TOURISM/LEISURE TIME : Emerald, Pan Pacific Hotels Plan Joint Operating, Marketing Divisions

Two hotel chains--including the owner of the Emerald of Anaheim Hotel--plan to combine their operating and marketing divisions, company executives said this week.

Emerald Hotels and Pan Pacific Hotels, both of which are operated by subsidiaries of a Japanese firm, are joining forces to capture a bigger share of the Pacific Rim hotel business.

Hideo Matsuo, chairman of both chains, said formal agreement of the joint operation was reached at a recent meeting at the headquarters of the parent company, Tokyu Corp. of Tokyo. Tokyu Corp. executives believe that it will be more efficient to run combined operations and marketing divisions for the chains, an Emerald executive said.

There are 10 Pan Pacific and three Emerald hotels operating in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Korea, Vanuatu, Palau, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Canada, California and Hawaii.

Emerald Hotels operates three hotels on the West Coast--the Emerald of Anaheim, the Hawaiian Regent Hotel in Waikiki and the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel on the island of Hawaii. A fourth Emerald hotel is being built in San Diego.

The Emerald chain is operated by the Emerald Management Co., a Hawaii-based firm with regional offices in Anaheim.

Yo Tokuyama, executive vice president and treasurer of the Emerald Management Co., said this week that the company now is considering whether it will change the names of the Emerald or Pan Pacific hotels. “We’re evaluating that,” said Tokuyama, who added that the chains should be under common management on April 1.

The 507-room Emerald of Anaheim has had an occupancy rate of about 75% to 80% this year, or slightly better than breaking even, Tokuyama said.