InterContinental Le Moana Resort Bora Bora

Just got back from our honeymoon and it was truly a dream come true! The location is incredibly beautiful, the beaches here are immaculate white sand, and the over the water bungalows were perfect! Everything was seamless and easy from arrival to departure. Fruit juice cocktail and warm towels after check in at the front desk, property tour while waiting for our room to be ready. We had to wait a while to get to our bungalow to be ready but we didn’t mind because our bags were being cared for and we were in paradise! The staff uses bikes to get to and from on the docks which is great for carrying our bags and such. Our bungalow was spotlessly clean and well appointed, our favorite part was the amazing glass coffee table with the coral garden underneath it which guaranteed fish all day every day. We loved relaxing on our balcony which had direct access to the water from the ladder. We took advantage of all the amenities we could: snorkel, paddle board, kayak, and the pool (the ocean water was warmer but the pool is nice on the those hot humid days). The food was so good! They have great options for people with gluten allergies, vegetarian, and vegan! I’m gluten free and I had some of the best gluten free bread and pizza I’ve ever had! Everything was made FRESH and you could really taste the difference. The excursions at the hotel were a little pricey so we looked around and found a local business offering similar excursions that picked us up right at the front of our hotel and dropped us off! Another great thing about this hotel/location is that is on the main island and only a 5 minute walk to shops, restaurants, and the public beach Matira Point which was perfect for watching the sunset every day. We were at the little market very often buying beer and wine (much more affordable there) and assorted snacks. Thank you so much to everyone at Le Moana for making this the honeymoon of our dreams. Thank you especially to Hitinui, Yoann, and Nicolas!

We could not have asked for a more beautiful resort or a more friendly and helpful staff during our recent stay in Bora Bora. I loved the small size of the resort, the beautiful bungalows, the gorgeous view, and the convenient location. The food was excellent and the drinks were good, too. We would highly recommend this resort to anyone travelling to Bora Bora.

This place was amazing! Great hotel and an amazing staff. Restaurants on site were good and reasonably priced. Breakfast was very good and included with our stay! Great location for offsite restaurants as well. There is also a market right across the street you can buy snacks or drinks for the room at a much lower price.

The boat to transfer us to the Moana resort was late arriving, our group being the last of the plane’s passengers to be picked up for the 25 minute trip to the hotel via its more upmarket sister ‘Thalasso’ resort. Check-in was smooth, but the room wasn’t ready yet. So we decided to have lunch at the restaurant. The food arrived well before the cocktails. And they'd forgotten to put any lime juice in these 22 USD margaritas (oops!), its belated addition further delaying them until after we’d well and truly finished our main courses. So not off to a great start... Our horizon over water villa was very nice and had a great bed. But it was quite a bit smaller and tired looking compared to Le Taha’a Island resort where we stayed next. We encountered a plumbing problem first up, water squirting onto the floor whenever you plugged the wash basin, requiring a call out to fix. The Wifi was unable to be connected, requiring 2 phone calls to reception to finally register us on the system. The TV also didn’t work for 2 nights running. There’d been no notification of this resort-wide problem or updates on progress. An apology from management for this inconvenience was also not forthcoming. While the snorkeling under the overwater villas is quite limited, full marks for nurturing a coral garden under the villas closest to the shore, which attracted some interesting fish to see. The free snorkeling gear, paddle boards and kayaks were also appreciated. We enjoyed the full day 'traditional' snorkeling tour, the guides being a hoot, and the sharks, sting rays and other fish plentiful. But reckon the half day tour is better value, the lunch being pretty ordinary anyway, as was the extra boat stop just to wade around for a while in an area with very fine white sand. Think a hotel at this level could ease up a bit on some of its ‘cost recovery’ policies when it came to things like charging 3 USD per coffee pod for the Nespresso machines in the rooms, shuttle services to Vaitape and its sister resort – the net result being that these services were often under-utilised. Charging 75 USD per person for a one way airport transfer also seemed a bit steep, although all the hotels on the motus seem to do this. But this was where the hotel’s location on the main island was an advantage, there also being the much cheaper option of taking the public ferry from the airport to Vaitape, followed by a 15 minute taxi ride to the hotel costing only 20 USD all up at little extra hassle. This location also enabled easy access to a small supermarket nearby as well as the lovely Matira beach with its various restaurants and bars, sunset views and snorkeling area about two thirds of the way along. The hotel also facilitates bookings and taxi transfers to and from several good restaurants in Vaitape, so you’re not captive to the hotel’s restaurant and bar – although these were quite good too. All up, while you get what you pay for, we thought that Le Moana could throw in a few extras to make guests feel just that little bit more special.

We are finishing up our time in Bora Bora. I would say this was probably my most enjoyable vacation to date and we travel alot. The things I like about the trip were the serenity of the area. The huts were very clean and comfortable. Being able to wake up each morning to an ocean view then start the day off with a dip in the ocean was cool...really cool. In advance of the trip I read about the prices of food and alcohol. No exaggeration things are pricey relative to other places we've been. I advise you to buy your liquor in advance (duty free) and if you smoke cigars like I do, purchase your cigars in advance. Nothing against kids but it was nice to stay in a place where it catered more to adults and couples. Service was good. Room was cleaned every day. The excursions were fun. We snorkeled, took a beginner scuba lesson, boat tour around the island, missed out on the hike due to weather

We had the best time at this resort! We stayed in an overwater bungalow which was absolutely stunning!! The water was an incredible color, there was good snorkeling around our resort as well as paddle boarding and kayaking. The rooms were so comfortable, and the food was delicious! The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming, always greeting you with a smile - I was very impressed! Would definitely recommend!

We recently celebrated our 25th Anniversary at the Le Moana (11-17 May 2019) and could not have been happier! Upon landing at the airport, we were promptly greeted by Le Moana staff, given beautiful leis and had our luggage taken care of promptly. We opted for the dedicated boat shuttle for the resort and loved the 30-minute ride across the gorgeous lagoon. It may be a little cheaper to get the taxi/public boat option but we didn't think it would be worth the hassle--we were right. We were greeted on the resort dock by more Le Moana staff, had our luggage transferred to Reception--and later to the bungalow--and were escorted to reception where a delicious, cold fruit drink awaited us. Although we had emailed weeks prior asking for an early check in, we were unable to get to the bungalow until 1PM, which is still better than the 3PM standard check-in. This is a normal occurrence and we fully expected it. It takes time and a lot of coordination to smoothly move guests around as people come and go. There was a transition room provided where we changed into swimsuits and enjoyed the beach and restaurant for a few rooms while our room was prepared. BUNGALOW: The bungalow (#26) was amazing! We opted to be farther out on the pier facing the east side and was not disappointed! The early morning sunrises were spectacular, and the view of the Motu was amazing. The room is quite spacious and luxuriously appointed. The glass coffee table top slides back so you can feed the fish with food that can be bought at the onsite boutique--all proceeds go to maintaining the coral reefs that are placed under each bungalow. Standard inhabitants of the coral are long pinfish and tropical fish of all color and sizes. We were routinely visited by stingrays, eagle rays and even the occasional black tip shark! (They're very docile!) STAFF: The Le Moana staff are among the most professional in the world--I'm heavily traveled and you'd be hard pressed to find a better team. From Reception, Concierge, restaurants and bar--we always had a very pleasant experience and felt like we were very well taken care of. The cleaning staff was amazing! They were like ninjas, completing room cleanings and turn down service 2-3 times a day and always while we were out enjoying the beach and water. We never saw them coming or going! The room was impeccably clean and stayed that way throughout our stay. ACTIVITIES: The resort provided many free daily activities--snorkel gear, paddle boards and kayaks chief among them. They had demonstrations on how to properly crack a coconut, make the traditional Polynesian coconut/raw fish dish (delicious!) and a traditional Polynesian dance show twice a week which was exhilarating! We also booked a private 4-hour snorkeling charter--the absolute best snorkeling I have ever done! We booked through Le Plage Tours, and the boat captain's name was Tupuna Alphonso--he's an amazing guide with a deep love of his country and extensive knowledge of everything the water has to offer! We swam with dozens of blacktip sharks, rays and eagle rays, saw the most beautiful coral reefs imaginable and were very well taken care of throughout our adventure. I highly recommend Tupuna! I also booked a 4-hour fishing trip with Tupuna and had an equally amazing time! Of course, we also booked a vow renewal ceremony for our 25th anniversary and it was among the most beautiful experiences of our lives! Singers meet you at your bungalow and escort you to the beach where the Tahitian priest awaits. I can't tell you how amazing that experience was! We also booked a private dinner later that evening at the end of the dock, and a private breakfast that was brought to our bungalow by canoe the next morning. We had the best time! The Le Moana lived up to every expectation and then some. We will definitely become regular guests in the future! Tips: Airplane - sit on the left side on your short hop from Tahiti to Bora Bora! There are no seat assignments for that flight, so get towards the front of the line to get the left side views of the island as you approach Bora--spectacular!! IHG Platinum - Become a member and then pay the $200 to upgrade to "Platinum" status. This gave us free breakfast every day which paid back the Platinum price and gave us a late check out of 4PM for the flight home. Worth every penny! Hotel Safe - just a general tip, as the staff is impeccable. We are just in the habit of locking up our passports (we have a copy of them in our luggage) and any valuables in the safe from day one. Check-In Times - generally check-in begins at 3PM. The staff tries hard to accommodate early check-ins, and succeeds to a large degree. But if your plane arrives in Bora Bora at 8am as ours did, don't expect to be in your room before 1PM at the earliest. Use the transition room, change into those swimsuits and enjoy your first day in Paradise! Restaurants - Le Moana has a bar Restaurant (Vini Vini) and a dinner restaurant (where breakfast is also served). Both are great options throughout the day! Breakfast was my favorite meal as the selection was wide and varied! When you're ready for something else, try the Lucky House which is just a short walk down the street and around the corner. Great menu and atmosphere! Call for a reservation! There are not many restaurants on Bora, so it's a good idea to always call for a reservation. Our favorite off-resort restaurant was Bloody Marys! Call for a reservation and they will send a cab to pick you up and return back to the resort for free. It's true that Bloody Mary's is a tourist hotspot, but it's also regularly visited by locals on a nightly basis as well. The food is phenomenal! You get to pick what you want from the day's fresh catch which is laid out on a bed of ice as you walk in. My wife had the teriyaki marinated Wahoo, and I had the New Zealand steak--both were top tier dishes! The atmosphere is fun and relaxed and we enjoyed some live local music. Highly recommended! Lawrence Levy - this beautiful woman is the general manager of the Le Moana and the consummate professional! We saw her at some point every day and she always greeted us by name. She made sure to see us off from the dock as we departed the resort for our trip home as well. She's a very impressive person and is the driving force behind all that is wonderful about Le Moana! We look forward to seeing her again in the future!

Our beach bungalow was amazingly beautiful, with three separate areas with sliding doors. There was an outdoor shower, a deck, lounge chairs, and an outdoor table. The room has a small fridge, hot water kettle, wine opener, and coffee maker. The grounds are lovely. Small pool, but why would you use it when there is an endless white sand beach? They allow the use of kayaks and paddleboards with a 2-hour rental period. Supposedly you can paddle to the motu/island that the Sofitel is located on, beach the kayak there, and snorkel at what is known as the aquarium (lots of fish). Most of the time we were there it was quite windy, so the staff said it wasn't safe to take kayaks over This gets me to the one major bummer of the location. We are snorkelers. There is no significant coral located within the swim boundaries the hotel designates (the boundaries do seem to be there for a reason, as there is tons of boat traffic just outside them) Unlike other islands I've visited in FP, Bora's water access is pretty limited. Given the excessive tourism pressure there, I get it, but it forces you to use professional lagoon tours to really snorkel (booked direct, a 1/2 day tour is $110 pp). If I go back, I will stay at the Sofitel, just because I want that access without the "tours". An aside on tours, if you don't want gimmicks, you will have to look pretty hard to find an operator that focuses on natural snorkeling only, and not on things like shark and ray feeding/hugging. Book ahead as we were unable to book these types of tours once we arrived. We had one lunch and one dinner at the hotel restaurants. The fancier restaurant's food was good, the dessert was excellent. We got the breakfast buffet which was OK. Lots of choices at breakfast, though they weren't fully up and running until 7, rather than 6:30 as advertised. And, the tea water was never hot. Ever. And the tea they serve was undrinkable -- so bad and so weak. I had brought some tea with me, but still with the warm water it wasn't good. The coffee was undrinkable as well. I don't get why they can't serve god hot tea and decent coffee at a place like this. Some poor British guy was asking for actual hot water one day and the staff were kind of denying there was a problem, so I didn't bother asking. The more casual restaurant was so-so. There is a mini-mart a 2 minute walk to the right on the main road. Do yourself a favor and buy drinks and snacks there and avoid the hotel's crazy prices. We also brought rum from home and bough local juices and saved tons. Another money saving tip, is to use the public boat from the airport (included with plane ticket) and them grab a cab at the boat dock for $20 total. Also, try very hard to avoid the bungalows on the far-right side of the property - not a good location at all, even the water ones. All, said, this is a great hotel, with great staff, and totally ideal for people who really love white sand beaches.

The InterContinental LeMoana Resort does have a great location but it is also the windy part of the island. If the weather is cooperating it truly is the most beautiful area. They do have a gorgeous beach and another beach across the road from the property so you can see the sunrise and the sunset! The overwater bungalows are lovely though a bit worn! The food is mediocre at best, it is best to dine off property and most restaurants offer complimentary cabs at the dinner hours. Fortunately there is a store within walking distance to purchase snacks and drinks. All in all it is a very nice property!