Five Princes Hotel in Fiji

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Updated: December 8, 2020

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Review of Five Princes Hotel in Fiji

Five Princes Hotel – Boutique allure and serenity, swapping convenience for colonial charm.

With Fijian crafts, a library and comfortable lounge under shuttered windows, the lobby is immediately welcoming at this delightful century-old lodge. The handful of inviting rooms feature old-style furniture, highly-polished floorboards, and garden views, while the clunky overhead fans add to the genuine colonial feel. Steps through tropical gardens lead to the stylish bures (bungalows). Separate, secluded, and spacious, they feature kitchenettes and wooden-floor porches, and can accommodate families of four. All this loveliness comes at a cost to convenience, however, with nothing worthwhile within walking distance, though downtown is only five minutes by regular buses from Five Princes, Suva’s premier boutique hotel.

Five Princes Hotel – The Basics

  • Location: At 5 Princes Road, in the suburbs of Suva, on the main island of Viti Levu. About 100m up from where Edinburgh Drive (the main road from Suva) ends. About 3 km from central Suva and 30km from the airport.
  • Guests: Probably more for older couples who enjoy history, serenity, and gardens.
  • Beach: There is no beach anywhere in or around Suva. The nearest is at Pacific Harbour, about 50 km to the west, and not too far for a day trip by bus.
  • Views: All rooms face the gardens and/or lawns.
  • WiFi: Not included for guests. A pre-paid system is available through the hotel.
  • Parking: Available free for guests (but note that the entrance lane from the road is very narrow).
  • How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
  • Phone: (679) 338 1575
  • Email: fiveprinceshotel@connect.com.fj
  • Website: fiveprinceshotel.com

Five Princes Hotel – Amenities

  • Pool: The pool is apparently the first ever built in Suva, but has been modernized since.
  • Spa & Fitness Center: Not expected or provided in this midrange historical building.
  • Private Pools/Jacuzzis: Not expected or provided.

Five Princess Hotel – Food and Drink

  • Restaurant & Bar: The laidback café-cum-bar on the wooden terrace is a delight. With some distant sea views, it serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a flexible menu which changes daily. According to the website: “We don’t believe in menus.”
  • Breakfast: Free if guests book 5 or more nights. Otherwise, breakfast is offered in the wonderful open-air café for a reasonable cost.
  • Room Service: Meals from the café can be delivered to the rooms.

Five Princes Hotel – Rooms

  • Room Types: Boutique Room • Garden Bure (bungalow) • The Villa (only 1)
  • Smoking Rooms: Unusually, smoking is allowed in several ground floor rooms.
  • Best Room: The Villa is huge, with a colonial-style bedroom, modern luxurious bathroom, and walls lined with local art. With 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, lounge/dining area, and private terrace packed with plants.

Five Princes Hotel – What’s Nearby?

Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars

    Not in a tourist area, so there’s nothing worthwhile within walking distance. Instead, catch a bus or taxi to the city center and try:

  • Contain Yourself Café – Friendly, with sea views and wooden decking. For wraps, pastas, and vegetarian meals. On Edward Street, behind the Post Office.
  • Tiko’s Floating Restaurant – In a boat attached to Ratu Sukuna Park in the city center. For seafood, steaks, live music, and a unique setting.
  • Prince Albert – In the fabulous Grand Pacific Hotel, along the southern end of the main road, Victoria Parade. Stylish, with a colonial-style setting, silver service, and eyebrow-raising prices.
  • Yellow Chilli – Always busy for very tasty Indian food, so come early for a table. On Carnarvon Street, a block up from the main road at the Mobil petrol station.

Nearby Market or Grocery

  • A couple of basic shops at the crossroads, 200m down the street. Otherwise, catch a bus or taxi into the city center.

Local Transport

  • Buses travel down the hill every few minutes along Edinburgh Drive to the city center and main bus station with services all over the island.

Five Princes Hotel – The Hotel

Extended terrace between the parking area and the lobby.

The parking area is linked to the lobby by a covered walkway.

Colonial-era building houses the hotel.

The hotel is based in a delightfully converted colonial-era lodge.

Welcoming colonial-era lobby.

The lobby, with its polished floorboards and extended windows, is very welcoming.

Lobby has a tasteful Fijian decor.

There are plenty of seats and Fijian crafts in the lobby area.

Guests' lounge features a comfortable veranda setting also.

The guest lounge extends to the veranda with leather sofas.

Wooden deck of cafe offers some views of Suva Bay.

The café has a wooden deck with distant views of Suva Bay.

Cafe offers a flexible menu.

The café doesn’t have a menu: guests choose what they want in the morning, or leave it to the chef.

Serene Garden Bures amongst the gardens.

The Garden Bures (bungalows) are serenely set among the grounds.

Bungalow porches are surrounded by greenery.

A small porch at the entrance of each bure (bungalows) faces lush tropical plants.

Boutique Rooms are lovely and tasteful.

The lovely Boutique Rooms feature tasteful furniture.

Spacious bungalows with sofa and kitchenette.

The bungalows have kitchens and sofas.

Modern and tastefully decorated bungalows.

The bungalows have some Melanesian touches in the décor as well as modern facilities.

Contain Yourself Cafe serves good healthy meals.

In downtown Suva, the Contain Yourself Café, behind the Post Office, is great for wraps, salads, and healthy meals.

Yellow Chilli Indian restaurant is very popular.

Carnarvon Street, one block up from the main road (Victoria Parade) in Suva, has several great restaurants, including the very popular Yellow Chilli Indian restaurant.

Daily special at Maya Dhaba Indian restaurant.

The Maya Dhaba Indian restaurant on Victoria Parade offers daily specials.

Classy and charming Prince Albert restaurant.

The Prince Albert in the historic Grand Pacific Hotel on Victoria Parade oozes class and charm.

Unique experience at Tiko’s Floating Restaurant.

Eating at Tiko’s Floating Restaurant, attached to the Ratu Sukuna Park in the city center, is a memorable experience.

Suva Handicraft Centre is in the city centre.

Worth visiting alongside the Ratu Sukuna Park in the city center is the Suva Handicraft Centre.

Central Suva has good mix of old and new.

Parts of central Suva are a pleasant mix of the old and new.

Lovely old architecture of south Victoria Parade.

The southern part of Victoria Parade is lined with some lovely old buildings.

Fiji Museum features a decent collection of artifacts.

At the back of Thurston Gardens along Victoria Parade, the Fiji Museum offers a modest but fascinating array of artifacts and displays.

Walking paths along the water across Suva.

Suva is based along a harbor, and there are walking paths at several places.

Central Suva has modernized.

Central Suva is fairly modern.

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