Fiji’s Grand Pacific Hotel is now under the management of IHG and following a refurbishment will rebrand as the InterContinental Grand Pacific Hotel Suva by 2022.

The iconic property is owned by the Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF). It will be IHG’s fourth hotel in Fiji and the second for the brand, alongside the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa in Natadola Bay, which is also owned by the FNPF.

“It is a great honour to take on the management of the Grand Pacific Hotel (GPH),” said Abhijay Sandilya, IHG’s vice-president, Development for Australasia, Japan and Pacific. “We are committed to retaining the heritage and grandeur of [the property] while adding all the world-famous elements of InterContinental’s True Hospitality experience. When the borders reopen, GPH will be ready to welcome back all those guests who know it so well, as well as those who are so familiar with IHG and the InterContinental brand. We truly value our long-standing relationship with Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF) and look forward to adding InterContinental Grand Pacific Hotel Suva to our existing portfolio, which includes Holiday Inn Suva and InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa. We are committed to playing our part in rebuilding the tourism industry in Fiji asand when guests return to this stunning country.

Fiji’s Grand Pacific Hotel

Built in 1914 by the Union Steamship Company, the Grand Pacific has a rich history and special place in the hearts of Fijians. An image of the property, which is located on the main seafront on Suva’s Victoria Parade, is on the Fijian ten-dollar note.

In June 1928 aviation history was made when Charles Kingsford Smith landed his “Southern Cross” Fokker monoplane in Albert Park, opposite the hotel. Smith, who was en route to Australia on his epic trans-Pacific flight from America, stayed at the hotel.

It has also played host to countless celebrities, politicians and royalty over its 100 years, including Queen Elizabeth II, who has visited three times. In 1953, as part of her first tour of the Empire as Queen, she gave a speech from the hotel’s balcony. More recently, it welcomed Harry and Meghan Sussex, who visited in 2018.

In the later decades of the twentieth century the property declined, closing in 1992. However, the new century brought new investors and the property reopened in 2014 after a full two-and-a-half-year restoration and refurbishment funded by the national pension funds of Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

Today the five-star luxury property has 113 guestrooms and suites, nearly 6,500 square feet of meeting space, three restaurants, a bakery, business centre, gym, swimming pool and spa.

“The Grand Pacific Hotel is an iconic hotel and will be important to Fiji’s recovery as a tourist destination when the borders reopen,” said Viliame Vodonaivalu, chief investment officer, FNPF. “With a lower traveller footprint due to the global crisis, we are taking the opportunity to bring forward the refurbishment of this hotel, bringing it to life in a new way ready for the next era of tourism in Fiji. We have a fantastic partnership with IHG, and we recognize the need for a partner like IHG with its global footprint, powerful systems and loyal customer base that will help attract guests back to Fiji.”