The King and Queen’s Autumn tour of Australia and Samoa is now well underway. There have been cheering crowds, hecklers and a packed schedule so far. And after completing their duties in Canberra and Sydney, the royal couple will head to the remote Polynesian island, where they’ll be welcomed with a traditional ‘Ava Fa’atupu ceremony. The King is also slated to visit a mangrove forest, a National Park and plant a tree in the island’s Botanical Garden in a nod to his long-standing commitment to the environment.
But the question on travel buffs’ lips is: where will they be staying? A source has shared with the Standard that the royal couple will bed down at four-star Sinalei Reef Resort & Spa — a remote and traditional boutique hotel which sits in a sheltered lagoon along the southern coast of Upolu Island.
Just four stars? You ask. Well Samoa doesn’t specialise in five-star luxury, its range of accommodation is more focused on marrying beautiful locations with a celebration of local culture. There’s the option of boutique stays like Sinalei or traditional houses, known as beach fales.
Plus the hotel does have luxury kudos to recommend it, having been named number one resort on the island in 2016 by the Luxury Travel Guide. And while the King may be known for a love of five-star haunts such as Belgravia’s The Goring, he’s also partial to more off-grid and low-key stays. He owns The Prince of Wales Guesthouse in the Zalán Valley, Romania, which is a nature reserve and guest house. So Sinalei seems right up his street.
What else does Sinalei have to recommend it to the royal? Beyond its paradise setting on the island’s famous white sand beaches, it has all-important eco credentials to align with the King’s endeavors while in Polynesia. It’s initiatives include sustainable waste disposal systems, village clean up projects and tree planting days.
It’s also a storied place, steeped in history, with royal connections in its past. The hotel states that its remote location was where, ”the Malietoa (The Samoan King), Le Ufi Sa and his warriors would come and feast on the sacred yams that grew wild. As the tale goes, they believed the yams gave them special powers that would prepare them for adversaries that threatened their precious islands.” The resort was opened in 1996 by Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale and wife Tui as a family-friendly destination celebrating Samoa’s rich, 3000-year-old culture and traditions.
It can be hired privately and has a choice of eight accommodation types across 29 stunning villa hideaways which are in traditional style with garden or ocean views.
If they have time amid their back-to-back schedule the monarch, Queen and their entourage will have the option of activities from snorkelling to spa treatments, lagoon swimming to a traditional FIA FIA night at the hotel restaurant, where guests can experience a showcase of traditional wildfire dancing and food.
No doubt this remote resort is about to be put on the map. Dry season in Samoa runs from October to April, so book ahead now for spring if you want a royal island experience of your own.
