Gecko's Resort

We heard Geckos put on a great fire show so went for happy hour, dinner and the show on a Friday evening. The staff were so friendly, food was great and the kids options even better. The show was awesome. The dancers were incredibly interactive and had everyone, kids adults and all involvedand dancing, with lots of great laughs and incredible fire throwing skills! Was an awesome night out.

My tween daughter and I spent a delightful 8 full days here, enjoying every moment! The staff are incredibly warm and friendly, reflecting the hospitality found throughout Fiji. The food and drinks were excellent. While weekends were busier, it was never crowded; weekdays were just perfect. The rooms meet Western standards, though there is no microwave, so plan accordingly. Admittedly, the site could use some TLC. The room includes a safe, electric kettle, small fridge, coffee, tea, sugar, some utensils, and cups. The beds were firm, which we liked, and the pillows were a mix of hard and soft. We bought dried noodles nearby for late-night snacks or early mornings before heading out in a taxi. The shower water was plenty hot and had great pressure (we stayed in room 32). I drank boiled water without any problems, though I'm not sure if boiling is necessary. They sell 1.5-liter bottles of water for about $6 FJD, but you can get them in Voua for $2 FJD. On-site activities include: two outdoor pools, a bar, a restaurant (breakfast from 8-10 AM, lunch from 12-3 PM, and dinner from 6-8 PM), and five mountain bikes available for rent. There's plenty of space to nurse a Fiji Gold and read a good book. Entertainment options feature a DVD player with hundreds of Hollywood hits, a TV with a few channels, and a small library with a variety of used books—we added two more to the collection. Out back, there's plenty of space for children to run around, a small gym, a cultural center showcasing a traditional Fijian house and history, and free internet access. They'll exchange AUD for FJD without issue, which is great, since cash is still widely used. Paying the resort by foreign credit card was painless. There are ATMs and a Vodafone store in Sigatoka too, though we didn't explore the town much since our preference was instead to explore villages, partake in Kava ceremonies, hike through caves, take a jetboat, and go on lots of other off-site, half-and-full-day adventures. Our July itinerary included getting a SIM at the airport, then a late-night shuttle from Nadi airport ($100 FJD). The next day, we explored the small town of Voua on foot and stocked up on water and extra food from local stores. Over the following days, we planned one major activity per day, such as the "Off Road Cave Safari," "Zip Fiji Momi" (16 lines), and the "Sigatoka River Safari." We made sure to rest every two or three days. There was no need to rent a car since the resort is more than happy to arrange a taxi or private shuttle for you either to/from the airport, or to your chosen daily excursion. When we left, it was hugs all around! You could pay 10X more for the same Fijian experience at other hotels, so why would you?

So we arrived prior to check in… not a problem. Receptionist told us room would be ready in 5 minutes. That 5 minutes turned out to be 1 & 1/2 hour wait. Upon going to room a smell of sewerage was noticed. Depending on the wind direction this can be quite strong. The resort is very run down and is in urgent need of renovation. We were told at check in that if we wanted to dine in restaurant on Tues, Fri or Sunday we need to book as it gets busy with patrons from outside the resort. We made a reservation for 7pm . As it was busy we arrived at 6.35pm and ordered at 6.45pm. Cocktails took half an hour to arrive after asking for them where they were. At 8pm I asked where our meals were and the response was that there was a large table before us. I might add this large table was NOT house guests they were from the Shangri La. House guest don’t have priority over outside guests. Restaurant closes at 8pm. 1 meal came at 8.14pm the other at 8.25pm… The restaurant is focused on guests staying at other resorts…. Why? not sure seems odd! I asked to speak with the Resort Manager 7 times over the course of the evening. She was either too scared to talk with me or didn’t give a damn. Later in evening when restaurant was closed I saw a lady that looked like the manager and asked her if indeed she was, she said yes. I found her to be dismissive, unprofessional and instead of apologizing just made excuses. Our stay was now not about the restaurant but purely down to the fact that the resort manger’s lack of interest in us. Had she come to talk to us without hiding in the kitchen all night she could have alleviated us wanting to check out earlier and there would not have been the angst and frustration. She is simply not fit for the position. I advised her that we would be checking out the next day cutting or stay short by 4 days. And that I wanted a refund for those 4 days. She made all these excuses that she couldn’t refund I advised her that we would indeed be checking out tomorrow and that I expected a refund. Upon checking out we were refunded and we went back to the glorious, professional and friendly Bedarra Beach Inn where we were “welcomed home”

Stayed in a one bedroom appartment. The room was basic but functional, but what let this hotel down was the paper thin walls between the rooms. There was a family next door with noisy children and we had to knock on at midnight to ask them to keep the noise down. The restaurant staff were surly, although the night security guard was really friendly.

Just passed through as a diner in the restaurant with the family. Clean environment, friendly staff and reasonable food. We reviewed the bill the following day to find the amount charged was higher than on the menu by about $25fj. This was brought to the attention of Geckos (via email) who said they were currently updating the website to the new prices and that we could get a payment differential credit next time we came, but did not offer a refund. Lack of transparency with pricing made this pretty expensive $175fj for 3 people for mid range dining. Daughter enjoyed playing pool though. Breakfast menu looks pretty good (if prices are correct) so might give them a second chance heading home.

We visited geckos restaurant for dinner while staying at the Shangri La for something different The food was great and reasonably priced. The staff were friendly and cheerful and made the overall experience worth going. I would recommend a visit if you are getting tired of resort food.