Grand West's Villas

Apart from the constant sound of overhead planes, the BEST WESTERN Grand West’s Villas is a quiet property, where not much goes on. The majority of guests are transit travelers, who only stay for a night or two before heading elsewhere in Fiji. Grand West’s lobby is a tiny room with a front desk, a few plastic chairs, and lots of printed tourist information. One thing we found strange is that all guests arrive by taxi. Most airport hotels in Nadi have airport shuttles, but the BEST WESTERN Grand West’s Villas does not.  

The BEST WESTERN Grand West’s Villas is located in Nadi, about a 15-minute drive from the international airport. The hotel is near (but not on) Wailoaloa Beach, a well known Nadi spot that attracts lots of international backpackers. Guests can either walk 15 minutes to the beach or take a five-minute taxi ride. Nadi itself isn’t exactly the tropical paradise you might imagine Fiji to be, but it offers all kinds of accommodation options and tourist-oriented services. There’s not much to see or do in the immediate area surrounding the hotel, but numerous stores and restaurants are within a few minutes’ drive. Denarau Island, a man-made resort-filled island, is about a 10-minute drive from the hotel.

Rooms at Grand West’s Villas have dated, bare-bones decor and few amenities. Their white walls, white tile floors, and simple white bedding don’t have much character, and white clapboard furniture only adds to their generic look. Tapa-print bed runners do little to liven things up, and rooms’ insufficient lighting makes everything look drab. Some rooms have wall-mounted flat-screen TVs, but most still have tube-style TVs -- not that it matters either way, since the hotel doesn’t have cable. Other in-room amenities include air conditioners, electronic safes, electric kettles, and mini-fridges. All rooms have outdoor balconies or patios. Bathrooms are tiny, and tend to reek of bleach (at least we know they’re clean?). Some barely have enough room for a corner shower stall, sink, and toilet, but others are larger with shower/tub combos. 

There are multiple room types at Grand West’s Villas, from one-room studios to two-bedroom apartments with full kitchens. Don’t expect granite countertops and stainless steel appliances in the apartments -- like the rest of the rooms’ features, kitchens are pretty dated, but spotlessly clean. A sink, small refrigerator, and a microwave make up the facilities. 

Even though it’s an airport hotel, the BEST WESTERN Grand West’s Villas has a few nice amenities. Its beautiful outdoor pool -- complete with a small waterslide and a separate kiddy pool -- almost looks like it belongs at a large resort. The freeform pool is surrounded by palm trees and provides a secluded oasis. Many guests spend their short time at the hotel around the beautiful pool, which is equipped with several lounge chairs and picnic tables. Faded tennis courts and an outdoor playground are also provided.

The hotel’s restaurant is a casual open-air space with a chalkboard menu and a pool table. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but breakfast is not included in the nightly room rate. All meals are served a la carte. For breakfast, the restaurant serves eggs, omelets, beans on toast, fresh fruit, and cereals. The lunch menu consists of casual fare like fish and chips, burgers, club sandwiches, and chicken wraps, while dinner consists of local Fijian specialities like lamb masala, dhal soup, coconut creamed fish, and an assortment of stir-fry. 

Grand West’s Villas has a small, air-conditioned meeting room with modern audiovisual equipment. The meeting room is often rented by local businesses, but can also be reserved for business travelers. Unfortunately the hotel does not have free Wi-Fi, but pre-paid Wi-Fi cards are available. The pre-paid cards only work for one device, but the signal is strong and works from anywhere in the hotel.