Club Fiji Resort

The open-air lobby and restaurant are the first things guests see upon arrival at Club Fiji. The traditional thatched roof and wood floors make the space a bit dark, but the open-air concept lets in lots of natural light. From the lobby guests can see much of the property, including the beach, pool, and bures. 

The atmosphere around Club Fiji is quiet and relaxed. Guests spend their days lounging on the beach or hanging out by the pool. Many take advantage of the hotel’s tour desk to book off-property excursions. Guests at Club Fiji are a mixed bag. During our visit, we encountered Australian and American families with young children, British retirees, and a few young couples from across Europe. Club Fiji’s budget-friendly accommodations appeal to all types of travelers, but most backpackers choose to stay farther down the beach, in the area’s numerous hostels. 

Club Fiji is a beachfront property located about 15 minutes from Nadi International Airport. Nadi is Fiji’s tourist hub, and many foreign travelers choose to start or end their vacations here. Nadi itself isn’t exactly the tropical paradise you might imagine Fiji to be, but it offers all kinds of accommodation options and tourist-oriented services. There’s not much to see or do in the immediate area surrounding Club Fiji, but numerous stores and restaurants are reachable by taxi. Denarau Island, a man-made resort-filled island, is about a 10-minute drive from the hotel. 

Rooms at Club Fiji are housed in authentic Fijian bures (Fijian for “houses”) that are literally steps from the sand. Each bure contains two guest rooms, some of which have interconnecting doors. Rooms are charmingly decorated with simple wood furniture, mosquito nets, and colorful bedding. The sunny yellow walls bring a touch of brightness to the otherwise dark spaces, and the louvered shutters can be opened to allow lots of natural light into the rooms. Each room is equipped with one queen-size bed and one single bed, which can accommodate two adults and one or two small children. Families with two or more children can request a bure with interconnecting rooms. 

In-room amenities include mini-fridges, air-conditioning, and electric kettles, but rooms do not have TVs or Wi-Fi connection. Bathrooms are tiny, and most do not have bathtubs. One thing we noticed about the bures at Club Fiji was the thinness of their walls. Remember, two guest rooms are housed in each bure, so thin walls mean it’s easy to hear what your neighbors are up to — like trying to quiet their inconsolable infant during the wee hours. 

For a mid-range hotel, Club Fiji has a handful of nice amenities. The bar and restaurant are the hub of the property, and serve as a communal gathering place for guests throughout the day. Adjacent to the lobby, the restaurant serves breakfast and dinner in a relaxed, open-air setting. Breakfast is free for all guests, and is served buffet style each morning. Guests can help themselves to continental selections of fruit, toast, and pastries, and can order cooked items like eggs and pancakes. Dinner is either served a la carte, or buffet style on theme nights. Throughout the week, the hotel hosts various theme nights such as “Taco Tuesday” or “Barbecue Friday.” On these theme nights, the a la carte menu is not available. The bar overlooks the beach and has its own pool table, which is often in high demand in the evenings. The restaurant has live music nearly every night of the week, and is only place on the property where guests have access to television and Wi-Fi. Internet services are not free, but they’re fairly inexpensive to purchase and the Wi-Fi works well once connected. 

Club Fiji has a small pool with a few surrounding lounge chains and picnic tables. The pool isn’t huge, but it gets a fair amount of use, especially from families traveling with children. Behind the pool is a tiny gift shop that sells Fijian souvenirs and oft-forgotten travel essentials like toothbrushes and deodorant. 

The hotel is situated on a massive beach, but the shoreline is drastically altered by high and low tides. This is fairly common is Fiji, but the change is especially noticeable at Club Fiji. During high tide, the water comes within a few yards of the bures, but during low tide, it can take several minutes to walk down to the shoreline. While quite large, the beach in front of Club Fiji isn’t the most picturesque we’ve ever seen, so don’t expect turquoise waters or sugar white sand. The hotel has a few lounge chairs set up along the beach, beneath palapa-style umbrellas. Guests can also book beachfront massages, though the small hut where massages are conducted doesn’t seem very private or quiet.