Can anyone comment on the quality of air conditioning and scuba diving at Laucala...and compared perhaps with Wakaya? Thanks so much!

Can't compare to Wakaya and I'm not a diver either, but I can say that the climate control everywhere in the resort was ideal. It must have been, because I never noticed it at all. No unpleasant arctic blast on entering the villa; never felt uncomfortable at all. HTH

Has anyone visiting recently since the renovation?

As I'm here right now and find myself during the latter part of the weather trend (12 hours of perfection followed by 12 hours of rain) with only sleep deprivation as my friend, I thought I'd do my civic FlyerTalk duty and answer any questions anyone has about Laucala. I'll write up a full report and compare it to North Island afterwards, as that seems to be a useful comparison and Baghoarder has already done a good review of Laucala.

I will also continue to update this with photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/132880...57669991889423

@MacMyDay: do you like it :)?

Snorkeling? Fish life? Coral?

Thanks!

How does the beach compare to other top beach resorts?

I do indeed! The word I keep using to describe Laucala is "ridiculous". Everything here is so utterly ridiculous as it's maintained to such a high level and so stunning, with clearly no desire to make any money. It could only exist in a world where someone has so much money that they know they will never run out of it, regardless of what they do. Well, Nicolas Cage thought that, but that didn't end well.

This has been one of the areas that I found most surprising, as there really isn't much of a beach to talk of. I know there are other areas of the island I have not been to yet, so I might comment better in a few days time (and Epicura might jump in and correct me), but just like North Island, the resort is focused around a small area that contains a beach. Based on this, I would have assumed they saved their best beach for this area, but evidently not. Laucala is definitely not barefoot luxury, as the beach directly in front of our villa has sand filled with shells and pebbles, so you cannot walk anywhere without sandals. The main beach doesn't have this, but the sand is still not very soft. If you want a beach, go to North Island, Fregate or Amanpulo instead - there is no comparison.

https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8537/2...c8bcc401_c.jpg
This is kinda all there is.

I will come back to you on that. We're going out in their submarine in a few hours and will go snorkelling some point later in the week.

Enjoy!

But when the chance becomes available, I'd love to know what the quality of scuba diving might be--especially compared with Wakaya or North or anywhere else you may know, assuming you dive? Baghoarder wasn't able to comment on this.

I'd also love to know how well the air con works if you get w chance to drop it to 67 F/19 C?

I'm also dying to see if you use the submarine! You got a vote here for sure!

Interesting about the beach!

Thanks for the mini-report. Looking forward to more details.

I've uploaded some more photos to demonstrate this further for you.

https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8191/2...2dd831c1_c.jpg
This is the view looking back onto our villa.

https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8877/2...2cce56e0_c.jpg
And this is a close-up of the sand. You sure don't wanna pass out drunk on that or you'll have a face like a 1960s Bond villain.

https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8797/2...361cae62_c.jpg
The beach club

https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8142/2...ebaf6ef1_c.jpg
The full length of the beach, by the beach club (the beach is longer, but it is in front of the villas, so it's not really somewhere you would venture off into)

https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8173/2...bb7b2420_c.jpg
Main beach

On the last two photos you'll see they've been through the beach this morning with a tractor to comb the area which has made a big improvement, but it's still not even close to any other top beach resort. You can walk on it barefoot, but you would need to be wearing something in the first place to get close to the beach, as just behind the combed area is still the same sand as you can see in the first 2 photos.

Fraid that's not something we do, so I won't be able to comment.

Submarine photos coming up later. Baghoarder mentioned previously that the AC was not an issue and I completely agree with her, but I'll give it a go on 19C for you. We're the opposite to you and often never turn it on as we love being warm, but here we've been using it constantly as it's so warm in the day.....just before it starts raining around 5-6pm.

Thank you for the excellent description of the beach! A bit disappointing that the sand isn't the powder white variety, but at least the pools are out of this world. Even the private villa pool looks huge, especially compared to North Island.

Submarine
 

Ok, here it is. The moment my whole life has been building up to.

https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8416/2...326ee805_c.jpg
A submarine

https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8249/2...9c86bcfc_c.jpg
I repeat, a freaking submarine

https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8134/2...27c46300_c.jpg
Plenty of space in here. I could move the family in. We could live under the sea.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8137/2...c8bcf43d_c.jpg
Getting ready for takeoff

https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8279/2...362c7265_c.jpg
We have liftoff (liftdown?)

https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8077/2...9c639dee_c.jpg
This is the greatest moment of my entire life

https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8112/2...e4d2b76b_c.jpg
Thank god no one can see me crying of happiness under the water

https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8191/2...23cd2ba8_c.jpg
I don't even have the words to describe this

https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8521/2...d386fc87_c.jpg
If you are miserable today, it's because I stole all the available joy in the world.

https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8318/2...3b86d21f_c.jpg
Please never end

https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8525/2...2ddeeaed_c.jpg
Why are you ending?!

https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8222/2...5b3a0ac1_c.jpg
Back to reality. I hate my life

The submarine is really funny! Hope to such a great thing too one day

THIS. LOOKS. AWESOME.

Reason alone to return (they didn't have this when I visited).

Mac, I love your reports but I think you're being pretty hard on the beach. Those private stretches of sand may not be powder - but that's the region. But they are private.... :).

And if you don't like the beach you can always retreat to lounge by your private pool. Or your yoga platform. Or your outdoor dining area. Or your private lawn (unless you're in Seagrass). Or your private massage pavilion. Or your outdoor bathtub......

:D