Yasawa Island Resort named South Pacific's best

Fiji's Yasawa Island Resort named South Pacific's best

Fiji's exclusive Yasawa Island Resort has been named best South Pacific resort.

Presented by the Australian hotel magazine HM, the inaugural award recognises top hotels and resorts throughout Australasia.

There were more than 160 finalists in 60 categories.

Yasawa was recognised ahead of four other South Pacific finalists - Shangri-La Yanuca Island Fiji, Sheraton Royal Denarau Fiji, Sheraton Bora Bora Tahiti and Le Meridien Isle des Pines, New Caledonia.

Yasawa Resort owner Garth Downey said the award capped off an exciting year for Yasawa.

"Our multi-million dollar refurbishment is now complete, bringing Yasawa's standard to a level equal with some of the best in this part of the world," Mr Downey said.

"To have the new standard endorsed by a panel of industry judges is a great acknowledgement and we're certainly proud to have won the first of these annual awards."

Yasawa's refurbishment has added contemporary Fijian styling while maintaining the resort's understated intimacy, with bures featuring local timbers like rosawa, dakua and vesi, with locally crafted furniture and a mix of traditional and contemporary Fijian art.

New features including discrete outdoor showers overlooking the beach, inviting day beds set on timber decks, and modern internal bathrooms repositioned to offer views of the ocean.