Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora — Hotel in Bora-Bora

We had a fantastic time at Four Seasons Bora Bora. So many good things to say about this place. We enjoyed a short 4-day stay.

Customer Service: The resort staff who were all very friendly and helpful. They were eager to serve and please. I've never stayed at another hotel or resort with such good customer service.

Room (over-the-water bungalow): We stayed in room 324, which I think was listed as a lagoon view, but we still had a pretty good view of the mountain. The AC worked great, and it was always nice to walk inside into a cool and dry climate.

I've read some of the negative reviews and noticed most were from many years ago, and it seems like they have done some upgrades since then. Our OTW bungalow was in good shape, with a very nice interior. We did have some issues with some bugs/flies in the room. It wasn't awful, but wasn't ideal, either. I suspect that might depend on the time of year of your visit. We experienced very little in the way of mosquitos while at the resort.

I'd highly recommend an OTW bungalow, preferably one located a little further out from the beach. While the entirety of the resort is beautiful, including the restaurant/bar areas near the beach, we spent a lot of time just relaxing on the deck of our bungalow and enjoying a swim right from the deck. The water depth at our location was at least 10-15 feet, so you could jump in without worrying about hitting the bottom.

The room and all around the resort had good wifi.

Food: The restaurants were of good quality. We did venture out one evening to St James restaurant on the main island, and while it was decent, the food at the resort was better. We'd have been happy staying on the resort grounds the entire time, though it was good to experience the main island itself. The breakfast buffet was mostly consistent each day in what it served, but there were so many options that you could vary your selection to get a different experience each morning. I thought the breakfast was very good.

The food is all very expensive, just know that going into your planning. For the two of us, we typically spent $100 - $150 per meal, even when sharing dishes. We'd typically get one or two appetizers and one main dish to share. We also only had water to drink during our meals. Our breakfast was included in our room charge.

Resort Grounds: Everywhere at the resort is beautiful. The interior paths away from the lagoon were just as beautiful and all well maintained. This provided for peaceful and quiet walks. The fitness center was nice with an ocean view, although perhaps a tad small. The spa was adjacent to it and looked nice, though we didn't book an appointment there.

Activities: We used the standing paddle boards that were available and enjoyed that. I don't recall that costing anything. We also booked a lunchtime jet ski trip (a few hundred dollars), which takes you entirely around the island and stops for lunch at Bora Bora Beach Club on the main island. That restaurant was mediocre at best, but the overall experience was fun. We also joined a complimentary yoga class one morning. They had snorkeling and diving activities available as well, but we didn't opt to do those.

Shopping: There were a couple shops on the resort, with one being the primary - the others were more focused on either jewelry or art. The prices here, like the food, were quite high.

Overall travel notes: Be aware the airport is on another motu (small island) that you can get to only by boat (~15 min from Four Seasons) and that the airport building there does not have AC. The airport at Tahiti also does not have AC. So the impact of that when you're leaving to fly back home is that you've got a lot of waiting around in very hot and humid weather without AC. Everyone is pretty much drenched in sweat, which makes for an interesting flight back to wherever you call home. Tahiti should think about installing AC at their airport given that it is the central hub for visitors traveling to and from the islands. It is an unpleasant experience at their airport...

This was the absolute greatest vacation of my life. If you’re able to go and won’t have buyer’s remorse about the expense, this is a MUST DO bucket list vacation. Below I’ll outline everything we did and our honest review!

I booked this trip as a last-minute Valentine’s Day gift for my boyfriend three days before our departure. Lots of websites discourage people from going to Bora Bora in February, and though I haven’t been at any other time of year, it was truly the best decision to go in the low season with fewer tourists!

ROOMS - There is nothing like staying in the overwater bungalows. Truly magical to jump off the back porch into the lagoon every day, and to take a bath overlooking the ocean every afternoon.

SERVICE - Every aspect of the Four Seasons’ service is absolutely incredible - they anticipate everything you may need. Cool towels and bottled water on the private boat from the airport to the resort, twice-a-day housekeeping, excellent pool side bar. This place is supposed to be a resort but feels like a hidden gem getaway - the whole place is incredibly quiet. Apparently it was 80% full when we went, but it truly felt like only 20% full (in a good way!).

SNORKELING - I highly recommend the shark and ray snorkeling tour. We got to swim alongside sting rays, sharks, and tons of fish - it was gorgeous. They film the whole experience and give you an edit at the end as well. WEAR SUNSCREEN and long sleeve athletic wear - the sun is like no other in Bora Bora.

JET SKI TRIP - We did the 2 hour "shared" jet ski trip + lunch...but no one else signed up, so it ended up being private! A great way to see around the island, have fun, and enjoy a restaurant off-island.

SPA - The spa is truly one of a kind. As you can expect at a Four Seasons, the treatments are off the charts (we got a couple’s massage and I got the Lagoon facial; both highly recommend.) The facilities also have two gorgeous hot tubs (which no one else was using when we went!!) that are perfect for watching the sunset over the resort and ocean.

RESTAURANTS - We had a great experience at all of the restaurants at the resort. Definitely agree with the other reviews that Arri Moana is the best one. We also did an excursion dinner to the main island to St. James restaurant, which was good, but I preferred the resort restaurants.

PRIVATE PHOTOGRAPHY - A lot of resorts offer photography, and I’ve never done it because I didn’t think it was worth it, and resort photographers are often hit or miss. However, my boyfriend booked a photo session with Damien from Bora Bora Photography for us as a surprise and it was the best day of my life - perhaps I am biased because my boyfriend proposed to me mid-session, which Damien did an excellent job of not only capturing, but also keeping as a surprise until the moment. Damien also does underwater portrait photography which is just out of this world. Our package included 50 edited photos! If you’re going for a special occasion, I definitely think it’s worth it.

OVERALL - There are a lot of amazing aspects of the resort that I don’t think the website does justice: The resort is positioned around the lagoon, and there are little creeks within the resort that you can snorkel through on your own - it is SO cool. They really do an outstanding job of catering to special occasions. When the resort learned of our engagement on Instagram, within the HOUR they delivered champagne and a full tray of desserts - completely unnecessary but made us feel so so special and welcomed. The rest of the trip, all staff was congratulating us (they must have some sort of computer system that notes special occasions for guests haha!) Definitely take advantage of the 4th night free special if it’s occurring when you book. I thought that 4 nights / 5 days was the perfect amount of time to experience everything on the resort and feel relaxed and ready to go back to “real life.” At night, the stars are literally out of this world - I have never seen the stars that vividly before...

Bora Bora - The Four Seasons

This place, in two words - Other Worldly. It is simply amazing. From the moment you land and take-in in the beauty of the Blue skies, green & white water, and magnificent mountains, you’ll know you have arrived someplace special. The people are amazing and uber friendly. I always admire people who can speak multiple languages (I speak five). The staff here usually speaks at least that many. Our stay here was at the Four Seasons. I knew this place was going to be special when we were picked up at the airport in an impeccably maintained wooden and chrome power boat. The short 15 minute ride was pleasant. We were greeted with live native music and our own personal agent to check us in. A slight wait to get our room, as I’m sure most people requested a late checkout. Can’t blame them. We stayed in one of the above water rooms. They look deceptively tiny from the shore, but once inside, you realize they’re quite spacious. They are well appointed with separate shower, separate toilet, massive two-person soaker tub and two vanities. We had a king bed and also a pull out couch. The bed was very spacious and comfortable, the pull-out, however, was small. It’s about a full size, not even a queen. it may be uncomfortable for two. I think that’s why they limit most rooms to three occupants.

There are many free things to do on the property. You can go canoeing, snorkeling, free gym and my personal favorite - free laundry facilities, including soap. For me, this is great, because I can pack less and wash and rewear many items. There are two peninsulas of over water huts, they’re great and I highly recommend them, you can even swim right off your room or canoe up to your room. Some room have their own hot tub/pool. Let me do a quick list of Good & No-so Good:

Good They have free and fast WiFi everywhere on the property. Never had a problem logging on anywhere, even in the rooms, but it did slow a bit when sitting at the beach bar. The toilets are powerful. You can feel free to order those nachos with extra Guac. The staff if very friendly and attentive The food is a step above the other Tahitian territories The property is well manicured and clean There aren’t a bunch of insects or reptiles overrunning the property, although mosquitos become a problem after sundown at the over water rooms as they’re attracted to the light. Lots of Instagram-worthy areas

Not-so Good If you are in one of the far over water rooms, it can be a major trek to get to the pool or restaurants. When it rains, it’s difficult to get around, unless you don’t mind walking in the rain It’s expensive There is a flight path directly over the property, but you get used to it. the crew at the bar can be a bit rambunctious. I felt like I was intruding on their space. The food was just mediocre. The Breakfast buffet was great. After a couple days, the staff began to have my entire family’s preferences memorized. The Food, again, needs help. Even the basic bar foods suffered. The dinner dining also needed help. Deserts were the best part, but I usually don’t have desert.

My entire family enjoyed this place and we’re already planning our return. We took the boat ride to the main island and rented a car to get around. We didn’t come across a whole lot to see, but some may enjoy the trip. I really can’t say enough about the staff. They helped make our trip feel very special. Just work on the bar...