Nila Beach Resort
Are the words "Beach Resort" the most used and abused words in Fiji, when it comes to giving a name to accommodation? Possibly, as many of the places that use this phrase aren't resorts, and don’t have much of a beach. I don't know why, but this really bugs me. There is a place in Nadi called the Wailoaloa Beach Resort, that must be 1km or further from the beach. That just seems deceptive to me.
And I have to say, Nila probably isn't a resort (yet), and there wasn't much of a beach that I could see. But with that said, it's a great place with huge potential, and if the newly built villas/bures are anything to go by, it's going to grow into something pretty special.
So with that grumble out of the way, let's take a look at Nila and see what it offers.
Arriving at Nila, First Impressions
Nila is on the same road as First Landing, about another kilometre further up. As you go down the rather potholed drive, probably the first thing to strike you is that the place looks a little, well, barren. Office and admin area, a restaurant/bar, and bures, plus a pool, but not a whole lot more to see.
So my first thoughts were… "hmmm, not sure if I would want to stay here". However, I changed my mind once I saw inside the villas.
Yes, it's going to take some time to get the place landscaped nicely, and if you think lush tropical gardens are important, then this is not (yet) the place for you. However, if a high standard of accommodation is your main concern, then Nila has that in spades. And at a very reasonable price.
The Rooms & Rates
Bedroom: When I first went inside one of the villas, I was impressed with not only the quality but the size. I have been into and stayed at many a high end resort in Fiji (tough job but someone has to do it, right?) and this puts some of them to shame.
Large comfortable beds, nice flatscreen TV (43"), extremely spacious and they say they have wifi in all the rooms. I didn't check that myself so I don’t know how fast it is.
This is one of those places that when you walk in the room, you just KNOW you’re going to be happy with the standard, you see the quality as soon as you open the door.
Bathroom: One of my pet hates, is a low quality bathroom. Those ones where the shower doesn't work properly, the sink is cracked, or worst of all, missing tile grouting that has mould growing in it.
Well, you won't have anything to grumble at here… solid granite benches, his and hers sinks, spa, and big walk-in shower with massive rain shower heads.
Rates: The Garden Bures are FJ$249 a night, and the Ocean View an extra FJ$50. I have seen places of a lower standard that charge a lot more than that.
So why are they cheap? As I mentioned before, the place is pretty new – construction only started in mid 2016, so the surrounds are quite sparse. That means they are not charging for the full on resort experience, only for the rooms. They are only on stage 2 of a planned 10 stage plan (I have seen the architect plans and they include overwater bures) so I have no doubt prices will rise as more facilities get added. But for now, it means you can have 5 star luxury for 3 star prices. In fact the Fijisun newspaper did a recent article about the upcoming stage 3 construction phase at Nila.
Facilities
There really isn't much here yet. A restaurant, which I have been told is very good, bar, a pool, and that's about it. There is a new island at the end of a causeway that has just been built with a bar on it, there is a bit of a beach as well, although perhaps due to high tide there wasn't much of one to be seen when I visited.
There are no organised activities that I'm aware of.
It all depends on what you expectations are, as to whether you will enjoy staying here. If you are after the full resort experience, with lots of activities, kids club, nightly entertainment etc. then Nila is going to disappoint. You would be better staying just down the road at First Landing.
If you want to relax, read a book beside the pool and have spacious high quality accommodation, then perhaps Nila might be suitable.
The Restaurant: This is supposedly excellent, I know people in Nadi that come out here to eat. But it does tend to specialise in Indian food. If that is what you like, then you are going to be very happy. However, if you are like me and don't like spicy food, the menu options are a bit limited. Click images below to see some menu items.
Final Thoughts: Pros & Cons
Would We Stay Here? That's a difficult one to answer although I would probably say YES, with one proviso. As this place is too far away to walk anywhere, then we would want a rental car. It's just too far to walk down to the Marina, and taxis can be expensive and unreliable.
I'm looking forward to seeing the next stage of development... which I hope might include some landscaping. After all, the surrounds can make a big difference to how you feel.
Pros: Nice and quiet, with high quality rooms. Spa and free wifi in all villas. Light breakfast included in room rate, and good restaurant. More than reasonably priced.
Cons: looks very bare, more like building site than resort. Too far to walk anywhere so you need to rely on taxis or have a hire car to explore. Not a lot for kids to do, other than use the pool and perhaps paddle around the shoreline.
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