Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa, Denarau Island

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money
Quality of Rooms	Average
Standard of Service	Good
Quality of Facilities	Excellent

Advantages:	Great location, wonderful facilities, very friendly staff, the swimming pool is bliss
Disadvantages:	smallish room, slow service

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

When traveling to Fiji a couple of years ago, I spent 5 days at the Sofitel there; a wonderful experience!

Transportation

The hotel arranged a shuttle from the airport, where I was greeted by musicians. This welcome with relaxing music ertainly set the tone for the rest of the stay. The trip from Nadi airport to the hotel took nearly 30 minutes, giving me the opportunity to enjoy the view. The traffic at Fuji is a breath of fresh air after the chaos that is Dutch rush hour: there was room to spare on the excellent roads!

On a side note, the shuttle can be used to make a tour; It comes across a number of 5-star hotels and gives you a quick impression of what the island has to offer.

Design of the hotel

The hotel has been designed in French style, but with a typically Fiji touch to it. As at the airport, I was greeted by a group of musicians in the lobby, playing a number oflocal instruments. This made the walk from the entrance to the reception (not to be underestimated, as this hotel has one seriously large lobby) that much more enjoyable. In the lobby, there are a number of brand stores and, interestingly enough, a hamburger restaurant.

Service

The hospitality of Fiji is well-known, and for good reason! The warm welcome at the airport already was a good example of this, and this level of service was met, if not improved upon at the hotel itself. The atmosphere was very laid-back. Sadly, this also meant that the staff sometimes seemed to have all the time in the world, testing my patience on some occasions.

Rooms

The rooms were big enough, with mine offering a view of the resort. Other rooms had a view of the ocean, located some 50 meters from the hotel. In the room, bamboo and wood dominated, meaning that brown was the colour of choice. Compared to some other hotels, the rooms were on the small side, but very cosy. In addition, the room had all the other amenities, such as airconditioning, tv, a workdesk and an internetconnection. The bathroom was clean, with shower and bathtub. Nothing special, to be honest.

The main selling point of the hotel isn't the room, but rather the location, the hospitality and the other facilities. The balcony of the room, which was of quite decent size, offered a wonderful view of these.

Facilities

The hotel has an enormous swimming pool with palm trees, relaxing chairs and a juice bar. Very tempting for a dive or a drink, which is why I spent very little time at the actual beach. During sunset, there is a breathtaking ritual at the pool: staff, clad in traditional clothing, dance and light the torches surrounding the pool and terrace.

The hotel has 3 restaurants, but myself,I only ate at the Lagoon restaurant. Certainly set in a wonderful ambiance, with a waterfall right next to the table. Sadly, I didn'ttry many of the local specialties, but the steak I ordered was done to perfection. In the nearby town there were a number of places to eat, including allmajor fastfood branches. Nando's deserves a special recommendation for a quick bite, as the chicken here is delicious!

In the spa of the hotel (the mandara spa) I had an aromatherapy in Swedish style. The massage itself was excellent, although the music was slightly too upbeat to be truly relaxing.

For the golfers among you, the hotel is adjacent to a highly regarded golf course. Sadly,I was not able to use it back then.

Surroundings

I can recommend everyone to hire a car to see more of the island and the inhabitants. Driving is, as mentioned earlier, very easy and well worth it. Everyday life is very colorful and wonderfully laid-back. It was a refreshing experience to get out of the resort and see how people go about their business here.

Price

The prices are what you would expect from a 5-star hotel, but so is the offered service. The rooms may be slightly small, but the spectaculair location and swimming pool more than make up for this.

Conclusion

The Sofitel offers reasonable rooms and boosts excellent facilities. The swimming pool and juice bar are so tempting, that you might never leave the hotel premises! However, should you choose to stay here, I would strongly urge you toexplore the surroundings, as Fiji has a lot more to offer than this excellent hotel alone!