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HANMI occupancy, room rates on 5-year growth trend
The Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands reported 83.77 percent occupancy among 11 member hotels for June 2015, a 4-percent increase compared to June 2014.
A total fo 57,597 of 68,090 available room nights sold in June 2015, compared to 54,962 of 69,090 of available room nights sold over the same period last year. Room rates were $119.19 during the month, compared to $111.13 last June.
“Since 2011, both hotel occupancy rates and room rates have been steadily rising as our hotels, the government, and the community have all worked together to revive the tourism industry,” said HANMI chairwoman Gloria Cavanagh.
“There’s an old adage, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’” added Cavanagh. “After saying in 2013 that they wanted to negotiate new public land leases with several of our hotels, now the Department of Public Lands wants to open our properties to the highest bidders without even giving us the opportunity to negotiate first. We believe fulfilling ‘fiduciary duty’ should consider concepts such as reliability, longevity, loyalty, and certainty, and we hope DPL will reconsider and renew negotiations. Why get rid of good investors who are already making money for the CNMI? The best interest for the CNMI is to have the existing HANMI hotels and new investors both operating, both paying taxes, both paying leases and both employ our local people.”
So far this calendar year, hotel occupancy is at an average 86.13 percent, 2 percent higher than last year. Additionally, average room rates have increased by 7 percent compared to the same period last fiscal year.
HANMI, celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year, was established in 1985 as a professional forum for the hospitality industry of the NMI. (HANMI)
