Sunny days at Samoa’s Saletoga Sands

Saletoga Sands Resort and Spa in Samoa offers luxury and comfort for every traveler. Breathtaking surroundings, lush green gardens and tranquil blue waters provide the perfect setting for this stunning resort. That’s what the website says, so did it deliver? It sure did.

Start us off with an overview.

Saletoga Sands (pronounced sal-e-tonga) is a 1 hour 20 drive from Faleolo International Airport, on the South East Coast of Upolu. While it feels like a long drive from the airport, the resort is close to some of Samoa’s best attractions. 

I was there for a wedding and there were a range of accommodation options to choose from. Beach front villas, exclusive villas (adults only), family villas, and hotel rooms, there’s something for every budget.

Set in a lagoon with its own private beach, it really is beautiful. Tropical gardens, coconut trees and sparkling ocean views surround the resort.

There are restaurants and bars, two pools, a day spa, tours can be booked onsite, and there are snorkel and stand up paddle boards (SUPS) available for hire.

The staff are friendly, breakfast is included, and everything you need is right on your doorstep.

What’s the crowd like?

A mix of ages and stages. The resort is perfect for that. We were there with a wedding party but there were older couples, families with babies or with older kids, and there were groups of friends traveling together. Pretty much everyone is holidaying, I would say most were from New Zealand or Australia, but we did meet an American couple on one of our day trips.

Wedding ready

The good stuff: Tell us about the room.

I was traveling on my own so I booked a hotel room. It was a big space with a decent size bathroom and sliding door out to an outside area. Tea and coffee was provided, along with a water jug. Water stations are located outside the rooms. 

My room was near the restaurant but it was quiet and had air conditioning. The room had a TV but it only played DVDs that you had to hire from reception so I didn’t use it. I was advised to bring bug spray, but there was some provided in the room too. All in all, the room had everything I needed and was serviced daily.

If you're after an ocean view, book a beachfront villa.

Are there any good restaurant, café, and drink options on site?

Yes! There has to be because the resort isn’t that close to shops. It has two restaurants, two bars, a shop for snacks and other essentials, and there’s a swim up bar at the pool. The service was good, we drank a lot of local beer, Taula! 

There’s also a range of food on offer and one of the restaurants has a different themed menu each night. Food and drink is changed to your room and you settle up at the end of the day, or the end of your stay.

If you've brought duty free with you, you’ll want to either bring your mixers or pick them up from a supermarket or shop on your way to the resort. There are single cans and bottles of mixers, but they are pricey.

Any other services and features?

• Airport shuttle (for a fee)

• Complimentary snorkel and paddle board hire

• Guided tours

• Car hire

• Free parking

• Onsite gym

• Day spa

Mobile reception isn’t great and neither is the resort WiFi. Guests I was with bought data packs from reception.

Bottom line: worth it, and why?

100% worth it. The weather was incredible. I went in April and it averaged 35 degrees (Celsius) every day. It’s also a super affordable island holiday with something for everyone. They have great facilities to keep you entertained (still thinking about those incredible sunsets), but if you’re keen to see more of Samoa, hire a car or book a tour. We hired a van through the resort and did an incredible day trip to To Sua Ocean Trench, Namua Island and Lalomanu Beach. It was unforgettable and I highly recommend doing that. Check out the video below to see the sights.

Video: come see Samoa with me ....

BOOK NOW

*Thanks to Condé Nast Traveler for the inspo for the style of this review.