Fiji’s Hotels And Critics

Are On The Increase

From a Fiji Correspondent Hotels are very much in the news in Fiji. After years of planning and talk, hotel building programmes are finally going ahead, with several new ones up, others on the way—and still more planned.

LATEST reported is a new one for Nadi—the Coral Hotel. It has a minimum accommodation of six rooms each with a shower but no toilet. The toilets are to be com munal. Some critics appear to be concerned that the hotel might de velop into a drinking shop, and point out that drinkers already are accom modated in Nadi by two clubs and the Nadi Hotel. Only four miles away are two more clubs and three hotels.

But apparently the new hotel is designed for Indian travellers.

There was an interesting develop ment when Coral Hotel applied to the Nadi Licensing Court for a pub lican’s licence. Counsel representing Northern Hotels Ltd., Mr. R. G.

Kermode, lodged two objections. He pointed out that there was no pro vision for interim licences to new applicants and that they could only be granted at the annual licensing in November.

Women Barred!

He also argued that if Mrs. Rose mary Jamnadas, English-born wife of Lessor Jamnadas, Nadi solicitor, were to be granted a publican’s licence, she would commit an offence every time she entered the building!

N .o woman is allowed in a bar under Fiji laws, or in any place where drinks are served from a servery hatch. The hotel plan shows it would be difficult to get into the ground floor without involving this law, Mr. Kermode remarked that the old law might be an ass, but that it was law.

The magistrate, Mr. Saunders, de cided not to make a decision for the moment and adjourned the hearing until July 14.

In Lautoka, the South Pacific Hotel, with all air-conditioned rooms, has established itself as “a place to go and eat”; but Cathay Hotels Ltd., which bought the rights at Saweni Beach from the Northern Club, Lautoka, for a reported £B,OOO or so, has not proceeded any further with the project. It could be marking time to see what the renewed effort

of the Visitors Bureau to attract tourists brings forth.

Close observation of the hotel in dustry in the Northwest suggests that for at least half the time the hotels are not booked out; but at times, par ticularly when aircraft from overseas are delayed at Nadi, there are not enough rooms.

Overflow passengers have been sent as far afield as Korolevu Beach Hotel.

The Mocambo Barry Philp’s new Mocambo at Namaka Hill is rising in surprisingly fast time, and the design is now emerging. When this hotel is finished, it should justify the name “luxury hotel”—although its publicity officer, Mrs. Heather Philp, says that luxury hotel is definitely not the word she wants to apply.

It is to have wall-to-wall carpets, air-conditioning, barber shop, store, 24-hours coffee lounge, dance-floor in the dining-room, swimming pool, fountain—these are some of the features of the Mocambo.

Among the names given some of the lounges and bars are Frond Re treat, Kava Korner, Village Room, Bure Bar. In the Bure Bar the decor is Fijian, with a display wall of about 30 Fijian timbers in random widths, all effectively polished and glowing.

Polished damanu support-piers in the Village Room are another feature.

Behind the main structure are the two bedroom blocks, with about 60 rooms and suites.

The dining-room will be adorned by six paintings of village scenes by Alfred Stone, the noted artist who has made Suva his home.

The Skylodge

Mrs. Philp says that extended meal service will be given to guests, the meals being all a la carte. The tariff is to be £3/12/6 single and £5 double, for accommodation only.

Downhill from this new Mocambo is Skylodge, a motel-type run by American interests, who also have the Airport Terminal catering conces sions. Accommodating over 40

pie in air-conditioned bedrooms, lodge also features a pitch-and golf course, volleyball and ten courts, and plans a swimming [ this year. iformality cloaks the atmosphere Ikylodge, the lounge being decor in Fijian style with beautiful als executed by Paddy Doyle, i Nadi itself is the Nadi Hotel; st link in the chain of Northern ;ls chain of hospitality in Viti i.”

Hotel Chain ith this hotel chain, carrying on igatoka, Korolevu Beach, Beach iber Hotel at Deuba Beach, Club :1 at Suva (airconditioned rooms, , and with hotels to complete the i at Raki Raki, Tavua, Ba and oka, it appears Northern Hotels equipped to take care of all. iere are three hotels, one tie bure style, in Vanua Levu, northern island of the Fiji p and one at Levuka, Ovalau, er capital of Fiji. So far noth las been done to attract visitors the northern parts of Fiji, ugh the hoteliers there claim they can offer more of the real jched Fiji than can the main i, and probably they are right, e there enough hotels of inter nal standard in Fiji? is the f often heard here.

Fhand, the answer is no, if the st trade is to be exploited to : it almost Fiji’s number one try, which it could easily be cals fight shy of some of the r “tourist hotels” because of the prices of accommodation, meals drinks. They prefer to drink in , prices being as much as 25 ent. cheaper. cals forced to seek hotel beds the cheaper hotels, and put up the inferior accommodation, from bars and occasional s in the bars and lounges.

Price Argument

ces are a source of argument, iers say the prices charged are nable for what is offered. Locals this and point out defects in e, bad hot-water services, mos ;s in the lounges, unscreened stifling bedrooms in summer

nany other shortcomings,

teliers retort that it is not pos to provide these services at the charged. And so it goes on. ne complaints of tourists that hears suggest that many of the ers, with the exception of i resort hotels, do nothing for

guests except to feed and accommo date them. Tourists tell of reheated food, slow or haphazard service in some places.

It is certain that if tourists do come to Fiji in the required thousands, some hoteliers must get their stan dards of service up to better than the present level, or give up the business.

There are some hoteliers who de fend themselves by insisting that many tourists are middle-aged and do not ask, or require, much enter tainment Tourist agents, however, differ,

and say these people need quiet organised entertainment, preferably with a Fijian and Indian slant to it.

They want to sfce the people of Fiji, not other Europeans.

Perhaps there is an outlet here for Fijian village industries selling direct to visitors? Visitors Bureau, please note!

• Welcome Visitors: More

than 1,000 tourists went ashore in Suva in June from the P & O Cruise Ship Strathnaver. Trade was very brisk during the two days the ship was in port.