Smugglers Cove Beach Resort and Hotel

The beach view is beautiful, and you can walk straight out to the beach. It was also a good place to meet other solo travelers and make friends. The room was nice and clean, and the staff were super friendly, polite, and always happy to help. The bar on site was very convenient, open from early morning until late at night, and the drinks and food were good. I had an amazing time here and would definitely stay again.

The location right by the beach was handy for heading to the port for island trips, and the beds were decent for a one-night stop. But I wouldn’t stay longer or choose it again. In our dorm, the shower and toilet door wouldn’t lock. At the restaurant and bar, we ordered iced vanilla lattes but got milkshakes because they didn’t have vanilla. When we asked to remove them from the order since we didn’t want them, staff said they couldn’t because the drinks were already in the system and the server would have to pay. We hadn’t paid yet, so that didn’t make much sense to us.

I had a fun time in Fiji thanks to Bashir Ali at Smugglers Cove. He helped me fit the things on my bucket list into the trip, including surfing at Cloudbreak, a floating bar, and even a fishing trip. I’m really grateful he went out of his way to make the experience live up to what I’d hoped for. Smugglers Cove is a lively beachfront spot in Nadi where locals hang out, and it’s a nice place for coffee at sunrise or dinner at sunset. If you want to make the most of your time in Fiji, ask for Bashir.

The hotel was acceptable for a short stay, but the service, communication, and attitude of some staff really affected my experience. I stayed twice, once before heading to the Yasawa Islands and again before my flight home, and both visits were disappointing. Restaurant service was poor on both stays. Staff often seemed uninterested, communication was confusing, and even simple orders took a long time. On my second visit, when the restaurant was quiet, a Coke took over 30 minutes and fried rice about an hour. The check-in on that second stay was especially stressful. I’d booked through Booking.com weeks earlier, but used the wrong card by mistake, so the payment failed. That was my error, but nobody contacted me beforehand. If they had, I’d have updated the card straight away. When I arrived, I explained that I’d changed my payment details on Booking.com and asked if they could charge that card. Some staff raised their voices and spoke down to me, making me feel accused of trying not to pay, which wasn’t the case. On my first stay, I also found some staff unprofessional and unwilling to help. Although the website said reception was open 24/7, I returned in the evening needing assistance and was told it was “closed” until morning, while a receptionist sat behind the desk. When I asked how to get to the port, I was told “I don’t know” with no attempt to help.