The multimillion-dollar refurbished Westin Resort and Spa on Denarau Island will reopen in September this year.
Speaking to this newspaper in Nadi this week, Minister for Finance Esrom Immanuel said the contractors, Fletcher Construction and the Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF) had experienced a few issues for the soft opening that was scheduled for March this year.
“Now they have confirmed to me that it will open in September,” he said.
In an earlier interview with this newspaper at the FRCS office opening in Ba in February, Mr Immanuel said the resort was scheduled to have a soft opening in March and the full opening in June when the upgrade works have been fully completed.
However, this has been shifted to September.
The resort – formerly known as the Regent Hotel and originally built in 1975 before its rebranding as the Westin in the late 1980s – was closed for a major overhaul in January 2023, according to its owner FNPF.
“Throughout 2024, additional project scope was introduced to further enhance the guest experience and elevate the property to align with the latest Westin brand standards,” the fund stated in its 2025 annual report.
“These value additions have extended the overall project completion timeline to 2026.
“Despite the complexity and challenges inherent in a largescale redevelopment (balancing the preservation of the hotel’s historical character while introducing modern design and amenities), FNPF through its subsidiary Dubbo Pte Ltd remain committed to delivering a world-class hospitality asset that aligns with the long-term value creation objectives of the Fund.”
The FNPF had revealed in the report it had suggested a staged opening strategy to the resort operator to allow selected hotel areas to become operational ahead of full project completion and enable early revenue generation.
