The Remote Resort

Wow … just wow! What an amazing experience, fantastic location, gorgeous food, stunning scenery and absolutely beautiful staff. This was an amazing experience, snorkelling off the house reef was mind blowing … so much better than the Great Barrier Reef. The dive operation is absolutely world class, the sites that I dived on were out of this world. The food … wow .. the food! So fresh and such vibrant flavours! Completely spoilt and the staff are so very accommodating. It is absolute paradise!

You're wondering, can all these positive reviews be for real? My answer: YES! The villas are beautiful and comfortable, the snorkeling is out of this world, and the food is delicious. But at the end of the day it will be the little touches that we remember: The staff member who met us at the jetty bearing hot chocolate...the snorkel guide who grabbed a hunk of sea sponge to clean my mask because he noticed it was a smidgen foggy...the gentle teasing from restaurant staff as we identified our favorite dishes and fell into a comfy routine. We are so grateful to Faye, Paulo, PK, Vilisi, Ili, PK, Zoe, and Wilson for those special moments (along with ALL the staff whose names we couldn't squeeze into this brief review).

I would have rated this hotel 4-5 stars had they not advertised themselves as luxury. If our experiences at the hotel were not wonderful, I would have rated this hotel as a 1-2 since they advertised they are a luxury, boutique resort. Our first impression of the hotel was being picked up at the airport in a regular sedan (4 people in our party, so we were squished together) with a broken windshield. Now I realize we are on Taveuni, and replacing a windshield might take a bit of time, but I have the impression it is rather just not a concern. When we arrive at the wharf to board the boat, there is no easy way to get down to the boat. We had to precariously drop about 4 feet into a boat that happened to be secured to the dock and then transfer into our boat. This boat is a quite utilitarian boat and looks nothing like the boat on the website. On the way to the resort, the motor nearly failed multiple times due to a leaking fuel line. One of the hotel employees had to hold the line together during the trip. As we drove past the dock of the hotel, I hoped that we were passing a neighboring hotel as I looked at the pier that was in disrepair and did not look like it would last another season, but that was not to be the case. When we arrived at our villa, we noticed the decorative deck covering in front of the pool was detaching from the deck, the cables on the railing were no longer tight, there were weeds (not small, new weeds) growing in our shower area. As we left the villa for dinner, the door handle fell off. After dinner, we got to experience the lack of hot water. We had some lukewarm water which did not stay that warm long enough for 4 people to have brief showers. The wooden pathways around the resort were in need of maintenance. While we were encouraged to take the trail to the lookout, a good portion of the trail had not had the grass cut in a long time and the seating at the top was covered in algae/mildew. The second day of our stay, the pool started to look cloudy and green. The pump was not working. There were two boats used for transfers and tours. Both could use some maintenance. The one which did not pick us up the first day is going to lose its windows soon if it continues to lose nuts and bolts. The other issue with the use of boats in a luxury stay is that boats should only be used to transport guests when guests are on board. They should not also be transporting supplies for the hotel and appliances that need repairs. These are all management issues. The staff is lovely and truly wants to make your stay amazing. They are friendly and hospitable; however, many of them are from villages which do not even have electricity. They have no concept of the Western expectation of luxury. This is not their fault in any way. The manager should be setting expectations and supervising. I have no doubt this was once a beautiful luxury resort, but those days are long gone. If you are not looking for luxury and do not care to have a few d

My wife and I just returned from our first trip to Fiji - starting with 4 nights at a Taveuni dive resort and 6 nights at Remote. The pictures on the website accurately depict the natural beauty and attractive accommodations at Remote. The food truly was outstanding, although the bar offerings and quality were a level or two below that of the food. The staff was helpful, friendly and competent. We were charmed by the welcoming protocol that included a Fijian kava ceremony and foot rub - and a singing send-off by a group of staff on the dock as we sadly hopped on the boat to start our journey back to the US. We stayed at the Royal Retreat, finding the interior space and layout very comfortable - and greatly enjoyed the plunge pool and outside shower. All of the accommodations face the water with excellent views, and I would recommend selecting a villa based on pricing and your space requirements - don't think you would go wrong with any of the accommodation options. This is a resort where both divers and non-divers can be comfortable. My wife and I dove every day, finding the concierge dive operation at this resort on par or superior to that of the dedicated dive resort we visited in Taveuni. We were treated to dives at multiple locations on the Rainbow reef, 15-25 minute rides from the resort dock. The dive sites featured colorful and healthy hard and soft corals with an abundance of varieties and numbers of fish - mostly smalls to mid-size with one or two reef sharks spotted on most dives. We had a great experience swimming with huge reef mantas feeding at the surface during one of our dive intervals. Our overall opinion can best be summarized by reporting that we plan to send a deposit for a longer stay at The Remote Resort next year!

We had the most magnificent stay at The Remote Resort. Six nights felt like a month of pampering. The staff were incredibly attentive, the accomodation was so luxe (without loosing that laid back Fiji vibe), outdoor bathrooms added to the vibe, food was delicious (highly recommend the Indian dishes, especially for breakfast - so good!) and daily spa treatments were administered outdoors overlooking the ocean. A very special property. House reef was so impressive. Staying up amongst the palm plantation overlooking the water, I can't imagine loving this place more.

We have just returned from the remote resort for a 15 night stay to celebrate my 60th birthday. The Resort has just been awarded the Travellers Choice award and this is 100% so deserved. Our stay was faultless, the Team and they are a ‘unique team’ go above and beyond to make sure everything is just perfect, nothing is too much trouble. We stayed in Villa Vessi which is nestled in the trees. The villa has a large very comfortable king size bed, a ceiling fan and two other large fans which adequately deal with the heat and humidity, and two large chairs and the Villa overlooks the Ocean. There is a fridge which is ample for water and minibar and also a room safe. The outside shower/bathroom is a great feature and had a washing line for drying clothes. The Villa has a large sun deck with sun loungers and a plunge pool which over looks the Ocean, and also a large day bed which is undercover if you need shade/shelter. The room is cleaned to a high standard daily with fresh towels. There is also a nightly turndown service. The maids were lovely and took pride in their duties. The restaurant staff were very attentive and had a great sense of humor. The chefs were fabulous, the food was freshly prepared and presented to a very high standard, with a great selection of choice, delicious. Our evening meals were at different locations on the resort for our entire stay, giving you a secluded setting with lanterns and a fire pit with the tables dressed to a high standard. A lovely unique touch. Vilisi made sure that we did not miss out on any of the experiences. We went on several snorkelling trips by boat in the surrounding area and the vibrant reefs and marine life did not disappoint (there is no bleaching). We also were so lucky to see 5 Manta Rays. All snorkelling adventures are undertaken with care and attention for your safety (thank you Faye, Helen, Vilisi and Winston) who were in the water with us making sure we were ok, and educating us to the coral and fish. The Resort also had its own vibrant house reef which is spectacular and accessible from the jetty high/low tide. The waterfall trip is a must, thank you Faye who took great care of us. The SPA team are on hand daily and we both highly recommend the massage. The village visit is a must, the warm welcome you receive from the families is wonderful. The children take great pleasure in showing you around and the highlight of joining in with the villages singing and dancing, truly memorable. Our evening formed a bit of a routine of sitting at the bar chatting with Zoe, who was always on hand to answer any questions we had, and sharing her experiences of Fiji. All of the staff were more than happy to share their personal stories with you, of their villages and family life which was so interesting. For my birthday after returning from snorkelling I returned to the Villa to find that it has been decorated with balloons and a lovely birthday message from the Team and a bottle of Champagne to celebrate.