Episode
Broker's View of Hawaii's Hotel Market With Kevin Aucello
- Podcast
- The Lights On Podcast
- Published
- Jun 18, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2796
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Summary
Kevin Aucello is the Principal at Powell & Aucello, a Honolulu-based hotel brokerage and advisory firm specializing in hotel investment, transactions, and development across Hawaii, Micronesia, and the South Pacific. With over 30 years of experience in Hawaii's hotel investment market, he has been involved in more than $1.5 billion in hotel real estate projects and is recognized for his deep market expertise and industry connections. Prior to Powell & Aucello, Kevin held senior roles with Marriott International, Outrigger Resorts, and CBRE Hotels, building a collaborative approach and deep insight into Hawaii's complex, supply-constrained hotel landscape. In this episode… What actually drives a Hawaii hotel's value? Broker Kevin Aucello points to scarcity. New hotels are nearly impossible to build, so cap rates run about 150 basis points below mainland primary markets, even after rising interest rates pushed them up. Kin Sio sits down with Kevin on The Lights On Podcast to talk through how owners should price, position, and time a sale. Kevin has spent more than 30 years in Hawaii's hotel investment market, first as a broker at CBRE, then leading development for Marriott and Outrigger, before co-founding Powell & Aucello in 2020. That dual seat, owner side and brand side, shapes how he reads a deal. Higher interest rates have pushed going-in cap rates 100 to 150 basis points above the 2019 peak, when prime Waikiki assets traded near a five cap. But because almost no new supply can come online, demand for well-priced assets stays strong, and owners who price realistically still find serious buyers. The conversation gets specific on where owners lose money. Chasing an unsolicited offer or running a quiet sale alone can stamp a property as "damaged goods" once it sits too…