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

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 chose The Remote Resort because of the proximity to the Rainbow Reef and opportunities for diving and Snorkeling. The diving and Snorkeling were a 10 out of 10, Healthy reefs and fish galore. While at Remote Resort we chose the Ocean Retreat Burre and had our own private pool, we used it every day and the water temperature was perfect. The food was excellent and we loved the choice of having meals in the communal area, in our room or in several of the special memorable locations on the property. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. A special shout out to Vilisi for her help when we forgot that American cell phone charges wont work with Fiji plugs, She brought us her own charger. There were so many enjoyable moments that were made more special by Vilisi's ideas and help during the stay. If you chose this resort do not miss the private picnic the location was fantastic. Hope to return again because this resort was so special!.

What can I say - it is an amazing place, with friendliest and best staff. Food is amazing, Villas are great and the sevice second to none. I had a wonderful time learned how to scuba dive, went fishing and ate like a king. Met some wonderful people from around the world and will not hesitate to recommend to my friends family and complete strangers.