Honolulu Reporter

Hawaii's hospitality industry has taken a huge hit as a result of travel restrictions and shutdowns to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Even after 10 months into the pandemic, Ambassador Hotel, one of the seven hotels operated by Highgate Hotels in Waikiki, remains closed with an anticipated opening date of April of 2021.

Kelly Sanders, Highgate Hotels senior vice president of operations, said that that specific hotel is highly dependent on international travelers, and currently the only people coming to the islands are from the United States, who are required to have a negative PCR COVID test 72 hours prior to arrival.

"Every business, I think, has been devastated by the pandemic and the shutdown," Sanders told the Honolulu Reporter, "You can't operate your hotel, and you can't bring people to work, and there's nobody coming to the islands. You know it's tough."

Sanders stated that the only hotel to remain open throughout the pandemic was Park Shore. The Alohilani Resort, Aston Waikiki, Hilton Garden Inn, Pearl Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott, and Ambassador Hotel all closed at the end of March or in early April 2020. 

The Alohilani and Aston reopened four months later. Followed by the Pearl in late September per a buyout from the City and County of Honolulu for quarantine purposes. The day overseas travel started back in October, the Courtyard by Marriott started operations again. It wasn't until early into December that Hilton Garden Inn was back in business. 

Sanders said they're doing "ok" but their recovery is moving "slow and steady."

"We were fortunate to have booked some essential business with government contractors doing a lot of work here on the government base, as well as some essential nurses and doctors that are here to assist with COVID-19," Sanders said.

Still, he estimates that 75% of their workforce is laid off. Since their reopening, they've only been able to bring about a quarter of their employees back. The hospitality market in the state relies heavily on air travel. Sanders doesn't believe they'll see the numbers they saw in 2019 until 2024.

"We think that Hawaii overall will only get to be about 50% occupancy for 2021," Sanders said. "Pre-pandemic Waikiki was running 90%."