Where to Stay
Find your perfect accommodation in the Solomon Islands
The banana boat pulls up to a small wooden jetty. Behind it, six thatched-roof beach houses stand in the shade of coconut palms, the lagoon glowing on the other side. The resort owner is at the jetty with a cold towel and a green coconut. Yours is house number four, fifteen meters from the steps to the reef. There are six guests staying tonight in total. This is what a serious Solomon Islands trip eventually looks like.
Accommodation in the Solomons falls into four broad worlds: the city hotels of Honiara on Guadalcanal, the boutique island resorts of Western Province (Gizo, Munda, Marovo Lagoon), the simple guesthouses of Malaita, and the eco-lodges tucked into Kolombangara and the outer islands. None of these markets are large. The country has fewer than 40 properties on Booking.com all told, almost all family-run, almost all booked direct through the operator.
Where you stay shapes the whole trip. Honiara is for first nights, WWII history, and reconnecting flights. Western Province is the heart of the country’s diving, lagoon, and reef tourism. Malaita is for kastom, shell money, and lagoon villages. Choose one base for diving and culture, plus a city night either side—and never try to do everything in less than ten days.
📍 Best Places to Stay in the Solomon Islands
Honiara has the only sizeable hotels and the easiest access to WWII sites. Gizo and Munda are the gateways to the country’s diving and the Western Province lagoons. Marovo Lagoon delivers the postcard image. Auki opens up Malaita’s cultural depth. Pick the base that matches your trip’s purpose.
Choose Your Stay Style
Family-run beach house on a barrier reef. Waterfront resort with a casino in Honiara. Mission guesthouse in Auki. Or a backpacker bunk above the wharf in Gizo. The Solomons have a stay for every kind of traveller—just expect fewer options and more direct booking than other Pacific destinations.
Hotels & Resorts
Waterfront resorts to family lodges
→Apartments & Homes
More space, local experience
→Hostels & Budget
Mission guesthouses, simple lodges
→Alternative Stays
Search platforms for free or cheap stays
↓🔄 Alternative Stays — Travel Differently
Save money, stay longer, and experience local culture. These are links to platforms where you can search if these options are available in the Solomon Islands. Availability varies by country — use the links below to check what’s offered here.
🏠 House Sitting
Stay for free in exchange for caring for someone’s home and pets. Perfect for slow travelers and longer stays.
🏡 Home Swaps
Exchange your home with someone else’s. No money changes hands — just swap locations.
🌾 Work Exchange
Work 20–25 hours per week in exchange for free accommodation and often meals. Farms, hostels, families, eco-projects.
💰 Money-Saving Tips
- Book the dive lodges direct, not through OTAs: Sanbis, Uepi, Agnes Lodge, and most family-run resorts charge less when booked directly through their own websites or email. They also bundle dive packages, transfers, and meals at better rates than separate purchase.
- Outer-island lodges include all meals: Uepi, Sanbis, and most Western Province lodges charge full-board only because there is nowhere else to eat. The total cost is often less than splitting a hotel room and restaurant meals in Honiara.
- Stay one night in Honiara before flying onward: A guesthouse in Honiara the night before a domestic transfer is much cheaper than missing a connection—Solomon Airlines runs only one to two flights per day to each outer island.
- Avoid peak May–October: The dry-season window is when divers and trekkers fill the few available beds. Shoulder months (April, November) have similar weather, fewer guests, and lower rates.
- Mission guesthouses in Auki: The Anglican and Catholic mission guesthouses on Malaita offer simple, clean rooms with shared facilities for around $25 per night—the cheapest legitimate option on the island, and run by people who know the villages.