Divers deciding where to stay in Solomon Islands should choose full-board island resorts for reef access and keep Honiara hotels for arrival and departure nights near the airport. Transfers and remoteness settle the rest.
Flights, visas and entry steps are covered in the guide on how to get to solomon islands. This page matches each kind of bed to a province and to what a diver needs from it.
What divers should weigh first
Dive access, transfers, meals and remoteness separate Solomon Islands stays more usefully than star ratings. The government’s Invest Solomons accommodation listing counts 12 resorts, 8 hotels (mainly in Honiara and key towns), 9 motels and 18 budget lodging options. These types do different jobs, so no single one ranks above the others. The order below follows a typical trip, from the capital outward to the lagoons.
- Dive access. A resort with its own house reef puts diving at the door. A town base leaves the diving to be arranged separately.
- Transfers. Island stays add a boat or floatplane leg. Check how it is arranged before booking, because it sets your arrival and departure day.
- Meals. Outer-island lodges tend to bundle all meals, while budget lodging with communal kitchens suits travellers who want to self-cater.
- Remoteness. The further a lodge sits from Honiara, the more your trip depends on a single transfer. Leave slack around international flights.
Where to stay by province
Honiara: hotels and motels near the airport
Honiara is where most travellers land, and the official listing describes its hotels as well suited to business travellers and short stays. That makes them a sensible fit for the nights either side of a dive trip rather than for the diving itself. Distances are given in different forms. Heritage Park Hotel is 12 km from the international airport. Coral Sea Resort is a 20-minute transfer from Honiara International Airport. Tanuli Royal Plains Motel is a 15-minute drive from Honiara Airport (Invest Solomons).
A kilometre figure and a transfer time are not directly comparable, so ask each property for its own airport pick-up arrangement. Travellers comparing Solomon Islands hotels in Honiara by neighbourhood can use the honiara travel guide for the wider city picture.
Gizo and Western Province
Gizo Hotel is a waterfront property that the official listing calls an excellent option for travellers exploring Western Province and wanting a convenient central base. It suits divers who prefer a town with several dive options within reach over committing to one remote resort.
Imagination Island Eco Resort sits just 10 minutes by boat from Gizo and 5 minutes from the airport, which keeps the transfer short on arrival day (Invest Solomons). Beyond these two, a travel guide notes that most Western Province lodges charge full-board only. Budget for meals as part of the nightly rate rather than as an extra.
Marovo Lagoon: house-reef resorts
Uepi Island Resort is the clearest example of Solomon Islands dive resorts built around the reef. A destination guide describes six beach houses, family-run since 1986, with the house reef five steps from the door. It is full-board only, reached by floatplane or boat transfer from Seghe (Spin Your Destination).
This type suits divers who want to spend the whole trip in the water and are happy to eat what the resort serves. The limits are practical. There is no self-catering, and the stay depends on the transfer from Seghe running to plan, so the resort is a poor choice for a tight onward connection on the same day.
Eco lodges
Eco lodges in Solomon Islands are a distinct choice from the larger resorts. A travel guide notes that eco-resorts run on solar power and locally sourced food, so expect limited electricity and a menu shaped by what is available nearby. Imagination Island Eco Resort, close to Gizo, is the listed example in Western Province.
This type suits divers who value a quiet setting and local food over air-conditioned comfort. It is less suited to travellers who need constant charging for camera and dive-computer gear. Bring a charging plan and ask the lodge how its solar supply handles evening use.
Motels and budget lodging
The official listing places its 9 motels close to town centres and transport links. It also lists 18 budget lodging options, which often include communal kitchens and shared bathrooms. These suit divers watching costs on nights before or after a resort stay, or those who want to cook for themselves.
The trade-off is privacy and facilities. Shared bathrooms and basic rooms are fine for a night or two, but they are rarely where a dive-focused week is built.
Comparison at a glance
| Type and example | Where | Position or access | Planning use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel: Heritage Park Hotel | Honiara | 12 km from the international airport | Arrival or departure night |
| Resort: Coral Sea Resort | Honiara area | 20-minute transfer from Honiara International Airport | Short stay with a quick airport run |
| Motel: Tanuli Royal Plains Motel | Honiara | 15-minute drive from Honiara Airport | Lower-cost city night |
| Hotel: Gizo Hotel | Gizo, Western Province | Waterfront, central base for the province | Base for exploring several sites |
| Eco resort: Imagination Island Eco Resort | Near Gizo | 10 minutes by boat from Gizo, 5 minutes from the airport | Short transfer, quiet setting |
| Dive resort: Uepi Island Resort | Marovo Lagoon | Floatplane or boat from Seghe; full-board only | Diving from the house reef |
| Budget lodging | Towns and key centres | Communal kitchens, shared bathrooms | Self-catering on a tight budget |
Figures come from the Invest Solomons accommodation listing and a Solomon Islands where-to-stay guide.
What resort rates cover
Meals are the most predictable inclusion. Outer-island lodges include all meals, and Uepi and most Western Province lodges charge full-board only (Spin Your Destination). Near Honiara and in the towns, the listed motels and budget lodging lean towards self-catering, with communal kitchens in the budget category.
Transfers form part of the stay at remote resorts, as the floatplane or boat link from Seghe shows for Uepi. Whether diving is bundled into the nightly rate varies by operator, so request a written list before paying a deposit. Useful items to confirm are the number of dives, equipment hire, the boat and the airport pick-up. Inter-island legs that fall outside a package are covered in the guide to getting around solomon islands.
Frequently asked questions
How do I book a village or eco lodge stay?
Start from the official Invest Solomons accommodation listing to identify properties, then contact the lodge directly. Ask what the rate includes, how the boat or floatplane transfer is arranged and where it starts. Imagination Island Eco Resort, for example, is 10 minutes by boat from Gizo.
Where should divers stay in the Solomon Islands?
Choose by how much diving you want from the doorstep. A house-reef resort such as Uepi in Marovo Lagoon suits dive-focused weeks, while Gizo Hotel or Imagination Island suit a Western Province base. Honiara hotels work best as stopovers.
What do budget stays usually include?
The official listing says its 18 budget lodging options often include communal kitchens, shared bathrooms and proximity to local attractions. They suit self-catering travellers rather than guests wanting a bundled dive package.
