Big Island hotels follow state trend with lower occupancy, less revenue per available rooms in August

Hawai‘i hotels statewide reported slightly lower occupancy, lower average daily rates and less revenue per available rooms in August this year compared to August last year.

However, when compared to pre-COVID pandemic August 2019, statewide average daily rates and revenue per available rooms were higher last month.

Occupancy rates were lower.

Hotels on the the Big Island followed the same trend, reporting revenue per available room at $288, which is 2.9% less than August 2023 but 27.2% more than the same month in 2019, with an average daily rate at $431, which is 0.2 higher than last August and 53.9% more than August 5 years ago.

Occupancy for Hawai‘i Island hotels was down at 66.8%, 2.1 percentage points lower than August 2023 and 14.1 percentage points behind 2019.

Kohala Coast hotels earned revenue per available room of $400 last month, which is 8.7% less than the same month last year but 16.9% more than August 2019, with an average daily rate at $568. That was 2.5% less than the average daily rate for August 2023; however, it was 40% more than August 5 years ago.

Occupancy at Kohala Coast hotels for August this year was at 70.4 percent, 4.8 percentage points behind last August and 13.9 percentage points less than August 2019.

Statewide revenue per available room in August was $266, down 3.6%, with average daily rate at $362, 3% less than last August. Occupancy was 73.6%, or 0.5 percentage points less compared with August 2023.

Compared with August 2019, revenue per available room was 9.2% higher, driven by higher average daily rate, which was 24.7% more than 5 years ago, which offset lower occupancy of 10.5 percentage points less.

Statewide hotel room revenues totaled $461.0 million, 4% less than August 2023 but 12.9% more than the same month in 2019.

Room demand was 1.3 million room nights, or 1% less than the same month last year and 9.5% less than August 2019, room supply was 1.7 million room nights, which was 0.4% less than August 2023 but 3.4% more than the same month 5 years ago.

Luxury class properties earned a revenue per available room of $500, which was 1.6% more than August last year and 6.3% more than the same month 5 years ago, with an average daily rate at $834, 1.2% less than last August but 44.4% more than in 2019, and occupancy of 60%, which was 1.6 percentage points ahead of August 2023 but 21.5 percentage points behind 2019.

Midscale and economy properties earned a revenue per available room of $172, or 1.1 more than August 2023 and 21.3% more than the same month in 2019, with an average daily rate at $226, which was 4.5% last August and 31.9 more than in 2019, and occupancy of 76.4 percent, or 2.6 percentage points less than last year and 6.6 percentage points behind August 2019.

The report’s findings used data compiled by STR, which conducts the largest and most comprehensive survey of hotel properties in the Hawaiian Islands.

The survey included 171 properties representing 48,285 rooms, or 86.5% of all lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands, including those offering full service, limited service and condominium hotels.

Vacation rental and timeshare properties were not included.

To view the entire report, including data from other islands, click here.