Royal Hotel

Frommer's Review

This ancient establishment is as much an attraction as it is accommodation. Even if you don't stay at the South Pacific's oldest operating hotel, have a look at its public rooms. It was built about 1852 and "modernized" in the 1890s (except for stringing an electric light to each room and installing toilets and showers, little has been done to it since). Not much imagination is required to picture W. Somerset Maugham or Robert Louis Stevenson relaxing in the comfortable rattan chairs of the Royal's charming lounge, slowly sipping gin-and-tonics at its polished bar, or playing a game of snooker at its antique billiard table. One of Levuka's fine old families, the Ashleys, has run the Royal for more than half a century with such attentive care that it seems more like a pension full of antiques than a hotel. The 14 rooms in the original building are extremely basic, each with two cotlike single beds, a shower stall, and toilet. In contrast, four Western-style cottages between the old structure and Beach Road were built in 1998 and have more modern amenities (they are the pick of Levuka's lodgings). Two of the hotel's three older but still comfortable cottages are the island's only air-conditioned digs. The Ashleys serve three meals per day in the dining room, but book in advance.

Facilities:
1 restaurant (regional), 1 bar

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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