Vacationing the Outrigger Way

Sponsored Content: Sean Dee, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Outrigger Hospitality Group, explains why Outrigger is the world’s premier beach resort brand

Q: Kenneth Shapiro, Editor-in-Chief: What has the company done to remain successful over the years?

A: Since its first property opening in Waikiki in 1947, Outrigger Hotels and Resorts has been synonymous with warm hospitality and a vacation in paradise, aiming to share the spirit of aloha with every guest. Seven decades later, Outrigger encourages travelers to “Escape Ordinary” and discover local cultures through the brand’s “Signature Experiences,” creating a deeper connection with the people and places they visit. Today, these founding values continue to guide the brand’s success, which has blossomed into a global company that thinks and acts locally, encompassing the Outrigger heritage as well as the spirit and culture ingrained at each of its 38 properties across the globe.

Q: How will Outrigger celebrate its 72nd anniversary this year?

A: Outrigger proudly celebrates Founders Day on Sept. 29 each year to honor the legacy of its founders, Roy and Estelle Kelley. September 2019 will mark 72 years since they opened the five-story, 50-room Islander Hotel on Seaside Avenue in 1947; it was the first new hotel to be built in Waikiki since the construction of the Royal Hawaiian hotel 20 years earlier.

Q: What are Outrigger’s core values?

A: “The Outrigger Way” — called Ke `Ano Wa`a in the Hawaiian language — is Outrigger’s corporate compass. For more than two decades, this values-based platform has ensured that no matter how far the brand grows, Outrigger’s global expansion enhances the company’s core values. The platform is based on the Hawaiian word ho`okipa — or hospitality — which recognizes the intimate bond between the guest, the host and the place. All Outrigger employees are “hosts” regardless of their position, because the company recognizes the value of each team member and expects them to take care of each other and the place that they work and live.

Q: Why do you continue to work with travel advisors?

A: Outrigger Hospitality Group greatly values the travel agent community, which is why a large part of its technology upgrade is with distribution and connectivity to improve travel partners’ experience and success with bookings. A variety of benefits also awaits those who become a certified Outrigger Expert Agent at www.outriggeragent.com. The newly designed website offers an engaging online educational experience to provide agents with the tools and training they need to arrange memorable vacations at Outrigger properties for their clients.

Q: What are the benefits of becoming an Outrigger Expert Agent?

A: An Outrigger Expert Agent can book through a wholesaler, GDS, phone or website; earn reward points on bookings and redeem for cash or gift certificates; receive 100 reward points immediately upon certification; and earn extra reward points for completing additional education courses. They also receive monthly promotions to help them earn reward points quicker, a monthly newsletter, exclusive cash booking bonus offers, a help desk, an exclusive rate and a complimentary client welcome amenity with qualified bookings.