Return to Paradise Wins Samoa’s Top Tourism Award

30th January 2019

Return to Paradise Resort & Spa has won the supreme award for Overall National Tourism Excellence at the annual Samoan Tourism Awards. The award was presented at a glittering Banquet on Friday night. The National Tourism Awards have been running for three years now and Return to Paradise has been one of three finalists for this award each year, but this is the first time they have taken out the Supreme Award.

“This is a huge honor for us as there are some amazing hotels and resorts in Samoa. For us to be recognized in this way is reinforcement that we are doing good work,” says the Resorts General Manager Assistant Melanie Toailoa.

Return to Paradise was also a finalist for three other awards this year – Best Deluxe Accommodation, Best Cultural Experience, and Best Bar & Hangout.

The resort has a range of accommodation options including luxury rooms and family villas as well as air-conditioned conference facilities, a wedding chapel and a seven-treatment room SPAradise Day Spa.

The two cultural themed nights (Fia Fia and Fire dance, Wednesday and Maeva Band Saturday) made Return to Paradise also a top three finalist for Best Cultural Entertainment. The fire knife dancers in the Fia Fia show already hold a host of awards from the National Fire knife dance championships including Best Junior Single, Best Pairs Routine and First and Third in the National Senior Singles. The Wednesday Fia Fia show ends in a spectacular fire knife dance with multiple performers, which regularly bring guests to their feet. The Saturday night Maeva Band has won the National String Band title for the last two years.

Our picturesque and ever trendy Rock Pool Bar was also a top three finalist for Best Bar & Hangout. With amazing stargazing, whale spotting, and turtles that swim right up to the bar, and an array of unique cocktails and stunning sunsets, Rock Pool Bar is gaining recognition. “A specially designed cocktail in the Rock Pool Bar facing a spectacular sunset just has to be on your bucket list,” says Melanie.

“As a unique Samoan-owned and operated family resort, we are very honored that we are being recognized as delivering consistently high standards, This has been the result of the combined efforts right across our industry, and Country” says Resort General Manager and Matriarch of the extended family of staff Ramona Su’a Pale, “We feel even more honored being the only large Resort in Samoa that is owned and operated by Samoans. All the profits from our resort stay in Samoa creating meaningful jobs and opportunities for our people. Winning the
Supreme Award shows that we can be authentic in our culture and still reach international standards”.

For more information:

• bookings at Return to Paradise contact reservations@returntoparadiseresort.com
• Meetings and Events at Return to Paradise, email events@returntoparadiseresort.com  or for weddings,
  weddings@returntoparadiseresort.com and for more information on accommodation Samoa,
  holiday packages Samoa, wedding venues Samoa and Samoa honeymoon, email info@returntoparadiseresort.com