Some quirky and lesser-known facts about our closest Pacific neighbour. Video / Ella Wilks / Antoine Roulleau / supplied
Ella Wilks stays at the Chateau Royal Resort and Spa in Noumea and is delighted with the sprawling views and an Aquatonic Spa.
Location: Sitting right on the beach at the end of Anse Vata, the tourist hub of Noumea, the hotel has direct access to the golden sands and sparkling water of Anse Vata Bay. It is just 4km from the city centre and 10km from Magenta airport, which has direct flights to the Loyalty Islands and the Isle of Pines.
New Caledonia’s Tontouta International Airport is a 40-minute drive away, so you’ll need to book an airport transfer or hire car.
Style: Opening in February 2011, the current 110-suite 4-star resort replaced the former 250-room Club Med that existed on the site. The suites are elegantly designed with a contemporary feel definitely a step up from the 1970′s Club Med decor!
First impressions: The staff were very welcoming and friendly throughout my stay and the hotel’s concierge service are happy to help arrange activities such as snorkelling, windsurfing, and boat tours.
Perfect for: Those looking to relax and rejuvenate.
The rooms: The hotel offers three categories of suites: standard, superior and prestige, each level indicating the view available – no view, partial sea view or full sea view. All rooms have a fully equipped kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom. In the case of the superior and prestige suites, there is also a balcony. Both the superior and prestige suites have the option of 1 or 2 bedrooms.
A Superior one-bedroom suite with partial sea view at Chateau Royal Resort and Spa.
Top tip: Try to get an even-numbered room on one of the higher-level floors... all even-numbered rooms have bay views, and the higher you are, the better the view. Unless you’re on a tight budget I’d stay away from the standard suites on the first floor which offer no view or balcony.
Partial sea view from a Superior suite at Chateau Royal Hotel, Nouméa.
The bathroom: The en suite bathroom is spacious and well-equipped with amenities replenished daily.
Facilities: One of the best features of Chateau Royal is its Aquatonic Spa. It features two interconnected hydrotherapy pools, with temperatures of 32C and 34C, and a range of water massage areas such as jet baths, currents, bubbles, shower massage loungers and carefully positioned chairs.
These areas use varying shower intensity and positioning to target specific parts of the body and they actually work. If you do a full circuit, it really feels like you’ve had a full body massage by the end of it. However, entry is not included with your stay and at around $60pp it makes for quite an expensive swim. I still highly recommend it.
Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel but is capped at 250MB daily – and considering New Caledonia doesn’t offer any kind of roaming packs this isn’t nearly enough for the average consumer.
Aquatonic Spa at Chateau Royal Resort and Spa.
Food and drink: The resort has two restaurants and two bars (one a swim-up). However, only one of the restaurants and neither of the bars were open during my stay.
There is no “room service” to speak of – something I discovered after ordering a burger from the hotel restaurant via the restaurant dial code on the room phone, jumping in the shower and then promptly jumping out again to answer a phone call saying my burger was ready to be picked up from the restaurant.
The buffet breakfast had a lot of choice and was good quality, however, all the “hot” options were lukewarm at best.
There are, however, many cafes and restaurants just a short stroll from the hotel – just keep in mind food and drinks are expensive anywhere in New Caledonia.
In the neighbourhood: The Aquarium des Lagons (a must-see) is about a 15-minute walk, past the numerous local shops, bars and dining options that line Promenade Roger Laroque. There is also a casino, tennis court and an Olympic swimming pool, which is open to the public, just up the road.
A young boy is mesmerised by the turtles at Aquarium des Lagons Noumea.
Family-friendly: The hotel offers free baby beds for those travelling with infants and a babysitting service is available at an additional cost.
Accessibility: The hotel is wheelchair accessible, with accessible rooms available.
Sustainability: Single use plastic bottles were replenished daily and there were no instructions of what to do if you don’t need your towel changed after one use.
