-free at 1-877-872-1063. Those interested in purchasing the guide or map should call the chamber office, 245-7363.
Cost-U-Less sales go down
- Officials at Cost-U-Less recently reported a decrease in sales at same-store sales (stores open a full 13 months, including the Kapa’a location on Kaua’i) for the four weeks ending Sunday, Nov. 20, compared to the same period a year ago. Sales for the period this year were $17 million, compared to $17.2 million for the same period last year. Sales were down for the eight-week period ending on the same day this year compared to the same period last year, but up, to $191.4 million from $186 million, for the 34-week period ending Sunday, Nov. 20 this year, compared to the same periods last year, a Cost-U-Less spokesperson reported.
