Hawaii Real Estate

 the total transaction volume by contributing nearly
Hawaiian Hospitality$1.4 billion in activity. Topping the list were two major
The record air passenger arrivals and the increasingproperties — the Hyatt Regency Waikiki sold for
popularity of timeshare and resort residential$475 million and the Makena Resort on Maui sold for
developments have boosted recent interest in$575 million. On the market and projected to close in
building new resorts in Hawaii. New, exciting conceptsthe near term are two Resort Quest Hotels and the
from family-oriented to ultra-luxury resorts areFairmont Orchid on the Big Island of Hawaii.
entering this market with plans on widening theHawaii Hotel Market Analytics
breadth of service offerings for the island’sFor year-to-date October 2007, the Hospitality
visitors.Advisors LLC industry report noted that Hawaii’s
Topping this list is the recent announcement ofhospitality industry continued to post solid RevPAR
Disney Resorts selecting Ko Olina on the island ofand ADR gains. Average hotel room rates rose from
Oahu for its first stand-alone hotel development not$186.17 to $198.82 as RevPAR grew from a
associated with a theme park. Its plans are to buildstatewide average of $150.24 to $151.33 in the past
an 800-unit hotel that encompasses the Disneyyear. Overall, Hawaii’s hotels ranked second in
Vacation Club timeshare concept that has more thanRevPar growth only to New York City. Percentage
350,000 members. Disney paid $144 million to acquireincreases in the past year in average daily room rates
the property, which is situated on 21 acres offor mid-priced hotels surpassed luxury and upscale
oceanfront land. This is a unique concept for Disneyhotel brands by posting an 11 percent increase,
and a great opportunity for Hawaii to benefit fromcompared to 5.5 percent and 7.7 percent,
Disney’s marketing and brand name.respectively.
On the other side of the hotel developmentDespite these financial gains, hotel occupancy rates
spectrum are the plans by Starwood Capital Group tofell from the prior year. As of October 2007, the
build an upscale Baccarat Resort. Capitalizing on theyear-to-date occupancy rate for Hawaii’s hotels
Baccarat crystal and jewelry luxury brand, thedecline from 80.7 percent to 76.1 percent. This decline
planned resort will demolish the former Waileacoincides with increased economic concerns over the
Rennaissance Hotel on Maui and replace it with 193drop in residential home appreciation rates, rising fuel
one- to four-bedroom residences. All units will havecosts and decreased personal income being
ocean views and include access to personalizedencountered in the United States.
concierge services. Architectural design and interiorsAfter growing to 7.5 million air passenger arrivals for
are being directed by HKS Hill Glazier Studio and by2005, capacity constraints limited our growth in 2006
world-renown interior designer Yabu Pushelburg. Theand 2007. Both Hawaii’s hotel inventory and
planned opening of the Wailea Baccarat is 2010.airline seats reached a level near capacity. After 4
Similarly, an affiliate of Montage Hotels and Resortssolid years of robust growth in air passenger arrival
purchased 122 acres on the North Shore of the islandcounts and visitor spending, Hawaii’s hospitality
of Kauai. Overlooking picturesque Hanalei Bay,industry posted only marginal growth in the past
Montage has no immediate plans, but intends onyear.
eventually building an ultra-luxury resort.Forecast 2008
Timeshare DevelopmentInvestors continue to remain enamored with
Most hotel and resort developments are focused onHawaii’s hotels and resorts. Shortage of prime
the luxury marketplace as rising construction costsvacation resort properties worldwide attracted
and land prices dictate the need for higher hotelinstitutional investors throughout the world to
room rates. In fact, most resort developments haveHawaii’s shores. Japanese, Korean, Chinese and
had to incorporate a timeshare/fractional ownershipAustralian as well as North, Central and South
component as well as a resort residential componentAmerican firms are scouring the islands for attractive
to subsidize the development of a hotel.resort investment opportunities. The recent
Timeshare sales continue to be healthy with projectspurchases of resort land bode well for increasing
in Waikiki, Ko Olina, Wailea, Kaanapali, Kapalua,Hawaii’s hotel inventory and allow for continued
Waikoloa and Poipu on the drawing boards.growth in air passenger arrivals and visitor spending.
Developers are capitalizing on the Hawaii brand and itsDespite Hawaii’s isolated location, it is not
unique appeal. In fact, many timeshare operatorsimmune to the subprime woes and credit crunch that
realize the importance of a Hawaii location as a waystirred concerns of a possible U.S. recession. Many
to bolster their appeal to timeshare investors, manytransactions are likely to be re-traded or be faced
of whom are willing to pay a premium for a vacationwith increased scrutiny of financial statements and
resort in Hawaii.projections by lenders. Investment sales transaction
Hotel Transactions Record Volumevolume will slow through 2008 as investors reappraise
Hotel revenue and operating success bred increasedtheir asset allocations into real estate. Those
interest from institutional investors seeking prizedinstitutional investors willing to capitalize on this lull in
resort properties for investment. Sales transactionactivity by conducting thorough due diligence will find
volume for commercial real estate increased fivefoldthat Hawaii hotels and resorts remain a lucrative
from $850 million to a 2005 record of $4.3 billion. Forinvestment opportunity.
2007, hotel properties constituted the majority of