Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa has been named number one of the Best Ten Resorts for Families 2009 in the South Pacific, through a survey carried out by Holidays with Kids magazine. The just released list was the result of a reader’s survey sent to its online database of 41,000 registered members and its magazine with a readership of around 600,000. During the survey members were asked to nominate the best family Resort based on criteria including facilities and activities for children, the quality of childcare and babysitting services, kids clubs, standard of service and staff hospitality and the standard of accommodation, location, value for money and overall experience. Holidays with Kids is the highest circulating travel publication which goes out to consumers as well as travel agents.
“This is fantastic news for us and we are extremely proud of this achievement as it follows close on the heels of our win in January this year of the Trip Advisor Award recognising us for being the best for families,” said General Manager, Daniele Vastolo. “We continuously look at new ways to enhance the guest experience at our Resort and in particular our youngest guests who visit our island home here at Yanuca. “We want them to have as much fun as possible and to feel at home the moment they step on the island so we now have a special designated area for them in the lobby where they can register for our Little Chiefs Club and also get information about the activities and facilities at our Resort while their parents check in at the reception desk.
“In our efforts to continuously enhance our services for families the Resort is installing new equipment at our award winning Little Chiefs Club playground as well as a sail shade for children at our main Lagoon pool area,” Mr Vastolo said.
Mr Vastolo also paid tribute to the staff of the Resort and said without them this award would not have been possible. “There are many “hidden heroes” at our Resort who often go the extra mile for all our guests and who welcome all the children who visit our home with open arms,” Mr Vastolo said. “I am amazed at the natural warmth and care displayed by our staff at all levels and how the children, who visit our Resort, respond to this.”
The managing editor of Holidays with Kids magazine, Cathy Wagstaff, also paid tribute to the Resort which has been named in the Top Ten annually since the inception of the awards in 2003. “The Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort and Spa has been voted into the Top Ten for the last six years and it is indeed a great achievement that they have been the number one Resort for families since 2006,” Ms Wagstaff said. “This truly is a testament to their commitment to the family holiday market.”
The Resort has previously been honoured for its services for families through major online giants such as Trip Advisor, HotelClub (Getaway and Ninemsn) and the just released Holidays with Kids. Holidays with Kids has the highest circulating travel publication in Australia with an audited circulation of 60,000. The annual competition invites readers to nominate the Resort where they have had the “best family holiday” and to reflect on all facilities.
The Resort has a complimentary Little Chiefs Club with daily programmes for all registered kids in-house and a “kids eat and stay free” programme for children under 12 and stay free programme for children up to the age of 17 years old.
