Suva’s Grand Pacific Hotel has it all: location, heritage, fine dining, and a big reputation. Here’s why…
In partnership with The Grand Pacific Hotel
The Grand Pacific Hotel has long been the place to stay in the Fijian capital of Suva. The five-star seafront heritage establishment has become the discerning traveller’s luxury escape of choice.
Indeed, two years ahead of its opening on May 23, 1914, the Fiji Times was predicting that the presence of this majestic establishment could cement Suva’s future as a tourist destination. How true that turned out to be!
The guest list over the years has included Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Dame Nellie Melba, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, Edward Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), the Duke of York (later King George VI), cricketer Sir Donald Bradman, author James A. Michener, and actor Burt Lancaster.
The Grand Pacific Hotel is so iconic it appears on Fiji’s $10 note. It’s a cultural epicentre. Paddy Sheehan, a New Zealand plumber who helped to build the Grand Pacific Hotel, formed the country’s first Rugby club in 1913 and the national Rugby Sevens team celebrated its historic Olympic gold medal win here in 2016.
The establishment is famous for its heritage architecture, novelistic history, diverse clientele, and legendary Fijian hospitality. Its reputation was buffed and polished ahead of the hotel’s 100th anniversary, a red-carpet restoration that showed how beautifully old becomes new.
Today, the Grand Pacific Hotel is luxurious and modern, with a polite nod to heritage grandeur. Two new wings with comfortable modern guestrooms have been added, incorporating 113 rooms and suites and new meeting spaces.
With spectacular views of Suva Harbour, these contemporary guest rooms epitomise style and sophistication with their sleek lines, dedicated workstations, smart TVs, and inviting bedding.
Heritage rooms and suites evoke an opulent bygone era. Expect 3m high ceilings and big double doors that open onto 4m-wide verandas. Guests in the Heritage Building have exclusive access to the Victoria Lounge for afternoon canapes and sublime sunsets.
Indulgence at the Grand Pacific Hotel is a given! Book for a sumptuous afternoon tea in elegant surroundings every Sunday; factor in a massage, facial or body treatment; swim some laps in the 15m pool; enjoy live music at sunset; and shop for rare Fijian pearls. Check out the schedule for the hotel’s Art, Sip & Savour offerings.
The hotel has two fine dining restaurants, Prince Albert Restaurant and Levuka Restaurant, a cocktail bar, and a bakery producing cakes fit for a king.
Destination Suva
The Grand Pacific Hotel might be a “grand old lady” but she’s one with a spring in her step and a sprightly agenda. The hotel is the perfect base for high-end shopping, gourmet dining, and cultural experiences in Suva city.
Suva is a destination in itself. Now one of the largest urban centres in the South Pacific islands, it has a cruise terminal making it a popular stopover city. Visitors look to Suva for its multiculturalism – it is home to Chinese, Indian, European and Polynesian cultures. Its commercial heart is a lively district with bars, restaurants, shops, churches and temples.
The city’s most iconic attractions are just moments away from the heritage-listed hotel.
Take in the views of Albert Park and enjoy a stroll to the harbour. Discover the Fiji Museum, the Indo-Fijian Gallery, Parliament buildings, and the Presidential State House.
Enjoy the lush oasis that is Thurston Gardens. Originally Suva Botanical Garden, Thurston Gardens moved to its current site the year before the Grand Pacific Hotel opened, with an avenue of 101 royal palms. The Fiji Museum maintains the gardens, lush with varieties of palms, tree ferns, ginger, water lilies and other local flora.
Guided tours organised by the hotel provide insights into Suva’s history, culture and lifestyle – its fashion, street art, environmental initiatives, and rich food scene.
Once you’ve explored the city, head back to your home-away-from-home to relax and reflect.
Experience the ultimate in luxury at the Grand Pacific Hotel
The Grand Pacific Hotel is 25km from Suva International Airport in Nausori; a taxi ride to the hotel takes about 50 minutes. Nadi, the main port of entry for air travellers to Fiji, is a 34-minute flight away and less than three hours by car on the coastal Queens Road.
For more information see grandpacifichotel.com.fj