LIHU‘E — Stout visitor spending totals through the first five months of the year have been fueled, in large part by an accommodation sector that is experiencing a big upswing in room rates on Kaua‘i.
The latest example of the impact the sector had on visitor spending was in May, when the average daily rate for a room at a Kaua‘i hotel measured $397, according to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published monthly by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority.
That rate was up 8.2 percent from May 2022 and 53.8 percent from pre-pandemic May 2019. The latest average daily room rate was also the second highest among the four major islands in Hawai‘i.
Of note, the average daily rate on Kaua‘i has hovered around $400 every month this year.
Hotels on Maui drew top dollar with an average daily rate of $539 in May, which was down 1.8 percent from May 2022, but up 56.1 percent from May 2019.
Hotels on Hawai‘i Island ranked third with an average daily rate of $370 in May, down 3.1 percent from May 2022, but up 57.8 percent from May 2019.
Hotels on O‘ahu were a bargain, by comparison, with an average daily rate of $264 in May, which was up 7.5 percent from May 2022 and 17.9 percent from May 2019.
Results from the report were derived from a survey of 152 properties, which represented 46,042 rooms, or 82.2 percent of all lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands. That roster of properties included full service, limited service, and condominium hotels.
The survey included 75 properties on O‘ahu, which represented 27,803 rooms or 91.5 percent; 41 properties on Maui, which represented 9,798 rooms or 70.6 percent; 17 properties on Hawai‘i Island, which represented 4,990 rooms or 72.8 percent; and 19 properties on Kaua‘i, which represented 3,451 rooms or 71.1 percent.
