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Enjoy your sun kissed days and star filled nights in the beauty that is Sinalei. We are an untouched and delicately preserved island paradise boasting 29 stylishly-designed villas. Home to secluded balmy beaches and clear blue waters, Sinalei welcomes all, including adult families (children over 12). Indulging those who wish to unplug from their hectic lives, our remote 4.5-star resort strives to spoil you with luxurious touches and personal experiences. Our 4.5-star dining, waterfront spa, signature activities and specialised event co-coordinators are just some of the luxurious provisions available to you. But we are more than just another one of Samoa’s boutique resorts. When you visit us, you visit the people of Samoa. You visit those who make up the villages of our great island home. You visit family.
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Nestled in a picturesque setting, Sinalei Reef Resort & Spa captivates guests with its relaxed atmosphere and scenic, well-kept grounds, with the eco-lodge charm resonating with many. While the staff garners acclaim for their hospitality, encounters of varying service quality have been noted.
Travelers commend the spacious and tidy rooms, though some voice concerns over dated aesthetics and upkeep. Despite the proximity to local attractions and the array of amenities offered, a few guests believe the resort's value does not align with the additional expenses and anticipated luxury.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Tranquil
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Meticulous
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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The resort is located in a spectacular location, the grounds are beautifully maintained and the gardeners are busy everyday.
The staff are one of the next things about the resort, very friendly and helpful. Sam in the restaurant is so lovely and really looks after you, including remembering your name.
The room was lovely and was wonderful to be able to enjoy a hot shower after a week or so at other resorts with cold showers only. The view over the ocean was very calming.
The pool was lovely and it was very relaxing to be able to sot and enjoy this area.
A couple of things that let this resort down:
- the administration seems cumbersome and confusing. I was given an invoice to pay for accomodation, which had been prepaid via a travel agent and had to wait for the mysterious supervisor (hidden behind a door in the office) to check. Trying to find out about availability for late checkout, airport transfer, accessibility of internet was all slow.
- the food at the restaurant, while tasty, can become tired cowry quickly as it is a relatively small menu. Would not want to eat here every day for a week. There is currently only one restaurant open.
- wifi is problematic. You need to pay for a mifi device, but one needs to be available. When there is an issue with it, it is hard to follow what is happening. In a resort of this calibre and cost I would expect internet access to be included. At a minimum, to be freely available in public areas.
Overall, it is a lovely place to stay, but could improve given it sells itself as a luxury resort.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Have spent 7 nights at Sinalei and was reading the recent reviews and was a little concerned about staying here. My family (wife and daughter 14 y/o) arrived on the late Auckland flight and had arranged a transfer with the hotel which worked well. On arrival given it was late it was a nice touch they had prepared sandwiches for us in our room. We stayed in a 1 BRM villa OVB and there are a number of villas available the pick of them I think start with BS (short for beachside) which is overlooking the water. We ate at the restaurant mostly and found the food really good and the service was good. Overall the hospitality I felt was authentic not always the sharpest and sometimes a few little quirks came out but did not worry us enough to make us enjoy our stay any less and were so relaxed given the location and beach choice or pool was perfect for us. We bought our own snorkel gear which came in handy as the snorkeling out the front of the villa around to the jetty with the freshwater spring coming up was great. Definitely worth jumping off the jetty into it as it's a deep hole. You can hire rentals through the hotel for circa 150 tala a day and also the resort does tours which I think you should book in advance. Apia is around 40 mins by car and the ocean trench around 35 minutes and well worth the drive. We would stay here again and really liked the relaxed vibe of the place it is definitely not a commercial or corporate resort and if you are somewhat laidback the little quirks you will overlook and see the location and genuine nature of the staff come through and enjoy it.
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Date of stay: June 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Swim off th jetty, book a rental car from them, and go snorkeling with Manoa tours a 5 minute...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Dear Sinalei and staff. My husband and I have just spent 14 nights at this lovely resort. We spent the first 9x nights in the presidential suite, and then the following 5x nights in an ocean view garden room. The resort is immaculately kept by a team of wonderful gardeners, restaurant, reception staff, and maintenance crew. These people became our friends and nothing was too much trouble for them, I thank you all. After the 2009 tsunami which destroyed the entire place, they have rebuilt with love and passion. We are seasoned travelers and our expectations were not high, but we were so pleasantly surprised at the quality of our accommodation. The rooms were in keeping with the mood of the resort, kept very clean, good showers, and the restaurant served excellent food. We stayed at Coconuts last year, and Sinalei was far superior. The owner, Joe, is a decent good man, well respected in Samoa and talking to him about the local history was fascinating. The spa rooms are over the water and the girls are very good. Tours or rental cars are readily available. Sinalei has been selected out of all Western Samoan resorts & hotels, to host King Charles and Camilla in October so that is testament to the integrity of all. We shall return. Sparks and Jenny.
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
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Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We would like to rate as 4 star but when you compare the money you pay to the quality of the accommodation we can only rate as average. Photos attached will show the lack of maintenance given to our bungalow. Relatively easy jobs to do could make a huge difference to guest’s experience. The front door took much effort to close (see pic), the shower, vanity and taps were all very old and loose fitting. The soap dispenser was disgusting really! Replacing the mouldy grout or a coat of paint would also freshen things up. The curtains in the living area were old and torn. On the positive side, the bungalow was spacious, the bed comfortable, tea/coffee and kettle provided… but not replenished. Good size cold bar-fridge. All of the units are nicely separated from each other. Around the resort the outlook is beautiful and the gardens well maintained. It would be a challenge to get to and from the overwater restaurant if you have mobility issues or are visually impaired. It is difficult to see the paths very well of a night with full vision! The airport transfers were excellent. The kayaks are great, complimentary afternoon tea is also great. Car hire very convenient from the resort. Despite what their website says - there was no wifi anywhere and no Myfi portable modems available (all were being used apparently). This is a problem when you need to access maps, banks or airline websites etc. The golf course is a token at best. It was virtually unplayable due to the length of the grass and there are no flags to say where the holes are.
The restaurant over the water was very nice. The restaurant staff were friendly and efficient. Most of the food was very nice, however breakfast was a bit hit and miss. Generally only 2 fruits, no yoghurt and the juice was really just a cordial. We anticipated more offerings at breakfast given the “luxury” claim and the cost you pay.. There is a nice little cafe along the beach toward the next resort which offers a variety to eating at the resort each night. The 4% credit card surcharge is offensive. Whilst it may be common practice in Samoa it is ordinary to charge luxury prices on unmaintained accommodation then add 4% on top. Finally, the refillable water bottles are a fantastic offering, but that is where the eco-options end. Suggest they offer cards like many resorts do where you can keep the same towels and sheets rather than having clean linen every day. I’ve attached photos to support our review above.
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Great location but accommodation lacks basic maintenance
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sinalei Reef Resort and Spa is situated on magnificent grounds with gorgeous gardens in a great location on the island of Upolu. The beach is beautiful and we were thrilled to be able to snorkel with turtles. We spent 6 nights here in a Beachfront Villa and it truly is a paradise.
The downsides were the lack of maintenance of the structures, furnishings and fittings and the standard of customer service of the staff - which I won't go into detail here as I lodged a formal complaint with the resort for all the issues we encountered during our stay.
We hired a car for the duration of our holiday (I do not recommend using the car hire company connected to the resort - use a reputable big company).
Only two members of staff were standouts: Ily who picked us up from the airport late at night and kindly called ahead to have dinner plates prepared for us on arrival when we checked in and Siiva who managed the staff at the restaurant and resolved a daily issue we were having at breakfast. These two women should be cloned to replace the incompetent staff members.
Wanting to stay 12 nights here, we could only book 6 due to His Royal Highness King Charles III staying in October, which ended up being a blessing in disguise for us. We moved to Seabreeze for our final 6 nights.
Sinalei needs a complete overhaul and reboot. It could easily be a 5 star resort if it looked, felt and acted like a 5 star resort. Currently it's a 3 star at best.
Overall, we had a great time holidaying in Samoa. It's a naturally beautiful place with lots to see and do. (see my other reviews on places we visited), however, with too many other places to explore in the world, I doubt we'll be back as Samoa just didn't tick enough boxes for us in what we love in a tropical holiday.
Go to the Cook Islands, Niue, Vanuatu or Fiji instead.
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What a wonderful five nights we had in an ocean view villa. The warm welcome on arrival , the better than expected accommodation the care and love shown by the staff for the property and their guests was outstanding.Its owned and run by local Samoans , we just felt like part of their family. The rooms serviced daily, grounds were immaculate, food delicious and a complimentary fresh afternoon tea was offered at 3pm.while out kayaking we saw turtles swimming past what a treat.Nothing was ever too much trouble any problem was quickly resolved. Definitely worth a stay you will not be disappointed !
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Expensive but value for money.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our stay was 8 nights in Ocean View Villa just back today.These rooms built @ 1996 and getting a bit tired now, more like 3 star but everything worked, no TV which didn’t bother us we didn’t go there to watch tv. Common room has TV if your desperate.Internet fine, room phones not connected ,again no issue for us.Staff plentiful , very helpful, food outstanding and consistent day after day, lifts our overall rating to 4 star.Remember your on a small, tropical island not Las Vegas. We visited some adjoining resorts during the day ,nothing we felt was better than what Sinalei offered .
Yes accommodation is expensive but you won’t find anything like better for same $. Day tours if guided by resort staff or fishing charter expensive , alternatively you can hire a car for $150 tala pd. King Charles and his entourage booked out the whole place for 3 nights For CHOGM so that’s some sort of recommendation.
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Date of stay: November 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A truly idyllic location on the south coast of beautiful Upolu. An adults only resort with beachfront access. Our villa was located right on the waterfront however most appear to have at least an ocean front view. The Villa was spacious, clean and well appointed with a deck overlooking the azure waters to capture and soak up those magnificent reef views. There was a day time bar and also one restaurant. Kayaks are available to explore, and there is a day spa - make sure you book it's quite busy. With about 70 villas the place never seemed crowded. Fia Fia on Wednesday night is not to be missed. It is truly a spectacular show with Island singers and multiple fire twirling genius' including a young 10 year old girl. What makes this place outstanding however is the Staff. They are brilliant. Absolutely nothing was too much trouble. Sammy almost became part of our family, with his gentle nature and humour, superb service and willingness to do everything he could to make our stay memorable. We visited Sinalei for a week and by the time we left, we we relaxed, chilled and knew everyone, Johnny, Lupi, etc - they were all amazing. Even the owners mixed in to chat. We did stay at other places in Samoa, but Sinalei is just somehow different. Whether it's the people, the location, or the adults only stipulation it's hard to say. If you don't have kids, and heading to Samoa check this place out and stay some days- its a bit more traditional but worth the effort of seeking it out.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:It's a quiet place and have minimum numbers required for day trips. Try hiring a car - it's...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Just returned from spending 5 nights at this resort. It was the low season so very quiet which we enjoyed. We stayed in a Beachfront Villa which had spectacular views and was well appointed. The resort and gardens are beautiful and the staff very friendly and accommodating. We had the pleasure of meeting the owner Joe who was engaging and friendly. We would recommend this resort to stay at. Its location on the other side of the island was no problem as we had a hire car and all the places we visited were less than an hour away.
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What a genuinely fabulous place. The grounds are beautifully maintained, the service is excellent, the staff friendly but not intrusive and they get to know you by name. The resort feels small and intimate with a lovely pool area and beachfront. The restaurant food is also excellent. I can also highly recommend the quality of the spa treatments, which take place in little huts open to the breeze and the sound of the ocean; how fabulously relaxing. There is no free Wifi but you can pay for mobile WiFi at a reasonable cost which works well. What made the visit for me though was that the owners genuinely care about their guests. I had issues with a broken mobile phone when I was there and they could not have been kinder, recommending someone who could fix it and arranging lifts into town for me to see to it. I genuinely don't know what I'd have done without their kindness. It's a gem of a place and I highly recommend staying there.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Maninoa area.
PRICE RANGE
$330 - $557 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
sinalei reef hotel apia, sinalei reef apia, sinalei reef resort
LOCATION
SamoaUpoluManinoa
NUMBER OF ROOMS
29
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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