�The initial response to our new OHANA Hotels brand has been phenomenal, even better than we expected,� said Perry Sorenson, chief operating officer for Outrigger Hotels & Resorts. �Since we introduced the new brand late last year, we�ve heard from countless travel agents and consumers from the U.S. and abroad applauding the change. There�s a real sense that this is a type of product and an approach to pricing that people really like. And that has provoked a lot of interest in expanding the brand.�

According to Sorenson, Outrigger is actively looking at expansion opportunities for OHANA on the Neighbor Islands. �There are several properties on the Neighbor Islands that we think would fit extremely well into our OHANA inventory,� Sorenson said. �We�ve even received inquiries from hotel owners in the Pacific since launching the brand. But at this time, we haven�t yet decided whether to take the OHANA brand in that direction.�

To increase awareness of the new brand name and to lay the foundation for future expansion, all OHANA properties will now incorporate the word �OHANA� in their names. �Adding the word �OHANA� to the hotel names is essential to any expansion efforts and will make it easier for customers to distinguish between the moderately-priced OHANA Hotels and the more deluxe Outrigger Hotels & Resorts,� Sorenson said.
 

OHANA Hotels of Hawaii is Waikiki�s largest hotel operator with nearly 5,000 guest room. Dedicated to providing quality accommodations at moderate prices, OHANA Hotels is a division of Outrigger Enterprises, Inc., the largest lodging company in Hawaii and one of the fastest growing lodging companies in the Pacific. Under its two brands�Outrigger Hotels & Resorts and OHANA Hotels of Hawaii�Outrigger currently operates or has under development 41 hotels and resort condominiums throughout the Pacific region, representing more than 12,000 hotel rooms and condominium units in Hawaii, Micronesia, Australia and the South Pacific. Outrigger�s affiliate, Outrigger Lodging Services, manages hotels and resorts throughout the U.S. mainland.