OUTRIGGER RESORTS WINS 'BEST HOTEL/RESORT GROUP’

Wednesday 20 July 2016 16:09
The Outrigger Resorts brand has beaten off strong challenges from some of the world's largest hotel and resort operators to win one of Australia's most prestigious travel industry awards.

Outrigger Resorts has been hailed as the "Best Hotel/Resort Group" in the Australian Federation of Travel Agents' National Tourism Industry Awards for Excellence, which took place in Sydney on July 16. Outrigger saw off competition from other finalists such as Accor Hotels, Club Med, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Leading Hotels of the World.

More than 500 travel industry representatives turned out for what is the Australian hospitality industry's night of nights at Darling Harbour in Sydney to recognise and celebrate excellence across a range of categories.

The Hawaiian-based Outrigger Enterprises Group is a privately held, leisure lodging, retail and hospitality company operating in the Asia Pacific, Oceania and Indian Ocean regions. Guided by more than 68 years of family leadership, Outrigger runs a multi-branded portfolio of hotels, beachfront resorts, condominiums and vacation resort properties located in Hawaii (Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Hawaii Island); Guam; Fiji (Coral Coast VitiLevu, Castaway Island); Thailand (Phuket, KohSamui); Mauritius; and the Maldives. The portfolio currently has 38 properties with approximately 8,000 rooms.

Representatives from Outrigger's Sydney Regional Sales Office, Andrew Gee - Regional Director of Sales & Marketing Australia & New Zealand, Maria Alaveras - Sales Manager- Retail Travel, Wholesale & Industry Partners and Juliet Hudson - Sales Manager Destination Weddings, Groups& M.I.C.E were on hand to accept the award.

"I can't begin to say how proud I am of our Australia-based team, particularly Maria Alaveras who has established an excellent relationship with the travel industry community," said Mr Gee.

"This really is an outstanding acknowledgement of our hard work and commitment in this market. We sincerely thank the industry for getting behind us to make this award possible. We are a very close team with an enormous passion for our wonderful values-led brand," he said.

Mark Simmons, Vice President Sales & Marketing Asia Pacific for Outrigger said that the award was of major importance.

"The Australian outbound market to Outrigger globally is significant and we are fortunate to have a very strong team to generate this business," he said.

Outrigger Resorts has opened five properties in the last three years: in Mauritius, Maldives, Phuket, Koh Samui, and Fiji. The company continues to carefully assess further expansion opportunities in warm water beachfront resort destinations around the world.