I blame the accessibility of the Islands on the dramatic drop in airfare costs to Hawaii from CONUS. I know labor costs in Hawaii are high and the hospitality staff are heavily unionized, but it seems like the turnover in hotels as tourism increased (via REIT buy-in) has resulted in ratcheted up room prices to compensate for the debt service costs related to their property acquisitions (Like Park Hotels ownership of HHV).

When I was a kid, it was a huge deal to go to Hawaii, and often only took place via an L-1011 or a DC-10 out of SFO for my family. And actually, we stayed at the Hale Koa the majority of my childhood trips to Oahu, and I’d rate that hotel (IMHO) higher than most others in Waikiki with the exception of the Halekulani. While I can’t wait to take my son to Oahu and take him to Hanauma Bay and Fort DeRussy, my guess is that I’ll spend a little more out of pocket for a room at the Aulani or Four Seasons in Ko Olina instead, since it seems like you get a bit more for your spend there rather than just bogus resort fees, exorbitant parking costs, and minimal Globalist/Diamond guest recognition.