The Remote Resort

I would have rated this hotel 4-5 stars had they not advertised themselves as luxury. If our experiences at the hotel were not wonderful, I would have rated this hotel as a 1-2 since they advertised they are a luxury, boutique resort. Our first impression of the hotel was being picked up at the airport in a regular sedan (4 people in our party, so we were squished together) with a broken windshield. Now I realize we are on Taveuni, and replacing a windshield might take a bit of time, but I have the impression it is rather just not a concern. When we arrive at the wharf to board the boat, there is no easy way to get down to the boat. We had to precariously drop about 4 feet into a boat that happened to be secured to the dock and then transfer into our boat. This boat is a quite utilitarian boat and looks nothing like the boat on the website. On the way to the resort, the motor nearly failed multiple times due to a leaking fuel line. One of the hotel employees had to hold the line together during the trip. As we drove past the dock of the hotel, I hoped that we were passing a neighboring hotel as I looked at the pier that was in disrepair and did not look like it would last another season, but that was not to be the case. When we arrived at our villa, we noticed the decorative deck covering in front of the pool was detaching from the deck, the cables on the railing were no longer tight, there were weeds (not small, new weeds) growing in our shower area. As we left the villa for dinner, the door handle fell off. After dinner, we got to experience the lack of hot water. We had some lukewarm water which did not stay that warm long enough for 4 people to have brief showers. The wooden pathways around the resort were in need of maintenance. While we were encouraged to take the trail to the lookout, a good portion of the trail had not had the grass cut in a long time and the seating at the top was covered in algae/mildew. The second day of our stay, the pool started to look cloudy and green. The pump was not working. There were two boats used for transfers and tours. Both could use some maintenance. The one which did not pick us up the first day is going to lose its windows soon if it continues to lose nuts and bolts. The other issue with the use of boats in a luxury stay is that boats should only be used to transport guests when guests are on board. They should not also be transporting supplies for the hotel and appliances that need repairs. These are all management issues. The staff is lovely and truly wants to make your stay amazing. They are friendly and hospitable; however, many of them are from villages which do not even have electricity. They have no concept of the Western expectation of luxury. This is not their fault in any way. The manager should be setting expectations and supervising. I have no doubt this was once a beautiful luxury resort, but those days are long gone. If you are not looking for luxury and do not care to have a few d

You're wondering, can all these positive reviews be for real? My answer: YES! The villas are beautiful and comfortable, the snorkeling is out of this world, and the food is delicious. But at the end of the day it will be the little touches that we remember: The staff member who met us at the jetty bearing hot chocolate...the snorkel guide who grabbed a hunk of sea sponge to clean my mask because he noticed it was a smidgen foggy...the gentle teasing from restaurant staff as we identified our favorite dishes and fell into a comfy routine. We are so grateful to Faye, Paulo, PK, Vilisi, Ili, PK, Zoe, and Wilson for those special moments (along with ALL the staff whose names we couldn't squeeze into this brief review).

This is an awesome and tranquil resort with excellent service. Their dive shop truly deserves special recognition—professional crew, honest people, personalized attention to every diver, and flexibility with the schedule. It was one of the best vacations we’ve ever had!