Kauai hotel occupancy rises

Hotel room occupancy on Kauai is up significantly, while occupancy on other islands remains steady or down slightly.
For the week ending March 8, Kauai hotels posted a 74.9 percent room occupancy, up 10.3 percentage points from the same week in 2007.
The statewide occupancy rate was 75 percent, up 0.3 of a percentage point. Maui occupancy was also up 0.3 of a point, to 78.5 percent.
But Oahu occupancy slipped 0.5 percentage point to 73.9 percent and Big Island occupancy declined 1.8 percentage points to 72.9 percent.
Hotel room rates were up 2.4 percent statewide, averaging $211 a night.
Oahu hotel room rates climbed 4.3 percent to $179, Maui rates were up 4.4 percent to $280, and Kauai rates grew 2.5 percent to $218.
Only Big Island hotels saw a decline in average room rates, down 6.5 percent to $198.
Nationwide, hotel room occupancy was 62.3 percent, down 3.8 percentage points, while room rates climbed 4.3 percent to $109 year over year.