A look inside and out at Le Meridien's luxury resort on the Isle of Pines in New Caledonia. Video / Ella Wilks
Location: This secluded luxury resort is nestled perfectly between the spectacular white sand beach and the stunning crystal-clear turquoise lagoon of Oro Bay, on the Eastern side of Île des Pins. Located just a 20-minute flight from Noumea, the Ile des Pins is an easy addition to any New Caledonian holiday.
Style: Idyllic island paradise.
Le Meridien Ile des Pins is a luxury hotel on New Caledonia's Isle of Pines, popular with couples and families. Photo / Ella Wilks
Perfect for: Anyone wanting a breather from everyday life. It’s popular with couples and families, but I honestly can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t benefit from or enjoy a stay here.
First impressions: A colonial-style wooden bridge spanning a crystal-clear lagoon river makes for an impressive first glimpse at this secluded hideaway. A short walk through a hundred-year-old coconut grove to the main entrance finds a welcome drink and friendly staff. Check-in was quick and easy, and directions to my room, the restaurant and the Deep Nature Spa were clear and precise.
Rooms: My garden view room, (although one of the cheaper options at a cool $566 per night) was an extremely spacious 43m2. Even with a king-size bed, large desk and occasional chair, there was still plenty of room to swing a cat - if that’s your thing.
A Garden View room at New Caledonia's Le Meridien Ile des Pins. Photo / Ella Wilks
Bathroom: A pair of wooden bifold shutters and a bathtub are all that separate the bathroom and the bed, which is not without its charm but does require you know your travelling companion very well – or are prepared to by the time you leave. Don’t worry, the toilet is separate from the bathroom!
I was so excited to find one of my favourite toiletry brands, Malin+Goetz lined up on the vanity – complete with their signature peppermint shampoo and cilantro hair conditioner – I almost forgot about the detrimental impact these tiny plastic bottles have on the environment – almost.
You want to know your room-mate really well if you intend on enjoying the view from the bath tub at New Caledonia's Le Meridien Ile des Pins. Photo / Le Meridien
Food and drink: The buffet breakfast is included in the room rate for up to two people per room and an extra nice little touch is the option to “grab n go” - a welcome offering to those wanting to adventure further afield for the day, not starve and not have to employ stealth napkin wrap and stash tactics.
If you’re brave enough, I hear the bulimes, or escargots de Ile des Pins, are delicious. Endemic to the Isle of Pines, these forest-dwelling molluscs are farmed by the locals and considered a delicacy.
I settled on the raw fish salad for my entree and roast duck for the main. The generous servings were carefully presented and the duck was perfectly cooked. The menu was a tad pricey but in line with what you would expect at a luxury resort. However, given the very limited dining choices in the surrounding area (other than a small seafood shack on a nearby beach, the nearest restaurant is 17.4km away) it would have been nice to see some smaller and less expensive menu items available.
Facilities: It wouldn’t be a luxury island resort without an infinity pool of some description, but what’s on offer here, with its cerulean blue waters appearing to merge seamlessly with the bay behind, really takes the cake. The Meridien’s signature Deep Nature Spa is also excellent – I can highly recommend the full body massage to really put yourself in the relaxation zone.
The Deep Nature Spa at Le Meridien Ile des Pins, right on the beach is pure bliss after a hard day lying around. Photo / Le Meridien
For those wanting something a bit more energetic the hotel offers a games room, free 24/7 access to the fitness centre and free use of paddle boards, kayaks, snorkelling gear and bicycles.
Wi-Fi is freely available throughout the resort.
In the neighbourhood: From the hotel entrance it’s about 20 minutes walk to one of the island’s main attractions - la Piscine Naturelle - a coral basin with translucent water and schools of tropical fish forming a natural aquarium, sheltered from ocean currents by a rock barrier.
Piscine Naturelle in Oro Bay, Ile des Pins. Photo / Ella Wilks
Some of the island’s most beautiful beaches are relatively close and easily accessible if you wanted to take advantage of the free bike hire. There are also a couple of day trips you can do from the resort (a visit to the Queen Hortense cave would have been top of my list had I had more time) and these are easily booked through the front desk.
Family friendly: The resort caters well for children, offering a children’s pool, in-room childcare (for a surcharge), DVD players and soundproof rooms – for the comfort of other guests obviously as I’m yet to discover a facility that offers in-room soundproofing of your own child – a challenge I’d like to extend to all hotels, everywhere.
Rollaway/extra beds are also available for an additional charge.
Accessibility: The hotel has selected rooms with accessible features, including wheelchair-accessible bathrooms with height-adjustable showerheads, raised toilet seat, roll-in shower (selected rooms), as well as low-height plug sockets, lever door handles, wheelchair-accessible concierge and registration desk, accessible path of travel to the pool and restaurant.
If you have any requests for specific accessibility needs, you can contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Sustainability: Apart from the standard notice instructing guests to hang up towels they want to re-use I saw little evidence of any sustainability measures, with single-use plastic bottles for toiletries and water provided in all rooms. The hotel’s website states its carbon footprint is 47.79kg per room night, and its water footprint is 2887.29 liters per room night.
