The editorial team of Hotel Business will tell me that one of the perks of being part of a media company in the hotel industry is that they get to travel more than they ever did in jobs covering other industries. Makes sense. They’ve said because of this extensive travel, they have gotten to experience firsthand the hospitality this industry offers and for which it is known. And they’re grateful—and richer for it.
In late September, Senior Editor Gregg Wallis attended the Best Western 2023 Annual Convention held at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu and stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. At the hotel, convention center and pretty much everywhere he went the level of hospitality he witnessed was, in his words, “unbelievable.” He was excited to share the experience with me. Gregg was particularly impressed by the Hawaiian culture, which is steeped in hospitality, or ho‘okipa, the native Hawaiian value of hospitality and giving.
The subject of our cover story, Outrigger Hospitality Group, written by Abby Elyssa, exemplifies the mix of Hawaiian culture and hospitality. The company had one of the first hotels in post-war Hawaii with the The Islander opening in 1947, two years before the islands achieved statehood.
The Outrigger Way, which is the company’s corporate compass, is modeled after a Hawaiian term called keano w’aa, which essentially translates to “the way of Outrigger.” It’s a tripod of caring for its hosts (its employees), guests and place.
As Jeff Wagoner, president/CEO, Outrigger, said, “We talk a lot about caring for our hosts, guests and place with our values as our guide. I found that to be a really solid backbone for the structure of this company. As much as I felt there were things we could do that might be unique, creative and different to make our company better, there was an amazing foundation to build on. Once I got here, I got to look under the covers and was very excited about the future.”
He continued, “There are a lot of elements of Hawaiian culture behind it, but the reality is, it’s hospitality. When you think about taking care of your people, guests and place, a lot of companies think like that. Yes, there’s a lot of Hawaiian culture, but it’s hospitality. When you look at the industry in general, as much as I’d love to tie the things we do in Hawaii to it, the great hotels that are hospitable that’s pure hospitality. We have a lot of that built in here.”
Outrigger demonstrated its own commitment to its hosts when the devastating wildfires hit Maui, and 105 of them were left without homes. The company not only worked to house them in its hotels but relied on its OutriggerCARES program for additional support. It’s walking the talk. Being authentic.
True to your core values. At Hotel Business, we’re so proud to be associated with an industry that gets this. That defines this. And we’re always pleased to bring you the stories of companies, such as the subject of our cover story, that exemplify the spirit of hospitality.
