Having read some previous reviews I was a bit hesitant to book a stay at le meridian noumea. As it turned out, myself and my partner had a great time. The staff were very friendly, happily putting up with my terrible attempts at French. The breakfast and lunch were very good. Some of the best food I've had in a resort. While the resort isn't brand new, it's kept in great condition and would defiantly be the best place to stay in noumea. When traveling to new caledonia you need to keep in mind that it isn't a budget destination like Bali or Thailand. What you get for your money is very friendly and helpful people all over noumea and the chance to discover a unique combination of French and local cuisine. We didn't have the chance to visit the aisle of pines - make sure you book any island trips well in advance as they can be booked out during high seasons. I intend to return to noumea, the aisle of pines and possible the loyalty islands ASAP.

Stayed here for a few nights during the Christmas break and there were some great things and some low points also.

Firstly, upon enty, the hotel is quite nice with a spacious lobby that is nice and cool after coming in from the heat. The hotel opens up to lovely grounds which have gardens and fish ponds and end at a large welcoming pool. There is also a bar and it opens on to a private beach and is a nice spot to sit by and have a drink after a day out or to just enjoy the sun.

Initially, the room was nice and a great step up from the Ramada (see my review). They have the little niceties like robes and slippers that you should expect from a 5 star hotel, however they had us put in a room with a king bed when we requested a room with 2 beds. After about an hour or so, we got a call and were downgraded to a room 2 floors lower which didn't have robes (which might have been due to the unexpected room change) or a DVD player which would have come in handy as there aren't many english channels and there is not much to do when it's raining outside. This was quite a let down for a room which cost more than $400 AUD per night!! Also as we had checked in and gone out to the islands etc and to the pool before we got our room keys in the evening, we sat in wet clothes waiting to be told what was going to happen with our room as we did not want to unpack if we had to shift.

On our first night, we had dinner at the al a carte restaurant which was lovely. The food was beautiful but came with a price tag, however no more than you would pay in a nice restaurant in Sydney. Service at the restaurant was great, and they tried to accommodate my vegetarian friend app much as possible.

A huge downside of travelling with a vegetarian is that you don't have many options when travelling to a place with a different food culture. As a result, we tried the room service on many occasions, and while my friend didn't have much choice, I felt that the variety and quality was pretty good (the chocolate cake is to die for). On an evening where they were very busy, the food came later than the quoted time, and the hotel was kind enough to provide the meal free.

The continental breakfast is provided free with the room and is more than sufficient, and this can be upgraded for a very reasonable price.

On our last day, we were looking forward to visiting the spa however it was closed due to the public holiday (new years day) which I wouldnt have expected from a 5 star hotel which was completely booked out. It was raining on that day also so without the DVD player or in room movie options (you cannot purchase any as you would in other parts of the world), became a very tedious day as there is really not much to do at all.

Though it had its share of flaws, I don't know that yo would find much better anywhere else in Noumea and the service was the best we had encountered during our whole trip.

We stayed at Le Meridien for a week over New Year. My view is the hotel is good but it's claimed 5th star is not deserved. Our room was pleasant and of good size and in good (if a little old) condition. The main complaint about the room as others have said was a slight musty smell caused by the AC. Other than that was quiet and comfortable and we slept well. I didn't have any issues with noise.

The breakfast was good and there was plenty of choice. We dined in L'Hippocampe- food was excellent, wine list very ambitiously priced even for a hotel. We also had room service which was not too bad.

The staff were generally good- front desk and the manager were very helpful and efficient although the concierge wasn't very knowledgeable. The other staff were friendly in the laid back pacific way. Our friends had a young baby and were well catered for.

The main disappointment was the pool bar, the service very slow, we had to make an effort to get the staff's attention, we were often ignored, meals took an hour to arrive, drinks and food were missed, and generally service was inattentive if delivered at all - not good enough for a hotel that claims 5 stars. This was the only area I wasn't really happy about.

We came to stay unexpectedly over the Xmas holidays 2011. Two couples (late 30s) and a 16 month old baby. We had booked a long stay at Ramada, easily the most disastrous hotel stay in my life including those early student days staying in 2 star hotels in Thailand that were at least clean. We drove to the meridien and explained that we had to vacate the Ramada immediately because of a deadful experience. The front office staff were really proactive and managed to get us two intercommunicating rooms overlooking the beach and swimming pool. This at a busy time when the hotel was super busy and booked. They let us check in early as well! The hotel is on a beautiful peninsula, with very good facilities. Rooms are large, well equipped with bathrooms with shower and separate bath.
The staff we very friendly and helpful. Yes south pacific islanders are often relaxed and perhaps dont understand or value the more western expectation of immediacy, but they are very friendly. I noticed that they call each other "brother" or "sister" and send each other "bisoux" or kisses. They bent over backwords to accomodate the needs of the baby.

Breakfast was fresh, plentiful and staff coped well with a sudden surge of customers at the same time. Yes there is short wait if you want eggs.

The pool is well maintained and the staff the work really hard with a full house and people requiring their services constantly. They provide you towels, set you up on deck chairs with cushions and umbrellas which means unless it is crazy busy you will get a spot.

Best of all, the hotel was fully booked for the 31st dec and after speaking to the manager about our experience at Ramada and that every other hotel was fully booked, they managed not only to accomodate us but to keep us in the same rooms.
For background we are all frequent travellers with experience of 4 and 5 star across the globe. We rate the hotel highly for service and also location and set up.