Construction on the $200 million Vatu Talei or Jewel of Fiji by Richmond Ltd is underway on Denarau Island.
Tipped to be one of the country’s largest hotel developments, the 190-room luxury resort is a project by Fiji Airways and Bank of the South Pacific-owned company, Richmond Ltd.
Richmond Ltd Board chairman Michael Nacola said one of the main focuses for the resort was sustainability and environmentally conscious features.
“The design of the resort follows the contours of the Sleeping Giant and while we will be following sustainable building practices during the construction phase we will also have solar panels and greenery within the resort itself,” he said.
“We will have a nine-story building with a rooftop bar and then there is a second building with four-story with another rooftop bar.
“In another section we will have a three-story building and the swimming pool will be the feature surrounded by these three buildings.
“It will be the largest pool you will ever see in Fiji. The Sofitel at the moment has the largest pool in Fiji but this pool will be four times the size of the Sofitel pool.”
Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa general manager Vincent Macquet said Vatu Talei would no doubt strengthen the asperity landscape of Fiji as a destination by providing unique experiences.
“Vatu Talei will bring all of that level of excitement for Fijian hospitality under one roof,” he said.
“Having worked on this project for the last couple of years, I would say to me Vatu Talei means boldness and it is willingness to push the boundaries of prosperity to the next level.
“The Jewel will be the blueprint of what resorts will look like in Fiji. One of those key aspects is being green built and being in sync with the trends of today.”
The groundbreaking ceremony held over the weekend was launched by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
