Grand Pacific Hotel Fiji 

I highly recommend this hotel and my Suva itinerary if you were to fly into Nadi in the wee hours of the morning. Reservation: As a loyal IHG member with their Mastercard, I was able to utilize a free annual anniversary night by reserving in advance at the Hotel Grand Pacific. I chose this over the Holiday Inn next doors (even though the Holiday Inn was a higher value for redemption) because of how iconic this property is known to be. The reservation through the IHG app with my Chase anniversary free night award was flawless. Transportation: I’m emailed the hotel in advance to reserve a private driver. I chose this because I knew the hotel would be responsible for my arrival to their hotel over a 3 hour journey. Our driver was very informative, told us so much about Fiji and the local villages that we saw as we drove by. We did stop at a souvenir shop to use the restrooms and get coffee. Our driver was very honest after we left that he’d get commission if we bought souvenirs and a free coffee if we stopped there. I didn’t mind the stop as we saw a Fijian village on one side of the road and an Indian village on the other side and all the revenue of the souvenirs go towards schools in that area. We arrived at 11am and were pleased our room was ready in 15min. Our same driver picked us up the next day to take us back to Nadi area. No hassle, round trip for 2 adults in a clean private car was $408 FJD total. Check in: Very smooth, no surprises, no hidden fees. Even if you weren’t using a free night, your reservation details would let you know in advance the credit card surcharge, which is common for hotels in Fiji. There is a credit card hold when you check in but it gets returned to you upon checkout. Room: We got upgraded to the wing with names for each suite. Our room was at the corner and ocean front. Huge room and bathroom, though layout was not 100% maximized. French press coffee with coffee grinds and even milk in the fridge. Electric kettle if you prefer to make your own tea. Fast internet and convenient charge ports all over the room. Seating on the balcony with a pathway to walk straight to the pool. Robes, slippers, clean towel’s with it any complaints. Great lighting and recently renovated. Property: As a historic hotel, there are photos of famous people that have stayed there. Highly recommend checking out their hall of fame. When we arrived, they were just setting up the Christmas tree, and were finished by the evening and we snatched early holiday photos there. Gym: Awfully small, but does the trick. Lighting is a bit dark, but be reminded this is an old historic hotel. Great place to go fill up on water even if you are not a work out junkie. Spa: We booked only 45min in advance for a couples massage at $195 FJD total before discretionary tip. Though the lighting wasn’t great, the welcome water was overly sweet and they didn’t have a hot tub or steam room (I can’t remember if f they have a sauna), the massage itself was AMAZING!!! Our masseuses pivot r and catered to every need. I had Prithi and my husband had (for other name!) No small talk all business in getting your knots fixed and your mind relaxed. Had we stayed longer we definitely would’ve gone back! Restaurant: We had dinner at Prince Albert Restaurant. Prior to my arrival, I read mixed reviews, though mostly positive. Given it was pouring and we could make a reservation through OpenTable and collect points, we decided to dine there. Surprisingly, dinner was not too expensive (or perhaps it was relative to a night out where we live, in San Diego California). Very attentive staff, though not 100% coordinated (we are on an island after all). Food was fantastic, it was modern Fijian fusion. We had beer and wine and though more expensive than restaurants in town, it was not outrageous. Location: We spent our time beating jet lag by checking out everything within walking distance you can find on TripAdvisor: - MHCC Mall (only mall open on Sundays with a cheap supermarket to stock up - Fiji Museum (8:30am- 4:30pm), 6min walk from hotel - Right by hotel: Albert Park, Thurston Gardens, Suva Bowling Club Children’s Park (great bar watching spots!) - Presidential Palace - Suva Municipal Market (6am-6pm), 17min walk from hotel <- closed Sunday - Cummins street - Coffee Hub opens at 8am, great for breakfast - Cafe Moments is great for lunch Summary: Highly recommend this place for a traveler that likes a higher end place to sleep/unwind and more adventurous, potentially outside comfort zone when awake to explore and build new memories. Please consider staying here! Staff is amazing and I heard it will soon become an Intercontinental property (one of my favorite chains) and could soon go up in pricing.