Archive for the ‘Comments by Waikoloa Vacation Rentals’ Category

Following the trend for the year, May of 2012 was great for the State of Hawaii. Arrivals and visitor expenditures both grew in dramatic form as compared to the previous year. Average length of stay increased as did meetings, conventions, and incentives. Each major market area showed improvement as compared to 2011 as well.

Expenditures and arrivals both increased by 17.5% and 12.5% respectively, making this month the greatest May on record in history. Each major market area continued to show growth. Japan continues to increase their support along with the majority of the US markets. The Canadian market was steady from last year. Scheduled airline seats have continued to increase as well for each of the major islands over the past five months of 2012, increasing overall by 4.5%. The vacation rental industry showed an increase from the previous year and indicated stronger growth than that of the previous month, increasing by about 8% from 2011. The Canadian market, though steady with arrivals, chose to stay in condominium properties over that of hotels in dramatic form. With a 20.2% increase in accommodation selection from the previous year, Canada is certainly showing its support for the industry.

O’ahu has shown the largest growth of all of the islands in relation to visitor arrivals from the previous year, increasing by 15.1%. The Big Island showed an 8.9% increase in arrivals while Maui saw a 6.8% positive change. Though showing the fastest growth during the first three months of 2012, Kaua’i offered a 4.3% positive change compared to last May. These increases are attributed to additional mainland marketing and an active island branding campaign. The purpose of this approach is to match the various islands and the personalities of potential visitors, ensuring a great vacation and repeat visit. As Hawaii gains in popularity, arriving guests are also visiting different locations in an effort to experience the individuality of each of the Hawaiian Islands.

The current forward momentum will continue to get the State of Hawaii out of the shadow of recent years. With most of the influential markers looking positive, the State of Hawaii is proving yet again that it is a stronger destination as we move further into 2012 and beyond.

Now into the second quarter of 2012, tourism is continuing to show improvement for the State of Hawaii. Arrivals from nearly every major market area, increased expenditures, more multi-island visits, and organized tour groups all contributed to a strong month.

One unique highlight is an increase of expenditures by nearly 27% as compared to April, 2011. It also marked the highest amount of spending by visitors on record for the state as compared to the same month in history. Arrivals from the Canadian market slowed down a bit though still higher than this time last year, increasing by 3.3%. The biggest gain was shown by the Oceana, Japan, and the other Asian markets with arrivals, both increasing with huge percentages as compared to April, 2011. Scheduled air seats fell off from the Eastern US market due to decreased service from Chicago by American Airlines and United but those decreases were offset by increased seat demand from the West Coast. East Coast visitors are still making the trip but connecting through the major West Coast cities. Those carriers are now offering seasonal service out of Chicago rather than year round.

The arrival growth rate of the major islands continues to show improvement. O’ahu increased by 12.9%, the Big Island moved up 7.3%, Kaua’i was next in line at 4.6%, and Maui was in the last spot, showing a positive increase of arrivals at 4%. Each of these examples is compared to April, 2011. Vacation Rental occupancy did not appear to move up at quite the same pace as the other important factors throughout Hawaii though it held firm to last year’s numbers. Visitors were coming in but simply choosing to stay elsewhere overall throughout the state.

With most of the important indicators showing positive momentum, 2012 is proving to be a great year for the State of Hawaii as a whole. Perhaps these statewide increases will equate to the same forward motion for the vacation rental industry further into 2012.

Aloha and Welcome to Waikoloa Vacation Rentals and Kolea at Waikoloa Beach Resort. This unique property has so much to offer to anyone looking for a completely memorable vacation.

That being said, choosing an accommodation that best suits you and your familys’ needs for a vacation can be a daunting task. Not only do we expect our potential guests to consider price but location, amenities and overall experience as well.

The Kolea resort has many different floor plans for everyone depending on their needs. The villas range in size from two bedrooms, two bathrooms to three bedrooms, three and a half baths with much larger floor plans. All of our villas have full Kolea Beach Club access as well as the same level of onsite personal concierge services and quality no matter what floor plan or location is chosen.

To book a reservation at Kolea with Waikoloa Vacation Rentals simply follow these easy steps to get one step closer to paradise.

- Go to www.waikoloavacationrentals.com/kolea-rentals/.

- Add your arrival date, number of nights, and desired bedroom configuration to the search function toward the right of the screen. After clicking search, the website will automatically begin a search for every available villa for that specific timeframe.

(Please note you can also click on the calendar icon to view the months rather than typing your desired arrival date. If you wish to view months beyond its current location, click on the single or double arrows to the right of the current date. Once the desired month and date is selected, the necessary information will automatically populate the search function. You can then click on ‘Search’ to get to the auto search feature listed above.)

- Once the seach is complete, a message will appear offering the total number of villas available for the desired time frame. The individual links for the available villas will appear as well.

-Clicking on the picture associated with each villa will take you to the villa’s web page. Here you will find the description, pictures, pricing, and availability calendars. As stated above, you will need to enter your desired dates again. If the site displays the total price summary, the villa is available and may be booked immediately by clicking on the ‘Reserve this property’ link. If not, it will advise you that the property is not available. If the calendar shows the villa to be available but during this process states otherwise, please contact us at (808) 987-4519 or email waikoloavrm@aol.com .

- From there, simply add the necessary information along with the payment information and a confirmation number and email will be generated and sent to the email listed on file.

- Should you have any questions during this process, you are welcome to contact us at any time at (808) 987-4519 or by email at waikoloavrm@aol.com.

As always, feel free to contact us at (808) 987-4519 if you have any questions during the process.

Over the past year, there has been an overall increase in the number of visitors and length of stay to the State of Hawaii through November of 2011.  Major markets such as Canada, Oceania, and various Asian countries have increased their travel to the state, increasing the overall average.   Much of the increase is due to added flight operations from countries such as China, Korea, Japan, Canada and Oceania direct to Honolulu.  The Hawaii Tourism Authority’s Airlift Development Program, a cooperative airline program geared to bring more guests to Hawaii, has done a great job sustaining routes and encouraging new ones.

One of largest contributing markets is Canada, showing nearly double digit increases month over month from 2010.  Much of this can be attributed to a stable Canadian economy, increased awareness and overall stronger marketing.   On average, Canadian arrivals have increased over 20% since last year while some US markets have remained flat.

Compared to 2010, 2011 tourism has increased almost 7% as a whole and the length of stay has increased nearly 1%.  The numbers may be a bit higher when the actual vs. projected arrivals for December 2011 are reported and available through the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

It has been a rough few years for the Hawaiian Islands due to both the nationwide economic issue and an airline availability problem as well. In 2008, there was a huge decrease in travelers to Hawaii, 10.5% to be exact, which accounted for almost one million less visitors entering the state. With the demise of Aloha Airlines, a dramatic increase in fuel cost, and fewer passengers, many airlines decreased or simply eliminated their Hawaiian Islands’ routes.

Since 2010, the airline industry has increased flight operations to Hawaii, adding additional flights from the continental United States along with some recent international routes, all of which help Hawaii’s local economy.

Companies such as Alaska Airlines added daily service between Portland and Honolulu, and seasonal operations between Portland and Kona during the latter portion of 2010. This year, Alaska Airlines also added a direct flight from San Diego to Honolulu. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, this once daily flight brings our local economy over $58 million in visitor expenditures for the year.
Delta also added daily flights from San Diego to Honolulu in June of 2010. Delta Airlines offers about one hundred weekly flights between Hawaii and nine worldwide destinations. They also offer an average of five daily round-trip departures from Los Angeles International Airport to four of the Hawaiian Islands including Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii.

China Eastern Airlines just added a regularly scheduled flight from China to Honolulu at the beginning of August 2011. This fall, a proposed addition by Asiana Airlines, from Incheon, South Korea (a recent leading market), to Honolulu, is also planned.

In November 2010, Hawaiian Airlines began direct flight service between the islands and Tokyo-Haneda, Japan. In 2011, they created new routes between Hawaii and South Korea. Most recently in July of this year, the airline operator began flight service between the islands and Osaka, Japan as well.

As Waikoloa Vacation rentals expressed in a recent article, tourism is on the rise for the state of Hawaii and certainly the vacation rental industry. With additional flights, more interested travelers, and overall availability, the future does look promising for the state and the industry.

There are many places to travel and sometimes, perhaps staying closer to home is the best plan of action. Everyone in Hawaii realizes how far away they are from the rest of the United States or other international destinations. It is actually something the state and the people take great pride in. It is the furthest landmass from any other land mass on earth. That can mean two things. The first, it can be inconvenient to visit. The second, there is something worth seeing.

Simply put, Hawaii is special. The Culture for one; is like nothing else that can be experienced anywhere else. It’s so strong and so alive. When in Hawaii or on an island, there is no doubt this is someplace very different and extremely special.
Why would someone travel here? Is it the Weather or the Ocean? Could it be the Aloha? This Aloha can only be described as one big hug that lasts the duration of a vacation.
Creating Special Moments with family and friends is something that can happen on a daily basis, producing memories for a lifetime.

Helicopter tours overlooking waterfalls, sunset boat rides, swimming with the dolphins and hiking into the creator are not only possible, but recommended to enhance the overall experience.

Even if there is time for one or two excursions during the course of a vacation; the memory will last for many years to come.
The Aina, or land and it’s offerings of amazing food and foliage. From night blooming jasmine to coconut trees; visitors are surrounded by beautiful breathtaking views and smells that will not soon be forgotten.

It is recommended to try the islands hand crafted lili’koi butter or some of the local favorites found no where else such as Pork Lau Lau served with Poi to enhance the flavor.
Come experience the richness the islands with loved ones and family. Please visit and see
what everyone on the island lives on a daily basis.

Vocabulary will change with phrases such as Hawaii no ka oi (Hawaii is the best), Mahalo Nui Loa (Thank you very much) or Mahalo nui loa na ho’olaule’a me la kaua (Thank you for celebrating with us).

Each one of them has two main characteristics’ happiness and positivity. All of which can be heard right here on Hawaii.

Due to extensive damage from the Japanese tsunami, Kona Village decided to close for an extended period of time.  This has left many of their customers looking for a place to stay elsewhere on the Big Island of Hawaii.

“We are very sad to close Kona Village Resort for an extended period of time, but the damage to the property from this natural disaster is severe enough to render it inoperable,” said Patrick Fitzgerald, CEO of Hualalai Resort/Kona Village Resort. “We are fortunate that our guests and employees were evacuated safely. Our hearts are heavy with this decision’s impact on employees and loyal guests who have visited us over the years. Our thoughts also are with the people of Japan during this difficult time.”

Kona Village has offered full refunds to all of their guests that were planning to stay in 2011.  Due to the unique nature of Kona Village, many of their guests are repeat visitors every year.  For the first time many of the guests have had to find a new place to stay.  Many of them are looking to Kolea at Waikoloa Beach Resort and Mauna Lani Terrace, which are both beachfront vacation rental communities.  Rob Dalton of Waikoloa Vacation Rentals stated, “Within the last week we received five reservations from guests that were scheduled to stay at Kona Village.  All of them were bummed to not get to stay at Kona Village, but excited to try something new.”

It appears that a fair amount of guests that typically stay at Kona Village prefer vacation rentals to hotels.  Given that most guests of Kona Village come to the Big Island annually, not only will the closure have a positive impact on vacation rentals short term, but also long term as the guests look to return to Hawaii for their annual vacation.

We wish for a speedy recovery for Kona Village and will keep you informed as the repairs begin.

The Kolea Beach Club offers Kolea guests and owners a private club on a beachfront setting at Kolea at Waikoloa.  Check out our new video of the Kolea Beach Club.

The Big Island of Hawaii is a great spot to spend New Years.  It is one of the few spots in the US where you can stand outside comfortable and enjoy the firework display.  In recent years every resort had a display of fireworks that were magnificent.  This year Mauna Lani Resort is offering the entertainment.  The Fairmont Orchid is offering a “Beach Bash” that will go until midnight when the fireworks go off in the resort.  If you do not want the hotel experience, Tommy Bahamas at the Shops at Mauna Lani offers entertainment as well as nice dining and bar area.  The lanai at Tommy Bahamas is a great spot to watch the firework display.

As 2010 comes to an end we just wanted to extend a special thanks to all of our guests and owners in helping us have a successful 2010.  We look forward to seeing many of you in 2011.

August was one of the busiest non-winter months Waikoloa Vacation Rentals has experienced since being in the vacation rental business. Talking with other professionals involved in lodging on the island, they also enjoyed more success than preceding months.  Many speculated that we may be in “recovery” mode.  With the recent release of vacation rental statistics it proved the exact opposite on a national level.

During August 2010, arrivals and revenues for the vacation rental industry fell 15% from August 2009.  August caused the vacation rental industry to fall 3% behind 2009 in terms of arrivals.  With over half of the year gone and the bulk of the traveling months passed, it is tough to tell if the vacation rental industry will have a better year in 2010 than 2009.

On a positive note, Hawaii fared the best out of all the states. The rental rates, arrivals, and length of stay were all up, generating a 19% increase in revenue.  Considering that the states that fared the worst were the ones affected by the oil spill, many speculate that Hawaii did so well due to it being a viable alternative for those states.  Looking at flight rates, which are also a large factor in contributing to Hawaii tourism, they were very similar to 2009 so that is not the cause of the increase in tourism.

Although we are extremely happy that August was a great month in Hawaii for the vacation rental industry, looking at the national figures it still appears that the vacation rental industry is far from recovery.