From beachside camping (local-style) to luxury resorts, Samoa has accommodations for every type of traveller.

Samoa accommodation is as varied as the oceans here are blue (trust me, they’re VERY blue). No matter what type of holiday you’re looking for – adventure, family-friendly, boutique or luxury – there’s somewhere to stay with your name on it. That’s before you even add in the friendly staff who have an uncanny knack for making you feel at home.

Travellers tend to stay on the two main populated islands, Upolu and Savai’i, which is where you’ll find most of the accommodation options. From beach huts to one-of-a-kind resorts, these are our top picks.

1. Taufua beach fales

Best for: An adventure beneath the stars

Besides the clear, blue water and coconut trees, nothing screams ‘this is a Samoan beach’ more than a line of fales along the water. In fact, fales themselves are a pretty quintessential way of life here. Samoans typically live in family compounds, their homes side by side on one property with a large fale in the centre of it all where they come together to socialise or escape the heat.

Sleeping in an open fale on the beach is a near-camping experience that you can’t have in many other places around the world. Taufua Beach Fales are some of the best, especially considering they’re located on (yes, literally on) the world-famous Lalomanu Beach. From a nightly rate of WST$130 ($71.63), you can book an open fale, or one with walls – you’ll be provided with a mattress, linen and a mosquito net. If you like the location but prefer brick and mortar, they also have brightly coloured villas and lodges just across the road.

2. Return To Paradise Resort & Spa

Best for: A unique Samoan experience

As the only Samoan-owned and operated resort left in the country, Return To Paradise Resort & Spa truly brings a unique flavour to the accommodations scene. Approved by the local village and using its profits to give back to local projects, you really get a feel for the community aspect of Samoan culture here. Vibrant owner, Ramona, welcomes guests into that same community with open arms, whether they’ve stayed once or a hundred times.

The resort also boasts a truly unique claim to fame: it was the setting for the 1953 movie of the same name, starring Gary Cooper and Roberta Haynes. The Hollywood blockbuster was so famous in Samoa that the beach was renamed Return To Paradise Beach, and Haynes even requested to be buried here – guests can visit her grave outside the onsite chapel.

Hotel rooms are large, with plenty of room to move and options for large families or couples. From WST$510 ($282) per night, guests can stay quite literally on the beachfront, or in rooms overlooking the striking Samoan-style garden.

Be sure to book in for the Fiafia cultural night, not only to meet Ramona and be welcomed to the resort but to also see an authentic performance by some of the best dancers and fire twirlers in Samoa – all while enjoying a buffet of tasty Samoan cuisine.

3. Amoa Resort

Best for: Complete relaxation

It’s hard to stay tense as a visitor to Samoa, but nowhere invites you to relax quite like Amoa Resort on Savai’i Island. Not many travellers venture on the hour-long car ferry ride from Upolu, so those who do are already rewarded with an even more peaceful experience.

Add to that the fact there’s no wifi, so you’re forced to disconnect and lean into the natural beauty around you. Rooms start from around WST$408.80 ($227.19) and feature beautiful traditional decor (fit for a Samoan Chief’s daughter), with space for couples or families.

You’ll want to spend most of your time across the road though, in the single most pristine section of the ocean, kept calm and flat at all times but a natural sea wall surround the island. It’s a public beach, but Amoa Resort provide kayaks, deck chairs and snorkels for guests, and they’re free to use.

4. Taumeasina Island Resort & Spa

Best for: Knowing what you’ll get

For travellers who like to book a resort knowing they’ll get that fabulous, standard resort service, Taumeasina Island Resort & Spa constantly delivers.

Close to Apia and set on an island connected to the mainland by a short bridge, Taumeasina stuns from the moment you walk into the lobby – complete with high ceilings in the traditional style, and regular live music from local musicians. The friendly faces of the dedicated staff also help set the tone.

Rooms here are unique, in that they feel more like a Western-style hotel room than the other resorts. Be sure to ask for something with an ocean view to enjoy a complimentary tea on the balcony with lovely views. Prices start around WST$760 ($396.97) per night.

There are three dining choices here, all complete with outdoor tables overlooking the pool area – perfect for parents who want a drink or two while their kids splash around. Don’t miss the buffet dinner and breakfast in Lapita’s Restaurant, with Samoan and Western cuisine options. This is also where you’ll find the resort’s weekly Fiafia night.

5. Saleatoga Sands Resort

Best for: Group getaways

There’s no denying the beauty of Saleatoga Sands Resort. With spacious rooms that either sit directly on the beach or are tucked away in a tranquil garden, there isn’t a bad view in sight.

The rooms themselves are very spacious, and decorated with the high wooden beams of the traditional Samoan styling. The outdoor shower area is worth a visit on its own. Prices start from about WST$676.79 ($373.80).

It’s a resort that attracts groups of friends and families, or couples looking to get social (other guests are louder and clearly in more of a party mood than anywhere else I stayed).

Head to one of several bars (including a swim-up bar at the pool), book into weekly day trips organised by the staff to local attractions (tours to nearby To Sua were particularly popular) or jump into the glistening private beach.

6. Seabreeze Resort

Best for: Adults-only luxury

If you are looking for decadence and no children, then Seabreeze Resort is an absolute must. Luxury is their love language, and the owners take pride in fulfilling as many guest requests as possible (just let them know when you book).

Particularly popular among couples, particularly Honeymooners, the 11 exclusive villas and suites mean that guests maintain their privacy and tranquillity. The hotel is perched on a clifftop, surrounded by coconut trees and overlooking the clear, turquoise ocean – this is what you imagine when you think ‘island getaway’.

Guests arrive and depart to greeting songs from the staff (apparently a good singing voice isn’t a prerequisite to work here, but they all have one), and are treated like friends.

Relax with an in-room massage, sip champagne by the pool, hire a car to explore the island by day and be sure to dine at the onsite Waterfront Restaurant and Bar any chance you get. Not only is it perched over the water, but the menu is second to none, prepared by an award-winning local chef.

There’s a minimum two-night stay here, with rooms starting at around WST$879.17 ($534.61) per night. Prices include free transfers and a bottle of sparkling wine with canapes, and there are also pre-paid meal plans and spa packages available.

7. Dave Parker Eco Lodge

Best for: An eco-friendly stay in the rainforest

While most Samoa accommodation is seaside, Dave Parker Eco Lodge has clued into a different type of natural beauty in the centre of Upulo island: the rainforest.

Just a 25-minute drive from the centre of Apia, check into your very affordable room (starting at WST$133.55 ($73.83) and fitting at least three guests) nestled in the tropical hillside of Tapatapa’o. You’ll be rewarded with spectacular viewpoints over the rainforest, town and ocean (that also means you’ll get the best view of Samoa’s stunning sunrises and sunsets – not to mention the abundant bird life, which provides the only soundtrack you’ll be subjected to.

Include a Sunday in your booking to be involved in a proud Samoan tradition: a Sunday feast cooked on the traditional open-fire umu. Hotel staff will even show you how to weave your own flax plate to eat it from.

8. Ifiele’ele Plantation

Best for: A self-catered stay

Samoan hospitality is incredibly friendly and efficiently laid-back, but if you prefer a self-catered stay (while still enjoying cleaning staff), a holiday spent at the organically certified Ifiele’ele Plantation is perfect.

With a feel more like a farm stay in the mountains than a hotel, married hosts Fogalepolo (Paul) Lepou and Joan Macfarlane are renowned for their friendly welcome. You will find a restaurant on site, but rooms also have kitchens if you prefer to cook for yourself.

Relax the day away under the pool fale between dips, book the tennis court, stroll through the beautiful gardens, have a go at feeding the goats or hang out with the family duck.

9. Coconuts Beach Club Resort & Spa

Best for: Sleeping over the water

Images of hotels sitting over the water are quite synonymous with other Pacific Islands, but in Samoa, the exclusive Coconuts Beach Club Resort & Spa provides the only over-water fales – and they give everywhere else a run for their money.

A popular spot for weddings and honeymooners, the romantic vibe here can’t be denied. Spend the day with your own private view of the sea, book into the spa and enjoy dinner by starlight in the innovative Mika’s Restaurant. They’ll also organise tours and activities for guests to visit local highlights, like an Apia City Tour, visiting the best beaches and waterfalls and even a day trip over to Savai’i island.

Rooms start from around WST$962.16 ($539) a night, but you’re looking at closer to WST$1867.71 ($1043.23) for an over-the-water fale.