InterContinental Le Moana Resort Bora Bora

We had previously booked and prepaid for a nearby pension to spend 2 weeks in Bora Bora. Unfortunately we had an issue with the pension and needed a new accommodation under short notice. Bora Bora Le Moana accepted our late evening arrival and treated us wonderfully. Leilani at the front desk welcomed us warmly and promptly gave us a room. She offered us a lovely beach front room. The room was clean and spacious with an amazing view of the water. Vahine in the dining room welcomed us each morning for breakfast and dinner. She is incredibly friendly and personable and a wonderful presence in the resort. Yoann the assistant manager also greeted us each day and made our stay special. We are not usually fans of buffets, but found the breakfast buffet really well done with lots of the normal selection (eggs, crepes, pastries) plus special touches such as homemade yogurt, chia pudding, and carrot and orange juice. We were also surprised by the evening Polynesian buffet with a delicious selection of unique tapas. The overall vibe of the resort including the restaurants, property, pool, music, etc... made it a very nice stay. We also liked being able to take advantage of the transfer to the Thalasso to spend a day there enjoying the motu setting and spectacular view of Mount Otemanu (which you also can see from Le Moana even though it's on the main island - but not from nearby main island hotels such as Matai or Sofitel). Thank you to the wonderful Le Moana staff who really made our stay special.

What a fantastic place! From the moment we arrived to the sad time we departed, we felt so welcome, relaxed and special. From the smiles and “Io Rana” called out to you by all the staff, to the great food, and the fantastic location, just amazing. We loved that the Director of the Property greeted us personally, and came to say goodbye to us on the last night. We loved that all the staff knew it was our last night etc and thanked us for coming. We loved that when we asked what was it like to live on the island the team told us, and even told us what to do to really experience the Polynesian life. We loved that we were not guests, but fiends and how we were greeted when we passed the staff in town or at Heiva We loved the smiles. We loved being able to paddle to Little Reef and snorkel We loved the reef under our bungalow We loved the Stingrays coming in every afternoon We loved the pool… I could go on forever. We will be back, and applying to work there as soon as they open a gelato kiosk! Thanks for making our special trip, even more memorable.

My husband and I stayed for 3 nights at the end of June. We arrived on an evening flight and the welcoming committee and boat transfer to the resort was excellent. Because we arrived late we skipped the whole check in process and we were taken straight to our overwater horizon bungalow and a reservation was made at the restaurant for us as it was close to the restaurant's closing time of 9.00pm. The next morning we quickly filled in the required paperwork and this seemed much easier than the check-in process we observed for other guests who arrived earlier in the day. The room looked exactly as it does in the pictures as does the view outside - absolutely stunning! However you can see and hear your neighbours on their balconies and when you speak the same language you may hear more than you bargained for about their fungal infections! As other reviewers have mentioned we were also taken aback by having to pay extra for nespresso pods for the nespresso machine in the room, so we didn't bother and had coffee at the pool bar without the room service charge. We really enjoyed the breakfast buffet with deliecious, fresh, French pastries however there was not very much local, fresh fruit as we've had in other pacific island resorts. We were a little disappointed with a fairly limited dinner menu as there seemed to be a lean towards traditional french dishes (I wonder how popular the french onion soup is in the tropics?) with very little in the way of making the most of local flavours. Overall, expect to pay for the privilege of going to such a unique and beautiful place as Bora Bora and if you want value for money try some of the other islands such as Huahine. We also noticed on returning home that other resorts seem to include the airport transfers, as this was quite a significant extra cost at this resort it might be worth checking out if there are better deals available.

We stayed at Le Moana for 5 nights at the end of May for our honeymoon and we had a fabulous experience. The hotel was beautiful and clean. Each staff member we encountered was friendly and helpful. We stayed in an overwater bungalow and it had all of the comforts of home - refrigerator, toiletries, blow dryer, etc. We especially enjoyed the location of the hotel, since it is within walkable distance to restaurants and a local grocery store where we purchased snacks and drinks. We arrived around 10 am and we were able to get into our room immediately, which meant a lot to us after traveling for over 24 hours. Breakfast was included in our rate (a great savings since breakfast is $45 per person per day) and we took advantage of it each morning. We ate lunch a few times at the hotel and the food was good. Never tried the restaurant for dinner since we ate out every night except for the last night when we ordered room service. Restaurants we liked and would recommend - Bloody Mary's, Lucky House (which is a walkable distance since it's right by the hotel), Blue Coco (walkable), and Bora Bora Yacht Club. Most restaurants offer free taxi service to and from the hotel, which was wonderful. The only part of the hotel we weren't thrilled with were the drinks. Sometimes I was craving a frozen drink, but they didn't really seem to exist. I expected the Bora Bora drink to be a bit thicker but it had a water-like consistency so I didn't order it again. All things considered, our trip was amazing and I wouldn't hesitate to return to the IC Le Moana.

We traveled to Le Moana after spending 2 nights at the IC Tahiti. We in a Junior Suite Horizion Overwater Bungalow (#29) for 5 nights. Overall our time there was AMAZING! Some additional info: 1. Room - our room was perfect! There's a glass top coffee table that opens where you can see the fish swimming below and can purchase food at the gift shop to feed them if you choose. The bed was very comfortable and they have a pillow menu (which we took advantage of) if you don't like the pillows on the bed. The air conditioning worked well and most days/nights were breezy, so you could turn the air off and open the slats in the windows. The bathroom was spacious and well appointed. Views from the deck were a dream come true and we spent most our time there. We saw many fish, the occasional sting ray, and one shark.You can easily hop right into the water right from the deck and the water is only about 4 feet deep. There are some rocks/coral, so water shoes come in handy. 2. Food/Drink - There is the main restaurant Noa Noa where the buffet breakfast was served. Our package from Costco came with breakfast included, but I think it was about $45USD per person otherwise. We ate at Noa Noa 3 nights for dinner - one for the buffet dinner and show (they occur on Saturdays and Tuesdays, so make sure to make reservations with the concierge for good seats to see the show). We also had a 3 course romantic dinner that was included with our Costco package. The other restaurant is where we ate lunch most days and where happy hour is everyday from 5:30-6:30 with buy one get one free cocktails. John Baptiste was our favorite server at the restaurants! We also ordered room service for dinner a couple times when we didn't feel like a big meal. Food and drinks are expensive, so come prepared to spend some $ there. We did bring 2 bottles of liquor from the duty free at the airport and bought mixers and wine at the market which saved money. There is a market not far from the hotel (closed on Sundays) and the larger supermarket Chin Lee in Vaitape, which you can take a shuttle to from the hotel. That is where all the souvenir shops are too. 3. Activities - There is snorkel gear, kayaks, and paddle boards available to use at the hotel for free. You just need to return them by 5pm. We took advantage of snorkeling around the property as they have their own coral garden with a great variety of fish. We also did 3 excursions. We did a full day trip which included snorkeling in the morning (saw lemon sharks, black tip sharks, sting rays, and a beautiful coral garden). We were up close and personal with the sharks and sting rays which was a little intimidating at first, but very cool! That was followed by a traditional Tahitian bbq lunch on the beach that was delicious! We then embarked on a Jeep 4x4 tour with Alex, who was awesome. We went all around the island and learned so much out the history and people of bora bora. Alex was so knowledgeable able we really enjoyed our time with him. Another day, we did a different snorkel tour where we saw eagle rays, manta rays, barracuda, a huge eel, a school of dolphins, and 2 different coral gardens with a large variety of fish. We also went jet skiing one day, but didn't have the best experience b/c the water was very choppy and it was very windy. We did stop along the way and learned how to open a coconut which was cool. But I would suggest making the sure the weather is agreeable before booking the jet skis. Overall we had such an amazing time on our honeymoon! It was a dream come true!

Long overdue, but life got in the way. LOVE LOVE LOVE you InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort! We miss you so much already. We traveled here on the Costco deal in April 2017 after three nights at the IC Moorea Resort & Spa. After leaving the IC Moorea and arriving at MOZ (the airport), there weren’t any restaurants or any place to grab food in the airport (they might have had little snacks at the small shop but we had leftovers in our carryon bag and just made do). Bring snacks or head outside the airport to get anything if you tend to get hangry like I do. We also didn’t realize that it was first come first serve when getting on the plane. People who knew started queuing up before the plane even showed up. We made friends with some folks who’d been to Bora Bora before, and they told us that, if we wanted amazing views/pictures of the island upon arrival, we should sit on the left side of the plane (as confirmed by our flight attendant). After a short ~45 minute flight, we found ourselves at BOB (Bora Bora airport) which is on its own island. The tour group to which we were assigned (Marama Tours) gave us instructions to pick up our luggage and wait near the Intercontinental line to board the boat taxi to the resort. Luggage was randomly assigned to each boat; we just got lucky that we got on the same boat as our luggage. The ride to the IC Le Moana was short and a bit choppy, but it afforded some amazing views of Monte Otemanu as we passed by. Upon arrival at the Le Moana dock, we were greeted by Leilani who told us not to worry about our luggage as she escorted us to the bar area for check in. From the moment we set foot on the property, it felt like heaven on earth and the first time it truly felt like we were in a tropical paradise. We were told to make ourselves comfortable as we were given heavenly smelling cold towels and deliciously refreshing tropical drinks. Leilani and Timmy came around with clipboards and assisted us with the check in process. Even the check in process at the IC Le Moana felt a thousand times better than the IC Moorea with Leilani and Timmy taking care of us! After what only felt like moments, we were told our room was ready. We followed Leilani who took us on a brief tour (she pointed out the reception desk, the main restaurant area, the shops, and the way to Matira Beach which is the only public access beach on the island). She escorted us to our home for five days, Bungalow #33, and gave a brief intro. Though I tried really hard to remain cool, the excitement over being shown our little coffee table through which we could feed the fish down below overtook me. I think the folks at the end of the jetty must have heard my squeals. We were in an Overwater Horizon Junior Suite Bungalow (as part of Costco Executive Membership upgrade) that was almost at the end of the jetty. It was a bit of a walk but well worth it. We went at the tail end of the off season so there were a few days when it did get super windy; our first night there was a storm but the remaining days were just perfectly perfect. 1. Our bungalow was ahhhhh-mazing as it was beautifully appointed with incredibly comfortable furnishings. Because of the way the bungalow was built, you could listen to the waves at night as you slept. 2. The room had air conditioning which we did use a few times, but the breeze through the louvered blinds was more than enough during the day. 3. There was a weird little desk/office thing going on in the middle of the room, but, when I was writing up my comment card, I realized it allowed me a perfect view outside. Also, if you have an Apple product (iPhone, iPad) and forget an international voltage converter, there’s a little USB port where you can charge your device – super handy!! 4. The glass coffee table in the living area had a top piece that slid open so you could feed the fish down below; beneath all the bungalows were man made coral structures in which the fish could nest. For $12, you could buy a little bag of fish food from the store on the property. I did at first have a hard time with paying that much for fish food, but I felt much better when told that the proceeds went towards supporting the continual renewal and health of the coral reefs and coral nursery at the beginning of the jetty (close to Bungalows 41 or 40?). 5. The water beneath the bungalows was definitely walkable. I’m only 5’ and it only came up chest high on me. READ: No jumping from your bungalow. It was for the most part fine sand, but there were some pieces of coral. I somehow managed to puncture my foot when I was switching from fins to water shoes. 6. If you don’t want to give everyone walking by on the jetty a show when you’re in the shower/bathroom, close the blinds. You can clearly see inside the rooms if the lights are on. The tub was separate from the shower which wasn’t enclosed, so everything would get super wet especially if you’re a splasher like I am. The bathing suit string was placed at such an awkward angle in the shower that, if you’re tall (like my 6’ tall bf), you might catch yourself in the head. We ended up not using it and just hung our wet swimsuits along on the sides of the tub. If I’d needed it, there was a hairdryer and makeup mirror in the bathroom. 7. When we were in the room, we did spend quite a bit of time on the terrace. We folded up the cushions on the lounge chair, but they never seemed to dry completely. They were comfortable and provided a relaxing place to snooze while listening to the waves. At night, we would sit outside, looking up at what seemed like a gazillion stars. 8. One thing to watch out for when going to the lower platform of the bungalow were the stairs. They seemed to be super skinny and were a little scary even for him. 9. Ice was at a little “ice house” in the middle of a cluster of bungalows. It was in a cooler similar to what you’d find at hotel/motels, with the scoop chained up to the side (the first time he went, he didn’t see the scoop as it had fallen off to the side). 10. If you don’t want to incur extravagant roaming/international charges, I highly recommend paying for wifi at the resort. Put your phone in airplane mode, connect to wifi, and you can get online or send texts back home. It doesn’t go against your data charges, and you can still post on social media or let folks at home know you’re ok. Other than your bungalow, you can get on wifi in the bar or in the hotel lobby/restaurants. Didn’t work so great on the beach or walking along the jetty. Service: 1. One of the things that really impressed us with the IC Le Moana was their IMMEDIATE response to a safety issue. We discovered that the ladder leading from the platform in to the water was broken; one side of the ladder was sheared down the middle (possibly from continual banging against the structure as it was lifted/lowered in to the water). It was only a matter of time before it broke off completely. I called the reception desk to report, and they sent a couple of guys within TWO minutes to inspect. After showing them the broken piece, they left but were soon back with tools and a new ladder. They had it repaired within half an hour of my calling the front desk to report the issue. Incredible! 2. Laundry service was great! I’ve never taken advantage before this trip but was so glad I finally did. I brought minimal clothing as I’d heard that there was a weight limit on the inter-island flights. There are little bags in the closet in which you place your dirty laundry. A quick button call to the front desk, and someone was dispatched immediately to pick up. Clean laundry was normally delivered within a day. They even came one day to pick up my beach bag which inadvertently took a beer bath. Awesome! Dining/Drinks: 1. Breakfast - Buffet in the Noa Noa Terrace Restaurant. Food was good: “international” fare (scrambled eggs, bacon, poultry sausages, fried potatoes, fresh fruit, pastries, juices, cheeses, deli meats, yogurt, granola, dry cereal, etc.) along with a grill where they had pancakes, waffles, crepes, etc. You had to order beverages after being shown to your table. To check out, you had to bring your bill to the front desk. 2. Lunch – We never ate lunch at the restaurant as we loaded up at the market. There’s a local market two minutes away from the resort. To get there, you had to pass by the reception desk to go off property and head right when you reach the road. It was on the opposite side of the road from the resort, past the pizza place. They do accept credit cards, but the minimum was ~25.00 USD (at the time). We were able to purchase alcohol (rum), fruit juice, cheese, pate, crackers, etc. which allowed us to either hang out in the room or on the beach without having to worry about leaving our beach chairs to go get food. The market was frequented by locals and tourists alike, so it did tend to get a little busy. They also had deliveries of fresh lunch plates, fresh local foods; one morning they had a delivery of pork buns that all the locals went crazy for. We bought little pork buns for ~ 1.50 USD each and brought these to the beach with us. Be aware that alcohol sales are NOT allowed on Sundays in all of French Polynesia so plan accordingly if you must. When we were there, they also would not sell alcohol on Election Day (France’s Election Day). Bloody Mary’s is a must if you have a chance. We did go to Bloody Mary’s one day for lunch after exploring and shopping in Vaitape. We made reservations through the hotel (~$25 USD/person) to get dropped off in Vaitape to look for souvenirs. The shuttle pick up was at the same place where we were dropped off. On the way back, we asked the shuttle driver to drop us off at Bloody Mary’s so we could grab a quick lunch, and they gave us the number of the taxi in case we wanted a ride back. The place seemed empty when we got there but filled up as a tour group arrived. My boyfriend, who’d been there once before, said it’s definitely not the same experience as dinner. For dinner, you can pick your fish and they cook to order. We called for the taxi on the way back. It was about 10 USD/per person, but we could easily have walked it back. There weren’t always sidewalks on the way back to the hotel which is why we opted to grab the taxi. 3. Dinners were at the Noa Noa. They do have dinners on the terrace, weather allowing. For the theme dinners, make reservations with the concierge to guarantee good seating, with perfect view of the show(s). The theme dinners were also buffet style, and the food was great! Theme dinners cost extra; our Costco package only included 2 course dinner (drinks not included). As part of our Costco package, we had one romantic dinner on the terrace that included a bottle of wine with our 3 course dinner. It wasn’t a romantic dinner as in you had the entire area to yourself; they just put white tablecloth and flowers on your table, and we were situated with two other couples who also had the “romantic dinner” package (thanks Costco). 4. Bar: There is only one bar at this resort, but the staff are incredible. Francine and Annabelle are the resident bartenders, and they are THE BEST as are all the staff! Happy hour is announced via conch shell, and it really is about an hour. We were there every day, even before happy hour. On the top of the bar are various flavored rums, which start out as regular Tahitian rum that they infuse with whatever flavorings. We did manage try every single one. I thought the most unique was the wasabi flavored rum. Totally worth at least a try. Our favorite was the coconut, but they also had strawberry banana, strawberry, banana coconut, etc. Before dinner, we would purchase a glass of wine and bring that with us, and the restaurant staff never had an issue with it. Activities, Excursions, and the Concierge 1. For about ~$25 USD/person, we were able to take the shuttle boat to the Thalasso for a day to explore that other resort. We parked ourselves on the beach with a perfect view of Monte Otemanu. Though the Thalasso is the higher end resort, we did like the Le Moana a lot better. The beach at the Le Moana had softer, finer sand; the Thalasso had a rocky, rougher entrance in to the water and did require that you wear water shoes to protect your feet. The water there also wasn’t as clear as at our resort. The one plus that the Thalasso had was that he was able to purchase cigars (we asked at the beach bar, and one of the bartenders helped us purchase). Getting back to Le Moana was a bit confusing. There weren’t any posted times for when the shuttle boat would arrive to take us back. 2. Activity Hut: Aside from skills at creating woven grass hats, purses, and showing the ladies how to make leis, Tupa and the other beach boys helped with checking out equipment – kayaks, paddle boards, snorkel gear, and floats/noodles – and chopping up coconut for us to nosh on. There weren’t any time restrictions except to bring the equipment back at the end of the day. We saw one couple kayak out to their bungalow and tie it up to the post underneath. Signs posted underneath the bungalows indicated where you couldn’t bring the kayaks. Getting out to the middle of the water in the kayak was tough as the waves kept pushing us towards where we didn’t want to go, and coming back the waves kept pushing us sideways…probably because I wasn’t really helping him paddle. Oops. 3. We did have an issue one time with the Concierge, Steve. We thought we had made reservations for a private boat tour of the island for four of us. He made a phone call, and, since the conversation was all in French (none of us spoke), we thought he had set up our tour. He told us just to come back at 8am the next day to ensure that the tour was still on (in case the weather had changed). Little did we know – and this goes for all excursions booked through the concierge – is that you need a “receipt” as confirmation that your excursion is officially booked. The next day after breakfast, we came back to check. We found out that Steve had NEVER booked it. Everyone in our party was pretty livid. The other couple made a big stink, and I promptly went on social media to vent my frustrations. However, the amazing woman behind the desk who had to deal with Steve’s screw up, Mayana went ABOVE AND BEYOND in finally securing for us a private tour that surpassed every expectation we may have had. MAYANA IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST! She called every contact she knew, and, in the end, secured a 3 hour tour with boat captain, Alfonse, who is probably the top at what he does. When we got to the coral reef, he instinctively knew to kick me out of the boat first or I would never have gotten out. He not only had to hold my hand (I don’t swim), he also was towing the other woman (who also didn’t swim), AND he was guiding/pointing out things to our guys who were swimming behind us. This was a once in a lifetime trip for us, and I was able to see wildlife that I’ve only heard about all because of Mayana and Alfonse. Thank you, Mayana, for not only knowing your job but in making dreams come true. Your screams of delight in successfully booking this tour for us echoed how I felt as I glided through the water seeing the coral, the urchins, and the many colored fish in the coral reef. The IC Le Moana takes guest happiness seriously as I did receive an email from the general manager, Laurence Levy, who personally apologized for our dissatisfaction with the service we received and who also forwarded our gratitude to Mayana and the team. This type of treatment and personal approach is what we’ve come to expect from the InterContinental brand where we’ve come to feel like family. If ever we get a chance to come back to French Polynesia, the IC Bora Bora Le Moana is where we will go first.

We went to Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora 15 years ago for our Honeymoon and wanted to return. So we did so for our 15th Wedding Anniversary. Still as beautiful as ever. Our over-the-water bungalow was beautiful! Spectacular views, well maintained rooms and grounds, very friendly staff - always saying Iaorana = Hi/Hello!!!!!

Was really looking forward to this place, but sadly I was let down. PROs: -Glass bottom coffee table, through which you can feed the fish -Unlimited water sports activity rentals -Close to Matira beach -Short ride away from Vaitape CONs: -My wife's purse disappeared from our room. -Noa Noa restaurant (see my separate review for this awful experience) -Breakfast buffet service is unnecessarily slow. Can I just make my own espresso, as I did in Moorea? Why do you guard the espresso machine so closely? Is it because you are afraid I am going to steal the capsules for my room? (TIP: bring your own Nespresso Original Line espresso pods so you can make them in your room!). We ordered an espresso, a lungo, and a latte and the staff have NO IDEA what these things mean. Here is a lesson: ristretto is the smallest size, espresso is medium size, and lungo is the biggest size. That's what those 3 buttons indicate on the machine. Latte means you add milk. Is that so difficult? Also, the "yogurt" at the buffet is disgustingly warm and basically liquefied due to the refrigerator having no doors on it. -Less friendly than Moorea. All I wanted was the the lady who cooked the eggs to smile at me once. I told her I would give her a billion dollars to smile. She seems miserable. -Julien the waiter was EXTREMELY rude and I will be reporting him to the Intercontinental management team. -They warn you not to feed the fish bread because they will get diabetes (I'm not joking. There is signage that indicates this). However, they cleverly sell the fish food for a whopping 12 dollars. Are you kidding me? You provide free cookies, macaroons, and banana bread indiscriminately to the guests as a sign of hospitality without any care for the PEOPLE who might have diabetes, yet the blessed fish are supposed to be catered to? Take this as a suggestion: allow people to reject the free pastries and instead give us the food to feed the fish, seeing as how that is the only positive attribute to this hotel. Shameful. You care more about the fish than the patrons who might actually have diabetes! -The air conditioner was very fickle and would not sustain a temperature of 25 degrees. Kevin tried to make things right and comp'd us a dinner buffet, but the aircon still wouldn't work properly. All I wanted was for the room to be 25 degrees Celsius; is this such a major request? They sent over a maintenance man who spoke no English and took one look at the remote and then marched off when I became frustrated with his inability to communicate. Overall I strongly recommend paying the extra money and staying at one of the 4 luxury resorts. This place is honestly fool's gold. Stay instead at the St Regis, 4 seasons, Meridien, or Thalasso. Thank you! :)

I would life first of all thank the staff (Tara and Mayana at the concierge/reception & Arii Jean-Baptiste and Yoann at the restaurant) . They made our stay just exceptional !!!! You guys rock and I really hope your boss knows how lucky they are to have such a great crew for the best service. Our honeymoon in paradise !!!! No words are powerful enough to even explain how we had the best time ever.... Congratulations to the Intercontinental Hotels Group