Big_Foot

As one of the biggest Bora Bora fans here, let me insert my 2 cents.
St Regis is the least local/authentic of all 3 best hotels on the island.
We have stayed in the Royal Villa also and it's great, pool is really large
and way better/bigger than any other pool in any other villa in Bora Bora.
But...
- St Regis is the most snobbish/stiff resort. The attitude is crazy.
We didn't like it at all.
- the layout of the hotel is stupid, instead of facing the lagoon
and Mt Otemanu, most of the common areas face the back side with a fake
mini-lagoon and neighborhood motus with nothing nice to look at.
- very few villas actually face the lagoon and have the Mt Otemanu view.
most are located on the super long pier - again - in the back
- our butler was great, but overall service was just so over-the-top
snob guests focused we hated it. I would assume the OP's opinion
about Bora Bora might have been influenced by this resort's feel.
- their transfer boat/bus to the main island is terrible

We much prefer IC Thalasso and our favorite is the Four Seasons
where we stayed last 7-8 times and planning to return to soon.

bhrubin

OP here. I must say I didn't find anything snobbish/stiff at all for our entire stay. EVERYONE on staff was friendly, accommodating, and trying to please.

As for layout, I agree that there is a higher proportion of villas looking back into the bay than at the FS or IC--but you are wildly mistaken that "few villas face Mt Otemanu" as you claim. There are plenty of villas looking into the lagoon and with views towards Mt Otemanu. The StR orientation isn't directly at Mt Otemanu but you can't miss it from the landing deck, the Lagoon restaurant, or the bulk of the overwater villas. It's pretty simple really--if you want to look out onto Mt Otemanu, you pay for that category of villa, just as you do at the other properties. Not sure this is as big a deal if you specific and pay for what you want. You are just WRONG here--there are tons of villas looking out onto Mt Otemanu and the lagoon. ONLY the backside of the one pier has villas looking fully back into the bay.

ALSO, the StR offers better views onto sunset than the FS or the IC. So there is a little trade off there.

Also, while I'm not a spa guy, everyone else we met, including my husband, absolutely LOVED the spa with its own private lake set back but still with a view through to Mt Otemanu. Everyone said it was one of the most peaceful and serene spa locations they'd experienced. This surprised me, since the spa doesn't sit out on the lagoon with an obvious view to Mt Otemanu. But everyone loved it.

Also again, our transfer boat to the StR was great. There IS one poor transfer boat that seems unimpressive--but we never had that. We had a great boat for our arrival and the biggest boat for our departure. Of course, I can't imagine anyone picks one hotel over another because of a transfer boat. That's like picking a Maldives resort for a transfer plane--which seems ridiculous. It's a 15 min transfer, after all. Let's get real.

Our butler service was great after we made some comments to our butler about our wants/needs and preferences. But I can imagine that FS service might be better than that of the StR overall even from our visit.

Amusingly, you didn't bother to compare dining. Probably because everyone acknowledges that the dining at the StR is far superior to that at the FS and IC. There is no contest.

My impression is that you had an experience that you didn't like and are chalking it up to snobbiness and then nit-picking beyond that. That you like the FS and IC better than the StR is fine with me, however. But for most, I doubt that the transfer boat issue will be as important as the better dining at the StR!!!

Big_Foot

whatever works for you.
Most people defend their choices, the same way they defend their
camera brand and their car model.
We have been to all 3 and that's my opinion.
FYI I was talking about their shuttle to the main island, not the airport transfer.
It is important to us as we like going to Vaitape, picking up
some great fresh baguettes and French produces in the supermarket.
St Regis doesn't take you to Vaitape, instead uses an industrial boat
to the other side of the island and drives you around in a terrible bus
to arrive to Vaitepe from the side where souvenir stores are,
like the cheapest hotel in Asia would do...

Romf

Thanks, Great forum

bhrubin

Fair enough. Except you make some big pronouncements that either are inaccurate (few villas looking into lagoon or to Mt Otemanu) or misleading (transfer to island vs airport, still a short transfer) or awfully specific to you (most guests at StR or FS are not shopping for groceries, sorry).

Having different opinions is fine. Spreading inaccurate information is not fine. Spreading conclusions based on something specific to you without specifying that specification also is not fine. That has nothing to do with camera specs, either.

MikeFromTokyo

^

Epicura

Now I fully understand your comment about the snobbish attitude. I am afraid though you will encounter similar feelings in every truly high end hotel or resort.

Big_Foot

Sure, because we love fresh baguette and camembert... Wish it was available
at the St Regis, but guess what - it's not. Judge me.
BTW, Bora Bora offers the best French products, same or better than in France.

Big_Foot

If you read what I wrote, I was very specific - transfer to the MAIN ISLAND is terrible - whatever...

MikeFromTokyo

I tend to doubt that StR does not have, or would not accommodate a request for specific types of bread or cheese.

Also, private speedboat transfer should be possible.

purplestraw

^^

Pausanias

My impression from reading the Bora Bora forum on TripAdvisor is that there are many people who go to Vaitape and shop for food and drink in order to avoid the high prices at resorts like the StR and FS. I think there are many guests at these high-end resorts who have scraped together every last cent for the trip and will compromise on food. You read about young honeymooners from Montana or Wisconsin who have been given the basic hotel/air package by their parents and are then faced with the cost of dining on Bora Bora which isn't the same as a Taco Bell in Tallahassee. There are literally dozens of threads asking about customs procedures and if they are allowed to bring a week's supply of junk food and snacks with them in their luggage. Even cases of wine.

Shopping in Vaitape for a baguette and cheese sounds quite romantic to me and it's likely the bread will have been made locally (or perhaps in Papeete).

It's OK for people on this board to talk about ordering off menu, taking private boats, private planes, Royal Suites etc. Hotels on Bora Bora get a few of these but mostly they get regular people who fill the rooms and hide their Snickers wrappers and empty bottles of Jack Daniel's.

scented

Bringing your own food to a resort, in the way Pausanias described, is despicable. You just don't do that.

That said, if the baguette on Vaitape is that much better compared to StR, a conversation with the F&B manager and pastry chef is in order.

Seems Big_Foot and the StR just didn't click. StR isn't one of my favorites either, I'll stick to FS -- where F&B is also known to be a problem.

Romf

"You just don't do that" - if you say so

I've been to all kind of places, from simple to luxury, and we sometimes like to just buy some local food and a bottle of wine or a few beers to enjoy on the terrace/balcony of our room - even in luxury hotels. If we enjoy it why wouldn't we do it?

Kagehitokiri

bhrubin has reported building rapport with staff

sometimes staff's default procedures can be problematic
(i ran into some training/procedure issues on silversea)

perhaps some have run into 'worst room in category' at st regis
FS website provides a lot of information to help choose category

Romf, i believe scented was referring to having luggage full of food rather than clothes. some travel with electric skillets etc. (such reports exist on FT.) different from eating off property, which is often a requirement for best dining.

FT being english text loses some communication context as well.

edit - starwood (etc) has awards, and some of those with food / electric skillets are on 'free' award stays