InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa

THE CUSTOMER SERVICE - We received exceptional customer service from everyone! Even before our stay, Mr. Christophe, along with the guest services and concierge teams, responded to all my emails with precision and efficiency. From the moment we arrived until the moment we left, Emma took care of us with a perfect blend of professionalism, warmth, and fun. In the F&B department, Mr. Keanu, Mr. Adrien, and Ms. Verena truly stood out, making our dining experiences memorable and deserving of special mention. While we encountered a few minor issues, the staff was incredibly quick to address them and ensure everything was resolved. I couldn’t have asked for more attentive and personalized service—simply amazing! THE RESORT - For me, this resort offers the most awe-inspiring views of Mount Otemanu, making every effort and penny spent here absolutely worthwhile. It’s the quintessential Bora Bora experience, centered around the view. While other resorts offer the same experience of shark swims, villa-to-ocean jumps, snorkeling, and beaches, none provide the perfect Otemanu panorama from every corner of the property. Without a doubt, we’ll be returning to this resort in the near future.

This resort is simply outstanding – luxurious and relaxing, yet fun and interesting at the same time. Our bungalow was extremely comfortable. It was well-designed so that you have a lot of room and separate areas for relaxing and sleeping. Our super-comfortable bed faced a floor-to-ceiling window with a view of the lagoon, beach, and pass to the Pacific Ocean. It was wonderful to spend some time every morning just relaxing and waking up to the beautiful scene in front of us. The bathroom was well thought-out, with double sinks and a nice soaking tub. The rest of the resort was equally well-planned. The beach area was beautiful, with plenty of shaded lounge chairs available for looking out over the lagoon and at Mt. Otemanu. The restaurants were great, with really good food and ample options for even picky eaters. The pool area is beautiful and overlooks the mountain as well. The views everywhere on the property are stunning! We did several treatments at the spa, and they were all wonderful. The massage tables look down through glass inserts in the floor so that you can see the coral reef and fish below. There are many things to do at the resort besides spa and sunbathing. Stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and snorkel gear are available, and we never had a problem finding something to do. The “lagoonarium” on the property is absolutely amazing – so many different species of coral and fish live there, and you see something different every day. Eagle rays and fish come and go as they please. We rented a bungalow with a pool, which was nice because of the private views it afforded, but we honestly didn’t use the pool that much because the lagoon on which the resort is located is basically like a giant swimming pool itself – very calm, with little in the way of currents. We did do some off-property activities (reserved through the concierge): the beginner scuba diving was our favorite (30-min dive in a very large, safe coral reef diving to 6 meters), but we also enjoyed the Waverunner and ATV tours. The staff at the hotel were warm and welcoming, and the service was top-notch. The resort is not too big, which gives it a very private, exclusive feel. NOTE: If you want to party, this is not the resort for you. This resort is for relaxation and exploring, and rude behavior is not tolerated. We saw some drunk people who were asked to leave the restaurant because they were being obnoxious. That said, this was honestly the best vacation I have ever had, with a good balance of relaxation and fun. I only wish we could have spent more time there! Some tips: 1) bring water shoes, as you will need to walk through some coral pieces before you hit the sandy bottom of the lagoon; 2) try to schedule a massage and/or facial for right after you arrive, as it will help with relaxation after long flights; 3) use the reef-safe sunscreen they have available at the pool and reapply often; 4) take advantage of the breakfast-and-dinner-included packages, as food can be pretty expensive otherwise.

This was our second stay at this resort. We travelled with my mother who is in her 80’s and our teenage daughter. The staff are amazing. The care they showed my mother was second to none. They were very respectful, thoughtful and always there to assist when needed. We booked two days out on the water which were amazing. Great reservations desk. We stayed in a two bedroom over water bungalow with a pool. The only thing that lets the resort down is the food. We dined in all the restaurants and the selection and quality of food is disappointing. The same menu for lunch and dinner in the poolside restaurant. We have stayed in several resorts in Tahiti and have found the food choices better at all the other resorts. It’s really not that hard to offer more variety and healthier options. Such a shame as with some small changes the resort would be the perfect choice.

It is hard to describe this paradise within a paradise. The resort itself is perfect with nothing to complain, a dream of the South Pacific come true. We stayed in a spacious and tastefully furnished overwater villa with views of the turquoise lagoon and Mont Otemanu. We swam and snorkeled in the warm water, saw many colorful fish, stingrays, and Blacktip reef sharks. Service is exemplary, staff are helpful and friendly providing a relaxed and hospitable atmosphere. Breakfast was good with a wide selection of made-to-order egg-dishes, raw and half-cooked fish, crêpes, sweets, fresh fruit etc. However, à la carte dinner in the restaurants “Sands” and “Reef” was disappointing. What landed on our plates was not the best result that you would expect from a seasoned chef, but uninspired fare that any beginner could do. This is doubly sad because, first, the quality of the raw materials certainly is outstanding, as we could confirm during the brilliant Polynesian Buffet, and second, the price-performance ratio is unnecessarily inadequate – there is much room for improvement with a little more effort in the kitchen.

Pros: -incredible location: views of Mt. Otemanu are unmatched, area for swimming/paddling much larger than other resorts. Beach area was large and had lots of chairs + shade. One thing to note, the beach has some rocks at the initial point of entry, you may want water shoes. The water is so blue and refreshing—we’ve been to many beautiful beaches and this is the most incredible water I’ve ever seen -little to no bugs, very impressive for a tropical location. Normally I’m a mosquito magnet and I only had a couple bites all week -atmosphere: very quiet and peaceful, the vibes are luxurious and romantic. Most people are couples, a few families with small children or friend trips -recreation: kayaks, paddle boards, canoes, snorkeling included for free. We didn’t snorkel on the property, there are some fish/rays in the lagoonarium. Gorgeous infinity pool with view of Mt Otemanu has flavored water and free sun bum sunscreen -free filtered water stations all over the property and they give you a nice reusable water bottle at check in! -entertainment: Polynesian show twice/week, fire dancing show, daily cultural activities at the pool at 12pm. All free for hotel guests -food: fresh and lots of variety, breakfast buffet was delicious and diverse. Fish and tropical fruits were aplenty, lots of international French/south Asian/Polynesian options -drinks: pricey ($20-$30 unless happy hour, then 50% off certain drinks from 5-6pm) but delicious and strong. Wine from France/Tahiti was much more affordable than American wine, limited beer options, lots of liquor options + local flavored rums -rooms: very large, comfortable, lots of amenities, free mini bar restocked daily (two cokes, two sprites, two mango juices, two sparkling waters, still filtered water, two small snacks), free nespresso coffee and nice variety of teas + electric kettle. The tub was comfortable and had a beautiful view from a large picture window. The shower was huge with a rain shower head. Bed was comfortable, lots of lighting options. A/C was powerful and two overhead fans kept the room cool -toiletries smell AMAZING, just like the tiare flowers they use to decorate the rooms -all the rooms are overwater bungalows, our beach view room 202 was one of the best non-Otemanu view rooms. Instead of facing the pool/hotel property we faced the beach outside the property which was much quieter and more private. The deck has a table, two regular chairs, two lounge chairs, an outdoor shower to rinse the salt water and a ladder to climb into the ocean! -staff: very helpful and kind, seem to really enjoy their work. The housekeeping and concierge were especially fantastic. Cons: -pricey, which is pretty much unavoidable for Bora Bora. Some ways to save money include packing a few bottles of wine/liquor in your checked luggage, bringing non perishable snacks from home, purchase trip through Costco to get breakfast and dinner included. We also traveled in shoulder season (first week of November) which was considerably cheaper than even a couple weeks earlier in mid October. -some isolated issues with service. For example when we checked in the paper we signed said check in was at 2pm, then we were told it was 3pm. When I pointed this out the staff said the time had always been 3pm, even though the paper clearly said 2pm. The front desk staff also said they would email us when the room was ready, which they never did. We requested a guest wifi password to use before our room was ready, the code they gave us didn’t work and we had to go ask for another one. These are small inconveniences but for the price you’re paying and after a long trip it was annoying. Other than a couple other small things (requesting a golf cart ride to the boat dock for an excursion that never arrived, requesting body lotion and receiving shower gel instead) the service was excellent. -remote location, which makes sense considering the hotel’s location on a Motu (barrier island off the coast of the main island). You can take the boat shuttle to the sister resort Intercontinental Le Moana on the main island and then walk/take a cab to town to purchase cheaper groceries/etc. The shuttle is $34/pp roundtrip unless you book an excursion like renting a car or scooter Overall: besides a few hiccups in service it was an incredible property that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a quiet, relaxing and luxurious vacation. We will definitely be back some day! A few tips for Tahiti travel in general: -I’d highly recommend purchasing the IHG Ambassador status for $225 USD to be eligible for early check in and late check out. We got to stay in our room until 4pm which was a lifesaver for the 6pm flight from Bora Bora back to Papeete. Otherwise you can use a day room for an hour to change/shower but it’s much more comfortable to relax in your room -The Papeete airport does not have any air conditioning except in the Air Tahiti Nui lounge. We purchased passes for $55/pp in advance and it was a lifesaver to get some A/C + a shower after hours of being hot + sweaty -Cash is great to have on hand in town, the hotels will just charge everything to your room -Tipping is not necessary but I found we received lots of gratitude and even better service when strategically tipping (especially beach/pool drink service and housekeeping)