LOS ANGELES—Hawaii-based Outrigger Hotels and Resorts is on a mission to be the premier beach resort brand in the world, according to company President and CEO Jeff Wagoner.
In addition to growing its own brand, the company soon plans to launch a new third-party management organization—all part of Outrigger’s focused-growth strategy.
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“Today we have 37 properties across the globe. Six of those are in Asia, (we have) a property in Guam, and we’ve got 30 properties in Hawaii as well,” Wagoner said. “The third-party management is … starting to be a bigger piece of what we’re doing; we currently have nine properties under management that are (with) other brands and other owners.”
Earlier this week, Outrigger announced it would acquire the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay. The transaction is expected to close in April, and the property will rebrand as an Outrigger Resort.
The company’s outward development will focus on both branded and third-party management growth, but Wagoner said internal programs and systems development are equally important.
Technology is a big priority—the company spent $15 million dollars over the past three years on technology upgrades and compliance, Wagoner said.
Sustainability, which the company combines with guest experience elements, is another key initiative for Outrigger.
“In Fiji, we actually grow coral. Our guests can go into the water with us to grow coral and plant it, and even come back on a future visit to be able to see how their coral is growing,” he said.
The throughline for Outrigger’s properties is authentic experiences—something that goes hand in hand with its “toes-in-the-sand” culture, Wagoner said.
“We pride ourselves in being authentic,” he said. “In Hawaii, we say ‘aloha.’ In Fiji, we say ‘bula.’ We don’t try to force everybody into Hawaiian culture; we try to say what’s authentic in that particular market. … Personalization can be a buzzword, and it can be using people’s names and things like that, but it’s deeper than that—you’re really understanding the customer, what their needs are, what their travel experience desire is, and being able to execute on that.”