MEDIA KIT Table of Contents Media Contact Information Bios o Ben Rafter, President & CEO o Elizabeth Churchill, VP Sales & Marketing o Mike Paulin, Chairman & Founder o Bill Henderson, VP Development Aqua Hotels & Resorts – Timeline 2011 Packages Newsletters New Releases Fact Sheets 1850 Ala Moana Boulevard Waikiki Beach, Hawaii 96815 ph 808.943.9291 fax 808.944-2782 www.aquaresorts.com MEDIACONTACTFORAQUAHOTELS&RESORTS: SandiYara Em:[email protected] Ph:808-221-2759(Hawai‘iStandardTime) BenjaminRafter PresidentandCEO BenjaminRafterwasnamedPresidentandCEOofWaikiki-basedAquaHotels&Resortsin November2008.Thecompanycurrentlyoperates16hotelsundertheAquaBoutiqueand Litebrands.Inthisposition,Rafterischargedwithadvancingthecompany’sglobalgrowth strategy. “Benisagenuinerisingstarinthehospitalityand technologyindustries,contributingabroadrangeof leadershipexperiencetotheAquateam,”saidPaulin.“His backgroundsaysitall,ashehasco-foundedorled e-commerceandtravelcompaniesinSeattle,LasVegasand Honolulu.Heworkedinmarketinganddistributionat WestinHotels&Resortsandhisrelationshipswith CambridgeTechnologyPartnersandWasserstein&Co. haveprovidedhimabroadviewofcorporateAmerica.” “Beniswellequippedtodealwiththechallengesof Hawaii’severchangingandcompetitivemarketplace.He sharesourvisionthatAquaisonitswaytobecominganinternationalbrandrenownfor serviceandculturalauthenticity.Hisappointmentallowsmetoexpandmyroleworking withourhotelownersanddeliveringonAqua’sservicestandardsandpromisestoour customers,”addedPaulin. Rafterhasspentmorethan15yearsguidingsuccessfultechnologyandtravel companies.Hehascreatedglobalinnovationcenters,actedasaprincipalstrategistfor Fortune500andstartupcompaniesandfoundedthrivingcompaniesofhisown. Mostrecently,hewaspresidentandCEOofJetAway/Travelworm,aLasVegas-based onlinetravelretailerfocusingoncasinoandleisurevacationmarketsacrosstheUnited States.PriortoTravelworm,RafterwasCEOofGet2Hawaii,aHonolulu-baseddynamic packagingtechnologycompanyandonlineaggregatoroftravelinventory.Previously RafterdirectedCambridgeTechnologyPartners’InnovationCenterandNewCoSolutions practices.In1996,heandtwopartnersfoundedInnerlinx(renamedLiveBid)whichwas acquiredbyAmazon.com.Hebeganhiscareerinthemarketinganddistributiondepartment ofWestinHotels&Resorts. -30- William“Bill”Henderson VPofDevelopmentofAquaHotels William“Bill”HendersonjoinedAquaasVicePresidentofDevelopmentinlate2007. “ThisnewpositionwascreatedtoincreaseexpansionandgrowthoftheAquaBrand,”said MikePaulin,ownerandCEOofAquaHotelsResorts.“WeareveryfortunatetohaveBill onboard.HisoutstandinghistoryofhospitalitysuccessesinHawaii,includingalong associationwithOutriggerHotels&Resorts,isunrivaled.” HendersonfocusesonaddinghotelstoAqua’sthreebrands: Lite–representingthecompany’svalueproduct,Aqua Boutique–selectgroupofaffordableupscalepropertiesand AquaResort–resortboutiquehotels. ImmediatelypriortojoiningAquaHotels,Henderson providedconsultingservicesfortheOceanNetwork(anew "startup"televisionchannelinHawaii),particularlyfocused ondevelopingrelationshipswithvariousgroupsinvolvedin advocacyforHawaii’soceansandreefs,includingNational OceanandAtmosphericCondition(NOAA),Castle Foundation,CoconutIsland,andOfficeofHawaiianAffairs. Hendersonbringsover30yearsofmarketinganddevelopmentexpertisetoAqua.His resumeincludespositionsasimmediatepastVPBusinessDevelopmentforOutriggerHotels &Resortswhereheplannedandleddiversificationeffortthatresultedintransformationofa companythatoperated20hotels(18inWaikiki)with7,000roomsinHawaii,toaPacific- wideregionalchainwith55hotels/resortsopenorunderconstruction,withmorethan12,000 roomsthroughouttheHawaiianIslands,Australia,NewZealand,Fiji,Guam,Palau,Majuro, FrenchPolynesia,andBali. Othersenior-levelpositionswithintheindustryheldbyHendersonincludeSeniorVP MarketingandCustomerServicesforHawaiianAirlines,VPMarketingandSalesforAloha AirlinesandRegionalVPforColonyHotels. HendersonreceivedhisBAMath/EconomicsfromDukeUniversityandhisMBA Marketing/FinancefromtheUniversityofHawaii. -more- William“Bill”Henderson VPofDevelopmentofAquaHotels Page2 Hehasadistinguishedmilitaryservicerecord,havingservedintheU.S.MarineCorpsas Captain-InfantryandIntelligenceandawardedtheSilverStar,NavyCommendationMedal w/combatV,PresidentialUnitCitationandNavyUnitCitation. Throughouthiscareer,Hendersonhasbeenactiveandinvolvedinthevisitorindustryandthe community.HehasservedonboththeMarketingandResearchcommitteesfortheHawaii Visitors&ConventionBureau;MarketingAuthorityandBoardofDirectorsforPacificAsia TravelAssn(PATAinternational);BoardofDirectorsofInternationalHawaiianCanoe Assn;BoardofDirectorsoftheAustralia-HawaiiChamberofCommerce;AirlineCommittee fortheGuamVisitorsBureau;AirlineCommitteefortheTahitiTourismBureau;adjunct teacherofMarketingatHawaiiPacificUniversity;andStrategicMarketingandResearch InstructorforExecutiveDevelopmentInstituteforTourismprogramatUniversityofHawaii “TherearenumerousopportunitiesthroughoutHawaiiandBillknowsexactlywhatAquais lookingfortocomplementourportfolio,”addedPaulin.“Hisdevelopmentacumenand invaluablerelationshipsinthebusinesscommunityaresuretoadvanceAqua’sgrowth objectivesasHawaii’sonlyboutiquehotelchain.” -30- ElizabethChurchill VPSales&Marketing Elizabeth(Beth)ChurchillwasnamedtothepositionofVicePresidentSales&Marketing inMay2007. ChurchillhasbeenwithAquasince2005andwasmost recentlyVPMarketing&GuestServices,responsiblefor strategicmarketingandadvertising,eCommerceinitiatives, guestservicesaswellasdevelopmentofnewproject acquisitions.Inherexpandedrole,Churchillalsodirects theglobalsalesandrevenuemanagementinitiativesfor Aqua’s16Hawaiiproperties. PriortojoiningAqua,ChurchillwasExecutiveDirectorfor thenon-profitHawaiiStateConsortiumforIntegrative HealthcareandSeniorProjectManagerinchargeof developingHawaii’shealthandwellnesstourismforthe StateofHawaii. ChurchillalsoworkedasInternationalSalesandMarketingManagerfortheUSSMissouri MemorialAssociation,RegionalDirectorPacificforReedTravelGroup–theworld’s largesttravelpublishingcompanyandMediaSupervisoratPeckSimsMuellerAdvertising agency. ActivelyinvolvedinboththeinternationalandHawaiitravelindustry,Churchillwaspart ofthePacificAsiaTravelAssociation’s(PATA)ResponsibleandSustainableTourism Committee,pastpresidentoftheTravel&TourismResearchAssociation–Hawaii ChapterandEducationandEnvironmentalChair,PATAHawaiiChapter. ChurchillreceivedherBachelorofSciencedegreefromSyracuseUniversity,Syracuse, NewYork. -30– Michael(Mike)Paulin ChairmanandFounder MichaelPaulinistherecognizedfoundingfatherofthe“Condotel”resortconceptin Hawaii,andcurrentlythe“seniorlodgingindustryexecutive”inWaikiki,activelyinvolved inHawaii’svisitorindustryforover40years. 1964 –FollowinggraduationfromtheUniversityof SouthernCaliforniaand,togetherwithLosAngeles-based entrepreneurPeterUeberroth,Paulinpurchasesatravel agencyinLosAngelesandbeginstomerchandisevacation homesandapartmentsinHawaiiastravelpackages.This ventureeventuallyleadstotheformationofColonyHotels in1969andPaulin’srelocationtoHawaiiin1971. 1976 –Colony,specializinginresortcondominium management,expandstobecomeHawaii’sfourthlargest hotelandresortmanagementcompanyandlaterissoldto CarlsonCompanies. 1978 –PaulinjoinsforceswithlegendaryHawaiihotelierAndreS. Tatibouettohelp createAstonHotels&Resorts.ItquicklybecomesHawaii’slargesthotel/condominium managementcompanyandoneoftheworld’slargestoperatorsofaccommodations. 1987 –PaulinleavesAstontocreatehisownmanagementcompany,MarcHotels&Resorts, specializinginresortcondominiummanagementandoperatingtheburgeoningall-suitehotels includingEmbassySuitesonMauiandKauai. 1997 –Overthecourseoftenyears,PaulingrowsMarcintooneofthelargesthoteloperators inHawaii,managing22propertiesthroughouttheHawaiianIslands.In1997PaulinsellsMarc toSunterraandremaineditsCEOfor3years. 2001 –PaulinfoundsAquaHotels&Resortstomanageandoperatehotelsandanew hybridofhotel-condominiums,commonlyknownas“Condotels”,withthepurposeof creatingHawaii’sfirstchainofboutiquehotels.Overthenext8yearsAquagained prominenceasHawaii’sonlyBoutiqueHotelchainand,togetherwithitsLitebrand, operates12hotelsinWaikiki. -more- Michael(Mike)Paulin ChairmanandCo-Owner Page2 2008 –Forthesecondyear,AquaHotels&Resortsisrankedthe#8‘Fastest50’ growingHawaiiCompanybyPacificBusinessNews. Thissameyear,PaulinexecutesthefinaldetailsoftheEmployeeStockOwnershipPlan thatconvertsAquaintoHawaii’sfirst‘employee-owned’hotelcompany. Thissignificant achievementmakesitpossibleforAqua’s500employeestobecome‘co-owners’ofthe growingWaikiki-basedhotelcompany.Alsoin2008,PaulinappointsBenjaminRafteras PresidentandCEOofAquaandchargeshimwithadvancingthecompany’sglobalgrowth strategy.PaulintakesontheroleofCo-ownerandChairman. 2009 –Aquaexpandsitspresencetotheneighborislandswhereitoperatesdeluxeboutiques inWailea,Maui;Kaunakakai,MolokaiandLihue,Kauai. Forthethirdyear,AquaHotels&Resortsisrankedin‘Fastest50’growingHawaii CompanybyPacificBusinessNews. Paulinhasbeeninternationallyrecognizedforhisworkservingaschairmanoftheworld’s largestpublic-privatetourismorganization--thePacificAsia TravelAssociation(PATA) andawardedtheprestigiousPATALifeMembershiphonor.In1996,Hawaiihotel industrycolleaguesthroughoutthestatehonoredPaulinbynaminghimchairmanofthe HawaiiHotelAssociation.HeisafrequentguestlecturerattheUniversityofHawaii. -30- AQUA HOTELS & RESORTS TIMELINE 2001 Aqua Hotels & Resorts is a locally owned and operated management company and a leader in hotel-condo transient rentals and conversions. Owner and sole managing member. Michael V. Paulin is one of Hawaii's most honored hotel operators and is a recognized authority on hotel- condo conversions. In 2001,