The Royal Hotel at the northern end of Beach Street is the soul of Levuka — a rambling wooden two-storey building with deep verandas, paddle fans, and the faintly tropical-decay air of every old colonial port hotel from Penang to Suva. Inside is a Victorian billiards table, a small bar, and rooms that are basic but well loved.
It's a fine place to stop for a beer even if you are not staying; the verandah looks straight across the road to the reef.