Most travelers to Fiji pick a resort that fits their style, then spend their entire getaway taking advantage of the beach, activities, and amenities at their South Pacific outpost. Still, with so many enticing options for places to stay across the archipelago’s 300-plus islands, it can be hard to choose the right Fijian resort for you—or at least the accommodation best suited for the type of trip you’re planning. Here are the most luxurious accommodations in this beautiful South Pacific locale.
Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa overlooks Viti Levu’s Coral Coast on one side and a pristine beach and lagoon on the other.
Courtesy of Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa
Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa
- Best for: romantic getaways and golfers
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The new Reef Wing at Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa offers a private experience within a larger island resort, with 74 total rooms, suites, and private bures (traditional Fijian wood-and-straw huts) that overlook Viti Levu’s stunning Coral Coast on one side and a pristine beach and lagoon on the other. A favorite for honeymooners and couples on a romantic getaway, the Reef Wing has its own dedicated check-in, lunchtime restaurant, and an adults-only infinity pool where complimentary cocktails and canapés are served. The six spacious bures are beachfront retreats complete with private lawns, outdoor showers, and a pathway that leads to the resort-owned beach on a secluded section of the island. The lagoon has sandy beaches and is not as affected by strong tides, so travelers can safely enjoy swimming and water sports year-round. The resort also has a golf course.
Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa
- Best for: tranquility and seclusion
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On the opposite side of the main resort at Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa, the Waitui Beach Club offers a private sanctuary where couples can enjoy tranquility and seclusion. The adults-only Beach Club offers a variety of extras, including a daily breakfast buffet (with both Fijian and international favorites), daily laundry and ironing, plus complimentary sunset cocktails and drinks. The Waitui Plus Rooms offer the same spacious layout but with more complimentary inclusions, such as a private beach cabana for the duration of your stay, a daily 60-minute spa treatment, and a Jet Ski experience.
InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa
- Best for: luxurious adventure and golf
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On Fiji’s main island, Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa offers play-and-stay packages for the neighboring 18-hole championship course designed by Indo Fijian professional golfer Vijay Singh.
Couples at Club InterContinental, an exclusive resort within the property, have their own butlers who can arrange private tours, set up romantic dinners on the beach, and curate a perfect island itinerary with activities that include sailing, snorkeling, fishing, or visiting a part of Fiji only those in the know can recommend.
With 50 luxury one- or two-bedroom suites in this part of the resort, the intimate area affords travelers a unique experience, with daily afternoon high tea and access to the hilltop Club Lounge infinity pool, open only to club guests.
Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort specializes in diving and scuba certification, offering frequent trips to the world-class diving site Somosomo Strait.
Courtesy of Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort
Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort
- Best for: families and dive enthusiasts
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Families will like the Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort on Vanua Levu. Its Bula Club provides dedicated nannies for children 5 years and under and offers a “buddies” program for kids 6 through 12, with 1 leader per group of 5.
Fiji is famous for its brilliant soft coral and abundant reef life, which is home to more than 1,500 species of fish. The resort specializes in diving and scuba certification, offering frequent diving trips to Somosomo Strait, one of the best diving sites in Fiji.
Children have their own dining area, swimming pools, plus activities like a jungle gym and an arts and crafts center to occupy them while parents are snorkeling, diving, or simply relaxing.
Castaway Island Resort
- Best for: families
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Castaway Island Resort offers in-house babysitters, a playroom, and plenty of water sports at its Kids Club.
Other family-friendly resorts
Mana Island Resort and Plantation Island Resort have some of the better children’s programs in the Mamanuca Islands, and all major resorts on Viti Levu are family friendly—including the upscale Sheraton Denarau Villas.
Matangi Private Island Resort
- Best for: a romantic tree house retreat
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Many resorts in Fiji provide individual villas or bures, but at Matangi Private Island Resort you can stay in your own tree house surrounded by tropical forest on the shores of Horseshoe Bay. It’s also a favorite with snorkelers who plunge in off of Horseshoe Bay.
The overwater villas at Laucala Island feature open-air bathrooms with soaking tubs carved from granite.
Courtesy of Laucala Island
Laucala Island
- Best for: romantic, all-inclusive
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The 25 villas spread out across Laucala Island come with spacious private pools and outdoor soaking tubs carved from granite.
Because many resorts in Fiji are so remote, meals are often included in the room rate. But some spots go even further with extra-special amenities, and Laucala Island might be the king of all-inclusives. The exclusive private island resort’s base rate includes all food and drink, as well as diving, horseback riding, golf (the resort has an 18-hole championship golf course), a spa service, and more. Its 100,000-square-foot Hilltop Estate includes a private cook, chauffeur, and nanny in addition to a private pool that offers spectacular views over the entire island.
Wakaya Club & Spa
- Best for: a luxury retreat loved by celebs
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At Wakaya Club & Spa (a favorite of celebrities from Bill Gates to Nicole Kidman), the 12,000-square foot Vale O estate features a cliff-side swimming pool, lighted tennis court, and household staff with private chef. The resort is also ideal for golfers, with a 9-hole course.
Likuliku Lagoon Resort
- Best for: a beachfront retreat
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The adults-only Likuliku Lagoon Resort on Malolo Island features 35 beachfront bures, including 18 split-level bungalows featuring private plunge pools and secluded courtyards with outdoor showers.
Tokoriki Island Resort
- Best for: adults-only luxury
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Tokoriki Island Resort, Fiji’s most-awarded adults-only luxury resort, offers beachfront pool villas that are ideal for watching the sunset.
Fiji’s Dolphin Island is a 14-acre private resort that accommodates a maximum of eight guests at once.
Courtesy of Dolphin Island
Dolphin Island
- Best for: luxurious, private island retreat
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You can also opt to have an entire island to yourself (aside from the resort staff) on Dolphin Island, a 14-acre private retreat that accommodates a maximum of eight guests. The resort’s Hilltop Sleep-Out Bure wraps you in relaxation with its palm-thatched roof, open-air bedroom, and rustic four-poster bed that faces the ocean.
Taveuni Island Resort & Spa
- Best for: scuba diving and snorkeling
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Taveuni Island Resort & Spa is situated close to the famed Rainbow Reef and legendary Great White Wall, which are also in the strait.
Tavarua Island Resort
- Best for: surf and SUP
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Though Fiji is best-known for its lagoons, good surf spots do exist—mostly on coral reef breaks. The biggest surf hits Fiji from June to August, but the cleanest surf is during the wet season from January through April. Tavarua Island Resort offers world-class surfing with some of Fiji’s most legendary waves (such as the famous Cloudbreak) nearby, while SUP fans will also have plenty of reef life to explore just offshore.
Matanivusi Surf Resort
- Best for: a boutique, surfer-friendly stay
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Matanivusi Surf Resort, a boutique eco-resort on Viti Levu’s Coral Coast, is a short ride away from four reef breaks. It’s quiet, uncrowded location make for a relaxing vacation.
Namotu Island Resort
- Best for: surfing, sailboarding, and kite surfing
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Namotu Island Resort near Namotu Left offers surfing thrills off the island’s reef. When the wind kicks up, this spot is also a favorite of sailboarders and kite surfers.
Nukubati Private Island
- Best for: a super secluded escape
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Fiji’s selection of more than 300 islands offers a true opportunity to get away from it all—via a boat, helicopter, or small plane to reach your private island resort. To reach the seven hyper-secluded bures at Nukubati Private Island, you’ll take a 40-minute flight from Fiji’s Nadi International Airport to the northern capital town, Labasa. There, you’ll be met by Nukubati’s transportation for a one-hour drive to Nukubati Landing, at which point you’ll take a five-minute boat ride to reach the private island resort.
Wadigi Private Island Resort
- Best for: a secluded, private island
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Similarly, Fiji’s Wadigi Private Island Resort also requires a special adventure to reach, albeit slightly shorter than Nukubati: The private resort in the Mamanuca Islands is reachable by helicopter in 10 minutes from Nadi International Airport.
Turtle Island Resort
- Best for: film-buffs who want to stay at an iconic movie location
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Fiji’s picture-perfect coral atolls and palm-lined sands aren’t just beloved by tourists; they’re also popular with Hollywood production companies. In fact, The Blue Lagoon, a 1980s drama starring Brooke Shields, was shot on Nanuya Levu Island as well as Turtle Island, where accommodations such as the all-inclusive Turtle Island Resort specialize in romantic retreats.
Castaway Island Resort
- Best for: a stay on “Castaway Island”
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Fiji’s Qalito Island was nicknamed “Castaway Island” after the release of the film starring Tom Hanks in 2000. The island now boasts the luxurious Castaway Island Resort but note: All scenes from the movie Cast Away were actually shot at the smaller and uninhabited Monuriki Island.
The Pearl Resort
- Best for: golfing on Fiji’s main island
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The Pearl Resort, on Fiji’s main island, offers 18 holes designed by the late Robert Trent Jones, a prominent golf course architect.
Likuliku Lagoon Resort is an adults-only luxury resort that features traditional Fijian overwater bures.
Photo by Hamilton Lund Photography
Royal Davui Island Resort
- Best for: tying the knot in Fiji
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Fiji is a top destination for tying the knot or renewing vows. You can plan a simple elopement or go for a traditional Fijian wedding like the one offered at Royal Davui Island Resort, where the bride is carried to meet her groom on a ceremonial platform with a warrior escort while a Fijian choir adds to the festivities.
This article originally appeared online in August 2016; it was updated on December 23, 2019, to include current information.
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