Outrigger Named Best Deluxe Resort in Fiji

Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji

Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji has been acknowledged as Fiji's premier tourist resort, being named Best Deluxe Resort in the 16th Annual AON Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards. Judges also hailed the resort's cuisine, naming Outrigger on the Lagoon's signature restaurant Ivi as Best Fine Dining Restaurant.

The Best Deluxe Resort category is contested by Fiji's four and five star resorts and is awarded to that property which provides the most exceptional service and highest quality holiday experience for its  guests.

The Best Fine Dining Award is made to the restaurant that delivers the most impeccable level of service in presenting innovative cuisine underlined by a commitment to the use of local produce.

Outrigger on the Lagoon General Manager Peter Hopgood said the two awards acknowledged the hard work and dedication of the Outrigger team.

``We've got the best team and because of it, we can now rightly claim to have the best resort and the best restaurant,'' he said.

Mr Hopgood accepted the awards on behalf of the Outrigger team at a gala awards ceremony held at a Denarau Island, Fiji resort.

Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji offers 207 rooms and suites and 47 bures set among 16 hectares of gardens on the shores of a reef-fringed lagoon.

In the heart of the Coral Coast on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, 80kms along the Queen's Road from Nadi airport, it is a luxury, five star resort which embodies the Fijian traditions of friendliness and hospitality.

The award winning Ivi restaurant is located adjacent to the 100 year old 'Ivi' tree from which it gets its name and serves creative Pacific Continental cuisine featuring fresh local and international fare for dinner only, delivering a la carte dining with a menu attuned to the seasons.

Mr Hopgood said naming Ivi as Best Fine Dining Restaurant recognised the culinary standards set by the resort's Executive Chef Shailesh Naidu, one of Fiji's most acclaimed Chefs and the National President of the Fiji Chefs Association.

''Assisted by Chef Priya Darshami, Sous Chef at Ivi Restaurant and 2012 Salon Culinaire Fiji Chef of the Year, Chef  Shailesh Naidu has created an extraordinary dining experience," he said.

Ivi is an adults-only domain designed to provide an intimate setting for couples looking to enjoy fine food and wine amidst the ambience of the resort's signature restaurant.

Staff are trained not only in silver service but also in providing gueridon service for table-side preparations such as Caesar salad, crepe flambé, traditional kokoda and liqueur coffees.

The restaurant also boasts an extensive wine cellar with staff trained to complement food with matching wines.

Outrigger on the Lagoon also stands apart from other resorts with its Talai butler service provided by staff trained by the Australian Butler School and available to guests staying in traditional bure, deluxe ocean view rooms and suites.

Unique to Outrigger on the Lagoon is the Kalokalo Bar, set on Lomalagi Hill overlooking the resort with sweeping views of the Coral Coast and the sunsets for which the west coast is famed.

Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji

Sharing the hilltop with the Kalokalo Bar is Bebe (pronounced behm-beh) Spa which features eight treatment rooms with private, open-air balconies, four of which are fitted with sunken spa baths giving panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean.

For additional information visit www.outriggerfiji.com, www.bebespafiji.com