We spent four nights at the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa on Natadola Beach, as the splurge stop in the middle of a longer Fiji trip that started at a budget hotel down the coast. This review is meant to help you decide whether to book it: what the room and the two pools are actually like, what’s included versus what costs extra, how the spa experience compares to a brochure description, and how it stacks up against the cheaper place we stayed first. One thing up front: we aren’t golfers, so despite the resort’s name, this isn’t a review of the golf course.
We booked mostly with IHG One Rewards points we’d saved up, and bought a small number of extra points to cover the rest, rather than paying the cash rate. I haven’t quoted any prices or points numbers anywhere in this article, because every number we paid is now out of date.
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The short answer
- Worth it if you want a large, full-service beach resort with two very different pools, a genuinely good spa, and enough on-site activities that you never have to leave, and you don’t mind paying resort prices for the convenience.
- Skip it if you’re hoping to golf here specifically (the course isn’t actually on the resort property) or you’d rather be based somewhere smaller and cheaper with easy access to local restaurants.
- The biggest trade-off: the resort is remote and spread over 35 acres, so once you’re in, you’re mostly eating and drinking on property at resort prices, moving around by buggy or the resort’s Boula Bus.
- The biggest surprise: the balcony had its own full-size bathtub, and the beachside cabanas are first-come, first-served and free, which isn’t the case everywhere.
If that sounds like your kind of stay, you can check current rates and availability for InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa now, and read on for the details that decide it.
What our stay looked like
| When | Four nights, as the middle stop of a longer Fiji trip |
| Room | A King Lagoon View room with a balcony |
| How we paid | Mostly IHG One Rewards points we’d saved, topped up by buying a small number of extra points |
| What our footage shows | The two main pools and the beach cabanas, Navo (dinner), Kama Lounge, and a signature spa treatment |
| What this review can’t cover | We aren’t golfers, so we never played the golf course (confirmed on camera). Our footage also doesn’t show the hydro sports (jet ski, wakeboarding, parasailing), the dive hut, paddleboarding, the kids club, or Club InterContinental (our room was a standard King Lagoon View, not that tier), so I can’t review any of those first-hand |
Getting there, and finding your way around
The resort sits on Natadola Beach on the Coral Coast of Viti Levu, Fiji’s main island. The resort’s own site puts it at around 55 minutes from Nadi International Airport; in our own video we said it felt like about an hour. Either way, you’re not popping into town for dinner.
Check-in was easy: a welcome drink (Fijian rum or gin, our choice), then a seat at the concierge desk while they sorted the details, and a buggy ride out to our room. The property itself is large: 35 acres, laid out loosely like a traditional Fijian village, with your room potentially a real walk from the lobby, the restaurants or the pools. We got around by requesting a buggy when we needed one, and there’s also a bigger shuttle called the Boula Bus that loops the resort on a schedule. If you have mobility concerns or just don’t want to walk in the heat, lean on the buggies.
The room
We stayed in a King Lagoon View room with a balcony. It had a small seating area just inside the door, a mini bar stocked with glassware and coffee/tea (plus a couple of milks in the mini fridge), and the king bed the room is named for, with a bedside panel that controlled the lights. We got a small welcome gift of chocolate and a shell necklace at check-in. The bathroom had a double vanity, a rainfall shower head, and the usual toiletries, plus a couple of nice touches: bottled Fiji Water and bug spray, both clearly aimed at the tropics. Closets held bathrobes, slippers, a safe, an iron, and umbrellas for the rain.
The best surprise was the balcony: a full-size bathtub out there, plus a day bed big enough for two. We checked in after dark, so we didn’t get the lagoon view until the next morning.
Breakfast is included with the room rate, with a choice between the Sanasana buffet or ordering off Navo’s breakfast menu.
The two pools and the beach
The resort has two main pools near its center: a family pool with a shallow, multi-level entry, and an adults-only infinity pool with an edge that runs right up to the ocean. Both are warm and photogenic. Between them is Toba Bar & Grill for casual poolside food and drinks.
The feature we liked best was the beach cabanas: they’re first-come, first-served around the beach and lagoon, no reservation and no charge, and each one has a QR code so you can order food and drinks straight to your spot. Natadola Beach itself is the resort’s main draw, a long stretch of golden sand; worth knowing is that Natadola Beach is public even where it fronts a resort like this one, which is normal in Fiji.
Activities, and the golf course we didn’t play
There’s a real cluster of extra-charge activities near the adults-only pool: a hydro sports outfit renting jet skis and offering wakeboarding, water skiing and parasailing, plus boat charters for fishing or snorkeling; and, separately, a dive hut where you can rent snorkel gear or get scuba certified. There’s also a guided paddleboard outing at sunrise and sunset. Our footage doesn’t show us using any of these, so this is a list of what’s on offer, not a review of any of them.
The resort’s full name comes from its golf course, an 18-hole championship course where 15 of the 18 holes have ocean views. It’s a genuine amenity, but it isn’t actually on the resort property; the resort arranges transportation and tee times to get you there. We said so on camera: we aren’t golfers, so we never played it, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise. If golf is the main reason you’re looking at this resort, look for a review from someone who actually played the course.
Away from the paid activities, there’s a small soccer pitch and volleyball net you can use for pickup games, a gym, a kids club, and an on-site medical center, useful given how far the resort is from any town. The kids club area has a genuinely charming touch: a hand-painted “weather station” sign where a hanging coconut tells you the forecast (dry means sunny, wet means rain), which is the kind of small detail that made the grounds fun to wander even without kids in tow.
Eating and drinking
There are four places to eat or drink that we saw: Sanasana, the main buffet restaurant for breakfast and themed dinners; Navo, the resort’s specialty/fine-dining option, open for breakfast and dinner; Toba Bar & Grill by the pool for casual food; and Kama Lounge, which does drinks and light bites, including a daily happy-hour-style discount period and a nightly torch-lighting ceremony out front.
We had dinner at Navo one night, and by our own account it was the most expensive meal of the whole trip, and worth talking about. It started with a traditional Fijian greeting, housemade bread in several different flavors, and a small board of different salts we weren’t expecting. Neither of us is normally drawn to fine dining, but we said on camera the food was genuinely flavorful, and the meal ended with the staff singing for us.
The spa
This is where the resort earned the most goodwill from us. Kelly booked the Natadola Bay honey experience, a roughly two-hour signature treatment, and arrived early enough to use the resort’s “Y Zone” first: a steam room, a hot tub Kelly called the hottest she’d ever felt (she lasted about 8 minutes), and a 10-second ice-cold shower right after. The treatment itself started with a full-body scrub and moisturizing using local honey, yogurt and raw milk, a wrap to let it soak in, a mini facial with cinnamon and more honey, and finished with a full-body massage using coconut oil infused with pineapple. “That was an experience I’ll never forget” is how she put it on camera afterward, and that wasn’t an exaggeration for the camera.
Club InterContinental, if you’re comparing tiers
We weren’t booked into Club InterContinental, so we can’t review it first-hand. According to the resort, the upgrade adds a private pool and lounge area up on a hill overlooking the ocean, with breakfast, afternoon high tea and sunset cocktails included. If that’s the kind of extra privacy and food-and-drink inclusion you want, it’s worth pricing against a standard room and factoring that into your decision; just don’t take our word for how it actually feels, because we haven’t experienced it.
How it compared to our budget stay earlier in the trip
Before the InterContinental, we spent a few nights at a Ramada by Wyndham on the Coral Coast, a genuinely budget-friendly option with free Wi-Fi, an outdoor pool, a restaurant and bar, and an ocean-view room that we said was worth considerably more than its price. The difference at the InterContinental wasn’t about comfort so much as scale and polish: the two very different pools, the beach cabanas, a dedicated spa experience, and a meal at Navo were all things the budget stay simply didn’t offer. Whether that jump is worth it to you depends on how much you value having all of that in one place versus driving around to find it yourself, the way we did at the cheaper hotel.
What our videos don’t cover
Our footage from this stay doesn’t cover the golf course (we aren’t golfers, confirmed on camera), the hydro sports or dive activities, paddleboarding, the kids club, Club InterContinental, or a Sanasana dinner (our footage shows Navo for dinner, not Sanasana). For any of those, check the resort’s own activity and dining pages before you book around them.
Using points here
We paid for most of this stay with IHG One Rewards points we’d saved, and bought a small number of extra points to cover the rest rather than paying cash. Points requirements and promotions change often, so check the current redemption cost before you plan around it. I’m not naming a specific card or a bonus here; price the points stay for yourself when you’re ready to book.
Before you go
- Day visitors need a pass. The resort requires day visitors to purchase a Natadola Daycation pass, and may restrict day access entirely when occupancy is high. If you’re not staying overnight, check this before you plan a visit.
- Pack for rain. We visited in a rainy stretch; the resort keeps umbrellas in bins around the property, which was a nice touch, but bring your own rain layer too.
- Decide about food in advance. Breakfast is included; budget separately for lunches, dinners and drinks, which add up at resort prices.
- If golf matters to you, confirm tee times and transport with the resort directly, since the course isn’t on the property itself.
A remote island resort is still worth having travel insurance for, so it’s worth looking at travel insurance for your Fiji trip with SafetyWing before you go.
Plan your trip
You can see InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa on Booking.com to compare room types and current rates.
Frequently asked questions
Is InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa worth it?
For us, yes, mainly for the two pools, the beach cabanas and one outstanding spa treatment and dinner at Navo. It’s a resort you pay a premium to stay inside of, not a jumping-off point for exploring the area.
Is the golf course actually at the resort?
No. The 18-hole championship course is nearby but not on the resort property; the resort arranges transport and tee times. We don’t golf, so we can’t review the course itself.
How far is it from Nadi airport?
The resort says around 55 minutes; it felt like about an hour to us.
Is breakfast included?
Yes, with a choice between the Sanasana buffet and ordering from Navo’s breakfast menu.
Can I visit for the day without staying?
The resort requires day visitors to buy a Natadola Daycation pass, and may restrict day visitors entirely during busy periods.
Final verdict
The InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa gave us two genuinely different pools, free beachside cabanas, a memorable dinner at Navo, and a spa treatment Kelly called an experience she’ll never forget — right down to the 10-second ice-cold shower at the end of it. It’s a big, polished, somewhat remote resort that wants you to stay inside its gates, and for four nights, we were happy to. If golf is your main reason for booking a resort with this name, look elsewhere for that review, because we can’t give it to you.
Read next: Conrad Bora Bora Nui: A Review and Planning International Travel: What to Research.
