Outrigger Hotels & Resorts has taken a major step toward
enhancing guests’ experiences on land and on sea with two new
programs geared to ocean lovers and golfers.
Guests can dive into the wonders of the Pacific thanks to a new
Outrigger partnership with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures
Society and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation two of the
most respected organizations in the field of marine exploration,
education and preservation. The Honolulu-based hotelier has entered
the agreements to jointly pursue projects in 2004 that inform,
educate and enrich the experiences of guests staying at Outrigger
or OHANA Hotels throughout the Pacific.
“We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the leadership
of Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, and to say that we are all
committed to being partners in protection,” said Jean-Michel
Cousteau, board trustee of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
and president of Ocean Futures Society. “People protect what they
love. However, people can only love what they understand. In my
more than six decades of life, I have come to realize that most
people don’t understand the important role the ocean plays in our
daily lives. That’s why partnerships of this variety are so
critically important.”
The announcement was made during a special dedication ceremony
that included the unveiling of the Humpback Whale Information
Kiosk, a new whale-tail-shaped touch-screen computer system created
by the National Marine Sanctuary Program and installed in the lobby
at the Outrigger Reef Hotel in Waikiki. The 600-pound, one-of-kind
prototype, was designed, built and programmed at a cost of $30,000
over a two-year period through a cooperative effort between the
National Marine Sanctuary and its parent organization, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“We are extremely proud to be associated with these two fine
organizations that are truly making a difference in educating the
public and helping to preserve our precious marine life and ocean
ecosystems,” said Dr. Chuck Kelley, director of sales for special
markets at Outrigger. “We are especially excited about what these
partnerships mean for our guests. The wealth of information that
will now be available to our guests will undoubtedly enrich their
experience and appreciation of the ocean.”
The main component of this program to be introduced this summer
is the “Friends of the Reef Adventure Guide,” which will be
distributed on a request basis at the front desk and inserted into
all Island Explorer Kits given free to children ages 5-10. A series
of five-minute mini-documentaries entitled “Sea Scopes” will air
throughout the Outrigger and OHANA Hotels in Waikiki. Outrigger
will partner with both organizations to also coordinate activities
like guest lecturer series, annual whale counts, children’s arts
and crafts events and overnight reef workshops.
From Whales to Wedges
For those preferring their fun on the drier side, Outrigger has
added the Unlimited Golf Package at the Outrigger Waikiki and
Outrigger Reef hotels through Dec. 21. Starting at $210 nightly for
a single golfer ($280 for two golfers) at the 858-room Outrigger
Reef, and $215 nightly for a single golfer ($285 for two golfers)
at the 530-room Outrigger Waikiki, the package includes one
confirmed tee time daily at the Coral Creek Golf Course on Oahu’s
western shore, plus unlimited play privileges on the same day on a
space-available basis. A Dollar compact rental car can be added to
the Unlimited Golf Package for as little as $27 daily.
Oahu’s newest course, Coral Creek was recently nominated by Golf
Digest as one of the “100 Best New Courses in America.” Just 30
minutes from Waikiki, this par 72, 6,870-yard layout was designed
by Honolulu-based golf course architect Robin Nelson of Nelson and
Haworth, architect of the Mauna Lani course on Hawaii’s Big Island.
Outrigger currently operates or has under development 50 hotels and
resorts throughout the Pacific region, representing more than
12,000 hotel rooms and condominium units in Hawaii, Australia,
Micronesia, Fiji and New Zealand.
800-688-7444
www.outrigger.com
