How to Choose the Best Hotel in Tonga for You

Advice on Choosing a Hotel in Tonga

When looking for a place to stay in a foreign land, the obvious go-to is a hotel. If you’re looking for an urban experience in Tonga, then hotels provide an excellent option for accommodation, with Tonga offering budget, three- and four-star hotels. However, their standards and facilities greatly differ, so check out our advice on how to choose the right hotel in Tonga for you in this guide.

And what do hotels in Tonga look like? Take a look at the 25 Best Hotels in Tonga to get a good idea.

5 Tips for Staying in a Hotel in Tonga

Hotels can only be found in Tonga’s two largest towns, Nuku’alofa (Tongatapu) and Neiafu (Vava’u)
The Tanoa Hotel is the largest in Tonga, with all of Tonga’s other hotels being “boutique”
Note that some hotels in Tonga do not update listings on websites and brochures, so some facilities and amenities advertised no longer exist – be sure to inquire about any essentials you might need before booking
To see examples of hotels, take a look at the 25 Best Hotels in Tonga
If you are looking for accommodation outside of Tonga’s towns, take a look at some of the resorts in Tonga.

How to Pick the Best Hotel in Tonga for You

What are the Hotels Like in Tonga?

Tonga has a mix of four-star, three-star and budget hotels. The largest hotel that follows a more international standard is the Tanoa Hotel. It offers guests a buffet breakfast each morning, has a restaurant, interconnecting rooms, laundry service, swimming pool, etc.

Other hotels, which are smaller but follow similar standards are the Little Italy Hotel, Tungi Colonnade Hotel, House of Tonga, Puataukanave Hotel, the Emerald Hotel and JeZami Hotel. Note that no other hotels in Tonga have a swimming pool at the time of writing (even if they advertise that they do).

Some hotels, like Elim Hotel, Sunrise Hotel and Jia Heng Holiday Hotel offer international-standard hotel rooms and cater more towards the Chinese market.

Finally, there are budget hotels like the Hilltop Hotel that offer affordable guest rooms to the standards of a backpacker hostel. Some have additional facilities like a communal kitchen. Learn more about guesthouses in How to Choose the Best Guesthouse in Tonga for You.

Hotel Standards in Tonga

It’s important to set a few expectations straight before checking into your hotel in Tonga. Tonga is a developing country with a younger tourism industry and, in turn, less expertise than some of the more developed tourist hubs of the South Pacific. Some hotels can be pretty basic, and not all of your usual facilities are provided, such as towels, toiletries, tea/coffee or even hot water. Tonga is more basic, so it is best to keep an open mind (and bring a travel towel).

Location, What is Nearby and How to Get There?

Hotels can only be found in the two largest towns in Tonga, Nuku’alofa on the island of Tongatapu and Neiafu on the island of ‘Utu Vava’u. With that in mind, if you want to stay in a hotel, it’s best to compare these two towns, which you can do using the following guides:

How to Get There

One major difference between the destinations is that Tongatapu is generally much cheaper to travel to than Vava’u. Wherever you decide to visit, make sure you know how you’re going to get to your accommodation and get around to visit the nearby attractions. See the following articles for advice:

What’s Nearby?

Finally on the subject of location, when choosing a hotel, make sure it is in a convenient location especially if you won’t be hiring a car during your stay. You might want to be close to restaurants, be able to access tours, and be within walking distance of a few attractions. Now that you know the major differences, here is a compilation of hotels based on location:

Where to Stay in Nuku’alofa and 20 Best Hotels in Nuku’alofa
Where to Stay in Vava’u and 10 Best Hotels in Vava’u

Or compare across the whole country using the 25 Best Hotels in Tonga.

Hotel Prices and Inclusions

Finally, you need to make sure that your hotel is within your budget while providing value by having the facilities that you need/want. Any savvy traveller knows that a slightly more expensive hotel might be worth the extra cost if there is, for instance, free breakfast, laundry machines, kitchen facilities and/or a restaurant, etc.

The Cost of Hotel Rooms in Tonga

How much will you pay for a hotel room in Tonga? Typical prices are as follows:

Budget hotel room/night – TOP$100-$200
Three-star hotel room/night – TOP$240-$360
Four-star hotel room/night – TOP$400-$600

For more costs, see our guide, Tonga Travel Budget: How Much Does a Trip to Tonga Cost?

Hotel Facilities and Inclusions

The hotels in Tonga don’t all offer the same facilities, services and inclusions, so it’s best to compare what’s on offer to help choose the best-value hotel. Some facilities and services to compare include:

Airport transfers
Kitchen
Restaurant
Free breakfast
Swimming pool
Bar
In-house tours and activities
Fans or air-conditioning
Interconnecting rooms
Family rooms
Ocean views
Private patio or balcony
Free WiFi
Hot water
Car parking
Insect screens or mosquito nets
Garden
TV
Laundry service or facilities
Tea/coffee-making facilities
In-room safe
Iron.

Note that if there are facilities that are essential to your trip, it’s best to contact the accommodation to double-check that those facilities still exist even if they are already advertised. Tonga’s accommodations are notorious for not keeping websites and brochures up to date when changes are made.

More About Choosing the Best Hotel in Tonga

That’s it for our tips on choosing the best hotel in Tonga for you. If you need more advice, how about tips from our other accommodation selection guides?

Now with a bit of research behind you, you can start selecting the perfect hotel for you with Where to Stay in Tonga: The Best Accommodations in Tonga.

Author

Robin (Lopini) C.

This article was reviewed and published by Robin, the co-founder of Tonga Pocket Guide. He has lived, worked and travelled across 16 different countries before settling in the South Pacific, so he knows a thing or two about planning the perfect trip in this corner of the world. Robin works and consults regularly with the Ministry of Tourism of Tonga. Robin is also the co-founder of several other South Pacific travel guides and is a regular host of webinars with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.

Contact Robin via our contact page