I am going to try and give you some helpful information if you are looking to stay on Moorea, French Polynesia.
I had the opportunity to spend 3 nights and 4 days on this picture perfect island and explore a few of the hotels and resorts. I love walking around and scouring every nook and around every corner.
We will start with the Intercontinental Resort and Spa. The hotel is a tropical paradise. The property is huge and offers several different types of accommodations. All rooms are furnished comfortably. The resort offers an abundance of activities, a large infinity pool, expansive beach area and several dining options. So let’s go explore…..
The bungalows and villas have been renovated in the past few years. We were in a bungalow beach villa and it was perfect. Each villa is separate and offers a bit of privacy. The units are one bedroom, with a nice size living room and large bedroom and bath. The deck was very nice with two cozy lounges and a table and chairs. The views were unending. There were two beach lounges out on the sand in front of our unit, with direct access to the lagoon for snorkeling and swimming.
The resort offers overwater bungalows also, but let me tell you, they aren’t true overwater bungalows. The only part of the villa that is overwater is the deck. They do offer direct access to the lagoon, but they do not have glass in the floors for viewing the exotic fish. The garden bungalows are quite comfortable and they now offer a small plunge pool on the deck. For the budget minded traveler, they do have hotel style rooms.
The infinity pool is a great spot to just hang out, they offer a swim up bar so you never have to get out of the water. There is also the beach bar for food while at the beach or the pool.
Hotel guests have use of the kayaks for 2 hours free of charge. The resort has tennis courts, a dive center and snorkel gear. On the beach you will find a pareo painting hut, where you can design and paint your own pareo.
There is an Avis car rental desk in the lobby of the hotel making it very easy to rent a car for the day or for the adventurous a scooter to zip around the island.
The hotel has 3 restaurants counting the pool bar and eatery, they also offer several special dining options during the week, such as a beach bbq with Tahitian dancers.
The Dolphin Center is a fun spot to watch the dolphins and swim with them if you are so inclined. Take the time to walk on over to the Turtle Rescue Center and see the sea turtles that are being rescued, nursed back to health and ready to go back to the waters.
The Hilton Moorea is another beautiful spot. The grounds are lush and perfectly manicured. The pool area is very nice. The overwater bungalows are truly overwater offering glass in the floors for viewing the fish and coral below. At night, the water is dimly lit, so you can see the fish, it is magical. The garden villas are very comfortable as well and offer a nice level of privacy. Their is a nice bar down in the area of the overwater villas, which is really nice. If you haven’t stayed in an overwater bungalow, you generally have a long walk from the resort to your room. To have a bar out in that area is a nice touch.
The Sofitel..
I will be honest with you in that I didn’t actually get to explore this property, I simply ran out of time. I can tell you this, the overwater bungalows are also truly overwater and the resort is located on a nice beach.
The last resort of the day is Legends. This resort is very different from the other 2. It isn’t located on the beach, the villas are built on the side of the hill offering incredible views and privacy. The units have a nice jacuzzi on the deck. The restaurant has a lovely fine dining restaurant on the property. I will write more about the dining in a few days.
Very awesome and so helpful. Great information, thank you.