My family group of 15 grandparents, parents and grandkids stayed at the Shangri La for six nights and had an excellent time. A fantastic location for kids with pools, beaches, water activities and buffet meals that all made having kids there a breeze. Also kids club which we didn't need. Great facilities, rooms that need a bit of an upgrade with new tv's and internet access, but overall a superb experience.
Having spent a majority of my childhood holidaying with my own mum and dad at the Shangri-la (or The Fijian as it was known back then) I have been excited to have the opportunities to share this place with my husband and four children in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012 and just last week 5th-14th July. However, on this visit I was saddened by the absolute decline of the once great resort.
The hotel is in desperate need of renovation, the rooms are so tired and run down. The sliding door to our balcony had to be lifted by my husband and I just to lock it. The tiles in our shower were mouldy and cracked. It is obvious that a great deal of money needs to be spent on bringing this old girl up to her former glory.
It is not only the resort in need of an "uplift" the staff moral is at an all time low, they seem to be affected by the many changes the new management have implemented. It seems the new motto of the resort is how much money they can squeeze out of the guests, charging over-inflated prices for extremely average food, while cutting back on staff to a level that at times we were unable to order a drink with our meal.
Another absolute tragedy was the closing of the fine dining restaurant "The Kalevu" this restaurant was an amazing experience with fabulous food, service and entertainment. They have also closed The Coral Cafe which was a great spot to grab a wrap of some sushi for lunch.
Onto the reception staff, the most unmotivated, uninterested bunch of ladies I have ever seen...These girls are the first point of contact with the hotel, and you get the impression you are a burden just being there.
It does sadden me to write these things, but if it gives the new management a "wake up call" to try to restore some of the great things that we continued to return for, well then my job is done. In the mean time I have already began my research into other resorts in fiji (thanks trip advisor!!) as I bid a farewell to the Shangri-La.
We were a couple and were in a quieter wing away from the families and facilities. We didn't hear any noise and were never bothered. Dined in the adults only for breakfast and used the adults only pool, very peaceful. Amazing breakfast, food was quite good. Facilities were well maintained and presented. The most comfortable bed we have ever slept on. Extremely friendly staff who would always help out.
Recently had 7 days with my wife and 14 year old at the Shangri La Fijian. Could not fault the facilities or hospitality. Wonderful warm and welcoming staff! Very clean facilities. Food was fantastic....especially buffets. Will definitely be heading back there some day :) Great for families with kids...well catered for with two huge pools, games room, TV room, kids club and swimming in the sheltered waters.
My wife and I recently spent 15 fabulous days at the Shangri-La Fijian Resort and Spa.
The 40 minute trip from the airport was an eye opener on the conditions that the locals live in. Nothing has really changed since our first trip to the Fijian 36 years ago.
We have nothing but admiration for the Management and Staff. The check in was smooth, the room a bit dated, but we were there to relax and we did.
We had a Lagoon Room on the second floor. The views were terrific. The variety of food meant having a wide selection.
Breakfast in the Golden Cowrie Restaurant was a great way to start the day.
The only let-down was the Lagoon Terrace Buffet, while great for lunch, the dinner wasn't worth the cost, in my opinion.
We didn't have any kids with us, but I found the enjoyment expressed by those around us really made it feel like a great place to take a family. The 'Ambassadors of Fun' really had the place buzzing.
A daily brisk walk around the island took us about 25 or 30 minutes, past the golf course and the Chapel.
The only let-down wasn't caused by the Management and Staff, but rather selfish Resort guests. The lack of towels was due to the facr that towels weren't being returned after use, just left on the lounges. As for the lounges, guests were reserving them in groups, for the whole day and hardly ever using them. We observed a group gathering lounges around a shelter and then placing towels and belongings on them and then disappearing and returning a couple of hourd later to use them, causing others that needed them to miss out. This was contrary to a sign forbidding the reserving of lounges.
The trip to the local village and school is a must. The $F52 was worth it. Playing soccer with the local kids in the Primary School looked like fun. The singing of Waltzing Matilda by students was immensely enjoyable. A visit to the kindergarten was a good way to start the trip. Next time we will take small gifts for the kids to share.
The trip to the village, to partake in the Kava Ceremony, was different. Ladies on one side and Gents on the other. No hats for the boys and long dresses for the girls, part of their culture, which we willingly observed. It's a pity that Australia doesn't have any 'Culture' to speak of.
The staff were just terrific we didn't have a problem with any of them and the one thing that we contacted the front desk for was sorted promptly. No towels on check in.
We read a few unfavourable reports before we left, but these were generally unfounded.
The prices at the store were a bit pricy, but a trip to the store at the end of the causeway soon fixed that.
If you want to meet the 'real' Fijian people visit the Shangri-La, they are so friendly and don't seem to be fazed by much.
All in all we had a very relaxing time and we will be returning in the future.
I could go on, but that would spoil the fun for others.
This was our second family trip to Fiji. This resort is large consisting of lovely open grounds, a huge pool and a fantastic beach. The resort it pretty much fully self contained with small shops and convenience stores. There is plenty to do , we enjoyed snorkling in the logoon and kayaking both of which were great fun and suitable for our girls aged 6 and 9. There is a good choice of restaurants on the property and the prices are okay (it helped to have a favourable exchange rate at the time of our trip). Only mild complaint would be that there wasnt a great deal of choice on the kids menu, actually come to think of it the adult menu was kind of limited too. However the breakfast and lunch buffet was the best I have seen. Overall a very good place to stay and if you are not too concerned about slow internet this makes for a good family holiday.
