Located on a spectacular hillside setting fronting Lake Wakatipu, the resort provides luxuriously appointed condominium style apartments each boasting panoramic views of the lake and New Zealand's Southern Alps.

Thirty-seven studio, one bedroom and two bedroom suites have opened during this first stage of operation, just in time for the country's summer vacation season. The final phase, due for completion in mid-2004, will include 62 additional apartments as well as meeting and conference facilities, a gymnasium, tour desk, private courtyard and BBQ area, breakfast room and ski drying room.

The majority of suites contain kitchen and laundry facilities, along with floor-to-ceiling windows designed to capture Queenstown's spectacular panoramic views that have made it a world-class destination.

The resort is located in Queenstown, a city twice-voted the World's Friendliest Foreign City by the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler magazine. It is a picturesque alpine city best known as the birthplace of bungee jumping and home to year-round adventure sports. The town is the country's premiere resort and mecca for winter skiing and snow sports, and summer activities like kayaking, cross country biking, rock climbing, water skiing, fishing and countless other sports for adrenaline enthusiasts.

Outrigger's vice president for business development, Bill Henderson, said New Zealand had been in its sights for more than eight years, and today's announcement signified a new benchmark for the group. Outrigger's long-term strategy is to have four to six hotels and resorts operating throughout New Zealand within the next three years.

"While Outrigger Queenstown at the Beacon is our first foray into the New Zealand market, we have a solid expansion strategy in place to create further visibility for our brand in the important trans-Tasman markets," Henderson said. "Queenstown's unique geographic location as a year-round holiday destination places it alongside some of the best resort village locations in the world. 

"We have found that many of our wholesalers in Hawaii, Australia, and other Pacific destinations are also present in Queenstown, and we will be aggressively promoting travel to Queenstown to the core inbound markets in Australia, the United States, Japan and Europe." 

According to recently appointment general manager Ken Harris, the opening of the Outrigger Queenstown at the Beacon is an exciting development for New Zealand tourism and Outrigger's travel partners around the world.  "Our travel partners have been anticipating this opening since we first announced the project a year ago. This is going to be a great property, typical of what travellers would expect to see in Queenstown," said Harris . Outrigger expects its New Zealand operations to mirror the success it has experienced in Australia, given the similar appeal both markets have among domestic and inbound travel markets as safe, affordable, holiday destinations.

About Outrigger Hotels & Resorts
Outrigger Hotels & Resorts is a division of Honolulu-based Outrigger Enterprises, Inc., the largest lodging company in Hawaii and one of the fastest growing lodging companies in the Pacific. Under various management contracts and its two hotel brands - Outrigger Hotels & Resorts and OHANA Hotels & Resorts - the company currently operates or has under development 50 hotels and resorts throughout the Pacific region, representing more than 12,000 hotel rooms and condominium units in Hawaii, Australia, Micronesia, Fiji and New Zealand. Through a franchise agreement with Marriott International, Outrigger Enterprises owns and operates the Waikoloa Beach Marriott and the Wailea Marriott Resort under the Marriott brand. Through a strategic alliance with Fairfield Resorts, the world's largest time-share company, Outrigger Enterprises manages three vacation ownership properties on Hawaii's Big Island. Outrigger's affiliate, Outrigger Lodging Services, operates nearly two-dozen hotels and resorts throughout the U.S. Mainland under a variety of brands.