Assessment of Nanuku Resort in Fiji, bookable by way of Hyatt

Returning to Fiji has been excessive on my checklist since my husband and I first visited the nation in 2019. On our first journey, we break up our time between three stunning resorts — Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay, DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Fiji and InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa — and have been impressed by the rugged island terrain and the Fijian hospitality.

As we thought of easy methods to redeem miles to fly from New Zealand to the U.S. earlier this 12 months, we determined to construct a stopover in Fiji into an Alaska MileagePlan award. And I used to be thrilled to snag a two-night award keep at Nanuku Resort — beforehand an Auberge Resort — which is now out there by way of World of Hyatt’s partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

This is a have a look at what it was like to remain at Nanuku Resort in Fiji.

What’s Nanuku Resort?

Nanuku Resort calls itself “a real tropical oasis located on a personal 500-acre coastal Fiji property.” The resort is a perfect escape in case you’re searching for a secluded trip with loads of out of doors actions, an off-the-cuff model of luxurious and memorable experiences for teenagers.

Positioned on the southern coast of Fiji’s most important island (Viti Levu) close to Pacific Harbour, Nanuku Resort is 32 miles from Suva (about an hour’s drive) and 86 miles from Nadi (a couple of 2 1/2-hour drive), the place the nation’s most important worldwide airport is situated, on Queens Highway.

Earlier than studying we would have a rental automotive, the resort provided me the next switch choices (charges embrace taxes and charges):

• 25-minute scenic flight from Nadi on to Nanuku’s non-public airstrip: 2,550 Fijian {Dollars} (about $1,148) per method for as much as six passengers by aircraft or 3,500 Fijian {Dollars} (about $1,575) per method for as much as three passengers by helicopter.
• Personal chauffeur-driven floor switch: Costs for as much as two adults and two youngsters fluctuate primarily based on the route and are charged per method. For instance, Nadi Airport (NAN) transfers value 500 Fijian {Dollars} (about $225) per method, and Suva-Nausori Airport (SUV) transfers value 305 Fijian {Dollars} (about $137) per method. However Nanuku may also prepare non-public floor transfers to and from most different resorts in Fiji.

Auberge Resorts Assortment started managing Nanuku Resort in 2014. However in early 2022, administration shifted to Storey Resort Administration Group. Lots of the Nanuku employees stay from when the resort was a part of the Auberge Resorts Assortment, and one visitor I spoke to famous the on-site expertise hadn’t modified a lot because the switchover.

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Suites, villas and residences

Nanuku gives 15 suites and 22 villas and residences.

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We reserved the one room kind bookable with Hyatt factors: a Nanuku Suite. This suite occupies the higher ground of a two-bedroom beachfront pool suite, whereas the decrease ground, backyard space and plunge pool are bought as a Beachfront Pool Suite.

I hoped we would get an improve, although. In any case, World of Hyatt members are eligible for a one-category improve primarily based on availability at check-in at Small Luxurious Motels of the World properties booked by way of Hyatt.

Nobody talked about we would obtained an improve at check-in. As an alternative, I found we would been given a unique room kind as a employees member drove us up a big hill in a golf cart after check-in. As an alternative of a Nanuku Suite, we have been assigned a one-bedroom Vunikau Suite within the Hilltop Residence.

Nanuku would not present smaller than a three-bedroom Hilltop Residence on its web site. And each the employees member who confirmed us to our suite and a employees member who later introduced us room service famous they’d not beforehand seen the suite’s inside regardless of working on the resort for a number of months.

As soon as we arrived in our suite, the employees member who accompanied us confirmed us across the also-new-to-him house, requested us to fill out some paperwork and inspired us to placed on pink and blue wristbands that might function our room keys.

Staying in Nanuku’s Vunikau Hilltop Residence

Nanuku’s Vunikau Hilltop Residence consists of 4 items — a three-bedroom penthouse and three one-bedroom suites — every with an entrance from a shared open-air walkway.

The unit we stayed in (193) was a one-bedroom Vunikau Suite providing glorious ocean views, loads of pure mild and a big patio with a desk and two chairs. Our suite’s single air-con unit successfully saved the house cool regardless of the new temperatures exterior. And the quantity of energy retailers was excess of we would have liked.

The picket mattress was comfy however creaky and the curtains, when drawn, blocked out most mild.

The toilet had two sinks, a big bathtub, a bathroom room and an open bathe tiled in stone.

Behind the sinks within the rest room, there was ample closet house.

We liked the complimentary gadgets within the minibar space, together with a popcorn maker, a French press and non-alcoholic drinks. The cookies in a jar subsequent to the welcome fruit platter have been scrumptious, too.

Throughout our keep, no company occupied the opposite three items within the Hilltop Residence. We heard some upkeep work on the encompassing items, although, so I anticipate it may get noisy when the opposite items are reserved — particularly if different teams spend time on their balconies.

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Paradise for teenagers (and their dad and mom)

As a pair with out youngsters, we definitely missed out on probably the greatest Nanuku providers: complimentary nannies and buddies for teenagers.

That is proper, Nanuku offers a complimentary, devoted nanny between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. for each youngster beneath six. And households with youngsters between the ages of 6 and 12 can decide in for his or her youngsters to be partnered with a buddy throughout day by day actions on the resort.

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Child’s climbing wall on the Kids’s Membership. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

Seeing the youngsters having fun with drumming classes, children’ dinners, crab gathering and extra with their buddies — and speaking with households who liked the personalised Lailai Kids’s Membership — made us notice Nanuku is a paradise for teenagers and households.

I anticipate spending time at Nanuku might be an impactful expertise for a lot of children, along with simply being enjoyable, due to the cultural actions on supply. This being mentioned, Nanuku definitely is not just for households, and we met a number of different {couples} with out youngsters throughout our keep.

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Workers which can be wanting to please

Nanuku employees are pleasant and wanting to please. We related with one employees member who served us breakfast each mornings and appeared sincerely involved in serving to us have a superb keep. I additionally loved studying about Fijian medicinal herbs and tradition from the employees member who led the natural nature stroll one afternoon.

The employees additionally take note of particulars in order that they’ll higher personalize every visitor’s keep. Lots of them labored to study and use our names (I additionally appreciated how most employees members put on a necklace with their very own names). The reception employees was additionally up to the mark, together with inquiring about my desired checkout time once I referred to as to ebook an exercise and asking the information main the character stroll to tell me that the new water in my villa can be off for the subsequent hour.

Every night time, the resort has a fire-lighting ceremony and a small group of musicians performs close to the clubhouse and restaurant, setting a soothing and festive tone for the night.

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Fireplace-lighting ceremony close to the water. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

Service wasn’t good at Nanuku, although. For instance, we did not get turndown service one night time regardless of placing up the service-please broom on our door for over two and a half hours throughout dinner. And our server at dinner on our second night time appeared to confuse us with one other couple. These points have been minor although, with the service being glorious general.

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This implies service, please. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

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And certainly, you possibly can earn and redeem Hyatt factors at Nanuku by way of Hyatt’s partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World. As of this writing, Nanuku is a Hyatt Category 6 property, so you possibly can redeem 21,000 to 29,000 factors per night time. Paid charges begin at round $650 per night time; you will get between 2.2-3.1 cents per level in worth on award nights (and generally extra when paid charges are larger).

You will get the next perks no matter your Hyatt elite status while you ebook an eligible price or redeem a free night time award at Nanuku by way of World of Hyatt:

• Each day breakfast on the Kanavata Restaurant.
• One-category room improve, primarily based on availability at check-in.
• Early check-in at midday, topic to availability on the time of check-in.
• Late checkout at 2 p.m., topic to availability on the day of departure.
• Complimentary Wi-Fi in your suite or villa and on the Nanuku Clubhouse.

You must earn bonus factors as you usually would at Hyatt motels when staying at collaborating Small Luxurious Motels of the World properties in case you use your World of Hyatt Credit Card to pay. Nonetheless, I wasn’t 100% certain how my buy would code once I checked out, so I used my go-to card for general travel purchases: the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. Notice you may must pay a 3.5% surcharge to make use of a bank card or worldwide debit card (such a surcharge is comparatively widespread in Fiji).

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A keep at Nanuku definitely would not come low-cost, whether or not you are redeeming Hyatt points or reserving a paid price. And there are many methods to spend cash on-site, together with spa classes, eating set-ups in particular areas and off-site excursions.

Nonetheless, Nanuku additionally features a lot in your keep, too. There is a collection of complimentary actions every day, together with a weekly firewalking ceremony, mangrove planting and guided snorkeling.

Non-alcoholic drinks are free out of your minibar. And the breakfast — which is included for all company — saved me glad till dinner. When you’re searching for methods to spend your time that will not value any extra cash, you possibly can benefit from the pool or seashore.

You may also play pool by the bar, loosen up within the sizzling tub, work out within the fitness center, or go for a motorcycle journey (company in most leeway sorts get bikes to make use of across the resort). You might additionally go to sundown level, which gives a pleasant ocean view and garden video games.

There are twice-daily blissful hours, too. One blissful hour is hosted on the pool bar noon with beers as low-cost as 7 Fijian {Dollars} (about $3). The opposite blissful hour is on the resort bar within the night, with one particular cocktail discounted to 18 Fijian {Dollars} (about $8) every day. Even exterior blissful hour, the drink costs weren’t any worse than you may pay at a pleasant bar in most American cities. The identical could possibly be mentioned for the meals, particularly contemplating the ample parts of the principle programs at dinner.

Lastly, poolside massages have been modestly priced at 45 Fijian {Dollars} (about $20) for a 30-minute neck, shoulders and scalp therapeutic massage. I used to be blissful I “splurged” on a poolside therapeutic massage at that value, particularly contemplating the standard expertise and the stress-free setting.

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Elements to contemplate earlier than reserving

Though Nanuku was a soothing oceanside paradise for me, it will not be an excellent match for everybody. Listed here are some features to contemplate earlier than reserving a keep at Nanuku:

• The vibe is informal, and the climate is heat, so it isn’t unusual for company to reach to dinner with moist hair or in shorts and sandals. We additionally observed youngsters carrying a bucket of crabs they’d caught on the seashore by way of the eating space one night. You will be happier elsewhere if you’d like a proper, classic-luxury expertise.
• Nanuku gives some glorious facilities to households and kids. You will not really feel misplaced if you do not have youngsters, however you should not keep in case you don’t love children or if you’d like an adults-only expertise.
• The expertise at Nanuku could be very a lot targeted on nature and spending time across the pool, within the ocean or exploring the jungle, so in case you’re searching for different issues to do, this may not be the proper resort.
• Distant staff ought to take into account their web wants. Wi-Fi is constantly out there in suites, villas and residences, however it wasn’t simple to attach in another resort areas. And the Wi-Fi high quality in our suite wasn’t adequate to have constant video calls; it examined at simply 2.07 Mbps obtain, 2.08 Mbps add and 5 ms ping.

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Nanuku is a Class 6 World of Hyatt property and redeeming World of Hyatt points generally is a whole lot contemplating the paid charges and the standard of the resort. That is even more true when you have youngsters that may profit from the nanny or buddy program. And though it is a multi-hour drive from Nadi Worldwide Airport, it is nonetheless simpler and cheaper to get to Nanuku than many different resorts in Fiji which can be on islands aside from Viti Levu and require helicopter or small-plane flights.

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