Hawaii Room Rates and Occupancy Down
According to an article online at BizJournals.com the occupancy rate for Hawaii hotels fell 5.6% compared to last year. A little over 70% of available rooms are full.
The room rate slipped to $189 a night as well. This is a drop of 6.4%
So what does that mean?
Nationally hotel occupancy is down 7.4% so Hawaii is better than the national average.
If you are an Hawaii business it means travel to Hawaii is down. That is predictable with the economy the way it is.
If you are a traveler you are going to have more rooms to choose from and at a better price. Plus youa re going to find everything less crowded which can mean a more relaxed and better Hawaii trip for you!
Hawaii Discounts continues to offer great pricing on Hawaii Room Rates!
If you are willing to do a little shopping there are many great deals right now and will continue to be that way in the future. Shop early and lock in a great rate for you Hawaii hotel. It will give you extra money to do even more when you are here.
Tags: Hawaii, Hawaii room rates, hawaii trip, HotelsMaui Downhill Haleakala Summit Bike Tour
When you are in Maui I definitely recommend the Maui Downhill Haleakala Summit bike tour.
It is also known as the Summit To The Sea and it is a wild ride.
This is a bike tour worth taking the time to go on.
You are taken to the 10,023’ summit of Haleakala. This is a crate where the astronauts trained to walk on the moon.
It is a massive crater the size of Manhatten in New York and it is interesting how cold it is at the top. You will start out wearing a coat as it is around 30 degrees.
As I recall you go 38 miles downhill and peddle about 400 yards in that time. The bikes have hydraulic brakes and you need them as you get to going pretty fast.
You need to be able to ride a bike for your own safety. About a week before we went a rider crossed over the middle of the road and hit a tour bus head on. They were killed instantly.
There are no major drop offs on the side of the road which is good.
This is not like riding in the mountains of Colorado where you couldgo over the edge and land several hundred feet below.
Not everyone can take the bike tour. Some requirements include….
- Competent riders and no beginners.
- Must be 12 years of age or older.
- 5 feet tall guideline height.
- Maximum weight for bike rider is 250 pounds.
- Riders must sign acknowledgement of risk & safety form.
- No Pregnant women allowed to bike on this tour.
- No Riders may participate with medical conditions that would adversely effect them in this activity.
- Wear warm clothing in layers and close-toed rubber soled shoes.
Not to scare you too much though. The Maui Downhill Haleakala Summit really is safe and one great way to spend a day in Maui doing something you will never be able to do anywhere else.
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Tags: bike tour, Hawaii, Maui, Maui Downhill Haleakala SummitMaui Whale Watching
One of the most unbelievable things I have ever seen was on a Maui snorkeling and a whale watching tour.
We had a huge humpback whale come up right next to our boat, and as a swam away it jumped up in the air and then it gracefully went back down with its tail hardly making a splash at all.
Off in the distance we saw three whales coming up and going back down almost simultaneously. Our tour guide told us it was two males chasing one female.
We were there in March and there were whales all over the place. The best time for Maui whale watching is between December 15th to April 15th. You do not even have to go out on a boat to see them.
We were staying at the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa and at night just about dusk time we would have dinner out on tables set up for us by the beach. You could see whales jumping in the air with an unbelievable sunset right behind them.
However to get up close and personal you are better off to take a whale watching tour. It is money well spent and the stories you will have the tell will be with you for a lifetime.
Hawaii Discount offers great whale watching tours.
Their whale watch vessels include two Explorer Super Rafts,
1. The largest and fastest 49’ rafts in the State of Hawaii are USCG certified for 49 passengers., but limited to 38 passengers.
2. The newest Explorer Super Raft is a 39’ super fast raft, USCG certified for 42.
Explorer Super Rafts are very fast and comfortable vessels with comfortable padded seating, and shaded areas and on-board restrooms. This gives you more time to watch whales and less time traveling to and from our leviathan friends.
Enjoy expert narration and up close and personal viewing! They make Maui Whale Watching an experience you will not forget.
Tags: Hawaii, Hawaii Discount, humpback whale, maui whale watching, snorkelingLanai Trip
Think about taking a Lanai Trip in Hawaii?
Here are a few facts about Lanai and things to do and places to stay if you do go!
Lānaʻi is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands.
It is also known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation.
The only town is Lānaʻi City, a small settlement.
The land area is 140.5 square miles, making it the 42nd largest island in the United States.
It is separated from the island of Molokaʻi by the Kalohi Channel to the north, and from Maui by the ʻAuʻau Channel to the east.
The United States Census Bureau lists the population as 3,193 as of the 2000 census.
There are two resort hotels on Lānaʻi, both managed by Four Seasons Hotels: Mānele Bay and the Lodge at Kōʻele.
There is also a small hotel in Lānaʻi City used primarily for people visiting Lānaʻi residents. Hotel Lanai is a quaint bed and breakfast with 11 rooms available to guests.
Hotel Lanai was built in 1923 by James Dole of Dole Pineapple. The hotel was originally built as a lodge to house Dole executives overseeing the islands pineapple production. Hotel Lanai was the islands only hotel until 1990.
Many of the island’s landmarks and sites are located off of dirt roads where four-wheel drive is required.
Tags: Four Seasons Hotels, Hotel Lanai, Lanai, Lodge at Kōʻele, Mānele Bay, Pineapple Island