BDU: Hilton Fiji

BDU: Birthday Down Under - Trip Planning
BDU: Flying to Sydney
BDU: Park Hyatt Sydney
BDU: Sydney Activities
BDU: Sydney Opera House
BDU: Flying to Uluru and Back
BDU: Uluru and Kata Tjuta
BDU: Park Hyatt Melbourne
BDU: Melbourne Activities
BDU: Flying to Fiji
BDU: Hilton Fiji
BDU: Snorkeling Trip
BDU: Flying to Los Angeles
BDU: Hyatt Regency DFW

It was still quite early, around 7 AM, when we arrived at the Hilton.  The good thing is that the staff is quite accustomed to having folks arrive at all hours.  We did have to wait a little while to check in as several people on our flight were also staying here.  The open-air lobby was quite inviting and the seating was quite comfortable.

Hilton Fiji Lobby Seating

Hilton Fiji Reception Desk

We were not surprised to learn our room was not ready, since it was probably not even 7:30 AM at this point. We were given vouchers for breakfast at the restaurant and our luggage was stored for us.

Nuku serves the breakfast buffet and is just a short walk from the lobby. It was lovely to dine outside with the ocean breeze gently blowing.  The sun was up and it was already quite warm but dining under an umbrella kept things comfortable.  We managed to do justice to the breakfast buffet and after a redeye flight we were all ready for naps.  On the grassy area between Nuku and the beach were several small tents with large cushions, almost like divans.  Due to the angle of the sun we couldn't all stay in the same tent and be in the shade so we each took one and I think we all enjoyed napping for 30 minutes or so until we were told our room was ready.

Nuku Restaurant

Our luggage was loaded into a golf cart and we hopped aboard to be driven to our room.  It was that far away but it was nice not to have to lug it.  We appreciated having an escort to the room because our condo was on the second floor so he carried the luggage upstairs for us.

Our condo was up the stairs on the left

The condo was not large but it was plenty of room for the three of us.  The second bedroom was to the left of the entrance and everything else was to the right.

It would seem the second bedroom is intended for young children, not for adults.  There are twin beds but there was virtually no storage space for adult-sized luggage.

Small second bedroom

The bathroom was equally small and only had a shower.  I had trouble getting an angle where I could photograph the whole shower and eventually gave up.

Tiny second bathroom

Tight squeeze to get a photo of the shower

Walking back past the front door the main portion of the condo opened up into a kitchen with a small table, then the living area and beyond that a sizeable covered balcony.

The kitchen had all the basics, including a small dishwasher that was tucked into a drawer!  That was the first time any of us had seen something like that.  It did have a full-sized fridge - not that we had all that much to store in it.  The chairs around the table were part of the same wicker set as the sofa and were a little bit large for the table but it's not like we were serving gourmet meals there anyway.

Kitchen console - the drawer at bottom left is the dishwasher

Full-sized fridge and the sofa

Kitchen table and living area

Across from the sofa was a built-in entertainment center with a large flat-screen TV...that we never turned on.

Entertainment center

Why turn on the TV when this is the view from the balcony?

Balcony view

Our balcony had a good-sized table with four chairs and a nice grill.

Balcony table and grill

Walking back inside from the balcony the master bedroom is now visible straight ahead.  It was quite large with a king-sized bed and a large ottoman I used as a luggage stand.

Master bedroom

Across from the bed was another flat screen TV that went unviewed though the shelf underneath it was a handy place to set lots of things.

TV in the master bedroom

The wardrobe in the corner was also large and included the safe and an iron - and slippers for anyone who needed them.

Wardrobe in the master bedroom

The master bath was quite large as it included a soaking tub with a separate shower, a toilet room and a closet with the washer and dryer, in addition to the vanity and sink.

Entrance to master bath

Just inside the door to the right is the tub.  On the wall behind that was the sink and vanity. Lots of storage space here and lots of towels, which was greatly appreciated!

Master tub and vanity

Straight ahead from the door was the shower.  We were a little disappointed that some of the toiletries were in containers on the wall and that there were no shelves to set the shampoo and conditioner or hooks for our wash cloths.

Master shower with a window for lighting

To the right of the shower was the toilet room.  These two small rooms shared a single sliding door that could cover one of the rooms or the other but not both!  And even when the door was fully "closed" there was still a gap of a good inch which was just a very strange thing to us.

Master toilet

Between the toilet room and the sink was the closet with the washer and dryer.  Only one of these could be in operation at a time but we gave 'em a workout.

Laundry closet

After we got settled in it was time to head to the pools.  And there are many to choose from though they're all located very close together.

One of the many pools

Another couple of pools

The beaches in this part of Fiji aren't great.  In particular, the beach itself near our hotel was fine but the water had mud flats out for several yards.  We walked down the beach a little ways and those mud flats disappeared, but if beaches are your draw to a place you'll want to be out on one of the more remote islands instead of here on Denaru Island.

Still, it's not hard to enjoy this scene from the lounge chair just outside your condo!

Not too shabby!

The staff - and Fijians in general - were very friendly and helpful.  Everyone says "Bula!" (a traditional Fijian greeting) when they walk by and soon we were doing that too.  The activities desk helped us arrange a snorkel trip for the next day.  It was great to top off our trip in such a relaxing way.