September 29, 2015, marks the 68th anniversary of when Outrigger Hotels and Resorts founders, Roy and Estelle Kelley, opened their first hotel in Waikiki in 1947.
At the time, the five-story, 50-room Islander Hotel on Seaside Avenue was the first new hotel to be built in Waikiki since the construction of the Royal Hawaiian hotel 20 years earlier.
From the beginning, Roy and Estelle’s vision was to “share the spirit of aloha” with every guest.
Today, that vision has blossomed into a global portfolio of 40 properties in the most iconic tropical destinations throughout Hawaii, Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean.
On September 29, Outrigger Resorts guests will be invited to raise a glass to Roy and Estelle’s legacy of Aloha at Manager’s Receptions being held at each resort, pick up a limited edition vintage T-shirt, enjoy special discounted room rates, participate in a fun social media contest, and more.
“When my grandparents founded the company back in 1947, they instilled several core values like providing guests with distinctive hospitality and value, and treating every employee like ‘ohana’, or family. I know they would be proud to know that these values are still at the heart of everything we do,” said Bitsy Kelley, vice president of corporate communications at Outrigger Enterprises Group.
“In honour of Roy and Estelle, we invite all guests of Outrigger Resorts to take part in the host of activities we have in store.”
To observe Outrigger Resorts’ Founders Day, two limited edition vintage T-shirts have been created to commemorate the company’s two iconic Waikiki beachfront properties – the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort and the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort.
As the sun crosses the six time zones where the nine Outrigger Resorts are located, each property will host a Manager’s Reception on September 29 in honour of Roy and Estelle. A celebratory cake and complimentary refreshments will be served, and guests can look forward to prize drawings and photo opportunities with cut outs of Roy and Estelle.
In the days leading up to Founders Day, each Outrigger Resorts property will share photos on their Facebook pages that capture the essence of hospitality.
Followers can also take a trip down memory lane with archival images and historic facts about Outrigger’s history that will be uploaded to Outrigger Resorts’ main social media accounts.
On Founders Day, Sept. 29, an Instagram contest will be held at each of the nine Outrigger Resorts properties. Guests will be encouraged to post photos of their stay to Instagram using the hashtag #OutriggerFoundersDay.
The guest that receives the most engagement on the submitted photo will receive a special surprise prize during their visit.