@Stargazer, pleasure. Happy to offer my perspective. Although apologies in advance for the delay in between posts about each hotel due to demanding work commitments.
First, The Intercontinental Fiji. Since visiting in December 2019, room rates have almost doubled in price. The resort feels more 'luxurious' than other hotels in Fiji, but I'm not sure if I categorise it as a truly luxury resort, if that makes sense. The resort markets towards honeymooners and couples, rather than families with children so guests are typically adults.
Because of its location along the Coral Coast, the resort is an hour's drive from Nadi and is secluded from the frenetic pace that you find on Denarau as it is nested within lush tropical vegetation. The grounds are neat, well manicured and the condition of public areas are very clean.
Rooms tend to be classified in two categories: those with Club Intercontinental (CI) Access and those without. Club Intercontinental offers a more bespoke check-in experience (which I feel is more marketing hype than something of substance) but staff drive you on a buggy from the main lobby to CI for this. Rates with club access should (but check) include breakfast as well as a daily hour of complimentary canapes and drinks. I stayed in 1 Bedroom Club Suite with Plunge Pool and the stand out feature of the room was the size. There was so much room, almost too much which sounds like a weird thing to write. Regardless, every room has complimentary mini bar that is restocked daily with nuts, sodas, and chocolates.
The feature of CI is the infinity pool which can only be used by guests with CI rooms (see the picture I've attached from google images which is a good representation of it). It means that the pool was never crowded. This can obviously change depending on the hotel occupancy level at the time of visit.
Speaking of crowds, the hotel has a conference center. If there is a function on at the time of your stay, conference guests overrun the resort and (could) bring their own 'vibe' to it, which would detract from a demure experience. My visit had no event, so the resort felt (almost too) empty but that is certainty not a complaint. I assume that post Covid, the resort is running at capacity so what I've described above may be a thing of the past.
The main pool and beach are not to be understated either. The scenery is stunning and you can overlook the beach while eating at one of the restaurants. I won't pass judgment on the food (it can be very subjective) but the standard of food at hotels in Fiji has greatly improved over the past 10 years.
The hotel is also located near a world class golf course , but I am not a golfer so I can speak to that leisure activity.
If you'd like to know something specific about this resort, just ask. I'll report on the Outrigger Coral Coast in my next post.
