Type: Superior Room, King size bed
Length: 12 nights
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
View: Garden

I booked my accommodation through Blue Holidays. There are plenty of options, but watch out for cheap options because sometimes they have shared bathroom facilities. Le Meridien sounded like a good option because of its size, rates, and also the range of activities available. All activities are free of charge. Besides, the pictures looked good. Let’s analyse my stay!

Food
Not many resorts offer meals as part of the deal. Many, however, do include complimentary breakfast. Le Meridien was offering complimentary continental buffet breakfast, and lunch vouches. The break is fantastic. Their range extends along an entire wall, and the staff are friendly. Some options are: bacon, eggs, toast, range of fruits, range of cereals, baked beans, range of breads/croissants/muffins/danishes, range of drinks, and of course tea/coffee.

I had major problems with lunch because they only have 1 vegetarian option. After getting to know the waiters, I was able to order what I liked and change it up a bit. Don’t be afraid to order something which is not on the menu. They are a 5 star resort, so should cater to your needs. Buffet lunch is sometimes offered. The best part about lunch is you can laze around the pool, and they will serve right to you. But the time it takes for meals to arrive is a big disappointment. The longest it took for me was 60 minutes. But if you go a bit earlier, or later in the afternoon, food is delivered quicker. One annoyance is the lack of staff available at times. Sometimes, 4 people are allocated to deal with 50 or so hungry Westerners. Bad idea! Also, don’t be afraid to “push in” and tell the staff what you want. If you just wait for them to approach, IT MAY NEVER HAPPEN!

I bought dinner every night (about 20 bucks per meal). The pool side restaurant is cheaper than the main one. I did go to a buffet (Mexican) but it wasn’t worth it. I never made it to Melanesian night (every Thurs), and it looked good but way too expensive for my budget (4000+ vatu per person). The lobby restaurant has the best Hokkein noodles, its a must. The entertainment is often repetitive (string bands), but good to have them there anyway.

Overall, not bad but they certainly got work to do with meal delivery times.

Service
I had some problems during my staff which required some “fixes”. Staff are very friendly, but they may not approach you to serve. That was a bit different to what I was used to. Often I would approach them, and then everything would go smoothly. Speak slowly, because they may not understand what you’re on about. Booking tours through Guest relations is not as easy as it should be. It takes a long time (up to 15 minutes to confirm one tour). The cleaners are lovely, and Jonathan at the pool side restaurant is great!

When I checked in, they short changed me but not providing the lunch vouchers, so be vigilant. I think they are not as organised as one would expect for a 5 star resort.

Facilities
The resort is quite old. Some parts of it are decrepit. The room was comfortable. Of course, the Lagoon suites would be top class, although I never viewed them myself. Tours are available, just ask the accommodation manager. I did notice some people moving from them back to “normal” rooms during my stay, perhaps due to the isolation and cost. Its on its own island, separated from the main resort. The TV reception was very poor in my room, but it had a reliable fridge and phone. There was a safe, which was easy to use. The bathroom was clean, and water pressure was adequate. I went to the casino, but its dead most of the time. None the less, there is a gambling venue if required. There are plenty of activities to do. In summary these are the facilities provided:

* Tennis courts (2)
* Swimming pools (2)
* Kayaking
* Catamaran
* Volleyball
* Soccer pitch
* Basketball mini court
* 9 hole golf course
* Table tennis
* Air hockey
* Board games in the lobby

Internet is available but is about $10AUD per 30 minutes. It eats up time quickly, because its very very slow. I would suggest you go to town, and log onto the net cafes.

In a place where so many Australian guests stay, I could not believe that they do not have cricket bats and balls. There’s a big pitch just beyond the soccer pitch, and this is ideal for cricket. What do you say?

Activities
Tuesday evening drinks with the staff is a great way to build relationships with them. Often they give away free tours, or introductory packages so grab your raffle ticket and get involved. Drinks, and nibbles are provided free of charge and they are yummy.

Major drawback
While I was there they were renovating the resort. The resort has two main wings, and I was in the Garden Wing. Unfortunately this was being refurbished. I had to put up with loud noise almost on a daily basis. Often they would start work at 8.30am, so I didn’t get a chance to sleep in. This was a major problem. By the end of my trip, I got fed up with it all. They really should have not booked people into this wing knowing that there were major renovations going. This left a very bad taste and no doubt with be detrimental to their overall rating.

Inside tips
* Guest relations will book/confirm all of your tours. Be patient however.
* Go to town in the public buses. So much cheaper than taxis.
* Be friendly to the wait staff, and they’ll let you take lunch back to your room
* Tips are not customary, but welcomed. I tipped big at the end of my stay.
* Check that you are getting what you paid for.

Suggestions
* You need to educate your staff to be casual, but not too “casual” and to approach guests freely
* Why does it take so long to cook a meal? Fries takes 30 minutes. You need major improvements here.
* The renovations were really annoying, so in the future you should not put guests where there’s such intolerable loud noise. Bad bad move! At the least, give those guests a discount for putting up with the noise.
* Mate, you must have cricket facilities!!!

Rating - 7/10 (Better than average)
I give them a 7 out of 10 rating cautiously because there are plenty of improvements to be made. Their lovely staff really bring the rating up. Improve your speed of service, and a bit more organisation will propel the resort further.

** Mr Feedback is currently looking for reviews for the following resorts: Le Lagoon, Melanesian Hotel, Sebel Vanuatu, Iririki Resort, Poppy’s on the Lagoon, Mangoes Resort.