Surfers Paradise has welcomed back Outrigger Hotels & Resorts after the popular international hotel group officially took over the 23-level Holiday Inn last week.

Hawaiian songs and traditional dancers filled the lobby to welcome guests as they checked in and received floral leis and Mai Tai ‘mocktails’, at the 411-room hotel that has been re-branded Outrigger Surfers Paradise.

 
Regional general manager – Australia, Grant James (left), welcomes the very first guests checking into Outrigger Surfers Paradise, David Walsh and Sandria Johnson.

“Outrigger has had a long association with the Gold Coast after selecting the destination as its base to expand the brand from its Hawaii homeland into Australia in 1998,” said regional general manager – Australia, Grant James.

The company’s decision to invest in Surfers Paradise’s tourism sector also shows the confidence it has for the Gold Coast and the company would continue to look for suitable investments in Australia’s accommodation industry.

“We’re pleased to be back in the heart of Surfers Paradise and are looking forward to working with the industry and operators and making a positive contribution to the local economy,” James added.

Outrigger’s move back into Surfers Paradise is being supported with a heavy marketing campaign targeting its traditional leisure and business markets, while also tapping into its international sales offices to target emerging global markets.

The addition of Outrigger Surfers Paradise boosts the hotelier’s portfolio to four in Australia, which numbers close to 1,000 rooms, and almost 11,200 rooms internationally.

Located on a prominent site on Surfers Paradise Boulevard and fronting View Avenue, the hotel is a one-minute walk from the beach and one block from Cavill Avenue.