Grand Papua Hotel

As a Coral Sea Member, coming back is always a great experience. The staff are friendly and attentive, and I mainly visit for the food and the bar's end-of-week happy hour, 4PM-6PM, if I've got the time right. The food has always been perfect, and the buffet is worth the price. Hotel members get discounts, and there are great promotions almost every month.

The room view was the only grand part. The room itself was dated and dirty, with stained carpet, filthy unusable chairs, and furniture that looked unchanged since the hotel opened 12 years ago. We asked to change rooms, but the next one was just the same. At least the sheets were clean. The entrance and award-covered walls looked impressive, but stepping off the elevator, the whole floor smelled so strongly of raw fish that I held my nose to the room. My partner and I came from Australia and were very disappointed. For anyone from overseas hoping for a luxurious stay, I wouldn't recommend it. We stayed the first night, then ordered room service. The person who brought it was friendly, but the food was terrible. Street food in PNG tasted much better, and the apple pie was inedible after one bite. We cancelled our last night and weren't offered a refund. We wouldn't recommend this hotel for comfort, quality, or luxury. The view might be nice, but everything else fell well short. The Stanley had lots of tourists, which told us everything, and was 100× better as a top hotel. The grand papua was very quiet with people.

I enjoyed the service and our time here, with a comfortable bed and a room that had just the right ambience. There's a gym, a beautiful sunrise view, and some specials, including a seafood buffet on Friday evening. I do think a renovation is needed and hope it's done by the next time I visit. I was happy with my stay.

The restaurant's Friday night seafood buffet is pretty good, and the staff are helpful and friendly. There's a lovely view of Ela Beach and the downtown area around it.