he
eight main islands that comprise Hawaii
are blessed with enormous topographical diversity and a splendid year-round,
sunny climate. Little wonder then that this has long been a popular
holiday destination.
Last year was the best ever for the nation’s tourism industry.
Nearly seven million people visited, including 1.8 million Japanese.
“The
year 2000 set a high benchmark that will be hard to reach, but tourism
is cyclical and we are definitely moving in the right direction,”
says Stan Brown, vice-president, Pacific Islands, for the Marriott
chain of hotels.
Marriott has seven resort hotels, a golf course and four vacation clubs
in Hawaii, most of which have been built in the last two years. Under
construction are a timeshare and two developments.
Hawaiian hotels were specifically built for the holiday industry, but
Mr Brown points out: “As the business and convention sector matures,
the potential will be huge for us.
“On Oahu, with the convention centre, there is a clear demand for
technology and sophistication – more so than on the other islands,
which are leisure-oriented.”
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, which includes the Sheraton,
Westin and the Luxury Collection, is well represented.
Sheraton was the first hotel to open in Hawaii, in 1901, and it has
since built up a portfolio of some of the best sites. It is the only
group to have a hotel on seven of the eight main islands.
|
||
 |
Starwood
senior vice-president Keith Vieira
says: “We are the biggest company here in terms of revenue –
we are a billion-dollar company here. We are the largest employer and
the biggest user of utilities, so we have
a real impact on the state.”
Starwood has the best “or at least equal to the best” hotel
on each island, says Mr Vieira. “What is more important is that
we also have the best locations because we were here first. Our hotels
are historically significant and when you talk to people here they’ve
all got their own stories about these buildings.”
Nevertheless, Starwood recognises that change is under way. Most hotels
are rebranding and Starwood is no exception. Firms are adapting their
hotels for business travellers.
“Unless
we generate 30-35 per cent of our profits from the business market,
Waikiki will not be the long term, successful destination it once was,”
says Mr Vieira. “We need to shift our focus from 90 per cent leisure
and 10 per cent business traveller to a ratio of about 65/35.”
The latest development on Oahu is the Kalia Tower, which opened in May.
The first major resort hotel to be built on Waikiki Beach for a decade,
it has 435 rooms and suites, and forms part of the Hilton
Hawaiian Village. Senior vice-president Peter Schall says the Kalia
Tower focuses on the needs of the businessman.
Each room has a workspace with two dedicated telephone lines, voice
mail, data ports and high-speed internet access. The top four floors
are designated executive suites, whose occupants have exclusive use
of an executive lounge.
“We
have expanded our ballroom so that we can hold conventions and we also
have facilities for smaller meetings,” says Mr Schall. “The
convention centre is only a short walk away and this has significantly
diversified our market.”
The Village, celebrating its 40th anniversary, comprises six hotel tower
blocks, including the Kalia, set in 22 acres of tropical gardens where
warm-water penguins, flamingoes and parrots roam. At any one time, up
to 6,000 guests could be staying there.
“Hawaii must continue to diversify,” adds Mr Schall. “The
islands have done an incredible job in marketing the leisure side, but
the commitment must be to market the business side.
“Reinvestment
is crucial for any tourist industry and we have seen this in recent
years. The conference industry is a growing part of the Hawaiian economy,”
he says.
The state’s impressive Holistica Hawaii health centre opened in
one of the Village’s hotel tower blocks in 2000 and transferred
to the Kalia Tower this year. The centre operates a body scanner, which
is the first of its kind in a resort setting.
[email protected]