We've just returned from a wonderful family holiday in Fiji. We stayed at the Intercontinental for 6 nights with our 6.5yo, 3.5yo and 1.5yo. They kindly let us squeeze into one room since our youngest is in a cot (usually the maximum per room is 4). But the room, located between the pool and the lagoon, was large enough and absolutely lovey. Just like others have said it had an relaxed outdoor space with a day bed and huge bath, two queen sized beds and a nice bathroom. The room was modern and well maintained. There was enough space for our 3 kids to play happily both inside and in the outside area (however there was no barrier between the outside area and the pool so we kept an eye on our kids). Things were reasonably priced but they did all add up to a bit by the end of the week. Even so, we still felt we got value for money. The weather was beautiful - I didn't even wear a cardigan as even the wind was warm.

Everything else about the resort was terrific:
-kids club was quiet but our kids had fun on the two mornings they went (the staff took them down to the lagoon to feed the fish one time). It cost $30FJN for a 3hour session which included lunch. We then paid $15FJN per hour (minimum 3 hours) for a babysitter to look after our younger two kids in kids club (as they need to be 4yo to go on their own) We had the same babysitter both times, who was lovely and seemed to take good care of the kids.
-pools - we mostly swam in the huge family pool which was warm and perfectly suited to our family. I had one morning on my own by the adult infinity pool which was also lovely. Both had lots of loungers and love nests and a mixture of shade and sun. We had lunch by the family pool most days as they had a good kids fish and chips which came with a few sticks of carrot, cake, dried fruit and a piece of chocolate. We also went to the beach a few times. We swam at high tide (which was devine) and enjoyed the sand play and jumping waves.
-activities - we went snorkelling on a glass bottom boat which was fun. Since we were the only the ones on the tour (they seemed to go at least twice everyday) they tailored it to suit our young family (eg came in when kids were tired). It's only just off the coast and perhaps not quite as good as the great barrier reef but we saw some magic coral, nemo fish and even a turtle. The water was warm but it was a little windy. There was also hermit crab racing which was more exciting than I thought it would be :) and we went on a cave tour. The cave tour took over an hour and went almost the whole way around Navo Island. The guides helped us carry the kids some of the way which was a load off our shoulders - literally. The cave was awesome and we ran into a few people from the nearby village on the way back. We took the school tour which was brilliant. It was nice to be able to give a small gift (stamps, stickers and paper) to thank them for showing us around. The Intercontinental seems to have a terrific supportive relationship with the school. Each night there was some music and firelighting ceremony at the bar which was a relaxed way to finish the day. So even though we didn't venture out of the resort on our own I felt we had lots of chances to meet the locals.
-food - our buffet breakfast was included and was fabulous. Huge variety and we all found it delicious. We also had the buffet dinner each night which varied based on different themes (kids eat free). However, there was still a huge variety off theme which meant that we always found something to feed our fussy kids.
-staff - all brilliant. Mostly they were genuinley friendly (more than just saying Bula all the time) fun, thoughtful (a car seat was put in the minivan for our airport transfers without us asking for it) and many remembered our children's names. We had no issue of Fijian time and found everything really punctual - the staff joked with us that it was us who were running on fijian time when we were a minute late to an activity.

Finally, I thought the hotel did a really good job at meeting the needs of both families and adults. At the buffet they often put all the families together which was more relaxing for us because we then didn't have the stress of our kids interupting adults wanting some quiet (and hopfully suited the few adults who were dining at 5:30pm). I didn't see any kids in the adults only pool so this hopefully suited the many homeymooners and anniversary couples there.

I would definitely go back there - to both Fiji and the Intercontinental.

From the moment we arrived the staff showed that they weren't trained to handle their duties. From receptionists, to hotel managers, to room service, to wait staff, to pool staff, to the tour arrangers/concierge, they all separately showed how unprepared they were and unknowledgeable they were about how to do their job correctly. Had this been a cheap three star hotel, it would have been fine, but we were paying $600-700 a night for poorly trained staff and service.

The facilities are relatively new and extensive and quite nice though I didn't use the gym and spa, and I can't offer a review of them. The rooms were nicely appointed. The beach is nice, but a far cry from the beaches one can see in Fiji (Castaway Island comes to mind). The food is okay with their high end restaurant bordering on being good. Finally, the location is removed from the Nadi and the bulk of the other hotels which can be both good and bad. We tried to take a few trips, and each time, just getting to Nadi or the port Denarau took an hour or so.

For those of you that don't need examples of the shortcomings, read no further, but I wanted to substantiate my claim that service was falling short, as we all have different definitions of service. Upon check-in, I was told that my card would be charged for the room and any other room charges, but I had prepaid. The manager came over and verified this, but said she would look into it. I reviewed my Expedia itinerary, I called Amex and Visa, and verified that I had prepaid. The next day, I explained this to someone else at reception, and they said the issue had been resolved. Hmm, shouldn't they have told me that it had been resolved before I spent an hour plus calling overseas to double-check? The manager never got back to me?! The same receptionist couldn't translate Fijian dollars into US dollars - simply didn't have the math skills to do this. I was a bit surprised by this. Shouldn't the reception desk staff be able to quote Fijian dollars in other key currencies? She had the cross rate. Room service bothered me too. Every time they came, they left all of the dishes thoroughly plastic wrapped and didn't bother taking any of it off or asking if we preferred to have it taken off. Hmm? Why didn't they also try and set the table instead of simply leaving the entire tray on my table the same way they brought it in - with dishes stacked?! Regarding the wait staff, they were incredibly slow at everything. Yes, it's Fiji time, but should it take an hour to get some ceviche and pizza? They said they had an ordering issue when we asked, but shouldn't they made us aware of the issue or said, "I'm sorry"?! It was a chronic issue so I got in the habit of getting the menu myself, ordering the drinks at the bar (or picking up the drinks we ordered from the waitress as they sat on the bar), and sitting in the middle of the restaurant. We took a day trip to an island one day and borrowed 2 towels. Because we returned them the next day, they charged my room $50 each? Really?! We didn't get back until 6:45pm and they closed at 7pm. They also never offered to set up seats for you with the towels, move an umbrella, or anything. The tour arrangers made mistakes about flight times for our helicopter which meant lost sleep, and just found it difficult to do anything but pay.

The only thing the staff was told is to say "bula" (hello in Fijian) to everyone with a smile when they passed. That they did well, but beyond that, they had absolutely no training! Really a shame given the potential for this property.

My wife and I took our 2 children (6 and 8) on our 3rd visit to the Intercontinental Fiji resort. We stayed in the Club suites which provides a great way to spend time away from the main pool and enjoy fantastic breakfasts, afternoon tea and evening cocktails. The service of the staff at the Club lounge was very good. My wife has special dietary requirements and the support and care put in by Richard and Taka was exceptional and meant that we were able to have a relaxing holiday knowing that our eating requirements were taken care of. A highlight of the holiday was our chidren having such a great time in kids club which meant that my wife and I could enjoy having dinner every night at Navo, where nothing was too much trouble for Taka - even treating us to the best lobster I have had - cooked the "Taka" way.

We all had a great holiday and a special thanks to Richard and Taka for taking such good are of us!!

WOW, where do I start with this amaaaaaaazing property??!!!!! It's the 2nd time we've been here (the 1st time was simply to visit for dinner before returning to another hotel), but this time we stayed for 10 wonderful nights and really didn't want to leave!

I travelled in October with my husband and 2 children (aged 5 and 4), as well as my husband's whole family for a wedding at the hotel's Chapel. From the breathtaking accommodation (the Natadola Suite perched atop the hill was just breathtaking), to the delicious food, to the unbelievable staff at the Club Intercontinental, to the friendly team at Planet Trekkers and the Spa...it was all just wonderful. I have to say, the service we received from ALL Club Intercontinental staff was truly exceptional, like nothing we have ever experienced. Nothing was too much trouble and they always bent-over-backwards to assist us in ANY way they could, and it was always done with a smile. As for the food...ah, it was so delicious! By far the best food we have EVER experienced in all our stays in Fiji!! Yes, there was the odd hiccup or something that may not have been readily available, but the key to the success of our stay is that all the staff were straight on top of it and were able to rectify anything.

One thing I will say to those who seem to comment on how pricey the hotel is, in reality it IS a 5-star resort so you shouldn't be surprised to see the 5-star prices that go with it. However, we didn't find it outrageous at all and from personal experience, it actually was quite competitively priced across the board (eg a burger in the Toba Grill was about AUD$22......we pay about $32 or even $35 for the equivalent here in a 5-star Sydney hotel!!!!! And a 90-min massage was a very reasonable AUD$150 approx.)

As for the "Fijian time" factor, you just have to expect that, so to all people visiting Fiji and in particular the Intercontinental, I say just go with it. You pick Fiji as a destination to unwind and escape the rat-race, so just accept it for what it is and appreciate that it helps you achieve this! If this isn't your thing, then perhaps Fiji is not the right destination for you.

All-in-all, our stay was one of the most memorable we've ever had. We adore Fiji (my kids simply didn't want to leave!) and embrace all the cultural differences and natural beauty that it has to offer. All credit must go to Scott and his whole team. A truly beautiful resort with an experience to match. Will most definitely be back!