Kelley family and Outrigger Timeline

1947

Roy and Estelle Kelley build their first hotel: the five-story, 50-room Islander Hotel on Seaside Avenue, the first in Waikiki to cater to middle-income travelers and families. Four more hotels follow over 12 years.

The 1965 Honolulu Advertiser piece above notes, “the Outrigger is halfway toward its 16-story goal.” The Outrigger Waikiki was the first Kelley hotel to carry the Outrigger name.

1963

The Kelleys acquire the Queen Emma Estate. Four years later, The Outrigger Waikiki opens on prime Waikiki beachfront.

1970 – 1973

Five more Outrigger hotels built.

The Edgewater Apartments sat on three beach lots between the first Halekulani Hotel and a YWCA beach house next to Fort DeRussy. Today, the Outrigger Reef on the Beach occupies the land.

1971

Son Richard R. Kelley becomes president and CEO of Outrigger Enterprises after shelving his Harvard medical degree to focus on the family business.

Dr. Richard Kelley at the Outrigger Waikiki’s front desk. Note the individual registration cards for each hotel guest.

1980s

The Kelleys consolidate their three hotel chains – Outrigger, Reef and Waikiki – into Outrigger Hotels. After adding two more properties, the room count tops 7,000.

1989

Outrigger sells six of its hotels, but maintains long-term management contracts, to focus on renovations and expansion outside of Hawaii. Day-to-day decision making passes from Richard Kelley to his son-in-law, David Carey.

1989

Outrigger opens its first property outside of Waikiki, The Royal Waikoloan Hotel, on Hawaii Island.

1996

Outrigger opens its first property outside of the U.S., The Outrigger Marshall Islands Resort.

Roy and Estelle Kelley

1999

Roy Kelley passes away at the age of 91. Estelle Kelley follows a year later, also at 91.

2000

Outrigger opens its first property in Australia.

2006

Outrigger begins its expansion into Asia.

2012

Outrigger announces its first full purchase of an Asian property in Phuket, Thailand.