It’s about 30 degrees Celsius, but it feels like 50 and we’re dripping with sweat when we arrive at the Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa. After an early morning start and a delayed flight, we’re tired, hot and bothered but not for long. What greets us is a trio of singing staff, a porter who brings us a chilled coconut and a smiling receptionist with a “Bula!” welcome that’s even warmer than the weather.
If you’re a Fiji hotel wanting to impress guests arriving at your hotel, this is the perfect benchmark. Beyond the warm welcome at reception, there is an impressive foyer with a huge water feature that draws your eye to the hotel’s pool and the ocean beyond. We’re checked in quickly and already planning a swim as we’re shown to our spacious room. We didn’t care that it was raining, we couldn’t wait to get into that glorious water!
The Crowne Plaza Fiji is also impressive when it comes to its amenities. Consisting of 324 rooms and suites spread across four wings, there are seven pools and ten restaurant and bar options. The location of this hotel is also a big drawcard and a bonus for guests arriving in Fiji, as the airport is only a 15-minute ride to Fiji bliss. It takes less than 30 minutes from the time we leave the airport to diving into that beautiful pool. But let’s return to all the reasons you want to stay at the Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi, apart from fresh coconut welcome drink and the swimming. This hotel deserves five stars not only for its comfortable rooms and delicious restaurants, but more importantly, for its staff. After we’ve been at the hotel for a few nights, all of them feel like a family.
If you’ve got kids, they’re not going to want to leave either as it’s like a kiddie paradise here with the staff doting over children at breakfast. There’s even donuts and ice cream on the breakfast buffet (this might also have something to do with the kids not wanting to leave the hotel). Despite the hotel being great for kids, it never felt crowded and there’s also an adult’s pool if you want some quiet time during busy periods like the Australian school holidays.
Apart from a great location, pools, and pina coladas, what else does the Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi offer? Let’s go back to the rooms and suites which are spread over four wings and come in a variety of sizes and different categories like direct pool access or views. All rooms offer the standard five-star property features, such as quality bedding, mini bar fridge, TV and coffee/tea facilities and lovely bathrooms.
Our one bedroom king suite with an ocean view was huge and looked out over the beach. It was too hot to sit outside much during our February stay but we could still enjoy the view from inside. With the weather being so hot, we loved the fact the airconditioning worked well (this doesn’t always happen at some older Fiji hotels).
We ate at Harvest for breakfast and it was great with so many choices they’re arranged throughout different rooms. Unlimited barista coffee is included at the buffet which really impressed us as most other hotels charge for this. All of the food that needs to be cold like fruit is beautifully arranged in chilled cabinets (not getting warm on the buffet) and most of the food is cooked to order. For a quieter dining experience, it’s better to go either early or late morning for the best seating choice and a more peaceful atmosphere. On our first morning, we dined at peak time and it was a little crazy!
Our dinner at the signature restaurant, La Bottega, was a big surprise. This modern Italian dining option has a specialty Italian fusion menu and is much bigger than it looks from the outside. La Bottega is upmarket but comfortable, with alfresco or indoor air-conditioned seating. Our favourite dish was the linguine carbonara. Prices are similar to Australia, so it’s an affordable night out if you fancy a date night.
While La Bottega was great, our favourite dining venue was Urban Sugar Beach Club. It’s located on the beach and is hip, cool and funky. This place not only has a great vibe, there’s also a DJ with a served chilled playlist that will have you in a happy place even before the cocktails flow. I ate the best nasi goreng I’ve ever had here and went back to the restaurant the next night so I could order it again.
We didn’t eat at Azura Pool Bar & Kitchen but the menu looked good. If you’ve got kids, this is a good option as it has plenty of kid friendly meals and overlooks the pool. If you don’t want to have a full buffet breakfast, the Bean Bar Café near the front of the hotel has great pastries and good barista style coffee. Prices for food and drinks throughout the hotel are very reasonable.
There’s a new spa on the way as the current spa facilities are quite simple. However, the price point is very inexpensive, and the therapists are five-star plus. We enjoyed a sensational massage here and wished we had time for another one the next day before we left.
If you’re after a quick one or two-night before you board a ship or head to one of the outer islands, this hotel’s convenient location, friendly staff, great drinking and dining venues and fabulous pool make it a big hit. However, the Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Resort & Spa is also worthy of a longer stay. Whatever type of Fiji holiday you’re seeking, you can’t go wrong at this hotel.
Disclosure: The writer stayed as a guest of the Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Resort & Spa.
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