overwater bungalows at the Holiday Inn Resort, Port Villa, Vanuatu
Holiday Inn Resort in Vanuatu has had a number of name changes from when it originally opened in 1975 as an Intercontinental Hotel. When we stayed it was Le Meridian before it then changed name again to Palms Resort and Casino and finally Holiday Inn Resort.
After Cyclone Pam struck in 2015, the resort closed after the damage it sustained. It was nearly fifteen months later when it reopened. The resort has 148 rooms including ten overwater bungalows.
Holiday Inn Resort, Port Villa, Vanuatu
The rooms are fairly basic but are clean and comfortable. There’s a good chance they’ve been renovated since we stayed here.
our room at Holiday Inn Resort, Port Villa, Vanuatu
bathroom at Holiday Inn Resort, Port Villa, Vanuatu
Breakfast contains a good selection of food to choose from whilst we loved the food at the themed dinners held in their restaurant.
enjoying breakfast at Holiday Inn Resort, Port Villa, Vanuatu
from our verandah at Holiday Inn Resort, Port Villa, Vanuatu
The resort has two pools with one containing a more recently constructed water playground. Although this wasn’t here when we stayed, the Girls still loved playing in the swimming pool and drinking fancy drinks beside it.
enjoying a mocktail by the pool at Holiday Inn Resort, Port Villa, Vanuatu
The resort has a number of activities to keep you occupied including non-motorised water sports, beach volleyball, snorkeling and tennis. There is a tennis court and a golf course where you can hire golf clubs for free. After breakfast we would go down and play table soccer which the kids really enjoyed.
doing a bit of sailing at Holiday Inn Resort, Port Villa, Vanuatu
playing table soccer at Holiday Inn, Vanuatu.
The Kids Club kept the children entertained and even allowed hubby and I to share a quiet dinner together at the resort’s top class restaurant. Boy was that lobster good! Both our daughters got their hair braided before we left.
hair braiding at the kids club at Holiday Inn Resort, Port Villa, Vanuatu
The resort had a few different local bands playing traditional music and it was good to see them really getting into it and enjoying what they were doing. We enjoyed listening to them too.
listening to the live music at Holiday Inn Resort, Port Villa, Vanuatu
our last night before saying goodbye to Vanuatu
In Summary: We really enjoyed our time at this resort and I think since it’s partial rebuild after the cyclone, it’s continued to grow and get even better. We did however all end up catching a stomach bug.
Pros
- Plenty of activities to suit everyone
- Beautiful grounds
- Friendly staff
Cons
- The food seems to have gone downhill since we last stayed and reports are that it’s expensive
Shuttles into town could be beneficial although we did enjoy catching public transport with the locals