Le Bora Bora by Pearl Resorts — Hotel in Motu Tevairoa

The service at this hotel falls short of a luxury stay. This is a beautiful resort. We chose it for the views (although TBH the view is a little obstructed by the number of water bungalows.) Still, the rooms and grounds are gorgeous. The nightmare was realizing we were paying for a luxury stay while having the following service-related experiences: Upon arrival, our room wasn't ready. Understandable, but the staff did nothing to make us comfortable. They didn't offer us access to our luggage (to get our swimsuits, etc), they did not tell us about the changing facilities, and they did not find us when our room was ready (they only said that we could "check back" every once in a while). When our room was ready, the lady took us down the wrong path, then led us through some construction, and off the path through the grass to get to our room. She did not have the correct room keys. Eventually the room keys were delivered so we could get into our garden villa (that had our luggage inside). Our room keys didn't work. I think the person who delivered the room keys rubbed them together, rendering them nearly useless. Our villa was a long walk from the front lobby. We walked over 5 min to the lobby and the staff rekeyed our cards. Then we walked over 5 min back to our villa. They still didn't work, so we walked over 5 min back to the front desk. They issued us new cards, and we walked over 5 min back to our villa. Walking back and forth to resolve issues (with a front desk lady who acted annoyed with us) is not how I wanted to begin our stay. No apologies or compensation offered. Our air conditioning was broken. I called the front desk and they said they would send maintenance. We went to dinner at 7:30PM, and returned to find that the AC had not been fixed. I called again, and they said they would send maintenance. A maintenance guy came and fixed the AC (a hero!), but it should not have taken from 3PM until 9PM to address this. We should not have been given a room with broken AC to start with. No apologies or compensation offered. We were sitting on beach chairs, ready to enjoy the 6:08PM sunset. At 6:00PM, an employee came up to us and asked us to take our beach towels to our room when we leave the beach. He was just doing his job, but the fact that the beach "closed" prior to sunset, and that an employee basically told us to clean up after ourselves, felt awkward and inappropriate. Another day, we were trying to relax on the beach, but there was a huge commotion between the hotel staff and the people who provide/service the motorized paddle boards. Another guest paid to rent a motorized paddle board, but it didn't work. Instead of giving him another paddle board immediately, they made him wait while they tested every single one, arguing amongst themselves the whole time. AND THEN THE STAFF YELLED AT THE GUEST to stand back when he stepped into the water to rinse off his glasses. I felt so humiliated for him. The testing and arguing created such a horrible atmosphere for so long that we left the beach and went to our room. We made a dinner reservation for the main restaurant, but we weren't told that it was Polynesian night, nor that it was a buffet, nor the price of the buffet, nor what time the performance started. It was weird lack of communication. Our PAID boat shuttle to the airport was LATE because another guest didn't know he needed to resettle his bill after buying lunch after checkout. It should have been clear to the guest that he needed to resettle his bill prior to leaving. Again, a weird lack of communication. And also, it should have been resolved using his card on file rather than making everyone else late.

IMO this is not appropriate service for this level of hotel. I hope they will provide some hospitality training to their staff (and make an effort to provide working key cards and AC). Until then, I would say that this hotel is beautiful but a bad value since it does not feel like a luxury stay.

PS Housekeeping does an amazing...

Absolutely amazing resort and cannot say enough about it.

Rooms: Well appointed and beautiful. Fully stocked complimentary minibar, glass panels in the bathroom and foot of the bed to the water, a wonderful deck with a hammock. Otemanu facing was fantastic. The resort is unique to others in that it has not just beach and Otemanu views, but Bungalows that look out to the ocean beyond the main reef, so you can truly get it all here depending on what you want. Huge bathrooms with beautiful fixtures.

Resort: Breathtaking. They take environmental conservation seriously. The airport shuttle boats are solar powered in contrast to other resorts using standard boats. Planted coral gardens around the resort. There is the beautiful ocean side of the resort, and also a massive garden/jungle side where the Spa is housed. There is even a forest/jungle trail which channels a bit of Jurassic Park, a tennis court, and ping pong tables. They have an art gallery, great boutiques, and even a dedication to Bora Boras role in WWII with some great history. Pretty much any activity except for the powered paddle boards are included. Kayaks, stand up paddle boards, snorkel gear, floats to lounge with, all available to grab at the activities desk. And any extra things you want to do like a snorkeling excursion jet skiing, etc, the concierge handles beautifully. No need to plan or pre book, just tell them and they will take care of it. We did the sunset catamaran tour which was PHENOMENAL. Oh, and the Spa. Omg, do yourself a favor and get a treatment. The spa is heavenly.

Location: Pristine spot in Bora Bora. The resort is on a massive sand shelf that stretches way out to some nice reef. You can literally walk out for hundreds of yards. They have planted their own coral gardens for nice on resort snorkeling, and every bungalow has planted coral directly underneath. As a result it is common to see reef sharks and rays at night when looking into the water. The resort sits across from the main Island on the same side as the main town of Vaitape making it easy to get to; just take a 30 second boat ride (provided by the resort) to a landing on the same side of the island, and you can then take a cab or rental car/scooter to the main town, all provided by the resort, just have to let concierge know and they handle EVERYTHING, I mean everything, you literally just show up and wait where they tell you and it is all taken care of.

Staff: Impeccable. From the welcoming crew on the airport shuttles, to the reception, to the cleaning crew, the restaurant staff, activities desk, conciergerie, everyone was absolutely amazing. A lot of locals work on this resort which is nice to see, you feel it really gives back to the Island. There is also a heavy influence on awareness of Polynesian culture. They have multiple shows throughout the week showcasing Polynesian dance, and daily activities on the beach highlighting different aspects of Island life and Polynesian culture which we took part in. Everyone was smiling. Indy, one of the staff on the beach, gave us a spectacular coconut use demonstration, he is the best. Siegfried and Tama at the activities desk were also phenomenal. In the restaurant there were too many amazing staff members to remember, they were all so welcoming and tried their hardest to meet any request. The rooms were constantly cleaned. Everyone was amazing.

Food: Very good with excellent variety throughout the resort. Main restaurants are great, buffet breakfast with all possible options. This is an island so there is a heavy seafood influence, I think that should be expected wherever you go, but the non seafood options are quite good and plenty.

Overall we were extremely pleased with the resort. We had an incredible stay and will definitely look to this one again when/if making our way to...

ADVENTURE OF A LIFE TIME!!!

Going to Bora Bora has been a dream of mine ever since watching the many adventures of Jacque Cousteau as a boy.

Once I made my mind up to go, I invested many months and countless hours researching each & every location, hotel & their respective accommodations available.

After an extensive process, I selected what I believe is the best value and experience worth taking, for a trip worth savoring… and booked with LE BORA BORA by Pearl Resorts.

Let me pause to say, if you prefer the large-scale conglomerates (Conrad / Hilton, St. Regis, Intercontinental etc.) that take a cookie-cutter approach by dropping their overwater bungalows like something akin to the “Chicago Suburbs of the seas”, overly crowded & congested, then, LE BORA BORA isn’t for you…

BUT, if however you prefer a quaint, exclusive & intimate atmosphere that provides your own slice of paradise, then there is no other option to rival LE BORA BORA by Pearl Resorts.

Truly “set-apart” on its own private Motu (island), and operated by local Tahitians committed to conserving & protecting their lush & vibrant ecosystem; powered by state-of-the-art energy efficient tech, even going so far as operating their own “TESLA” of the Seas (a clean energy catamaran).

The staff are warm & inviting. Remembering your name and preferences. The Spa is relaxing & luxurious.

The food is second to none. Having traveled the world-over, I can attest that the food rivals that of Michelin Star Restaurants found in London & Paris.

They cultivate & curate their own “coral garden” to help foster healthy coral growth which draws-in rich wildlife that patrons can enjoy, and even snorkel with for interaction.

The natural views are picturesque at every turn.

The only downfall here, is one cannot slow down time enough to take it all in. Alas, I must simply book yet another excellent adventure in the future at LE BORA BORA.

PRO-TIPS & SUGGESTIONS: Check with the the concierge team who are well connected & helpful.

•EXCURSIONS: If you want to swim with Manta Rays, Sting Rays or Sharks… and experience true Tahitian Culture, Food & Customs, ask to book with “Roscoe”. Native born, Roscoe has a passion for preserving & teaching others about the Tahitian way of life which has been passed down to him through the generations. An excellent & insightful adventure.

•PEARLS: Many people take water-taxi’s to the Big island to shop & buy pearls. Other resorts up-charge for ferry service, but with Le Bora Bora it is complementary. The charge for a taxi from the dock on the mainland to Viatape (city center) is $50-$70 USD round trip. BUT… if you ask the Concierge to request “Hina Pearls” of Albert Store, they will send a driver to pick you up & drop you off at no charge. There’s zero requirement to buy anything from them, and their section is Top-Shelf and their prices are “Fair” if you’re in the market for Pearls.

•TATTOOS: If you’re wanting to make a memory that lasts forever, Bora Bora houses one of the Premiere Tattoo artists in all of Polynesia; “Marama”. Highly sought after, whose work has been showcased from the Māori in New Zealand to Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, and stretching even as far as L.A., Las Vegas, Montreal, Toronto, London & Germany… Marama is in a league of his own. BUT make sure you ask to schedule an appointment, as he usually books out 6-12 months in advance.

•BOOKING YOUR TRIP: When you line up airfare, transfers, hotels etc…. I found booking with LE BORA BORA through Costco was nearly Half the Cost as if I were to do it on my own. Plus they coordinated all the connections & were excellent with communication and the ever changing requirements imposed by the United States & French Polynesia pertaining to Covid-19 testing & protocols. Made the entire...