Day room luxury in Fiji

Travelers using Nadi International Airport in Fiji often face several empty hours before the next stage of their journey. I’ve used a number of the airport hotels there in the past; all were adequate though nothing special.

On my most recent visit to Fiji, however, on Oct. 16, 2010, our family stayed at a delightful new hostelry, The Fiji Orchid (Saweni Beach Rd., Lautoka, Nadi, Fiji; phone 679 664 0099 or, in the US, 800/224-0220 or 888/345-4669).

Managed by a hospitable staff and serving gourmet meals, this hotel turns those empty hours into a virtual mini-vacation on which you can restore body and spirit.

The Orchid is built on the lushly landscaped former estate of the actor Raymond Burr (Perry Mason). Scattered throughout his tropical orchid garden are open-air lounge and dining room buildings, once parts of his home, and six modern, air-conditioned bures (freestanding rooms), beautifully designed and appointed and each with a lounge area, king-sized bed and large, partitioned bathroom.

The bures can be rented for overnight stays or as day rooms. Six of us rented two of the bures as day rooms from which we could rest between the arrival of our flight from Los Angeles at 5 a.m. and the embarkation of our seven-day cruise with Blue Lagoon Cruises at 2 p.m. Transportation by private taxi — airport-hotel and hotel-ship — was included in our rate of FJD350 ($190) per bure.

(There also are two day rooms in the main building with a day rate of FJD275.)

Greeting us at the airport, Orchid agents transferred us to the property 15 minutes away, where we were welcomed with fruit juice. We ordered breakfasts from their menu, each of us setting a time when we would be ready to eat. We then were shown to our bures, a few yards away along a path through the garden just beyond a saltwater swimming pool and lounge area.

After showers, snoozes and, for some, a swim, we wandered back to the dining room for our breakfast appointments. A Continental breakfast of toast, fresh fruit, cereals, juices and tea or coffee cost FJD20 ($11). Full, cooked breakfasts cost FJD35 ($19). We didn’t stay for lunch or dinner, but lunch is a set three-course menu at FJD45 and dinner, four courses at FJD65.

Taxis delivered us to the port building in 10 minutes.

When I return to Fiji, I may try to spend at least a whole day and night enjoying the amenities of The Fiji Orchid.

PAT BLAKESLEE
Carpinteria, CA