Chateau Royal Beach Resort & Spa, Noumea

The staff and locals were all beautifully friendly, and the location was great. We could easily walk to snorkelling, western food, local cuisine, Italian food, donuts and cafes. Renovations were going on, but we didn't hear them at all. Our rooms hadn't been renovated yet, and were still amazing, comfortable and well appointed. They were large, with great bedding, and our three-bedroom apartment had beautiful views from several balconies. The staff were extremely helpful. I'd recommend staying here.

We stayed four nights in a modern, well-equipped hotel, and had great views over the bay. When our air conditioning had a problem, it was eventually fixed. The food was subpar, especially the breakfast buffet. It lacked imagination, and the hot dishes were cold every day. There’s a great bakery around the corner with amazing pastries and bread, which was a much better option.

The location was the only positive. It didn’t make up for the damp, musty smell that hit us when we entered the room and never went away. The air conditioning barely worked even at the lowest temperature, leaving the room hot and stuffy and making sleep extremely difficult. We reported it, but it wasn’t properly fixed. The building feels old and poorly maintained, with obvious signs it needs renovation. For the high price, the quality was unacceptable, and it didn’t meet basic standards, let alone Hilton standards. This was one of my worst hotel experiences, especially for a place carrying the Hilton name. I wouldn’t stay again or recommend it.

The beach is just across the road, and there are plenty of restaurants and bars nearby since the hotel only does breakfast. This was converted from the La Promenade residence and became  Hilton Nouméa La Promenade Residences in 2013. Having a full kitchen and washing machine in every room is unusual and useful. The shower is still over the bathtub, though, and the internet feels about 20 years behind, especially for streaming videos or reels. Breakfast costs XPF 3,900, which is a lot for the same items every day during our week-long stay. There were no made-to-order choices either, so it wasn't good enough for more than two days.