The Waterfront Cafe and Lodge, the best private Tonga hotel, is located opposite Queen Salote Wharf, with the Nuku’alofa waterfront unfolding right before you. Just a 20 minute stroll to downtown Nuku'alofa and you will soon find yourself immersed in the sights, shops and markets of the Kingdom of Tonga capital city. The colonial-style lodge is packed with character and boasts a beautiful sea view, excellent services, high quality accommodation and arguably the most popular restaurant in the capital. The charming property is under Italian management and believes in paying special attention to each and every guest. The Waterfront Cafe and Lodge’s atmosphere is welcoming and homely, our staff is warm and friendly and every guest is treated with special attention which makes their holiday in Tonga even more memorable and their vacation so comfortable to make them feel at home. The Waterfront Lodge is internationally renowned not only to be the perfect hotel for your stay in Tongatapu but also to be a place of art where artists from Polynesia and the South Pacific often meet to expose their masterpieces. From our reception we can also organize tours of Tongatapu and packages to some of the top island hotels and attractions to ensure your Tonga holiday will be remembered as one of the best of your lifetime. If you are looking for your personal getaway to the friendly islands of the Kingdom of Tonga, welcome to the Waterfront Cafe' and Lodge, the best private owned accommodation you can find on our shore.World Class Tourism gives us 4 stars We have the pleasure to announce that the World Class Tourism for Tonga has recently judged the Waterfront Lodge & Cafe' as a 4 Stars hotel. This is indeed a great news for us and for all our new and returning guests. The unique accommodation, the casual atmosphere, the popularity of our restaurant and the smiles of our staff make the Waterfront Lodge & Cafe' the perfect stop over if you are visiting the capital or if your holiday takes you to one of the marvellous islands of the Kingdom of Tonga. Hope to see you soon.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Family
Business
Languages Spoken
English
Location
Vuna Road Ma'ufanga, Nuku'alofa, Tongatapu Island 1001 Tonga
Waterfront Lodge
210 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Nestled in the Port Town of Nukualofa on the island of Tongatapu ,surrounded by coconut,papaya,and palm trees(various vegetation) I stumbled upon a hidden Gem! The Waterfront Restaurant & Lodge. I was instantly transported back in time, to Colonial style living in the Pacific. The White Paint and Pillars ascend to private room terraces overlooking Queen Salote and Faua Warf. You can see local fisherman bringing in the daily catch. You can feel and smell the Ocean breeze. The property has free range chickens and features a few parrots from Ewa island. You The rooms are spacious and features polynesian art-deco through out the room and boasts a birds eye Terrace. Each room has modern appliances like A.C,Mini fridge,T.V ,Coffee and Tea Service items etc. Polynesian Art-Deco from local artist highlights the main lodge and Restaurant. Marvelous carvings of a large wooden Octopus is featured, as carvings of Whales, Ocean Shells, and old Seaturtois Shells spotlight the walls.The Restaurant offers Breakfast,Lunch, and dinner service. Most rooms include a free Colonial Style Continental Breakfast Tea, which is amazing!Fresh Local fruits to Locally Made bread and pastries, my favorite was the Juice of the day and the banana pancakes. Locally harvested fruits, vegetables, seafood, gives the talented chefs the freshest and best quality ingredients available.You will find Eggs Benedict to FishnChips on their modern menu. For Dinner we had New Zealand Lamb Shank and Pan Seared Mahi Mahi, it was a memorable dining experience as the food was delicious,its flavors and presentation is unique, South Pacific Contemporary Cuisine at its finest. A stunning Property! The staff and Service made me feel like a VIP, they always go the extra mile to make sure you have a excellent day. We were stranded there during a corona virus lockdown and Liz, the owner took care of the residents by offering free dinner to all of us, over a weeks worth of delicious dinners. ❤ THANK YOU! Waterfront Restaurant & Lodge, Danny&Tanya Lata
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed in Waterfront lodge for about a month during my deployment in Tonga after the vulcano eruption and tsunami and it turned out to be my home away from home. There is a few beautiful decorated rooms ,some with seaview, and we were living as a little family with Liz and her staf taking extremely good care of us. During and after lockdown we enjoyed the best hospitality, very clean rooms, laundry service, a hearty breakfast, and eating the best food in Tonga for dinner on the veranda. Liz always going the extra mile , making sure there was something organised for us to enjoy the beauty of Tonga next to work . Totally recommended !
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This lodge is friendly, boutique (8 rooms), set in a lush garden, only 15 minutes by foot to the center of Nuku’alofa. The onsite restaurant is really convenient when you are busy or hosting guests, It is also one of the top quality restaurants of the town, boasting a menu more diverse any other place in Tongatapu.
The rooms are spacious and tastefully set up with large balconies.
Having stayed there for 10 weeks I was reluctant to leave my Tongan home away from home .
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
For the Kingdom of Tonga, this boutique hotel is accessible and a nice little gateway. Good air-conditioning for those dreaded hot summers and also good food on the menu. Rooms are self contained and comfy for the weary bones when you return from your walkabouts. But the Internet is so expensive in the hotel and its not free. Hotel does laundry but at a cost. Also secure facilities especially the upstairs where the rooms are located so gives you ease of mind. Had a good experience staying here and the staff were very helpful too.
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I just completed a fantastic week long stay at the Waterfront. Liz and the team looked after our every need that included 3 delicious meals per day. Liz even organised a special seafood buffet by the beach on Sunday when the kitchen was closed. I would highly recommend staying at Waterfront for business or pleasure when visiting Tongatapu.
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We enjoyed our 2 day stay. Staff were smiling and friendly and we really appreciated their help in carrying our bags up the stairs to our room. We enjoyed delicious cooked breakfasts whilst sitting on the restaurant verandah. Dinner was excellent too.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wonderful small garden lodge with very caring staff. This lodge is on the road going along the ocean near a small boat port. The owners have excelent taste of interior design. They have acquired items of local culture and art. Food here is excelent and attracts tourists also from other facilities. Staff is capable of arranging road and boat trips as well as other activities of tourist interest. Several churches are in short walking distance.
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Date of stay: May 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:This is a small lodge. It gets full very quickly.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fabulous find! Liz Crowley knows exactly what travelers want and produces. My room was picture perfect: teapot with all the supplies, fridge, balcony, TV, huge king bed with duvet and 6 pillows, desk and chair, powerful hot water shower, delicious breakfast, and airport pick up and return. Her taste is exquisite, right down to the coolest huge carved octopus in the dining room, made from a root!! I love octopuses and she helped me find the artist who created it, and I bought a similar one, much smaller, that is carved out of a deer antler. You simply cannot go wrong with the Waterfront Lodge and they serve lunch and dinner too. I am having dinner there tonight and I already know it will be fabulous, considering her track record. A+
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip:There's only 8 lovely rooms so book ahead!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very friendly and helpful staff and a comfortable room with the amenities as described on their website. Minimal local TV but wifi can be purchased and streamed so take an HDMI cord and adaptor to hook up your device to the TV. Breakfasts were great and it has an excellent dinner menu. The location is handy to the wharf and city centre. The 4am rooster got a little trying but he was part of the charm. I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again or recommend it to others.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liked · Everything was great. The staff are friendly and the room was excellent. Great location as well. Really enjoyed my stay here and will definitely stay here again. Malo aupito.
Disliked · The room gets quite hot at times as the air con unit doesn't blow cold air. Possibly might need to upgrade the unit itself but other than that everything else was great.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HI, So sorry for the late reply, but yes, this hotel are mainly for adults only but we can accept children ages 10 up are welcome to stay also
Thank you
There are more places to choose from in the Nuku'alofa area.
PRICE RANGE
$165 - $196 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
waterfront hotel nuku alofa
LOCATION
TongaTongatapu IslandNuku'alofa
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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