Honolulu Hotel Attracts More Business Travelers
Spurred by the success of downtown Honolulu's revitalization and a two-year-old extended stay program targeting business travelers, the Executive Centre Hotel has been experiencing a flurry of activity unprecedented in its five years of existence.
The 116-suite boutique hotel has doubled its revenue since 1994, reached a stable 80 percent occupancy and achieved a triple-digit average daily room rate.
"We did extensive research in 1995, and it has paid off in 1996," said corporate sales manager Kehau Amorin. While the hotel offers attractive corporate amenities such as a 24-hour business center, three in-room telephones and voicemail, its major draw has been its willingness to accommodate extended stay accounts and its flexibility in giving corporate clients added value.
The extended stay program, implemented in 1994, is geared toward long-term business travelers in Hawaii, a destination where weekly or monthly hotel rates are hard to come by and where corporate accommodations at condominiums are on the pricey side, according to Amorin.
When San Francisco-based microbrewery Gordon Biersch wanted to open its flagship restaurant at the Aloha Tower Marketplace, it booked executives into the Executive Centre for three months. Although the property's proximity to the downtown marketplace was a major reason for booking rooms there, the availability of the executive conference center, where the company could set up temporary office headquarters, was the clincher, Amorin said. Because Gordon delivered a hefty volume of market share, it was able to lease the office space at a low rate of $800 a month. In addition, the hotel ran extra fax and telephone lines into the center, and provided copiers and PCs.
"They conducted interviews and meetings there; it was very successful," Amorin said. The conference center is made up of two boardrooms that can accommodate eight to 10 delegates, two offices and secretarial staff if needed.
Other major corporations that have set up temporary shop here include Western Wireless' Voicestream, Sloppy Joe's and Northern Telecom, currently the hotel's largest corporate account with 1,600 rooms booked in 1996.
The rooms include a separate living area, stocked kitchenettes and whirlpool bathtubs. The 56 executive suites feature fully stocked kitchens, living rooms, deluxe bedrooms and washer-dryers. All guests receive daily complimentary continental breakfast, newspaper, free local telephone calls, 24-hour fitness center and sauna. Reservations are required for the hotel's Centre Court, a popular restaurant for local business executives and politicians, especially during the legislative season.
Room rates-competitive for the downtown area-range from $140 to $195. For the extended stay program, 30-day rentals are priced between $88 and $120, and apply to all rooms. Rates for 60 days are between $90 and $105, and apply to the two top room categories.