KENSINGTON Hotel Saipan will temporarily close from June 9 to July 6, 2025.
“To provide a safer and more pleasant environment for our valued guests, Kensington Hotel Saipan will undergo a temporary closure for comprehensive facility inspections and environmental improvements,” according to the hotel’s website.
“Guests with existing reservations during this period are eligible for free cancelations, and separate guidance will be provided through the respective booking channels,” Kensington stated.
“We kindly ask for your understanding and look forward to welcoming you back with enhanced services,” it added.
Kensington said it will reopen on July 7, 2025.
Its temporary closure will coincide with the “temporary suspension” of the flight service provided by Jeju Air and T’way Air for the CNMI’s major tourism market, South Korea.
Earlier, the Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands said Jeju Air suspended its daily nighttime flight to Saipan on March 29, 2025. Coupled with the loss of Asiana Airlines last year, air service from South Korea has dwindled to only two daily flights this month, HANMI added.
There are only twice-weekly flights from Hong Kong, but these may stop due to the delay in the processing of EVS-TAP applications.
MVA reported that visitor arrivals to Saipan, Tinian, and Rota totaled 13,981 in March 2025, a 27% decrease compared to 19,213 visitors received in March 2024.
In March 2018, there were 53,714 arrivals in the CNMI.
HANMI said it is “actively exploring all available opportunities in the Korean market and, as an industry, strongly advocate for the restoration and expansion of flight services from Japan and China. At this stage, we are operating in survival mode and urgently need broader regional connectivity to support recovery.”
HANMI reported a 28.57% average occupancy rate among its 11 member hotels for March 2025, 18% lower than 34.98% in March 2024.
According to HANMI, hotels typically require around 70-80% hotel occupancy to stay in operation
