Sun, sand, surf… and surveillance. Airbnb eyes hotels as Hawaiʻi rolls out a friendlier marketing push.
Different Cities, Same Math: NYC vs. Hawai’i
New York City’s strict short-term rental rules remain intact, tightening visitor supply and lifting hotel rates, while recent Manhattan ground-lease land pricing offers a striking comparison to Waikīkī’s underlying land value.
The Green Fee Arrives. Accountability Pending.
Hawaiʻi’s Green Fee is now live, raising the state TAT to 11% and adding new cost and complexity to hotel stays, while questions remain about how the roughly $100M in annual revenue will actually be allocated.
Hawaiʻi Tops On-Time Flights List. In Other News: The Ocean Is Wet.
Hawaiʻi ranked best in the nation for on-time flights, with just 12.7% delayed or canceled, while Southwest adds a new Las Vegas–Hilo nonstop, Hilo’s first mainland route in over three years.
Bill 9, the Minatoya List, and Who Minatoya Was
The Minatoya List stems from a legal opinion upheld by Hawaiʻi courts that protected thousands of Maui condo vacation rentals as lawful nonconforming uses, making Bill 9’s rollback effort far more legally complex and contested.
Just when he thought he was out…
Dave Erdman, founder and longtime CEO of PacRim Marketing Group, is back from a brief retirement and will serve as interim president and CEO of the Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi starting January 7.
Paradise Cove Closes. Making Room for Dukes and Mixed Feelings.
Paradise Cove Lū‘au is closing after 40+ years in Ko Olina as the site makes way for Waianiani at the Cove, with a full auction of tiki statues, canoes, and memorabilia marking the end of an era.
Another Acronym Enters the Chat: MCP
MCP, or Model Context Protocol, is emerging as the next layer of hotel tech plumbing, connecting AI agents to live rates, availability, and rules, likely benefiting the largest platforms and OTAs first.
Pluribus Is Weird. I’m in.
Pluribus on Apple TV is a slow-burn, unsettling new series from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, eerie, addictive, and oddly reminiscent of Severance, with a tone that feels like an allegory for AI.
Hyatt, Playa, and the Asset-Light Playbook
Hyatt’s Playa deal is a fresh example of the asset-light model: sell the real estate, keep the brands and management contracts, and grow rooms and fee income while owners take the capital risk.
