A nice property that is set in beautiful lush garden grounds. Fiji attracts us time and again not just because of its beautiful beaches and setting, but because of the beautiful people. The staff at Double Tree were no exception to this - open, friendly, always willing to help and greet you with a warm "Bula!". This was a particularly difficult time for them... we arrived a day before Cyclone Mal hit after transferring (last-minute) from one of the island resorts so that we could make our connecting flight back to NZ before the ferries were cancelled (the flight ended up being cancelled anyway). We were told to remain in our rooms for our safety during the cyclone, and food was delivered to us. This was a brilliant arrangement, and after the winds passed, staff immediately sprung into action around the resort to clear the debris, reinstate normality, and reassure visitors.
Where the resort is really lacking is in the food/dining space - perhaps this was due to the weather events. The buffet selection for breakfast and dinner was average at best, often seemed to be random (choices that just didn't seem to go together), and serving dishes regularly empty for long periods due to the piggish buffet mentality of some guests. We watched a couple next to us bring their own bottled softdrink, tell staff that "only one of us will be having buffet thanks", then proceed to mound several plates which they shared between them. No wonder they have to crank the buffet prices up!