Kauai Leads in Hotel Occupancy
Kauai is beating Oahu and leading the state in hotel occupancy rates for the fist nine months ending September 2004. Occupancy  was up 4.5% for that nine-month period to 80.8 percent, and average daily room rates increased by 5.9% to $176.27.
The good occupancy numbers so far this year mirrors visitor numbers to Kauai, which are ukp 3.8% so far this year over last year, to 772,757-far exceedings September expections. Kauai visitor numbers were up 8.8 percent in September of this year compared to September, 2003.
In comparison to the top 25 hotel markets in the U.S., Hawaii held the second highest occupancy behind New York City's 80 percent. Hawaii also had the second highest average daily rate and revenue per available room or "RevPAR".
Luxury and upscale hotel segments helped the industry achieve a 12 percent growth in room revenues for the first nine months ending in September, 2004 according to figures from Hospitality Advisors, LLC. This was the second highest level of room revenue for a nine month period, behind 2000 levels.
Preferred Kokee Park Plan Includes Admission Fees
Officials with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources have unveiled four proposals to enhance over the next 20 years the use of Koke'e and Waimea Canyon state parks.
 The park complex, which consists of about 6,182 acres in the northwest part of Kaua'i, is a world-renowned visitor destination. The two parks also were the first parks established under the Hawai'i state park system.
In a draft master plan, leaders with R.M. Towill Corporation, a consultant based in Honolulu, voiced preference for a "remedial improvement plan."
It calls for major improvements at lookouts, the creation of a new lookout, an entry gate to the park and the charging of fees, and improvements to roads and trails and picnic areas, including those by lookouts and utilities.
The plan also calls for the renovation or reconstruction of the Koke'e Lodge and the Koke'e Natural History Museum, two long-standing, rustic-looking buildings that are synonymous with the backwoods feel of the park complex. In addition a new park visitor center next to these two existing buildings, would be developed. The visitor center would be staffed by uniformed park personnel who will provide services, including manning a one stop location for all park permits for camping, gathering, fishing, hunting and commercial trail use.
Another key part of the remedial improvement plan calls for further research into the feasibility of issuing a master lease to manage more than 100 residential cabins and either renting them out on a short-term basis or leasing them out. The plan would not apply to more than a dozen rental cabins.
Koke'e Leaseholders Association members have contested the scheduled termination of cabin leases that were awarded in a public auction on Kaua'i in the mid-1980s.
Saying they have been good land stewards, association members have urged the state to consider extending the leases.
The consultants said they voiced their preference for the remedial improvement plan over the other three plans based on public input, recommendations from the DLNR staff, their own recommendations, and a review by the state Board of the Land and Natural Resources.
The other three options call for no action, a "conservation plan" and a "cultural, historic and recreation resource plan," the consultant noted in the draft master plan.
The draft master plan is only that, and requires approval by the BLNR. Public input will be considered before a decision is made.
Whichever of the four plans is adopted will determine what the Koke'e and Waimea state park complex will look like over next 20 years.
Because funds have to be found, the work, regardless of which plan is adopted, would be done in phases.
If the remedial improvement plan is implemented, the work would be done at an estimated cost of $27.6 million, the consultant said.
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