Jeff Talks About What the Domestic Travel Boom Helped Us Learn About What Guests Value
The Hawaiian islands suffered acute tourism losses when borders shut down to international travelers, but Jeff said the lure of resort travel over the last two years has kept Hawai‘i a destination of choice. Read the full article HERE in CoStar and watch Jeff’s video interview or see below for article text:
The company has 12 resorts on the Hawaiian islands, with others in Thailand, Mauritius and Fiji.
A boom in travel from the continental U.S. to Hawai‘i picked up during March and April of 2021, Wagoner said, supported by airlines adding new routes.
The pandemic paused Outrigger Hospitality Group’s acquisition of the former Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay on the island of Hawai‘i, but the sale completed in 2021 and the property operates now as Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa. (Outrigger Hotel Group)
“You had Phoenix coming in, you had Long Beach, you had San Jose, flights from Boston, flights from Orlando, all coming into Hawai‘i,” Wagoner said, creating demand to make up for the loss of international tourism.
Domestic travel picked up even more into last summer. Hawai‘i’s 2021 hotel occupancy hit a high in July of 82.4%, according to STR data. STR is CoStar’s hotel data analytics firm.
That travel boom helped Wagoner and his company learn a lot about travel behavior.
People traveling to the Hawaiian islands in the last year “really did want the Hawaiian experience,” he said. “They wanted a resort experience.”
And the pandemic didn’t alter much about what guests wanted from the company’s resorts.
“We forecasted 70% of people wouldn’t want [daily housekeeping], and in fact, 90% to 95% of people wanted it,” he said. “They still wanted their traditional resort stay.”
In many cases, they wanted more, he said.
“The thing that surprised us the most was that people wanted to pay for services like oceanfront rooms or club-level rooms,” he said. “They had the income to be able to do it, they hadn’t traveled for a long time, and they wanted that experience to be the best.”
The hotel labor picture across Hawai‘i is not as rosy, however.
Food-and-beverage roles are tough to fill, Wagoner said, and while it’s not been difficult for Outrigger to fill traditional front-desk or housekeeping roles, “there’s going to come a time when we’re going to need more employees on the Hawaiian island, and we’re going to have to start pivoting and thinking about the future of employment in Hawai‘i,” he said.
Development and Expansion
Denver-based private equity investors KSL Capital acquired Outrigger Hotels & Resorts in 2016, and the brand has been on an accelerated growth trajectory since.
Last August, the company announced its acquisition of three beach resorts in Thailand, which were rebranded as part of the Outrigger portfolio. Two are open now, with the third projected to open this summer.
After the pandemic paused the company’s acquisition of the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay on the island of Hawai‘i, Outrigger completed the purchase last July and re-branded and reopened the resort in August as Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa.
In addition to its branded resort hotels, Outrigger includes three hotel properties the company manages outside of the Outrigger brand, as well as 16 vacation condo-resort properties.
Currently Hawai‘i requires international inbound travelers be fully vaccinated and have a negative COVID-19 test result. Domestic travelers do not need to test or quarantine any longer.
That international travel recovery will provide a big boost not just to Hawai‘i but to all of the U.S., Wagoner predicted.
“The first half of 2022 is still going to be a little soft, and there will be peaks and valleys we’re going to deal with, but I truly believe when we get into the summer of 2022 and we start to get international trips coming back to all locations, not just Hawai‘i, I think we’re going to see a more robust recovery,” he said.
Jeff on HN World Panel Live: Keeping Pace with Changing Guest Expectations
Laura Calin, VP, strategy and solutions management, Oracle Hospitality, and Jeff discuss 2022 trends and how they will affect our industry from a technology and operational perspective. The session was facilitated by Alan Young, Hospitality Net’s Chief Strategist. The HN World Panel Live event was sponsored by Oracle Hospitality.
Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort’s Taina Tauyavu Featured in Fiji Sun’s Let’s Go Local
Cuvu beach in Nadroga and Vanua Levu native, Taina Tauyavu, is the reservations manager at Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort, on the Coral Coast.
Tavoro Waterfalls, on the island garden island, Taveuni, is a recommended tourism spot, says Taina Tauyavu.
Ms. Tauyavu, 32, is the reservations manager at the Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort on the Coral Coast. Her efforts to lead her team were recognized after she worked her way up soon after completing her practical attachment, more than 15 years ago at the resort.
The mother of two children is the eldest of seven siblings, and hails from Tawake Village in Cakaudrove, Vanua Levu.
Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort is Ms. Tauyavu’s second home. “I grew up in the village and spent my secondary education years attending Labasa Sangam,” she said.
“I carried out tertiary education in Suva.”
“The Outrigger was my first employer.” “I started off as a guest service agent in 2007, and became a part time staff in 2008.” “I then moved on to be the room’s coordinator.” “In 2009, I got married and had my first child.” “The following year, I started off with my role as the duty manager.”
In December of last year I was given the opportunity to be the reservations manager and I am holding that position till now. “There is a lot to this new role from looking after the revenue of the property to working with the sales team and front office manager.”
She feels nothing but content to be working in an environment surrounded by a supportive management team and happy guests.
A part of the island of Taveuni
What Would You Take Visitors To? Taveuni. It’s famous for its waterfalls and the tagimoucia.
The Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort on Fiji’s Coral Coast
What Is Your Favorite Spot For Coffee Or Pie, And Why? Takia On The Go Café, based here at the Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort.
An aerial view of Cuvu Beach, in Nadroga
What Is Your Favorite Backyard Spot? Cuvu Beach. We go as a family.
What Is One Place In Fiji On Your Bucket List? Tawake Village. I just wish to go home again to see my family. It has been two years since I’ve seen them due to this pandemic.
Fiji Sun Features Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort’s Praveena Dewan
Ms. Dewan hails from Cuvu and has a son. She commenced work at the resort in 2005, before she was promoted to run the resort’s spa, in 2007. She describes her work as a lifetime experience.
Praveena Dewan, manager at Bebe Spa, against the backdrop of the sprawling view of the Pacific Ocean, overlooking Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort. Photo: Nicolette Chambers
On a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, sits Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort’s Bebe Spa. It is a getaway for real relaxation. Spa manager, Praveena Dewan, 45, has managed the award-winning spa for the past 15 years.
“Our spa is one of the most awarded, Fiji-wide,” Ms. Dewan said.
Main pool area during the day at the Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort on the Coral Coast
Where in Fiji would you take visitors to? Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort. This is not because I work here. It is more because the resort is welcoming. You feel right at home when you’re here.
Coffee Hub is located in the Essence Of Fiji building, next to Mobil service station, Nadi Back Road . The cafe and lounge is operated by the well known Barista “Zoro.” It has easy parking and amazing coffee.
What Is Your Favorite Spot For A Coffee Or Pie? The Coffee Hub at Nasau, along-Nadi backroad, in Nadi serves great coffee.
What Is Your Favorite Backyard Spot? Gardening. It keeps me connected to my home when I am not at work.
Source: Courtesy of Kokomo Private Island. https://www.travelandleisure.com/hotels-resorts/luxury-hotels/kokomo-private-resort-wedding-buyout-island-fiji
What Is One Place In Fiji On Your Bucket List? Kokomo Private Island Resort. When I look at pictures of the resort, I know the reality at the resort offers so much more than what the pictures tell us.
Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort GM Darren Shaw Shares Resort Renovations and Hints at Land Development Plans in Fiji Sun
The Korotogo resort on the Coral Coast will operate within 60 to 70 percent occupancy during the period of renovation. General manager, Darren Shaw, said all 254 guest rooms and bures were included in renovation plans scheduled for this year.
Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort general manager, Darren Shaw, inside the resort’s superior room. Photo: Nicolette Chambers
Major renovations and refurbishment works are expected to begin from July at one of Fiji’s coastal resorts. But more exciting plans surround the property’s 450 acres of land, Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort, management has hinted. “As soon as we get past the renovations, there will be some more exciting plans coming up because we have got about 450 acres of land around us,” general manager, Darren Shaw, said.
Guest Experience The Korotogo resort on the Coral Coast, will operate within 60 to 70 percent occupancy during the period of renovation. General manager, Darren Shaw, said all 254 guest rooms and bures were included in renovation plans scheduled for this year. He oversaw a phase of the resort’s renovation in 2008, when he was the resort manager. “It is an achievement to say that we have been able to renovate or set up hotels, as it can have an impact on the total guest experience,” he said. Management will ensure the renovation is successful, Mr. Shaw said.
The areas that would be renovated include:
the all-day dining restaurant, which is going to receive a full makeover.
the resort’s lounge bar, which will also get a full renovation, and
the lobby area including all guest rooms and bures.
Renovation will be carried out one building at a time, as a gradual process, Mr. Shaw said.
The Origins In 1989, Geoff Shaw bought what was then a small tourism property built on the site of a former dairy farm. He undertook a major refurbishment, including diverting a portion of the Queen’s Highway, to create the original 72 room The Reef Resort.
In 1999, Mr. Shaw collaborated with Outrigger Enterprises Group in a joint venture to rebuild the site to include 254 rooms. The project was US$23 million, they rebuilt the site to include 254 rooms and thatched bures based on the architectural style of a traditional Fijian waterfront village. The new property was named The Outrigger Reef Fiji and received its first guests in October 2000. In 2004, the hotel was renamed Outrigger On The Lagoon Fiji; the same year, it was rated five star by AAA Tourism, Australia.
In February 2014, Mr. Shaw sold his complete shareholding to Outrigger Enterprises Group. Early 2015, as part of a global brand repositioning by the Hawai‘i-based family company, it was renamed Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort.
Work on the new capital projects commenced in February 2016 with an upgrade to the resort’s main lagoon swimming pool.
Recognized as Fiji’s premier family resort, its unique Talai Butler Service and Meimei Nanny Service have endeared it to both the family market, and the couples and destination weddings market.
