Hideaway Island Resort

The location is great and the snorkelling is excellent. The staff are fantastic. The resort needs some tender loving care. The gardens are well tendered, but the rest of the infrastructure needs work. Food is a bit hit and miss but there is a Beach Bar nearby thank goodness.

Property is quite run down. Had a beachfront bungalow but the stairs leading down to the beach were so overgrown with weeds they couldn't be used. It would have taken an hour to give it a tidy up and make it usable, but they just hadn't done it. The decking of the cabin was rotten and dangerous. I stepped through the decking a couple of times and left (more) holes in it. The water coming out of the cold tap was black and there was no hot water on the first 2 nights. Hot water was adequate on 3rd night and cold water was clear on 3rd night. Staff were lovely and very helpful. Food from the restaurant was good.

The location is superb, the staff are very friendly and helpful and everything needed is provided. My only minor criticism is that bunk beds are not suitable twin share for seniors.

N/A

The storms and cyclones have taken a toll on the property and it is slowly returning to normal in Vanuatu time

The staff at Hideaway are just lovely- so friendly and helpful and so tolerant . We stayed in the spacious family bungalows. The glass bottom boat and snorkel tour are great for familiarising your family with life on the reef and then you can explore on your own later. Only suggestion to make would be to give all visitors including day visitors even a 5 minute talk about the Marine Sanctuary and how fragile life is on the reef. Watching unmanaged kids as well as adults crush and kill coral was a bit up setting who didn’t understand the damage the were causing. Maybe mark off an area for beginners so they don’t cause further harm following cyclone with poor finning techniques on the coral. We hope to return one day- this place and beautiful staff were perfect for us and our budget

The snorkelling is great and staying at the property allows you to have the reef to yourself for a couple of hours in the morning. The beach bungalow we stayed in has a great view and balcony but is old, no tv, internet available at the office but not the room and they give the first couple of days free then charge after that to use internet. One restaurant on the island, food can take a while so get orders in early and brekky costs a bit so recommend bringing some wheet bix and milk (adds up with the kids), but liked the place and the local people are lovely. There's a little shop off the island near the village which has waters, soft drink biscuits etc for better prices.

A lovely property that is trying to survive after cyclones and lockdowns. The staff are all so friendly and helpful. The property is clean. The food is generous and fabulous. The Snorkeling is wonderful, better than a lot of Islands. Hopefully maintenance and upgrades can be in their future plans.

The local staff were excellent. They tried their best. The property is in a state of disrepair. Price is very expensive for what you get.

Close to the airport and Port Vila .Also very close to wonderful dive sites

I really love this island, the staffs in this hotel are really professional and devote their best effort to make sure you enjoy your stay. Due to weather conditions, my original schedule was completely disrupted, and my flight was canceled in the last mins. I called this hotel to ask them whether I can change my reschedule stay. They said its ok, and tell me that I should come to the hotel ASAP because the storm is coming, and it was dangerous to travel in poor weather conditions in Port Vila. Once I arrived, they help me to move my luggage in the heavy rain. I in fact stayed in this resort for 6 nights. The staff provided their best service to me. In addition, they help me to deal with the worst service airline in the world, Vanuatu Air. To be honest, the resort has been closed for 3 years, and during my stay, I saw the staff and the hotel owner still working on making this resort back to its best after the pandemic. In addition, the view and environment are so nice under good weather beyond words can explain. During night time, walking on the beach and seeing the milky galaxy, walking around the garden, etc. anyway, stay in this hotel for few days is nice experience and I will like to comeback.

This is a gorgeous island. Accommodation is basic but very comfortable. Be aware there is no air conditioning when booking. It was clear that the resort has been severely impacted by Covid/cyclones but they are working very hard to rebuild. They only re-opened in December 2022. A very enjoyable place to stay. I would definitely recommend and would stay again. Do yourself a favour and stay here. The snorkelling directly out the front of the restaurant is some of the best we saw on our travels around Efate. Plus the underwater post office is a plus!

Peaceful and relaxing sanctuary...apart from when passengers from cruise ships in Port Vila visit - but resident guest areas (including small but lovely pool) off limits to them! Restaurant offerings limited but tasty and plentiful - fish coconut curry a standout! More could and should be done to protect the house reef from damage - signage at the (superfluous) shoreside steps is ineffective. There is opportunity for (brief) education of guests about coral reefs and the importance of their protection (globally, as well as locally) which would at least make a plea of ignorance implausible. Bungalow (9) accommodation very comfortable with beautiful sea view, reached by pleasant garden pathway stroll. Repair of (corrugated metal) roofing required where free edges corroding badly, otherwise more extensive (& expensive) roof repairs await. Resort staff are this place's singular asset - outstanding! Only one significant complaint - as we booked HIR specifically on account of their scuba dive centre, it was disappointing to learn on arrival that it had not yet reopened after Covid shutdown - a fact which should have been available on their website, or made clear in response to our (unanswered) enquiries about booking diving. All was not lost, however, as we did manage to organise one day of diving with Jerry's Dive Services - seems he's something of a scuba legend in Vanuatu, and certainly we can recommend him unreservedly!

Great breakfast only underwater post office snorkelling right out front Terrific fire show at beach bar

Absolutely a must visit! Room charges include breakfast, snorkel equipment hire, kayak use, glass bottom boat trip, snorkel safari and return boat transfers. Pristine snorkeling on a reef in the process of being regenerated by Newcastle Uni. This place is HEAVEN!

staff were awesome. It was the happiest place we have stayed in many years of travel. The kitchen staff sang as they prepared breakfast and it sounded as if an entire choir was serenading us. It was low season when we visited and the pwners happened to be on site. They were very welcoming and helped solve a double booking problem we had , reassured us and sorted it all out with good humour and efficiency.

Pros Lovely staff. Amazing location. Free water gear "Feel-good" vibe Cons "island time" - thing takes time (food, service etc). Expensive food and beverage and you're not allowed to bring your own to the island.

Hideaway is like a home away from home to me. I have now stayed there ten times over the past thirteen years. It is one of the few holiday destinations that I find totally relaxing. Hideaway Time is my time!

It was amazing to be able to snorkel straight off the beach, perfectly clear water and loads of fish. The snorkel safari on a daily basis was fantastic. The meals at the restaurant were delicious. This is a perfect location to get away from everything, nice and relaxed. Not a 5 star resort, a bit worn and a rustic feel, but views from bungalows are definitely 5 star.

This is a beautiful location, however the bungalows and restaurant facilities are a bit tired and need renovation. There were broken mirrors, stained tiles, cheap shower caddies. For the price, one would expect more upscale accommodations.