New GM at Outrigger, Fiji
Recently visited by The Mole, Coral Coast Fiji resort, Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji has announced the appointment of Darren Shaw as General Manager.
Darren previously held the position of Executive Assistant General Manager at the resort and prior to that, Darren held several senior executive roles in international resorts and hotels based in Australia, most recently at the Hotel Watermark on the Gold Coast.
Darren’s brings 18 years of experience to the Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji and Outrigger says that this experience will see him continue to develop the award-winning property, Fiji’s first AAA rated 5 star resort.
The previous General Manager, Mr. Paul Hughes, has been appointed the Chief Operating Officer of the resorts holding company, and he will be assisting the owner and Darren with several new development projects.
By the way, contrary to some comments made to The Mole in Fiji, Darren sharing his surname with Geoff Shaw the owner of Outrigger and sister property Castaway, is a mere conicidence and nothing more!
When The Mole met with Darren he had only been in Fiji for 4 months and had his feet firmly under the management table at Outrigger, saying that he had found working in management at a hotel in Fiji to be great, with the staff the friendliest he had ever worked with, with a natural affinity for people.
He also said that the strength of the relationship between the staff and the resort was demosntrated by the fact that so many stayed such a long time, adding, it is also important that the resort did what it could to retain them havign invested in training.
Darren commented that living and running a hotel in Fiji was no different really in many ways to when he worked at Ayers Rock, because the things they are used to were not on the doorstep and his wife once again shopped on the internet!
Darren is passionate about the recovery of Fiji and in particular from Australia and New Zealand, core markets for Outrigger and really wants to see TAG work.
He also said that the moment the advisory from NZ was downgraded the phones started ringing and the same happened with Australaia.
He said that while Outrigger was a US orientated brand, the business was not
predominantly from the US but from Australia and New Zealand and they would never find Fiji cheaper or better value than it was now.
Darren’s message was very similar to the TV campaign running in Aus at the moment, saying, there is no difference in Fiji between before the coup and now – it is the same Fiji, with the same great resorts, the same great people and offering the same great holiday – and not only that, it is totally safe!
In an interesting comparison, Darren said that the reality was that clients were getting a 5* property at Outrigger for 3* prices and that this deal would not last long!
A Special Fiji Report by The Mole
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