I’m celebrating my 10th wedding anniversary with Heidi this spring and considering a trip to Tahiti, a place neither of us have ever been to. But the question of which hotel(s) to stay in presents a challenge.
Our First Time In Tahiti: Where Should We Stay? Where Should We Go?
I figure the flights will not be a huge expense. With Air France, Air Tahiti Nui, and United Airlines offering nonstop service to Fa’a’ā International Airport (PPT), we will be able to find space. I do know we’ll have to buy internal flights on Air Tahiti and those are quite pricey.
Visiting Bora Bora is a bucket list item for me. I’m not a beach guy and there are probably so many places we could better spend our money, but a trip to Tahiti in celebration of a decade together is fitting and Heidi enjoys beaches and diving (meanwhile, I’ll be dressed in full burqa on the beach…). We both liked the Maldives very much and so I do think this will be a nice getaway together.
Of course I’d love to just book the Four Seasons Bora and Bora and be done with it. But I cannot justify that expense…
And I had always hoped to use Hilton Honors points to book the Conrad or Marriott Bonvoy points to book the St. Regis, but I do not have any Hilton or Marriott points…there are no Hyatts yet in Tahiti.
So…where should I stay? Which islands should we visit? I know there are more budget accommodations available on the island of Tahiti, but I do not want to go all the way to Tahiti to stay at the Intercontinental Hotel near the airport (though we may spend the last night there and even that seems to cost a fortune).
CONCLUSION
Five nights…how should I spread them out and where should I stay? That is my question to you, dear readers, for I have never been to Tahiti and I would greatly appreciate any insight you can provide.
The Intercontinental near the airport is actually quite nice and also offers overwater bungalows. Papeete itself has quite a few quaint restaurants many with a European feel given that French is the primary language. The crew on the Air France flight from LAX to PPT are all Tahiti natives and gave us excellent, out of the way, dining recommendations.
I took the family to Tahiti last summer. We did 3 days on the main island (budget beachfront accommodations on Tahiti Iti), then a day to move between the island of Tahiti and Huahine, then 3 days on Huahine. (Plus an extra unscheduled day at the Hilton by the airport thanks to Air Tahiti Nui going on strike…) Neither island is a huge beach destination per se, but I preferred the more low-key vibe of both places. And I couldn’t justify the money for an overwater villa on Bora Bora when neither my son nor I can swim. There’s a lot of waterfalls and things you can see on the main island if you have a few days to look around.
If you’re at exactly five days, I wouldn’t try to island hop. It’s kind of a pain and will eat up the better part of a day, not leaving you with much time in either place.
E-mail me if you’d like the rundown of our trip and the places we stayed (spoiler, no chains or points hotels).
any IHG properties out there? right now you can get IHG points for .5 cents. If you have the CC also you get the 4th night free benefit for paying with points.
When my wife and I went to Fiji for our honeymoon, we talked about going back for our 10 year. Tahiti sounds a lot better for a 10 year. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoyed Namale, it was just REALLY expensive at the time and I’m sure it’s only gotten more expensive.
Just returned from a holiday trip there. St Regis Bora Bora is a great use of Marriott points. We did both overwater and beach with pool bungalows – both were great and was fun to split time between both. Just avoid the bungalows near their waste water plant.
Our highlight was Le Teha’a Resort – short flight from Bora Bora. There was so much more sea life than Bora Bora – rays, baby sharks, the best snorkeling at their coral garden – if a bit sporty with the currents that made it like snorkeling in a river. The staff from Teha’a was so warm and genuine. They had fresh flowers practically everywhere, tikis throughout the property, and newly renovated bungalows – all made our only 2 nights there special, even though it absolutely poured one full day while we were there. The Polynesian Show was the best I’ve seen – better than the St Regis, the Interconti in Tahiti, and the many I’ve seen in Hawaii. This was a full cash stay and was worth every penny,
If you’re gonna go to Tahiti you have to go to Bora Bora full stop. Nothing else compares, Moorea is a distant 2nd.
Moorea may be a distant 2nd, but it’s also a short ferry ride from Tahiti.
If you’ve only got five days you need to reduce travel time as much as possible.
I’m divided over whether you should go to Bora Bora since it’s a bucket list place, or wait until you can spend enough time to do it justice.
The Hilton Tahiti is a very nice hotel with the downside that there was no access to the beach.
Whatever you decide have a great time.
I agree. Bora Bora has the amazing views but its coral and sea life have been denuded by over tourism. Morea is way more convenient, much more laid back and still has coral and a huge amount of tropical sea life.
Don’t stay on Tahiti, I recommend going to other islands in French Polynesia, such as Moorea and Bora Bora 😉 😀
With that technicality out of the way, I stayed on Moorea for a couple of days (was just a quick stopover) and loved the island in its entirety. I stayed at Hôtel Fenua Mata’i’oa where I had my own little private beach which was very cool plus I was able to experience of flair of a local, non-chain hotel. I’d definitely recommend it.
I recommend Moorea. It is an easy ferry ride from Papeete. If you don’t have hotel points then just look for local places to stay. We stayed there in 2021 at a private small local place with about 4-5 cabanas across the street from the beach (but the pool was on the water front and each had a full kitchen). We rented a car and drove around the island and could make unexpected stops that way. There are only 2 car rental places, both by the ferry terminal. You could pay a whole lot to be in an over the water room too if that is important to the two of you 🙂
How about buying or transferring points? I bough Hilton points last year and used them in an amazing property that was a fantastic redemption. The fact you don’t have points doesn’t mean you cannot get those points. For a memorable trip like this it may be worth it.
Stay on Moorea where there are at least other things to do besides the resort and you’ve got restaurants and such to do also so you’re not captive to the resort.
I’ve been 4 or 5 times already with 2 trips planned in 2024 — I think Hilton Moorea would be the best option for you based on your post.
The Brando on Tetiaroa is absolutely amazing!
Had a client stay there and truly loved it.
My wife and I visited the Society Islands for 10 days in July 2022, primarily to attend a wedding in Bora Bora. We visited four islands and rank them this way: 1. Raiatea. 2. Taha’a. 3. Tahiti. 4. Bora Bora. If you must visit Bora Bora — and I get it — then I’d recommend two days there, two days in Raiatea (a 10 minute flight away) and one day in Tahiti.
Why Tahiti? To drive around the island — pretty and fun — and to see the market in Papeete. The Intercontinental by the airport is bland and overpriced, although it has a gorgeous view of Moorea. We also stayed at Fare Suisse in Papeete, which we liked, but which doesn’t have the romance you’re looking for.
Driving around Raiatea is very scenic and fun, and allows you to see Taputapuatea Marae, an important and impressive historical site. Also recommend kayaking the Faaroa River. We stayed at the Raiatea Lodge, a very nice place but not the luxury Bora Bora serves up. Raiatea is less overrun by tourists than Bora Bora and gives you a sense of how people really live. The hotels there are smaller and more affordable than Bora Bora. Lots of French tourists, few Americans.
In Bora Bora, highly recommend Le Bora Bora (by Pearl Resorts). Has all the bells and whistles.
As others have mentioned, a good alternative to the above is to spend a few days in Moorea (hope to go there next time). Also, if you’re interested in Taha’a, I recommend La Pirogue Api, which apparently is now called Eden Taha’a. Five cottages on a motu off of Taha’a. Beautiful and romantic. Two days was enough for us (we spent one on a tour of Taha’a itself).
Whatever you do, see at least one island other than Bora Bora to get a better sense of what the Society Islands are like away from the big tourist hotels. My two cents.
You’re going to Tahiti. Don’t overthink this. Bora Bora is the answer. And not a cheap hotel on the main island but one on the motus. My picks would be IHG Thalasso or 4 seasons. Hilton is third but it’s on the outer side of the motu (the others face in), but still nice. St Regis is run down and definitely not worth the cash. If finances prevent you from staying at these, I’d suggest saving your money and finding another place to vacation. No sense in spending the money to go there and not doing it right.
Also, if you have a late arriving flight there is literally a hotel across the street from Fa’a airport. It’s not luxurious, but it’s fine, and can save on paying for a night at the IHG in Tahiti , if all you are doing is arriving and sleeping.
You make a very good point. There are some bucket list places that I will only go if I can stay in a place that will make it memorable. I don’t really care for amazing properties in big cities but in places like Tahiti, Maldives, Sardinia, and some Greek Islands, you either stay in one of the best places or just stay home. I would not go all the way to Tahiti where the hotel you stay will be a huge part of your experience and stay in a so so hotel.
Yeah, I’m biased because I went to Bora Bora on my honeymoon (6 of the best nights of my life), but this is how I feel as well. If you’re going through all the trouble and expense (and time!) of getting to French Polynesia in the first place, don’t skip out on doing 2-3 nights in Bora Bora. There’s nothing really like it elsewhere and because of how remote it is you can’t really just take a day trip there from another island or something like that (I mean I guess in theory you COULD but what a waste it would be).
My family of 3 enjoyed a stay at the Hilton Moorea last year! Renting a car for 4 days ran about $60/day, the ferry to/from Moorea is $30 (much less than flying to Bora Bora), and the hotel itself was ~$670 for a cash rate and we got some benefits like breakfast from Diamond status. Was nice being able to eat at restaurants other than the resort which were pretty fairly priced, and we enjoyed driving around the island and observing the scenery as well. Reef in Moorea will hardly blow your mind, but they had free kayaks and paddleboards as well which was fun enough!
With United at $400 o/w in economy and Air Tahiti Nui x3 business class awards w/ 60k MileagePlan points, our out-of-pocket expenses for the entire trip for 3 ppl was just $4,000 for the 5 days, which seems unbelievably low given the hotels were cash (and half of said total).
I wouldn’t neglect Tahiti island itself if you rent a car, driving is pleasant and there’s plenty to see there too, just not the same vibes of unobstructed luxury as Bora Bora
If you do Bora Bora you should just book the Four Seasons and scrap some other expense for the year, or buy Hilton points for the Conrad seems to be other top rec. You’re spending thousands that route anyway so Go Big or Go Home
What??? My eyes must deceive me? A blogger admitting they have no points of major currencies (Hilton and Marriott). In all seriousness, this is why I like Matthew’s blog. He’s not a credit card who*e. So even though he’s prejudice to fat people I keep continuing to read.
Don’t sleep on Air Moana for inter island travel. Cheaper than AT and good customer service.
Also don’t discount French Bee for service between SFO and PPT. We found their “premium” cabin and service to be nice and at a good value.
Given your hotel points situation, you may consider punting on Bora Bora. I loved both IHG’s on BB, but these days availability at either is near impossible to find. I do agree with the other poster that you should limit hopping around with such little time.
I’d submit Moorea as the way to go. More beautiful than Bora Bora, more to do, more authentic, and less touristy. Hit the lagoonarium for sure. Do a hike behind the lookout over the two bays. Visit the public beach on opunohu bay, and temae beach. Bike or scooter around the island. Taste the best pineapple juice you’ve ever had at the Rotui factory tour, and check out the associated rhum distillery. Take the cheap, fast and frequent ferry between papeete and moorea. Stay at a vrbo or one of the small local hotels.
I just got back from a stay at conrad bb, and I enjoyed my time at a vrbo/airbnb in Moorea more.
I would recommend the Hilton Tahiti over the Intercontinental Tahiti. It is fairly new – 3 years I think and the IC rooms can be dated – the newer IC ones are farther from the main building. The benefit for you at the Hilton is you can sit in the bar area in the shade while your wife enjoys their pool- largest in the South Pacific. Also the Hilton is closer to Papeete where you can visit the market – attend a local Protestant church services to hear beautiful music. I do recommend renting a car and driving around the island and see the waves at Teahupoo. You do know the 2024 Summer Olympics Surfing Competition takes place in Tahiti 27 July – 5 August 2024. Also the seasons are reversed to North American and it can be ve4ry very hot Nov-Feb.
Skip Tahiti and go to Nuka Hiva (pleasant surprise where no one goes and will be unique to your blog) for 2 days and Bora Bora for 3. Since both require internal flights I would skip Moorea since you only have 5 days. Hilton properties are better than IHG in all of French Polynesia. You’re welcome and enjoy.
Matt, first of all the Intercontinental near the airport isn’t bad at all, as long as you book an overwater bungalow. We went twice and since UAs flight always arrives at night you have to spend the first night in Tahiti. They have a nice “lagoonarium” for snorkeling. It’s a bit dated but the OWBs are quite new and fresh.
On Bora Bora, the Intercontinental Thalasso is very nice and occasionally available on points, don’t stay at the Moana Bora – an old property not updated. Overall I found Bora Bora beautiful but it quickly got boring.
My personal favorite is actually Moorea which is just a short ferry ride away. The Sofitel there is very nice and has amazing snorkeling. I preferred it over the Hilton Moorea.
We went in 2008 (when air Tahiti started Sydney to Papeete to nyc). Was such a great trip with a stopover in Tahiti. I think it was the quickest way to get to nyc from Australia.
Stayed one night at a nice hotel in Papeete then headed to moorea for two nights. Don’t remember the hotel but we had a two story room for pretty cheap. Pool opened up to snorkeling in the ocean. Was beautiful.
Hotel food terrible and beyond ridiculous in pricing. We walked each day to the local store to buy baguettes, soft cheese and ham and champagne. Win
First of all, whatever you do, have a wonderful time!
Secondly, I love that so many people have different points of view about the intercontinental. It’s great to realize that your own opinion may not be the truth for everyone. For me, I would avoid it if possible. Run down, unsophisticated, meh foods, not the place for an anniversary or to splurge on an overwater bungalow.
I agree, the Brando is one of the most sublime and peacefully mesmerizing places I’ve ever had the privilege to be enveloped by, it it’s as pricey as it is rarefied.
Without points, not being a beach person and wanting to spend a lot, I’m just not not sure what the options are.
Have you considered a cruise? It might not be as peaceful as an overwater bungalow, but it would be a good way to explore different islands and cultures, while still getting worthwhile beach time.
Use a smaller ship: Paul Gauguin, Silversea, National Geographic, Hapag Lloyd, Ponant, and Windstar all come to mind, as does a u unique mixed-use cruise-ship/freighter: Aranui. They might be worth researching.
I’ve been to Bora Bora twice, first time we stayed in IC Thalasso for our honeymoon, second time was at Le Taha’a and Four Seasons Bora Bora with our two boys.
Four Seasons is awesome, no doubt about it. If you can swing it, do it. If it’s too pricy, definitely look at the Thalasso – we had a blast there and I would be happy to stay there again. Awesome perk of the Thalasso is the small day rooms, nice comfortable place to relax between checkout and heading to the airport. At the Four Seasons we were crashed out in the lobby for several hours waiting to leave, wasn’t comfortable at all. I’d skip Le Taha’a – we stayed four nights and I had a list of complaints by the time we left.
Look at Paul Gauguin cruises… the ship, the Paul Gauguin, is a Ponant line vessel and they offer wonderful trips with a lovely variety of destinations and options (7-day to start with longer itins available). They even arrange stays pre- and post cruise if you wish.
Several years ago we stayed at The Black Pearl overwater bungalow on Bora Bora. It was excellent. I also have a great contact for a local car rental.
My vote for your situation would be Hilton Moorea.
It’s been 10 years since we went, so not a recent experience. Consider Huahine or Raiatea for 2 nights and a bit more of a non-touristy, local vibe. We preferred Huahine over Moorea. Also works well with the flights as many island hoppers go via one of those on the way to BOB.
On Bora Bora we stayed at the Sofitel Private Island, which was great and at the time a lot more affordable than the luxury options on the motu.
PPT is very easy to get to from LAX, and it seems family friendly too. It’s an interesting anniversary choice (for you) in my opinion. Can you still get to the Cook Islands on NZ from LAX? Not that you’re looking for other destinations, but that could be cool. Tahiti without points seems unnecessarily expensive. Go back with the kids if you ever have Marriott or Hilton points.
Have stayed at Moorea Hilton and loved it. The check in time can sometimes be later than ferry/air arrival, so people wait in the beautiful lobby but they did have a “transit” shower available to freshen up upon request. Another secret is the small restaurant, very affordable, almost across the road from the HIlton called Lilikoi Moorea Garden Cafe. On our first visit we stopped in an enjoyed the food, ambiance and hospitality so much we made it a point to re-visit on our 2nd trip to Moorea.
I suggest that you look on YouTube for the Luxury Travel Expert. He did a whole extensive series on various properties on Tahiti, Bora Bora. It will give you a VERY CLEAR COMPREHENSIVE overview. Time well spent viewing his presentations. Then make your own decision Matthew. Personally, I’m a Four Seasons addict so the choice is relatively easy for me.
Thanks Robb! I will check it out.
When it comes to staying in Tahiti, consider what you value most in your accommodation experience. Are you seeking luxury and relaxation at a resort with overwater bungalows, or perhaps a more local and authentic stay in a guesthouse or boutique hotel? Each option offers a unique perspective of Tahitian culture and stunning views. Ultimately, it depends on your preferences and budget, but wherever you choose, Tahiti’s natural beauty and warm hospitality are sure to make your stay unforgettable