HafaAdai Rent A Car takes aim at local,  tourist market

From left, HafaAdai Rent A Car general manager Simon Odoca, HafaAdai Rent A Car Operations/Marketing (Pacific Region) manager Mary Grace Bautista, and rental sales agent Rochelle Juangco pose beside two 2023 Ford Mustang convertibles. (MARK RABAGO)

Not many people know that HafaAdai Rent A Car is a subsidiary of Joeten Motor Company, Inc. but general manager Simon Odoca hopes to change that with a slew of promotions aimed at the local and tourist market alike.

It started off with the rental car company’s $24.95 “Beat The Heat of Summer Promo” for their Nissan Versa compact sedan. It comes all inclusive of basic insurance and also offers 40% off on all SUV rentals.

The promotion began last April 26 and will last until Mother’s Day this Sunday, May 14, with a possible extension in the horizon. The promotion is available to Guam and CNMI residents only and includes free pick-up and drop-off.

HafaAdai Rent A Car also unveiled its Room & Car Package promotion in a tie-up with Aqua Resort Club.

Starting as low as $144.99 (tax also inclusive), it comes with a free room and a rental for a day. Like the “Beat The Heat of Summer Promo,” it includes free pick-up and drop-off and is  available only to Guam and CNMI residents.

“I think for a lot of people, HafaAdai Rent A Car sounds like it is new. But actually, from what we understand it’s been in existence for about 16 years,” said Odoca.

It primarily started as an in-service rental, handling internal customers by providing vehicle loaners for customers who brought their vehicles to Joeten Motors for service and repairs.

From left, HafaAdai Rent A Car Operations/Marketing (Pacific Region) manager Mary Grace Bautista, rental sales agent Rochelle Juangco, and general manager Simon Odoca inside the rental company’s office at Joeten Motors Company, Inc. (MARK RABAGO)

When Odoca and Operations/Marketing (Pacific Region) manager Mary Grace Bautista joined HafaAdai Rent A Car last November they began looking for external customers.

“As soon as we joined, we were able to bring the Korean market here. So now we do have a Korean rental market and that was probably our point of expansion in the tourism industry,” he said.

Asked what makes HafaAdai Rent A Car better than other car rental companies in the CNMI, Odoca said their edge is the fact that they have the support of a car dealership.

“Joeten  Motors represents Honda, Kia, Nissan and Ford. We have a more diverse fleet that we can add into our rental car fleet. For companies that are not backed up by the dealership they have more difficulty in trying to acquire more vehicles for the fleet. For us, because we are owned by the dealership, it’s not as difficult for us to bring in additional vehicles.”

Aside from low-mileage rentals and heavy window tint to protect them from Saipan’s punishing midday sun, their rental car prices are also competitive with the Nissan Versa giving the most bang for your buck when it comes to compact sedans in the market.

“All our vehicles are four doors and the Versa is the smallest but compared to our competitors it’s a bigger car. So you’re getting more for your money.”

Aside from the Nissan Versa, HafaAdai Rent A Car’s 55-vehicle fleet also includes high-end brands like the 2023 Nissan Armada, the 2023 Kia Carnival, and the latest Ford Mustang convertibles models.

As for his immediate plans, Odoca is betting on the CNMI tourism industry to rebound so that HafaAdai Rent A Car would be able to serve that emerging market.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2017, Odoca said the car rental company he used to work for saw over a 400% increase in rentals, fueled mostly by visitor arrivals from Korea.

“So the potential is really great dealing with the tourism market,” he said.

For more information on HafaAdai Rent A Car, call (670) their office inside the Joeten Motors Ford and Honda showroom at  (670) 234-5567 or at their 24-hour car rental office at the Francisco C. Ada-Saipan International Airport at (670) 288-0087.