Where To Stay in Nadi, Fiji, for One Night

If you are travelling to Fiji you may need to stay at least one night in Nadi, where the main international airport is located, upon your arrival and/or on the night before your departure. This is because of the flight times and so as to connect with the Yasawa and Mamanuca Islands ferry service which departs and arrives at Port Denarau Marina.

Many travellers will decide to book a convenient Awesome Adventures Fiji Welcome Pack which includes a ‘meet and greet’ service at the airport, an airport transfer, choice of accommodation (dorm, twin/double, single), and breakfast.  What I found when I travelled there is that there are some important differences between the accommodation rooms, location, facilities and service standards that I wish I had been more aware of. Especially since all Welcome Packs are the same price.

In all I had to stay in Nadi on three separate nights.  This allowed me to stay one night each at the Nadi Bay Hotel, Smugglers Cove and Aquarius Pacific properties. I didn’t stay at the Nomads Skylodge property, which is also an option as part of the Welcome Pack.

Some factors to consider when making your choice:

Location
Smugglers Cove and Aquarius Pacific face onto the ocean. Having a sea breeze and view might be attractive, however, I didn’t see one person swimming in the rather turgid sea that borders on estuarine. The Nadi Bay Hotel and Nomads Skylodge are closer to the airport with better access to shops and traveller supplies but without a view and are very inward facing.

Staff
The Nadi Bay Hotel has the friendliest staff of all the properties visited. They actually seemed interested in you having a good time and it seemed like a tight knit team. This couldn’t be said of the other properties, whose staff could barely raise a collective smile between them.

Restaurant Meals
The Nadi Bay Hotel promotes the fact that it has an excellent Chef and restaurant.  I certainly wasn’t disappointed. A case in point was the comparative ‘Kokoda’ meal (lime juice on raw fish with coconut cream) I had for dinner. At the Nadi Bay Hotel it was 10 Fijian Dollars (FJD) and full of fish and arguably the best meal I ate in Fiji. At Smugglers Cove it was FJD 16 and barely any fish. Other meals were poor. When I stayed at Aquarius Pacific the menu and kitchen looked so dodgy I walked to Smugglers. The Welcome Pack includes breakfast and the selection was much better at Nadi Bay Hotel.

Rooms
Smugglers Cove was the best (newer and clean) although don’t count on a view of the ocean – you’ll need to upgrade. Nadi Bay Hotel could do with a bit of a refurbish and our room was accessed via a communal apartment. Aquarius Pacific was the most cramped of all three. I stayed in a twin/double room.

Social Atmosphere
A wise head once advised me that the most important part of a hostel is its social spaces.  More pointedly, will travellers interact within them.  Nadi Bay Hotel wins this test because of its relatively small social areas - everyone cant help but meet at the bar or in the immediate vicinity of its tables. The night I was at Smugglers Cove everyone from the surrounding hotels congregated in its bar which made for a big party when the rugby was on, but it also made the atmosphere somewhat daunting if you weren’t very outgoing.

Swimming Pool
All the properties have swimming pools but the Smugglers Cove and Aquarius Pacific are relatively small compared to the Nadi Bay Hotel (which has two pools) and Nomads Skylodge.  The pool at Smugglers is so close to the bar and main thorough fare to the outdoor decking I’d suspect you’d be fairly self-conscious swimming there.

Conclusion:
Good staff and meals are more important than a sea view especially when you are so tired after arriving. Maybe I’ll try Nomads Skylodge next time.

Your Turn:

Have you stayed at any of these properties? What’s your opinion?

Text image courtesy of: Kryyslee’s photos on Flickr

Thumbnail image courtesy of: Michael Germain’s photos on Flickr