Introduction I was told that I was one of the very few Ambassador Elite guests to ever come to Sheraton Samoa Beach Resort. At check-in the receptionist told me that they used to get occasional reservations from Ambassador guests but they would never show up, all they wanted were elite night credits. Strange because I always assumed you would need to be in person to receive points and nights. Anyway, she said from memory we were the first Ambassador guests they saw since she’s been working there. I was told that I was one of the very few Ambassador Elite guests to ever come to Sheraton Samoa Beach Resort. At check-in the receptionist told me that they used to get occasional reservations from Ambassador guests but they would never show up, all they wanted were elite night credits. Strange because I always assumed you would need to be in person to receive points and nights. Anyway, she said from memory we were the first Ambassador guests they saw since she’s been working there. My overall takeaway was that this property has a number of warts but nonetheless I found it to be a good fit for the destination and due to the lack of local hotel competition I would recommend it nonetheless for people who want to travel to Samoa. Otherwise, perhaps the more picky travelers should choose more common destinations in the South Pacific such as French Polynesia and Fiji which have higher hotel standards than Samoa. Room The stay did not start on the right foot. I had questions in the Marriott app via chat which were not answered until it was too late (we already arrived at the hotel), and in addition the app was showing suite upgrade but upon arrival we were told no suite available and we received a normal room. To make matters worse, no room with king bed was available, we had to accept 2 queen unlike what I originally booked. Not the best red carpet treatment for Ambassador Elite at first but before I could say anything they apologized and mentioned to make up for it we would get free dinner and 10k points, and that we would move to a premium suite after 2 nights. The standard room was fine but nothing special, that said for a hotel in this kind of destination my standards are very different than in cities with 50+ chain hotels with high competition where I can be demanding because of plentiful alternatives. While I can accept a hotel of this nature not being up to worldwide standards for the brand, there were some features which pushed the boundaries of what I was comfortable with. I think the bed sheets and towels were clean, but they were so worn out with many stains that we did not get a feeling of cleanliness. Some towels were even gray color rather than bright white because they have been washed so many times and the hotel did not bother spending on new towels. The executive suite was 3x the size of a normal room and it was on top floor so better views and more privacy than being on the ground floor. It was not luxurious but the extra space was great for us. Also I noticed better bedding and no stains issues there. Common Areas Having a hotel which is modern in this kind of location would be a poor fit – instead, a rustic property was a good match with Samoa. The huge positive is that it was very quiet, something that many other destinations in the world would struggle to match. If someone needs a deep soul cleansing in a Bonvoy property then this would be a great destination to try. Part of why the hotel seemed to be quiet is that Fiji Airways crew books this hotel every night but they show up to the hotel at 2am and leave at 3am so it’s only for a shower and quick rest. But those rooms are taken nonetheless so that means fewer guests to populate the overall property. Service The hotel recently re-opened after being closed for a long time during covid so it was not fully up to speed and some common areas were lagging in terms of maintenance or some facilities were simply not available yet, not to mention that many rooms seemed to be out of commission. Other issues with the hotel were that soundproofing was poor, none of the TVs worked properly, there was no wifi in the fitness gym, and air conditioning was weak in both rooms we had. However in my opinion most of this does not matter much because it’s all about local standards and local competition: for anybody going to Samoa I would still recommend this hotel. All staff were locals and exceedingly nice and friendly so it was impossible to get upset at any missteps, and in the end we were treated very well so I would stay there again instead of somewhere else in Samoa especially for Marriott elites, except if it’s to try the other Sheraton in Apia which was not available for our dates anyway (it might still be closed). Another example of the great service is that when we told me we would leave very early morning for our 5am flight they offered us breakfast at 3am on the day of departure. Dining Breakfast spread was surprisingly good considering the very few guests who were present – it seemed way too much food for so few guests. I expected the bare minimum like eggs, sausages, bacon, etc. but there was a daily rotation of special dishes such as cocoa rice, noodles, etc. For room service the menu was interesting and prices not too bad for such a remote destination, and portions were reasonably generous. Wifi Wifi worked well with speed of 15-20 Mbps. Overall Overall this hotel is not for everybody, or should I say, Samoa as a destination is not for everybody. I believe Samoa has something to offer which differs than other islands in the South Pacific or elsewhere in the world such as the Caribbean because it’s exceedingly more quiet and more relaxing so for some people it will be a great match. For others who want to be pampered in luxury, perhaps not so much.