Update: So this post got me a call from David Wilson, head of McNeil Wilson and the top spinmeister for HVCB. Apparently, the damage to the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel was so minimal that county inspectors already passed the structure but the hotel wanted to get a second opinion. (That's the kind of information journalists love, of course -- beyond the press release, actual factual information). The Mauna Lani damage appears to be similarly superficial, as reported in releases from the resort. Have to wait for final assessments before sounding an all clear but at present not a single hotel has ceased operations on the Big Island, airport is open, electricity is (heck, was on before Oahu got juice) so don't let the pictures you see on the teevee scare you.

The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau issued a typical press-release following the quake. "HAWAII INCONVENIENCED BUT EMERGES VIRTUALLY UNSCATHED FROM OCTOBER 15 EARTHQUAKE". Hmmm. So I called Nathan Kam at McNeil Wilson, the PR agency repping the HVCB. Apparently, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel has 100 rooms out of service, 180 in service (so roughly 35% of rooms out). Hapuna Beach Hotel is OK, only broken TVs. Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows still has three top three floors evacuated. And the hotels are now assessing what has happened. Inconvenienced? Perhaps a little bit more. I understand the need to spin this and let people know that Hawaii is open for business but you will end up with a lot of angry customers if they don't get a true picture of what the property looks like or will look like (will there be construction crews? etc). Obviously, the golf courses are in fine shape. And this was not a major quake in terms of damage -- that's fairly clear. But for someone about to drop $5,000 on a Kohala Coast vacation, might be best to let them know what's really going on. I feel for the resorts, I really do. This could not have happened at a worse time. Let's hope nothing more comes to light and that those resorts forced to shutter rooms will be able to re-open them quickly. On an upside note, it does sound like, from talking to a number of PR reps from other resorts, that most damage was centered in the South Kohala area and that minimal damage will be found around Kailua-Kona itself. Outrigger's properties, Sheraton's property and the Kona Village all appear to be just fine.

—Alex, 10/16/06