Samoans disappointed with UK news report of “musty linens” to host the King & Queen

By Staff Reporters/

Apia, Samoa – 22 July 2024 – There has been a flow of comments on line from disappointed Samoans in response to a story published by the Telegraph in the UK about “a rush to upgrade after reviews condemned its musty linens and outdated tiles,” of the luxury beachside resort where the King and Queen will stay in Samoa during CHOGM in October.

A former Samoan Foreign Affairs officer criticized the story as “Typical ‘palagi’ media! Always looking for the bad to report, rather than accentuating the positive side….again, typical palagi colonialist attitude!”

Another said “Really? This made the UK news? I guess they’ll pick on little petty things just to make a headline making Samoa look bad.”

The story said the luxury beachside resort where the King Charles and Queen Camilla will stay in Samoa is in a rush to upgrade after reviews condemned its musty linens and outdated tiles.

The story quoted reviews by former customers that range from good to bad that mentioned ‘musty linens’ and ‘rattling air cons’.

The hotel was not named for security reasons but said it is getting WST$300,000 in government funding to upgrade the tired premises ahead of the royal visit in October.

It said a large chunk of the money will be used to upgrade the presidential suite, where Their Majesties will likely stay, while other funds will be used to install baths, water features, improve the driveway to the presidential suite and the entrance roundabout.

According to the report, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the King and Queen would be travelling to Australia and then to Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Governments meeting, which begins on 21 October in Samoa.

King Charles first official duty as Head of the Commonwealth
Samoa CHOGM 2024 will by the first of King Charles official duties as the Head of the Commonwealth since he ascended to the throne on 8 September 2022 and his coronation 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey since his mother’s passing.

It will be the first time that Samoa, a small island in the Pacific region will host the 56 Commonwealth member states; many of whom were former colonies of the British Empire.

Samoa has age old customs in hosting travelling groups of guests that remain a huge part of its living culture and traditions that normally mobilize villages to host guests in open fales.

For the CHOGM meeting, different villages have been assigned as hosts of each of the 56 member countries and while most of the dignitaries will stay in hotels, the assigned villages as hosts, will work alongside the police to ensure security for the whole conference.

The host villages will also be decorated in their guest country’s national colours as a gesture of welcome and support and as their guests Samoan families while they are away from home.

Last week, the first advance visit by Commonwealth member countries were in Samoa and physically assessed Samoa’s preparations and hosting obligations, looking at the logistics arrangements, accommodation options for Heads of Governments, as well as transport details.

The organisers said it has been customary for the host Government to schedule advance visits at least four months prior to CHOGM to allow member countries to send security, protocol and operational experts to the host country to receive advance information on the planning of CHOGM.

A former Samoan national rugby representative who actually met the late Queen commented on the Telegraph story, “As if any head of state sleeps in old sheets. As a comedian said of the old Queen, she thought the world smelt of paint as everywhere she went got decorated.”