Saturday BriefingPage �

December 6, 2008

Continued on page 8

OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber Sports Upgrades and New Look

By Dean Nakasone

As we all know, it can be challenging operating a hotel while it is undergoing a complete top-to-bottom redo. Throughout the process, we all have our eye set on the day when the barriers come down, and we can operate “normally” again. I am happy to report that we’re just about there with the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber. Just this past week, we announced the completion of our interior remodel, which includes our newly-upgraded guest rooms, lobby, and porte cochere—all part of the $2�million renovation of the hotel. Guest rooms at the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber now feature a rejuvenated look with a contemporary design, neutral hues, sandstone accents, as well as new carpeting and hardwood furnishings. Each guest room also boasts custom-made bedding for a fully restful sleep and 32-inch flat-

Continued on page 6

The new porte cochere at the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber has neutral hues, and sandstone accents in a contemporary design

Honolulu Marathon 36th Anniversary!

The Honolulu Marathon always amazes me, and this year is no exception. It is the third-largest marathon in the country—trailing only New York (85,000 applicants, although capacity allows only about half to be accepted) and Chicago (35,000)—and the sixth-largest in

the world. Considering Honolulu’s small population, our Marathon’s popularity is phenomenal. According to the Honolulu Advertiser, it is Hawaii’s largest sporting event.

In spite of worldwide economic problems, registrations for the 36th annual Honolulu Marathon, to be run a week from tomorrow, are excellent, and we are hoping

for 26,000 starters. There is no question this is down from the approximately 28,000 seen during the past three years. However, this is a relief, because the much steeper recent drops in the number of visitors to Hawaii and in available airline seats had many people concerned that the number of Marathon entrants this year would fall significantly. One of the biggest reasons for the year-after-year success of the Honolulu Marathon is Japan’s support of and interest in the event. Japan Airlines is the major sponsor, and other well-known Japanese sponsors, such as MUFG Card, Konami, DoCoMo, SATOHAP, Subaru, and Konica-Minolta add financial and

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Saturday Briefing is published by and for the employees of

Outrigger Enterprises Group.

Editor-In-Chief: Richard KelleySenior Editor: Marie CasciatoAssistant Editor: Lehua Kala`i

Contributing Writers: Employees of Outrigger Enterprises Group

Visit us online at: www.saturdaybriefing.outrigger.com/

Submit suggestions, comments, and news tidbits to Marie Casciato at

marie.casciato@outrigger.com or via interoffice mail toOEH/Executive Office,

or contact her at (808) 92�-660�.© 2008 Outrigger Hotels Hawaii An Equal Opportunity Employer

Happy Birthday!Dec 24: Karl D. York, Keith L. Ai, and Feng Shi Yee.

Dec 25: Jesus E. Gazmen, Christopher A. Aguilar, Lesieli Latu Oliveti, Dioni T. Velasco, Charles L. Ursua, Jr., Alan Y. Naito, Luciana C. Queja, Eugenio Ellazar, Albert Y.S. Cheung, and Kenzil M. Edwards.

Dec 26: Jensen J.A. Chang, Mimi Lau Choy, Claire T. Morikawa, Flocerfida M. Pagdilao, Zhi Jean Young, and Lili Hallett.

Dec 27: Kent K. Okano, Steven Sacay, Deanne C. Takara, Tyra K. Kamau, John Claude Bruner, Ok Ja Chong, and Keith M. Christy.

Dec 28: Bill T. Comstock, Greg Iwafuchi, Dr. Richard R. Kelley, Rechie S. Tumbagahon, and Lee Tome.

Dec 29: Revelyn D. Tugas, Makamae L. Cacho, Robert T. Berges, Daniel K. Tagawa, Brian C. Allen, Peggy Williamson, Xuecong L. He, Hui Yuan Liu, Estela Cabagbag, Litili Mafi, Miles M. Higa, and Susan T.T. Ling.

Dec 30: Imelda D. Pascual, Athena A. Cajudoy, Catherine M. Strazzeri, Rosalina C. Manzano, Mark A. Burson, Martha M. Lancaster, and Alvin Ochoco Pinoliar.

Aloha United Way Thanks You

By Char Luning

A big mahalo to all who contributed so generously to the 2008 Aloha United Way campaign! In times of economic challenge, the programs and services provided by AUW and their partner agencies are needed more than ever. And our contributions are even more

Employment Opportunities If you are interested in the positions listed below and meet the qualifications, please apply online at outrigger.com. If you have any questions, please call Eric Ishikawa at (808) 92�-6989. Application deadline for the following positions is November 28, 2008.

Guest Service Manager (Full Time)

Will be responsible for managing front desk operations. A minimum of two years front desk experience required. Must possess excellent organizational and interpersonal skills.

Kona Hawaiian Resort Guest Service Manager (Full Time)

Will be responsible for managing front desk operations. A minimum of two years front desk experience required. Must possess excellent organizational and interpersonal skills.

Kona Hawaiian ResortAssistant Executive Housekeeper (Full Time)

Assists in the administration of the Housekeeping department. A minimum of two years supervisory experience in Housekeeping preferred. Must be computer literate and have good communication skills.

vital to the cause. Our gifts, given in the spirit of aloha and ‘ohana, will be combined with the gifts of thousands of others in our community, to make a lasting impact on the lives of many. Thank you, once again, for sharing in the Outrigger Way.

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The Outrigger on the Lagoon – Fiji (FOR) held its monthly Get Together on Friday, November 28. Executives, Managers, and staff attended the celebration which honored staff members for their outstanding achievements. The monthly awards for outstanding achievement were presented to:

Ravin Chandra Back-of-the-House Employee of the Month

Vani Adiwaliwali Front-of-the-House Employee of the Month

Permal Sami Manager of the Month

This month a special award, The Community Works Award, was presented to Wame Kurimohi and the Landscaping Crew for the outstanding work they did on the landscaping project for the new Accident and Emergency Unit at Sigatoka Hospital. Staff who celebrated Birthdays in November were recognized and enjoyed a delicious and huge birthday cake. In addition, the Best Three Dux winners were announced. General Manager Darren Shaw then thanked the staff for their hard work and commitment to providing guests with the highest level of customer service. He went on to say that their commitment has led to the majority of guests saying that they would return to the FOR.

November Staff Get TogetherBy Una Murray

Manager of the Month Permal Sami is congratulated by General Manager Darren Shaw

Ravin Chandra, Back-of-the-House Employee of the Month accepts his award from General Manager Darren Shaw

General Manager Darren Shaw presents Front-of-the-House Employee of the Month Vani Adiwaliwali with her award

Joji Liwaiono, Miriama Vina, and Ecelina Delai

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Continued on page 5

OutriggerAgent.com is Outrigger’s travel agent-only online resource, which offers insider information and tips on all Outrigger-owned, managed, and affiliated hotels, resorts, and condominiums

Outrigger Launches New Travel Agent Initiatives

By Lois Shore

After months of painstaking work by a team of talented individuals from across the company, I am happy to report that on December �, Outrigger Enterprises Group successfully launched an exciting new and exclusive travel agent website—OutriggerAgent.com—and a revitalized Outrigger Hospitality Specialist Program. The new website is Outrigger’s first travel agent-only online resource, which offers exclusive insider information and tips on all Outrigger-owned, managed, and affiliated hotels, resorts and condominiums. The Outrigger Hospitality Specialist Program also has been given a complete facelift and is now one of the most competitive travel agent cash rewards programs in Hawaii. Travel agents are responsible for nearly half of all bookings at our properties—and we felt it was imperative to provide them with the tools they need to succeed. We took great care in creating a comprehensive website and re-inventing the Outrigger Hospitality Specialist Program because we understand the importance of rewarding the travel agents who support us.

Introducing OutriggerAgent.com The new website, OutriggerAgent.com, presents travel agents with several features and benefits. All site visitors will find valuable information about Outrigger Hospitality properties in Hawaii and the Asia-Pacific region, including agent alerts and property updates. Agents also will find a “Specials Compendium” showcasing the latest travel agent specials and consumer offers, and “Fast Fact Sheets,” which provide travel agents with key facts on various Outrigger Hospitality properties they can quickly access to answer a question or close a sale, such as the number of rooms at a hotel, bath configurations, distance from the beach, or restaurants on property. OutriggerAgent.com features two resource sections for travel agents—one section of the website is open to all

accredited travel agents with an active IATA/ARC number, and the other section of the website is for certified Outrigger Hospitality Specialists only.

Presenting the new Outrigger Hospitality Specialist Program The new Outrigger Hospitality Specialist Program allows certified travel agents to earn Reward Points for reporting booked client stays at Outrigger Hospitality properties. Reward Points are redeemable for cash or gift certificates on popular consumer website, www.Amazon.com. An agent can

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Outrigger Launches New Travel Agent Initiatives

Continued from page 4

The launching of OutriggerAgent.com

was a team effort

Front: Lisa Tojo and Danny Wang

Back: Michelle Gerard, Estelle LeBlanc,

John McDonald, Nancy Daniels,

and Ellie Agustin

earn $50 cash in as few as four or five reported bookings, depending on the property and clients’ length of stay. All travel agents are encouraged to become certified Outrigger Hospitality Specialists by taking an online certification course at OutriggerAgent.com or by enrolling in one of the national webinars. In addition, the mainland-based sales team will also offer an in-person version of the same certification training when calling on groups of travel agents. The program, including the learning course and the short, �0-question test, will take one hour or less and will enable agents to take advantage of the new rewards system. To give certified agents a jump-start on earning their Reward Points in the program, �00 Reward Points will be awarded for completing the course when they report their first actualized client stay of three nights or more at an Outrigger Hospitality property. The Reward Points scale provides the flexibility to easily offer Specialists extra incentives for special products or promotions. For example, to boost bookings at the newly-transformed Outrigger Reef on the Beach and the newly-remodeled OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber, we are offering Specialists additional five bonus Reward Points per night throughout 2009. Certified Outrigger Hospitality Specialists now have access to a special section on Outrigger Hospitality’s new website, OutriggerAgent.com, which allows them to access an online command center to manage their accounts – report

bookings, redeem points, and take optional educational courses. Also, Specialists receive a host of additional benefits, including personalized welcome amenities for clients delivered in the agent’s name, time-saving online forms pre-populated with the information from the agent’s online profile, and an informative monthly e-newsletter. As a privately-owned, regional hospitality company, we have the ability to freely make the decision to support the travel agency distribution system. It’s one of the key advantages that sets us apart from the national chains. With our upgraded and enhanced product line, combined with a cash rewards system, we’ve given agents what they need to book our properties with confidence. Special “Mahalos” go to Lisa Tojo, John McDonald, and especially Estelle LeBlanc, who worked tirelessly to bring the web site to life; Laurie Hirata who helped integrate Stellex functionality with a new online booking path for travel agents; Kevin Wong and Danny Wang who created logos, PDFs, maps, and other great-looking graphic materials; Ellie Agustin and Michelle Gerard, who helped source information, reviewed site pages, and worked out the intricate details of the Specialist program; Cindy Cunningham, who helped shape review the online Learning Courses; Nancy Daniels and her PR team for helping to spread the word about these new travel agent initiatives; and Rob Solomon for supporting the whole team through the day-to-day ups and downs to create and launch the program and site.

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screen televisions. Bathrooms are completely updated with granite countertops, wall-mounted mirrors, and decorative light fixtures. Upgrades to the hotel’s lobby and port cochere mirror this design aesthetic by offering a more spacious and comfortable entry and check-in process. Additional upgrades to the hotel include a new fitness room and business center. The final phase of the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber’s renovation will include completion of a new pool by year’s end that will provide guests with a tropical oasis to lounge and play. Also, the hotel is excited to welcome the highly-anticipated lifestyle restaurant and bar, Jimmy Buffett’s at the Beachcomber, slated to open

OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber Sports Upgrades and New Look

Continued from page 1

Continued on page 7 The newly-upgraded guest rooms at the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber feature a new look with a contemporary design

The OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber’s new arrival experience welcomes guests with style. As you enter from Kalakaua Avenue, escalators carry you to the airy upper lobby, where you’re warmly greeted at reception. Visit our shops or simply relax and enjoy the comfortable surroundings.

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The newly-renovated bathrooms are completely updated with granite countertops, wall-mounted mirrors

and decorative light fixtures

OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber

Continued from page 6

in early 2009. This new 22,000 square foot dining, entertainment, and retail venue will allow guests to enjoy a full menu, cocktails, and lively entertainment by a variety of well-known and up-and-coming entertainers. Part of the restaurant will be the new Honolulu Surfing Museum and Bar that will serve up cool drinks, while showcasing surfing collectibles and memorabilia. The all-new OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber is truly one of Waikiki’s best kept secrets – it is conveniently located in the center of Waikiki – just steps from the beach, directly across from Royal Hawaiian Center and Duke’s Waikiki and adjacent to the International Market Place. The hotel is also home to Waikiki’s only Macy’s, as well as the dazzling “Magic of Polynesia” show with John Hirokawa. All of us at the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber are thrilled with the exciting changes that have taken place at the hotel, and we invite everyone to stop by and see for themselves the wonderful transformation the hotel has gone through.

Aloha Never Fails!By Neil Murakami

Wyndham at Waikiki Beach Walk’s Hospitality department and Waikiki Beach Services joined together to create an extraordinary and incredible guest experience. Hospitality Manager Marsha Kapu and Guest Experience Host Kahi Kapololu, wanted to offer guests the opportunity to experience a phenomenal outrigger canoe ride and knew that only Waikiki Beach Services could ensure they delivered on that promise. Together they created “The Outrigger Canoe Experience.” Guests can take advantage of the activity fives times a week. Kahi escorts guests along the beach pointing out all places of interest on their way to the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach. Guests then have the opportunity to take a canoe ride, accompanied by Kahi, a recent participant of the Moloka`i to O`ahu Canoe Race. The guest’s experience, reaches its all-time high when they are riding on a beautiful crested wave and the feel of the ocean spray joins in on the celebration, like confetti, bringing laughter and cheers! The Beach Boys at Waikiki Beach Services add that golden touch to the experience by their exceptional expertise of skill and aloha! Wyndham guests, Brad and Trudi Luke from Dayton, Ohio, exclaimed that the canoe ride was “just great!, fantastic! We will tell others about it!” A special mahalo to Ted Bush, Russell, Mike, Alec, Uncle Billy, Kapono, Barney, Bernie, Matt, Donovan, and Derek of Waikiki Beach Services. Aloha never fails!

Guest Experience Host Kahi Kapololu and Beach Boy Russell Chang (back), with guests Brad Luke, Trudi Luke, Yvette Zedacker, Kenneth Zedacker, and Beach Boy Donovan

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promotional assistance. There will be around 20,000 entrants from Japan in the race and its accompanying, noncompetitive Race Day Walk this year, about the same as in 2007. Another factor is that the yen has strengthened substantially in the past year. It was recently pegged at 93 to the dollar, compared to ��� in 2007, making it about �6 percent cheaper for Japanese to visit Hawaii this year. The strong turnout from Japan also reflects the fact that in recent years, several Japanese women have been strong contenders, going head-to-head against elite runners from Kenya and Russia. For example, Eri Hayakawa of Tokyo took first place in the women’s division in 2003. In 2007, she was back along with several elite Japanese runners, including Kaori Yoshida and Akemi Ozemi Ishige, but unfortunately, she will not return this year. There is always a great deal of interest in the elite runners. This year, six-time winner, Kenyan Jimmy Muindi, will be wearing Bib #�, as he tries for his seventh victory. In the women’s division, Alevtina Biktimirova of Russia will also wear Bib #�, as she tries to repeat her 2007 win. Patrick Ivuti of Kenya, brother-in-law of Muindi, is also a top contender this year as well as Ethiopia’s Hailu Negussie. For the first time, we have a woman who once held the open world record in the marathon. That is Kenya’s Margaret Okayo, who ran 2 hours, 20 minutes and 43 seconds in the Boston Marathon in 2002. Here’s a more complete list of the elite runners who will undoubtedly be closely watched for record-breaking performances.

MenBib Name Country

� Jimmy Muindi Kenya2 Stephen Njoroge Kinyanjui Kenya3 Joseph Mutiso Wambua Kenya4 Pius Muasa Mutuku Kenya5 Samuel Mwangi Gichohi Kenya6 Hailu Negussie Ethiopia7 Halefom Abebe Ethiopia8 Patrick Ivuti Kenya9 Laban Moiben Kenya

WomenBib Name Country

� Alevtina Biktimirova Russia2 Kiyoko Shimahara Japan3 Lyubov Morgunova Russia4 Olesya Nurgalieva Russia5 Elena Nurgalieva Russia6 Kaori Yoshida Japan7 Olga Romanova Russia8 Alice Timbilili Kenya9 Margaret Okayo Kenya

This year’s “celebrity entrants” might well be Gladys Burrill, a 90-year-old great-great-grandmother, and 8�-year-old Betty Jean McHugh. According to Emax Health, Burrill, who has walked five marathons, is training to set a world record for the 90-94-year-old age group. To do it, she must finish in under 8 hours and 53 minutes. Burrill says, “Just forget about age and enjoy getting out there and exercising and walking or running or whatever you do.” She and young Ms. McHugh—the world record-holder for 80-84-year-olds—are inspiring. There are many other race week activities. Wednesday through Saturday, there will be an exposition at the Hawaii Convention Center. Many years ago, we hosted the expo at the Outrigger Reef, but as the Marathon grew, we ran out of space. Usually over 60,000 people attend. Saturday night, there will be a luau and concert for over 7,000 people at the Waikiki Shell. The Honolulu Marathon has a huge economic impact on the entire state and in particular, on Waikiki. Hawaii Pacific University students have studied the Honolulu Marathon for several years. They found that runners and their traveling

companions spend much of the month in Waikiki’s shops and restaurants. They estimated that in 2007, the Marathon brought a record $�09 million in visitor spending to Hawaii and generated over $3.7 million in taxes. Those numbers do not include spending by local participants. There is every reason to believe the economic impact of this year’s race will approach historic highs. Outrigger and OHANA Hotels & Resorts are the official hotels of the

Honolulu Marathon. In return, we provide complimentary and/or deeply discounted accommodations for many of the elite runners brought in by the organizers. Our Waikiki properties will run high occupancies all week, and we expect to be nearly sold out Saturday night! This is quite a contrast to the typical pre-holiday slump experienced at our neighbor island properties.

Honolulu Marathon 36th Anniversary!Continued from page 1

Jimmy Muindi

Gladys Burrill

Continued on page 9

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Honolulu Marathon 36th Anniversary!Continued from page 8

Dr. Jim Barahal

A Day to RememberBy Dr. Richard Kelley

During the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Kelley family watched the action from the top floor of their home on Kuhio Avenue

Tomorrow, December 7, is a very significant day, as it marks the 67th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. One week later, December �4, marks the 36th running of the Honolulu Marathon (see my article on page �). These two events have had a profound effect on my life and probably the lives of many members of our ‘ohana living or working in Hawaii. On December 7, �94�, my sisters, Jean and Pat, and I were just kids living with our parents Roy and Estelle Kelley in a home on Kuhio Avenue in Waikiki. We were driven to church by our father but were picked up again a few minutes later when it became clear that Pearl Harbor and, indeed, the whole island of Oahu were under attack. I have previously described our Pearl Harbor experiences for Saturday Briefing readers. A particularly complete accounting can be found in the article I wrote for the 60th anniversary of the attack in 200�. It is available at www.outrigger.com/aboutus_saturday_briefing_articles.aspx?article=684&section=�9.

We all owe a debt of gratitude to the Honolulu Marathon Association and particularly to its President, Dr. Jim Barahal. When he assumed its leadership in �987, the Marathon had only �0,4�3 entrants. With a lot of work and dedication, the Marathon has more than doubled in size, with more than 70 percent of the entrants coming from out of state. Pat Bigold, Director of Media Relations for the Honolulu Marathon, notes that Dr. Barahal is to be credited with two remarkable acts of judgment and timing recently. In 2006, he decided just weeks before the race to buy portable defibrillators, and his doctors wound up using them to save a runner’s life at the finish line that year. In 2007, he decided to reinstitute drug testing for his top finishers, and the men’s apparent winner was caught testing positive for a banned substance.

Dr. Barahal puts in countless hours to make the Honolulu Marathon a premier sporting event. He has been honored with the Neal Shaw Blaisdell Award for “exemplary efforts to bring great recognition to sports in Hawaii,” but he deserves more accolades than that for his 2� astounding years leading this world-class event. The Honolulu Marathon must not be taken for granted. Data shows there has been an irregular but definite downward trend in the number of entrants over the past decade. Even though the number of racers for the past three years has hovered around 28,000, that is still some �6 percent under the peak reached in �995. As stated earlier, this year’s numbers will be even lower. The Honolulu Marathon deserves the support of everyone who benefits from it, including hotels, shops, restaurants, transportation providers, a wide range of other businesses, many of them far from Waikiki, and directly or indirectly, all the people of Hawaii. At the finish line, only a handful of competitors are listed as winners, but in reality, everybody in Hawaii wins when the Honolulu Marathon races into town.

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Best Western The Plaza HotelCompletes Upgrades and Renovations

By Pattie Furtado

Best Western The Plaza Hotel’s newly-renovated guest rooms boast new carpeting and lighting, plush bedding, and island artwork

A special gathering for clients was held this past Tuesday to celebrate the completion of Best Western The Plaza Hotel’s multi-year $3 million comprehensive renovation. Mahalo to Mildred Courtney, who helped pull this special evening together. Everyone who attended had nothing but great things to say about the newly-upgraded guest rooms and corridors, our refreshed hotel lobby, and the transformed Plaza Café, in addition to the enhanced guest services and warm island welcome every guest and traveler receives when entering this comfortable airport hotel. If you haven’t had a chance to visit yet to see our changes, I do hope you’ll stop by soon. The hotel lobby is freshly decorated with new furnishings and a selection of island art, allowing guests to embrace the Hawaiian ambiance, culture, and traditions, as soon as they enter our doors. The renovated guest rooms boast new carpeting and lighting. Bedding is plush, allowing guests a more relaxed and comfortable stay. Island artwork, including paintings from

renowned Hawaii artist Peggy Chun, who recently passed away after a six-year battle with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), subtly embellishes the redecorated rooms, along with new drapery and shears. A new, upgraded telephone system also enhances the new guest experience. We’ve received tremendous feedback on our new guest services, like the complimentary continental breakfast buffet in the revamped Plaza Cafe, the overnight parking at only $5 per night, not to mention the free local phone calls and free hard-wired high speed Internet in every room. Our Aloha Plus promotion, with supporting advertising in the Honolulu Advertiser and neighbor island papers offers an incredible amenity program, with free parking along with the free breakfast, free airport shuttle, free�5-minute local and domestic long distance, free high-speed Internet access and more, from December 7, 2008, through January 4, 2009. With the hotel located just a half-mile from Honolulu International Airport, Best Western The Plaza Hotel is an ideal accommodation choice for travelers making a quick overnight stop for those who have business in the area. Please, the next time you’re in the airport area, be sure to stop by to say hello and check us out!

The hotel lobby is freshly-decorated, with new furnishings and a selection of island art

Guests now enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast buffet in the revamped Plaza Cafe