SHANGRI-LA’S Fijian Resort & Spa has a lot of reasons to celebrate 2014.
They have a brand new general manager — Craig Powell — who is a local boy.
They won, for the 19th consecutive year in a row the annual Fiji Day Sigatoka River Bilibili Race and the ever-popular family retreat is celebrating 40 years of success under the Shangri-La label and 47 years of existence as one of the premier holiday destinations of choice for thousands of visitors to our shores each year.
Iconic, beautiful, warm, majestic and friendly are words that visitors to one of the country’s oldest resort properties use to describe Shangri-La’s Fijian.
Personally, I can attest to the Yanuca Island property’s appeal and hospitality, but don’t take my word for it. Hop on to tourist monitors like Trip Advisor or check out the comments made by guests at the resort.
From the moment, you turn off the Queens Rd and travel over the causeway onto Yanuca Island, the first thing that hits you is the tranquillity of the place.
Yes, Shangri-La’s Fijian is renowned as a family retreat and its not uncommon to hear the ring of young laughter as kids frolic in a swimming pool designed to cater for families.
However, if you’re looking for peace and quiet — a quick word with one of the friendly staff and you’re whisked away to an “adults only” area.
Newly-appointed general manager Craig Powell says keeping the iconic property at the top of its game was no secret.
“As a well-known hotel and part of an international brand we cannot rest on our laurels although we are proud of our history and association with tourism growth in Fiji for almost five decades,” he shared.
“One of the main things we are always mindful of is that we need to listen to our customers as travellers’ needs have changed over the decades, technology growth has been unprecedented in the last 20 years and this has impacted on the market and how people are making decisions about which destinations they will choose to visit.
“Keeping our own destination at the forefront is also important to us and key when we are talking about our own product.”
Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort has one of the highest returnee guest numbers in the country.
Mr Powell says visitors keep coming back because of what the resort strives to do each day — by offering each guest a holistic holiday experience.
“Over the years we have maintained and tried to offer as far as possible an authentic Fijian experience for all our guests, one that encompasses family and one that remains true to our roots.
“The traveller of today wants to have a more profound experience of a destination and this is what we try and do across all areas at our resort.
“As hotels in Fiji have evolved and become ultra-modern we have remained the same and true to our destination and close to our culture.
“Our staff are at the heart of the operation in our resort and they bring our resort alive and our destination for the thousands of visitors that come here.”
The resort GM said there were plans to develop the resort to further cater for the growing tourist numbers and demands.
“Further developing the resort, without going into too much detail, is a priority for us as there are always areas that we can improve on.
“Celebrating half a century is another journey we look forward to and we would like to share that story with everyone as it is part of the larger rich tapestry of the history of tourism in Fiji.”
One of the many ways that Shangri-La’s Fijian offers guests a unique experience is through its Marine Education Centre and Embrace Project — where guests can participate in marine conservation efforts or take part in activities to uplift the lives of school children attending learning centres supported by the resort.
