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Outrigger Adds Luxury Property on Australia's Sunshine Coast - the 204-room 
Outrigger Mooloolaba International
 
HONOLULU, HAWAII USA - Outrigger Hotels & Resort will expand its presence Down Under with the addition of its seventh resort property in Australia. The Honolulu-based hotel company today announced that it will manage the 204-room Outrigger Mooloolaba International, a luxury resort under construction in Mooloolaba on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. When it is completed in April 2000, the beachfront hotel will be the area's first true 4-star resort complex.

The Outrigger Mooloolaba International will be managed and marketed by Outrigger Hotels & Resorts through its joint venture with Paradise Apartments, Pty. Ltd. Outrigger also operates four properties in Surfers Paradise, and has two properties under development in Coolangatta and Cairns, both of which are set to open in June 2000.

According to Bill Henderson, Outrigger's vice president of business development, the addition of the Outrigger Mooloolaba International serves notice that Outrigger has aggressive growth plans for the Australia market.

"With this new property, we will have a presence in three of Australia's most important resort areas - the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Northern Queensland," Henderson said. "We are very optimistic about our prospects In Australia, and we see great potential for this market - both as a base for hotel operations as well as a source of customers for our other resorts throughout the Pacific."

Henderson added that Outrigger is looking for additional management opportunities in Australia, primarily in the upscale resort sector. "Growth in Australia and New Zealand is a top priority for us as a company."

The Outrigger Mooloolaba International is an Aus$84 million project that is being built on one of the best beachfront locations along the Mooloolaba Esplanade. The all-suite property will feature luxurious one-, two- and three-bedroom units, each with a spacious balcony, kitchen, in-room spa bath and most with sweeping ocean views. The resort will offer a full range of dining and recreational amenities, including a waterfront retail complex with more than 30 shops and restaurants. The property will also feature a swimming pool, gym, over 3,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and a wealth of other amenities.

According to Dave Lawrence, Outrigger's vice president and general director for Australia, Outrigger's worldwide sales and marketing strength can help change the complexion of tourism for the area.

"Mooloolaba has long been a popular spot for domestic tourists," said Lawrence. "But we're seeing growing interest in the Sunshine Coast from international visitors. Outrigger's marketing strength in Asia and North America should help the property tap into these growing travel segments, and will benefit the overall area as well."

The Mooloolaba resort area is centrally located on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, approximately 100 km (60 miles) north of Brisbane. A popular spot for both domestic and international visitors, Mooloolaba is known for its sparkling beaches and water-oriented activities. Area attractions include a wide range of shopping and dining, as well as numerous golf courses, the Mooloolaba Yacht and Surf Club and Underwater World, one of the largest oceanariums in the world. The adjacent Blackall Range Hinterlands provide opportunities for scenic drives through lush mountain terrain and chances to explore nearby small communities known for their art and craft galleries, restaurants and quaint shops.

The Outrigger Mooloolaba International joins a prestigious list of Outrigger -managed properties in Australia. These are:
 

Peninsula
Surfers Paradise   Queensland, Australia
  • The 136-unit Peninsula, a deluxe beachfront resort condominium in Surfers Paradise.
  • The 90-unit Paradise Centre, a deluxe beachfront resort condominium in Surfers Paradise.
  • The 99-unit Cosmopolitan, a resort condominium in Surfers Paradise.
  • The 311-unit Sun City, a luxury resort condominium in Surfers Paradise, which opened in August 1998.
  • The 130-unit Calypso Towers, a luxury beachfront resort condominium under construction on Coolangatta Beach. It will be completed in June 2000.
  • The 90-unit Calypso Plaza Cairns, a luxury hotel under construction on the Esplanade in the heart of Cairns' tourism district. It will be completed in June 2000.

The Outrigger Mooloolaba International is being developed by joint venture partners Forrester Kurts Properties and Bloomberg Incorporation Limited. The publicly-listed Forrester Kurts Properties is one of Australia's most active property groups with operations in all eastern states of Australia and South Australia. It has total assets of more than Aus$270 million and annual sales of more than Aus$200 million.

The Queensland-based company was formed as the result of a merger in May 1998 between the former Kurts Properties Limited and the Sunshine Coast-based Forrester Parker Group Limited. Its property-related activities include construction, development, retail, commercial property investments, retirement villages, land subdivision, home financing and property management.

Forrester Kurts Properties has a strong commitment to the Sunshine Coast with over Aus$400 million in projects, including its flagship project the Outrigger Mooloolaba International.

Outrigger Hotels & Resorts is a division of Hawaii-based Outrigger Enterprises, Inc., the 50th largest lodging company in the world. Outrigger's recent growth in Australia is part of a larger effort by the company to expand in the South Pacific, Micronesia and Hawaii. In addition to Australia, Outrigger has properties open or under development in Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Fiji, Guam, Palau and the Marshall Islands. The company also recently announced the addition of three properties in Hawaii, increasing its number of properties to 30 in Hawaii. Once properties under construction are completed, Outrigger will operate a total of 45 hotels and resorts in the Pacific region, representing more than 12,000 hotel rooms and condominium units. Outrigger's affiliate, Outrigger Lodging Services, manages nearly two dozen hotels and resorts throughout the U.S. mainland. Internet users can access information on Outrigger via the World Wide Web at www.outrigger.com.

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Contact:
Sandi Yara 
Director of Public Relations
Phone: 808-921-6803
Nancy Daniels
Public Relations Manager
Phone: 808-921-6839
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Also See: Outrigger Hotels & Resorts to operate the former Maui Inter-Continental Wailea Resort / Nov 1998  
Outrigger Spending $23 Million to Upgrade the 545 Room Royal Waikolaon on Kona / Jan 1999 

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