The Friendly Islander is a venerable institution in Tonga, with all the old world charm of a Graeme Greene novel. Papiloa is the hostess. She knows everyone and everything that can be done in Tonga; she will make sure you meet the right people and do the right things. Certainly the stay is more rewarding when Papiloa is there as the other staff are not as knowledgeable or helpful. The establishment has been running for more than 40 years. We found the accommodation clean, affordable and comfortable. It is a welcome gesture that there is always a full bottle of boiled, clean water in the fridge.

We booked two nights accommodation on the internet, we were supposed to be picked up at the airport, they didn't arrive. Breakfast should have been included for the expensive price we paid and we didn't get any. Reception is dull, dingy, dirty and dismal, no lights on not even when it was dark, you could easily trip over the step in the foyer in the dark. Not a very friendly or welcoming place at all.
No hot water even though she knew we were in the fale, we had to walk across, wrapped in a towel to tell her there was no hot water. She came back and said she'd put the power and pump! The shower flooded.
When we sat outside in the evening with a drink and went inside for a moment, when we came back outside someone had come along and switched off the light!!
The floor was filthy I don't think it had been washed in years.
On the second day we decided to look for cleaner accommodation and found a wonderful, friendly, clean B&B in the same road, nearer to town, cheaper and included breakfast. They were such helpful people, nothing was too much trouble.

My husband & I so enjoyed our stay. Papiloa was a wonderful hostess and a great Ambassador of Tonga. The staff were very friendly and our fale was comfortable and excellent value for money. The location is terrific and surrounded by cafes, (try the lime juice at the Wharf Cafe) also a great Chinese Resturant 2 mins away. Papiloa is very helpful and goes out of her way to make your stay memorable.

To be fair the fabled Papailoa was offsite for the duration of our visit. But "friendly"? Hardly! The doors of the reception were often closed and always poorly lit - not a great introduction. The acting manager - Papailoa's daughter? insisted on being paid up front and on us taking a 2-room unit when we asked for a bed to be brought in to a 1-room unit for our 3 year old boy despite there being plenty of room (Ironically the 2-room unit had a double and single bed in each room). My definition of "friendly' would include at least the odd smile or pleasant exchange but none of this form her, just cold hard business.

Breakfast was a whopping $50 for a cheap packet of muesli, fruit well past its used by date and bacon and eggs swimming in oil (for the 3 of us). Our room was unclean i.e. unswept, unwashed sheets, unmopped floors and unwiped table, disgusting jug. The tv only showed 2 local channels (despite the satellite box) and with the aerial inside the room! - was hopeless reception anyway. The phone didn't work, 3 of the 4 bedside lights didn't work. No water when we arrived at all, this was fixed but then no hot water on the first night - we were taken to another unit to shower.

When we asked for basic tourist advice we were met with a shrug of the shoulders. The only time there appeared to be any interest in our visit was when there was the chance to earn money themselves. All of this wouldn't have mattered so much but the rate of $150 a night was a mockery - actually $155 with a credit card. I guess they are charging this much because most of the units are empty there (except for the dirt).

There are plenty of other better options and friendlier options around. I suggest you stay closer in to Nuku'alofa anyway as we had to shell out for taxis any time we went anywhere and the beach there is not a decent place to swim.

I wish you others who had stayed there recently had made mention of the above as it was the only down side of our otherwise magic Tongan holiday.