Where is it?
The Fiji Gateway Hotel is one of the closest hotels to Nadi airport. It is located on Queens Road, just across the street from Nadi International Airport. This makes it a good choice for passengers with a late flight arrival or an early flight departure, or perhaps a short layover at the airport between two flights.
The hotel used to be called Raffles Gateway Hotel and you may still find references to that name on the internet.
The arrival experience
I arrived at Nadi airport by plane from Tonga at 7.30 pm. After passing through passport control and customs I decided to walk to the hotel. I had read on the internet that there was supposed to be some kind of shuttle bus, but I was tired and wanted to maximise my time at the hotel so I simply decided to try to get to the hotel by foot since I knew it would not be far away. Also I had an early domestic flight the following morning so it made sense to try to figure out how to get back to the airport in the morning.
It was not completely obvious where to go after exiting the arrivals hall in the international terminal but I had a rough idea of where to go and basically just followed the road most of the cars used to leave the terminal.
The best way to get to the hotel by foot is to cross the large parking lot so you end up on the other side, the same side as the domestic terminal. Then there is a sidewalk for pedestrians.
As I reached some traffic lights I began wondering where to go next, only to realise the hotel was right in front of me, on the other side of the road. The hotel is definitely not far away and not particularly hard to find, as long as you have some kind of idea where to go. It takes around five minutes to walk and definitely no more than ten minutes.
Upon arrival I was immediately checked in by a friendly woman at the reception. Overall the hotel gave a good first impression. It is not a luxury hotel by any means but I found the standard better than expected. The hotel and especially the public areas has a bit of a colonial feel, most of it in white wood. Apparently the hotel opened in 1969 so it has been around for many years, but it seems to have been fully refurbished not too long ago.
After the check-in formalities were completed I was given a brief introduction of how to find my room. The hotel is divided into several blocks and I had to cross the garden to get to my room.
The room
I had booked a Deluxe room which was located on the ground floor. The room was surprisingly spacious and had a queen-sized bed, a separate living room area with a sofa and a TV, and a work desk. Apparently the sofa can be used as an extra bed. There was also plenty of storage for the luggage.
Overall the room was in a good condition and actually in a better condition than I had expected. Admittedly this is a local hotel, it is not part of one of the major international hotel chains, like some of the hotels you can find on the popular Denarau Island outside Nadi, but on the other hand there is also quite a price difference.
I thought the standard was perfectly satisfactory and especially considering the price tag. It had everything I needed for a short stay between two flights.
And another thing worth mentioning, the bed had some rather interesting Fijian decorations.
The bathroom was clean and tidy but fairly basic. There was a wash basin, toilet, shower and a standard selection of toiletries.
Food and drinks
The hotel has a large lobby where there is a restaurant, a bar and a cafe.
The restaurant is called Palm Court Restaurant and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It has a typical range of international dishes such as burgers, salads, pasta and meat dishes from the grill. I visited the restaurant in the evening to have something to eat before going to bed and ordered a chicken stay. The restaurant is quite pleasant and has a relaxed atmosphere, located just by the pool.
In the same area there is the bar, also open from morning until late evening where you can order all kinds of drinks and cocktails.
And finally there is a cafe which is open from 7 am until 6 pm serving fresh coffee, cakes, snacks and salads.
Other facilities
There is a swimming pool and a garden next to the lobby and the restaurant with plenty of sun loungers. There is also a gym, an outdoor tennis court and a souvenir shop.
Free Wi-Fi is available in the public areas but not in the guest rooms where you have to pay for it (unless your room is close enough to the lobby).
Service
The service was friendly and efficient both at the reception and in the restaurant. There was nothing to complain about. This is a hotel mostly catering to passengers during short layovers. Perhaps arriving in the evening on an international flight and then continuing the following day to a domestic destination. So the staff are used to having late arrivals and early departures and offer a swift and efficient service.
Breakfast
I had a domestic flight departing already at 7.30 am the following morning. Although there would have been time for breakfast at the hotel (the breakfast starts already at 5.30 am) I decided to skip it and just had a sandwich at the cafe in the domestic terminal.
Final impression
The hotel is all about location, just across the road from Nadi airport, five minutes to walk. This is not the kind of hotel to book for an extended holiday in Fiji but I was actually positively surprised to see the standard and the number of facilities, especially considering the price tag.
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