Ramada Resort by Wyndham Port Vila
by the TopOfHotel team
Ramada Resort is Port Vila's newest superior resort, where you wake up to a full window of emerald lagoon backed by genuinely modern rooms and warm island service — the draw is newness and the view, traded against a short drive into downtown.
Ramada Resort is Port Vila's newest superior resort, where you wake up to a full window of emerald lagoon backed by genuinely modern rooms and warm island service — the draw is newness and the view, traded against a short drive into downtown.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture opening your door, and the first thing you see is a balcony facing the cliff above Erakor Lagoon — the emerald saltwater that is the image people carry home from Port Vila. That is the first hook of Ramada Resort by Wyndham Port Vila, the newest superior-grade resort in Tassiriki Park. The roughly 80 rooms and suites work a clean white palette against warm pale wood, with high open ceilings; slide the big glass door open and the light and breeze off the lagoon come straight in. Several reviewers single out the king beds as unusually easy to sleep on. Bathrooms are modern walk-in showers with a rain head, plus soft robes, free branded toiletries, thick spa-style towels, and a vanity area you can actually use. The overall look is not flashy, but it reads clean and expensive, and for a 4-star in the Pacific it sits a fair bit above standard. Because it just opened, everything is still spotless — no stains, none of the damp smell that creeps into tropical resorts that have been open for years. Reviewers on both Agoda and Booking keep reaching for the same words: brand-new and cleanest in the area.
Food and amenities
The heart of the resort is the cliffside pool deck, designed so the edge of the pool seems to run straight into the lagoon view. Get in late in the afternoon and you can watch kayaks and small yachts drift past behind you; in the evening, the sun spilling orange across the water is the moment everyone reaches for a phone. Loungers and umbrellas line the pool, and staff will bring a cocktail or a cold drink to your chair so you don't have to move. The main restaurant serves international food alongside local Vanuatu plates built on island produce — fresh tuna, grilled mackerel, fresh coconut, and vegetables from Mama's Market — and there is a bar pouring fresh-fruit cocktails and affordable Australian and New Zealand wine. Anyone here for work has a meeting room with modern kit and fast Wi-Fi across the resort, while the gym is small but has a treadmill and a full set of dumbbells. If you are into wellness, you can book a traditional Vanuatu massage. The mood is quiet and unhurried, with no nighttime parties — better for honeymooners and people after a peaceful break than for a full entertainment resort.
Location and getting there
Ramada sits in Tassiriki Park, on the cliff above Erakor Lagoon, a part of town travelers know as quiet and pretty and a sensible distance from the downtown bustle — about a 6-minute drive into central Port Vila, easy for a run to Mama's Market for vegetables, fruit, and local souvenirs. From Bauerfield International Airport (VLI) it is only around 15 minutes by car, very handy for short trips on the direct flights from Brisbane or Sydney. Around Tassiriki you can also stroll the tropical plants at Tassiriki Botanical Garden, and the boat dock for the famous private-island Iririki resort is not far. If you want to spend half a day on the sand, it is another 15-minute drive to Hideaway Island, a snorkeler's favourite with Vanuatu's well-known underwater post office, while Eratap Beach for quiet white sand is also close. Locals take the minibus that runs along the road out front into town for just 150 vatu (about $1.25), several times cheaper than a taxi — just wave it down.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide. The first thing to know is that Ramada has no private sandy beach like a true beachfront resort. It sits on a cliff above the saltwater lagoon — lovely to look at, but you cannot wade in and swim the surf. If the heart of your trip is lying on sand and snorkeling, budget another 10 to 15 minutes by car to reach that kind of beach. Second, you really cannot walk into downtown: that 6 minutes is a drive, not a walk, so every dinner in town or trip to the market means booking a taxi or taking the local minibus, and the fares stack up if you head out several times a day. Third, it is a new resort, and some reviews say the restaurant menu is not yet as varied as the longer-running sister resorts nearby, and the bar can be quiet on weekdays — a solo traveler hoping to meet people may find it on the quiet side. Finally, power and water in Vanuatu run to island standards, so during peak season the supply can run slow or the lights flicker a little; that is normal for the region, not specific to this resort.
Our take
From working through the real reviews on both Agoda (8.8) and Booking (8.6), Ramada Resort by Wyndham Port Vila sells newness, cleanliness, sharp modern rooms, and that panoramic Erakor Lagoon view with full confidence. If the trip in your head is waking up to open the balcony onto emerald water, dropping into the cliffside pool in the afternoon, then taking the 6-minute drive into downtown Port Vila for a seafood dinner, this is about as neat a fit as it gets. It is best for honeymooners, working couples who want a quiet break, and people traveling for work who need a meeting room and fast Wi-Fi. Families with kids will be comfortable too, though they may want more to do. But if your trip is all about beach days, snorkeling, and exploring town on foot every day, a clifftop spot where you drive everywhere may not be the best answer. Overall we give it 8.7/10 — a good-quality new resort that earns its rate in Tassiriki, and a strong booking for anyone after a fresh room, a great view, and warm Vanuatu island service.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- It just opened, so everything feels brand-new and reads as the cleanest stay in Tassiriki Park — reviews are unanimous on the cleanliness and the sharp, modern room condition.
- The panoramic Erakor Lagoon rooms are the headline. Open the balcony and you get emerald saltwater and the odd kayak drifting past, a view you simply cannot get from a hotel in the middle of downtown.
- Modern walk-in showers come with free robes and branded toiletries, and the white-and-pale-wood look is easy on the eye — a notch above what you expect from a 4-star in the Pacific.
- The facilities are complete: a cliffside pool, a gym, a meeting room, Wi-Fi, and parking, which makes it work for honeymooners, families, and people traveling for work alike.
- The location splits the difference well — about 6 minutes by car into downtown Port Vila and roughly 15 minutes from Bauerfield Airport, easy both for getting in and out of town and for touring around the island.
- There is no private sandy beach the way a true beachfront resort has one. It sits on a cliff above the lagoon, so you are looking at another 10 to 15 minutes by car to reach beaches like Hideaway or Eratap.
- You genuinely cannot walk into downtown — the 6 minutes is a drive, not a stroll. Every time you want a restaurant, a pub, or the market, you are calling a taxi or hopping a minibus, and the fares add up if you head out several times.
- It is a new resort, and some reviews note small things still being ironed out, such as a restaurant menu that is not yet as varied as the longer-running sister resorts in the area.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Port Vila
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Insider Tips
- Ask for a high-floor lagoon-view room when you book — reviews agree the view from the upper floors takes in more of the lagoon, and you wake to that emerald reflection you can't find anywhere else.
- Take the local Vanuatu minibus that runs along the road out front into downtown for just 150 vatu (about $1.25), several times cheaper than a taxi — just wave it down as it passes.
- Stay in shoulder season (May to June or September to October) for dry, comfortable weather and lower rates than peak; it often starts around $140 a night.