Radisson Blu Resort Denarau Island – Hotel Review

Sitting pretty on four hectares of beachfront location following a comprehensive refurb, Radisson Blu Resort Denarau Island makes family holidays a cinch thanks to its freshly spruced, well-sized rooms, climate-controlled network of pools, four restaurants, tour desk, gym and a full schedule of activities for children. Read on for the full review.

And with Blu Bananas Kids Club open from 9am-9pm daily (including meals), there’s ample time for parents to enjoy some R&R around the resort, or, more restoratively, at Harmony Retreat Day Spa. If adrenaline’s more your thing, on-site water sports provider Denarau Surf Dive N Ski has high-performance jet skis ready to rev – just grab a snorkel and head for the coral reef around Malamala Island.

Where is Radisson Blu Resort Denarau Island?

A half-hour drive from Nadi Airport, Radisson Blu is situated on the western side of Denarau Island. The horseshoe-shaped property looks out on Nadi Bay towards the Mamanuca Islands.

What's near Radisson Blu Resort Denarau Island?

Golfers will adore the proximity to Denarau Golf Course, which is just across the road and nature lovers will appreciate being with half an hour's drive of the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, a stunning landscaped gardens with thousands of orchids and verdant tropical plants.

Room types

The resort’s 268 rooms and suites are smart and functional, featuring blond wood furniture and oversized headboards, soft furnishings in blue and grey, and colourful artwork by Fijian visual artist Maria Rova. Each has a king bed, TV with movies and balcony or ground-floor patio. Rooms are 40 square metres and sleep two adults, a child and an infant; one-bedroom suites are twice the size and sleep two adults and two children; two-bedroom suites are 120 square metres and sleep six. Suites have a separate lounge/dining area, kitchen with microwave and dishwasher, and – a lifesaver for families – washing machine and dryer.

Restaurants and bars

There’s New Zealand scotch fillet and grilled Yasawa Island reef fish on the menu at Blu Bar & Grill, or let Bangkok chef Anan Tumya fire up the spice quotient at Chintara Thai Restaurant with tastebud tantalisers such as kaeng pa yellow curry with king prawns, eggplant and kaffir lime. Family-friendly Basilico, which overlooks the water, has an easy-to-love Italian menu including mud crab fra diavolo and a similarly devilish tiramisu.

Travel for work

Radisson Blu’s light-filled executive boardroom can accommodate up to 10 people and comes with a dedicated secretary. For a larger corporate event, the resort’s ballroom can seat 100 guests for a banquet or 150 guests in theatre mode and has a private balcony overlooking Denarau Golf Course. Catering ranges from canapés to multi-course feasts, there’s a printing service, and the resort has free high-speed wi-fi throughout.

Pool, spa and gym

There are five pools at the resort; with some helpfully reserved for adults-only (and one with a swim up bar). In-house Harmony Retreat spa tempts weary limbs and less-than-radiant visages with a full menu of indulgent massages and facials using Pure Fiji products infused with local botanicals. The traditional Fijian Bobo massage can be as relaxing or as punishing as you like, while the coconut and lime blossom body peel will leave you feeling tingly and terrific. The compact gym has free weights and cardio machines, and is open from 6am to 11pm.

What you need to know

Get the family’s big and little feet wet while enjoying trad Fijian cuisine and an eye-popping fire show at the Lomani Wai.

SEE ALSO: 17 of the Best Family-Friendly Resorts in Fiji