Maui County Hotels Doing Better in May 2021 than May 2019 in Two Categories

Maui County hotels have rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic to the point that revenue per available room in May 2021 was at $314, 19% higher than at same time in 2019 — and the average daily rate was at $467, 35.3% higher than in May 2019, according to the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority’s latest report on hotel performance.

The occupancy rate of Maui County hotels in May 2021 also has rebounded to 67.1%, but it is still 9.1 percentage points below the same time in 2019.

Maui’s luxury resort region of Wailea had revenue per availlable room (RevPAR) of $439 (-0.2% vs. 2019), with average daily rate (ADR) at $717 (+41.5% vs. 2019²) and occupancy at 61.2 percent (-25.6 percentage points vs. 2019).

The Lahaina/Kaʻanapali/Kapalua region had RevPAR of $267 (+21.1% vs. 2019), ADR at $391 (+33.4% vs. 2019) and occupancy of 68.4 percent (-7 percentage points vs. 2019).

In May 2021, Hawaiʻi hotels statewide reported substantially higher revenue per available room (RevPAR), average daily rate (ADR), and occupancy compared to May 2020, when the pandemic led to the shutdown of the tourism economy in Hawaiʻi.

When compared to May 2019, statewide daily room rates in May 2021 were higher but occupancy and RevPAR were lower. Hawaiʻi’s quarantine order for travelers due to the COVID-19 pandemic began on March 26, 2020, which immediately resulted in dramatic declines for the hotel industry. Year-to-date, the statistics for statewide hotel RevPAR, ADR and occupancy were lower compared to the first five months of 2020.

According to the Hawaii Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s Research Division, statewide RevPAR in May 2021 was $177 (12.3 percent below 2019 levels), ADR at $288 was 12.6 percent higher and occupancy at 61.5 percent was 17.5 percentage points lower.

The report’s findings utilized data compiled by STR, Inc., which conducts the largest and most comprehensive survey of hotel properties in the Hawaiian Islands. For May, the survey included 140 properties representing 44,771 rooms, or 82.9 percent of all lodging properties and 86 percent of operating lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands, including full service, limited service, and condominium hotels. Vacation rental and timeshare properties were not included in this survey.

During May 2021, most passengers arriving from out-of-state and traveling inter-county could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure to Hawaii through the Safe Travels program. Starting May 11, people fully vaccinated in Hawaiʻi could travel inter-county without pre-travel testing or quarantine beginning the 15th day after the completion of their vaccination. The counties of Hawaiʻi, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Kalawao (Molokaʻi) had a partial quarantine in place in May.

Hawaii hotel room revenues statewide rose to $285.9 million (+1,818.3% vs. 2020, -15.5% vs. 2019) in May. Room demand was 993,600 room nights (+699.8% vs. 2020, -25.0% vs. 2019) and room supply was 1.6 million room nights (+98.3% vs. 2020, -3.7% vs. 2019). Many properties closed or reduced operations starting in April 2020. Due to these supply reductions, comparative data for certain markets and prices classes were not available for 2020; comparisons to 2019 have been added.

Luxury Class properties earned RevPAR of $354 (-2.0% vs. 2019), with ADR at $664 (+36.4% vs. 2019) and occupancy of 53.3 percent. Midscale & Economy Class properties earned RevPAR of $164 (+427.1 vs. 2020, +25.1% vs. 2019) with ADR at $240 (+162.3% vs. 2020, +49.4% vs. 2019) and occupancy of 68.3 percent (+34.3 percentage points vs. 2020, -13.3 percentage points vs. 2019).

Hawaiʻi County: Hotels on the island of Hawaii reported RevPAR at $190, which was an improvement even over May 2019 performance (+768.5% vs. 2020, +13.3% vs. 2019), with ADR at $304 (+210.9% vs. 2020, +29.6% vs. 2019) and occupancy of 62.7 percent (+40.2 percentage points vs. 2020, -9 percentage points vs. 2019). Kohala Coast hotels earned RevPAR of $300 (+27.4% vs. 2019), with ADR at $454 (+37.4% vs. 2019) and occupancy of 66.1 percent (-5.2 percentage points vs. 2019).

Kauaʻi: Hotels on Kauaʻi earned RevPAR of $157 (+743.7% vs. 2020, -14.7% vs. 2019), with ADR at $272 (+118.6% vs. 2020, +5.3% vs. 2019) and occupancy of 57.7 percent (+42.7 percentage points vs. 2020, -13.5 percentage points vs. 2019).

Oʻahu: Hotels on Oʻahu reported RevPAR of $116 (+571.3% vs. 2020, -37.5% vs. 2019) in May, ADR at $196 (+43.9% vs. 2020, -12.7% vs. 2019) and occupancy of 59.3 percent (+46.6 percentage points vs. 2020, -23.6 percentage points vs. 2019). Waikiki hotels earned $110 (+915.0% vs. 2020, -40.4% vs. 2019) in RevPAR with ADR at $186 (+45.5% vs. 2020, -16.1% vs. 2019) and occupancy of 59.4 percent (+50.9 percentage points vs. 2020, -24.1 percentge points vs. 2019).

Tables of hotel performance statistics, including data presented in the report are available for viewing online at: https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/research/infrastructure-research/.