WAIKIKI, Hawaii -- Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, the
family-owned, Honolulu-based lodging company, is rolling out new
ideas and implementing changes in its effort to outpace the
competition in Hawaii.
Leading the way is the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort. The
beachfront property is proceeding with interior renovations, having
finished six of the resort's 15 floors since last fall. Everything
-- including the lobby and new restaurant -- is scheduled for
completion by Christmas.
"We went all out," said Pat Moore, corporate designer for
Outrigger Hotels & Resorts. Each room costs about $25,000 in
what will be a $15 million renovation, Moore said.
Poi pounders and oil paintings featuring taro plants (once grown
on this site in Waikiki) decorate the guest rooms.
Framed in koa wood, Hawaiian quilts with designs of ulu
(breadfruit), anthurium, hibiscus, bird of paradise and pineapple
adorn the suites and corridors. Shell lei are framed to add depth
and texture to the walls.
With the exception of the bathtubs, the rooms were gutted.
Construction is ongoing, although Moore said it is limited to 9
a.m. to 4 p.m., when most guests are at the beach.
Accommodations are decorated in a rich green that dramatizes the
taro plant and pineapple theme. Although accessories like hula-girl
lamps could easily have been tacky, Outrigger's look like bronze
sculptures with handwoven shades.
"The guests are all clamoring to buy them," said Moore. So
frequent are the requests that the lamps soon will be for sale in
the hotel shop.
Moore also tried to incorporate the history of the location into
the renovations. Featured at the entrance of each room are photos
of the original grass shack that housed the first Outrigger Canoe
Club on this site from 1908 to 1964 (the hotel opened in 1967) and
gave the resort company its name.
One particularly impressive addition is the new balcony
furniture. High-quality glider chairs sit next to full-size glass
tables on every lanai, beckoning guests to gaze at the ocean, green
and glassy and peppered with colorful rafts.
In other Outrigger news, marketing experts revamped the
Outrigger Web sites at www.outrigger.com and www.ohanahotels.com in an effort to "make them more
user-friendly and drive more revenue through the Web sites," said
Bill Sthay, Outrigger's vice president for interactive
commerce.
The Web redesign, which took eight months, aims to help clients
and agents locate properties, lowest rates, room/car/air packages,
event calendars, maps and printable e-brochures and provides
real-time room availability and immediate reservations
confirmation.
In 1995, Outrigger became the first Hawaii hotel to launch a Web
site. Approximately 15% of all retail bookings are made via the
Internet, according to the company, and that figure is expected to
grow.
Some new highlights are the Specials and Offers section and a
search feature called My Vacation, which enables clients or agents
to look for the best rates, availability, desirable properties and
activities -- and store the information in a personal vacation
folder.
Destination information has been improved with landmark-dotted
macro views of properties and more specific micro views with street
names and directions.
Meetings planners also will appreciate new details about
catering menus, meetings room layouts and square footage. Sports
groups will find a complete list of sports venues, facilities,
maps, sporting goods stores and a calendar of related events.
In customer service, Find an Agent helps consumers make contact
with an Outrigger Specialist travel agent in their area.
Two- to four-minute videos of some Outrigger properties can be
viewed, downloaded and e-mailed to clients.
In addition to large-scale renovations and fresh technology,
this month the company will convert the 283-room Outrigger Islander
in Waikiki to the more budget-minded Ohana brand.
The 15-story building on the corner of Kalakaua and Lewers
streets, just off the beach, will be renamed the Ohana Islander
Waikiki. Rates will start at $189.
Since the inception of the Ohana brand, the company has tried to
differentiate between the two by applying the Outrigger brand to
upscale properties on the beach and recasting mid-priced properties
off the beach as Ohana.
Built in 1964, the property was closed in 1997 for a $7.5
million renovation to enhance and modernize all rooms, public areas
and retail outlets.
The Islander soon will serve as a gateway to Outrigger
Enterprises' $300 million Waikiki Beach Walk project, a
redevelopment of shops, restaurants and hotels over 7.9 acres in
the Lewers Street area of Waikiki, set to begin in 2004.
For information, call Outrigger at (800) 688-7444.
Big Kahuna package debuts
WAIKIKI -- In conjunction with United Vacations, Outrigger
Hotels & Resorts and Ohana Hotels & Resorts are offering
Big Kahuna Vacation Values to clients who stay five or more nights
-- and the first night is free.
The package includes a beach bag with a CD of Hawaiian music,
two T-shirts, a map and a value card plus Big Kahuna Bucks ($25 to
$50 value), redeemable at participating tours and activities,
restaurants and shops.
In addition to the Big Kahuna goodies, vacations typically
include roundtrip air fare via United Airlines, five nights'
accommodations, airport transfers and a welcome breakfast.
Prices at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort in a partial
oceanview room start at $844 per person, double, from Los Angeles
or San Francisco; $1,009 from Denver; and $1,169 from
Washington.
Departures are Wednesdays and Thursdays through May 22. Check
the fine print regarding airport fees.
For information, call (800) 328-6877 or visit www.vaxvacationaccess.com.