Edgewater unveils new ‘island’ experience
On Friday the Edgewater Resort and Spa proudly revealed to the public its new-look signs welcoming guests to the resort, as well as on each of the accommodation blocks. The unveiling was part of the launch of an initiative to provide guests of the resort with an experience that places emphasis on authentic cultural engagement and deeper cultural understanding. The resort’s General Manager, Chris McGeown, described the different aspects of the overall plan. “What we’ve done is renamed each one of our accommodation areas after an island in the Cook Islands. So when guests come and stay at Edgewater - they’ll be holidaying in Manihiki, they’ll be holidaying in Pukapuka. We have themed the room around the specifics of that island with a photo, a small piece of history and an artefact in each of those rooms.”
In addition to the themed accommodation blocks, the Edgewater plan to integrate this concept into all aspects of the guest experience, predominantly through the guests’ engagement with staff. This will be achieved through attention to details, such as staff name tags that include the staff members’ birth island and personal hobbies. McGeown commented, “We’re creating our own ‘Te Pae Tai Nui - Village by the Sea’. We know from feedback that guests are looking for that experience that sets us apart from other South Pacific destinations, so we’ll be utilising the skills and experience of our own staff. We have 160 staff – they all have hobbies, they all have interests. We’ll be asking them to share those experiences with our guests through our own village set up.” McGeown added that they will also look to enhance the activities program to reflect the new concept.
McGeown said that the Edgewater Resort and Spa, who hosts approximately 20,000 guests per year, developed their three-year plan when he first arrived at the resort. “We looked at what it was we did well and we put a plan together in terms of building on our strengths. Staff are one of our strengths and the cultural experience differentiates the Cook Islands from anywhere else. So when you put those two together you come up with a building block. Then after two or three months of discussing with management and staff, we came up with the concept of the ‘island’. There is very strong competition out there now in terms of that cultural experience - we need something to set us apart.”
McGeown expressed the importance of staff involvement throughout the development of the idea. “As you can see, staff are right in behind it - if any idea gets the staff endorsement, it’ll work.” Clearly the entire Edgewater team are excited about the future and the direction the resort is taking, as summed up by McGeown. “We see the greater flavour of culture being an initiative that will keep us ahead of the game. But also we have aspirations to be providing the most authentic holiday experience in the South Pacific. That’s about richness, about tradition, about engagement with staff and sharing of those experiences.” -NGariki Ngatae

Headlines : Times 290 02 March 2009
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