The Friendly North Inn

A reasonable choice for a budget stopover in Labasa, about a 20-minute walk from town. The rooms are fairly basic but have air conditioning and the usual conveniences. There's a menu you can order from in your room, though I didn't get a chance to try the food. They also rent out an event area and a conference room.

The reception staff were friendly enough, but the stay wasn't great. It's a bit of a walk into town. The toilet stopped working in my room, so I had to move, and the lock on the new room didn't work properly either. The bed was uncomfortable, and the sheets and pillows were visibly stained and unclean. Neither room's TV worked. The fridge was noisy and the iron wasn't very good. Dogs came over as soon as they saw me and hung around outside my door hoping for food. Room service eventually arrived cold and with the wrong order.

The staff were a bit impolite, and the whole stay was a disaster. It was very noisy, the rooms didn't meet expectations, and there was no pool. When we asked for extra beds, none were available, so any additional guests had to sleep on a mattress. We also asked to use the pool at the sister hotel, the grand eastern hotel, but they had no transport to take guests there. We had to arrange and pay for our own ride.

The staff were very helpful and accommodating, and this wasn't their fault. The owners need to inspect the rooms and facilities, which badly need a thorough clean and an upgrade. We stayed two nights as a family, and it was an awful experience. The rooms smelled and were dirty, and the towels were stained. We were in an 'apartment' that was supposed to have kitchen facilities, but there was no cutlery. We bought our own spoons and other utensils at local shops. There was nothing for washing dishes, the kitchen cupboards were broken, and the fridges were rusty and filthy. I didn't feel comfortable leaving anything in them. I definitely won't stay here again and wouldn't recommend the place to anyone.