Outrigger Named Hawaii’s Best Hotel Chain & Best Family Brand
RELEASE NUMBER 48/18
WAVE Awards also deemed Hawaii as the U.S. destination with highest vacationer satisfaction
Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort’s pool overlooking Hawaii’s iconic Diamond Head
HONOLULU – For the second year in a row, Outrigger Hotels and Resorts took home the award for “Best Hotel Chain in Hawaii” at the 2018 TravelAge West WAVE Awards, held at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Ray on June 14. Outrigger also picked up the accolade of “Best Hotel Brand for Families in Hawaii.”
“Now celebrating 70 years as a Hawaii-born hospitality company – this recognition as Hawaii’s best hotel chain and best family brand is icing on our anniversary cake,” said Sean Dee, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Outrigger Enterprises Group. “We feel incredibly humbled by and grateful to our travel agent partners for their vote of confidence and inspired to work even harder to ensure that each link of our iconic Outrigger brand is stronger than ever before.”
The State of Hawaii was also a winner – garnering the top spot for “Destination with the Highest Client Satisfaction, USA” against New Orleans, Alaska, Las Vegas and New York City. Plus, Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) was honored as the “U.S. Tourism Board Providing the Best Travel Agent Support” – beating out Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, NYC & Company, Inc., and New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The Western Agents’ Vote of Excellence (WAVE) Awards gives travel agents the opportunity to recognize the outstanding qualities and services of their travel-supplier partners. This year’s highly competitive field of finalists included Hilton Worldwide, SPG Resorts Hawaii, Aqua-Aston Hospitality, Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Sheraton Hotels and Resorts.
“This award gala has come to be the event of the year in the travel industry in the West,’” said Bruce Shulman, publisher of TravelAge West. “Travel professionals and suppliers look forward to celebrating the best of the best in the West.”
Nominees experienced months of careful deliberation, including product analysis, on-site visits, a travel agent survey and online research to be considered.
More than 160 companies, individuals and destinations were celebrated by the readers of TravelAge West at the WAVE Awards ceremony. Honorees were recognized in 69 categories that spanned the cruise, tour operator, airline, rail, car rental, travel insurance, hotel and resort and destination travel fields.
“A special mahalo to Outrigger’s global account managers – including Cindy Cunningham, Bob Froio, Geri Harvey-Gundlach and Alani Liu – for their dedication and support to business to Outrigger’s global portfolio,” added Dee.
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