VanMan

Also, forgot to mention in the post above. While we were at LM BB, there was daily surveying around the beach bungalows. A note under our door explained that the hotel was looking at upgrading bungalows to suites. If this happens, I think this would be a pretty major exercise, since the bungalows at the moment are strictly one king-bedroom affairs, with a separate bathroom.

TooMuchTravel73

I just spent a nice week at the LM BB (returning today 12/15/2008) I was upgraded to a premium OWB. I stayed on points, was upgraded. Not sure what that means premium means, all the OWB seem the same. But FWIW its a nice room. Met the GM at a Plat (and others) reception one night. Nice guy.

If your planning a trip to this property PM me, I can fill you in on some tips I won't post here. (cause I'd probably be flamed in a second...) But suffice to say, if you're a frequent traveler and you frequent bars/restaraunts where you travel, and if you treat your frequent bartender/server in those frequent bars well, and that frequent bar tender/server takes good care of you.... Then PM me.... If you think that its completely immoral to give good tips, and if you think its completely unethical for someone to take extra special care of you at a bar or restaraunt then don't PM me. Personally I always leave a generous tip for exceptional service (Even in Tahiti where tipping is not the custom)... and I'm not at all bashful to withold the tip entirely (even in america) if the service is horrible. If the exceptional person chooses to treat me even better on my next visit then so be it.

I'd like to say, on our last day there, in the breakfast restaraunt, our frequent server made us fresh fruit drinks, we sat in wicker tahitain thrones, had linen on the tables, a guy plucking at the tahitian banjo... and the rest of the restaraunt wondering how we rated that service... My wife was absolutely thrilled!

I will say this - Bora Bora is Expensive! I recommend:

1) in LAX purchase some duty free booze to take with you. you'll be happy you did! I started out each night there with a nice Jamison on the rocks from my DF purchase.
2) Food.. Breakfast: Bread only $20USD each. Bread+Fruit $25 USD. Bread+fruit+hot food 33USD. Not horible, but spending $66 usd for breakfast for two to start the day... I call expensive. Lunch usually was 50-75USD (depends if you have a beer or two and what you order. you can easily top $100USD for lunch w/o any booze. Also note that if you treat your server well, you can order things that aren't on the menu... Like my nice Maui Maui fish "burger" or my wifes "chicken burger") Dinner - usually the buffet was 60-80 usd per person. (no booze included) Fixed price menu was 50-75 per person. I don't recommend ordering ala-cart. I ordered their special "Lobster, Maui Maui and Scallop" trio. it was the worst overcooked pile of !@#$ I've ever been served *anywhere* (and I live in the mid-west USA... Not home to seafood, but red lobster would have cooked better food than that crud. Probably goes without saying but "minute steak" is horse meat... FYI incase you feel like ordering that steak but don't know what you've ordered.
3) If you like sparkling water... for whatever reason the San Peligreno was cheaper than any other.
4) Did purchase a "SteriPEN Water Purification System Pack" from amazon.com. The water is "generally safe" but didn't want to take any chance.
5) I do recommend taking some safty pins. The mosquito netting does not close properly (because of how its installed) so if you bring 4 or so safty pins you can "pin" the netting closed at night

All in all. Happy I went, won't likely go back (other places rate higher on the "must return" list (Venice again though the Hilton Stucky is the best place to stay, Thailand again (Bangkok, chang Mai Chang rai, Krabi, etc)

Cheers.

EWR ATC Hold

My suggestion for breakfast is to go ala carte. We found that at LM BB and at Sheraton Moorea, we could do ala carte hot breakfast (sticking to the eggs or french toast and coffee) for about $10.00 per person. We laughed about it in both places because their continental buffets were upwards of $25-40 per person.

Just something to think about. Was there over a year ago, so they might have caught on to this.

TooMuchTravel73

Well should have commented on that... The *best* AM value is the on the ala cart menu and its "eggs with choice of bacon/ham/sausages/potatoes" its $12USD, and big enough to share...

Also Room Service didn't have any additional fee, so you can order this breakfast delivered to your room. One note: I do love bacon, but I'd not order it there unless you like basically raw bacon.

Bondiboy

I have just received an e-mail from the Le Meridien Bora Bora informing me that:

I have a reservation for a bungalow with "direct access to the beach". Maybe I will get a free upgrade to an O/W villa???

jimmychang

That's what happened to my friend who just went there 2 weeks ago.

alamedaguy

I just returned from a four night stay as well. I was using the four free nights from the Le Meridien promotion from last year and was upgraded to an OWB on the end. ^ Having just come from Moorea Hilton, where breakfast and dinner were included in the rate each night, we sucked it up and sprang for the half board here, too. I remembered it being 8,800 XPF per person per night rather than the 8,482 quoted above, but I could definitely be wrong. That included the breakfast and dinner buffets, or one could order al a carte and get a credit up to the cost of the buffet. The dinner buffet was 7,500.

The buffet was a little weird. On two of the nights, the appetizers and desserts were buffet style but you ordered the main and they brought it to you from the kitchen. We were told at the reception desk you could get a second plate of the same item, but this was never offerred in the restaurant and I never bothered to ask. The third night, all items were on the buffet.

On the other night, we took the boat to the Lagoon Restaurant at the St. Regis. I didn't find the food or setting to be much better, but I am by no means the person you would ask about such things. The lemon thyme lemonade was good. We had let them know ahead of time my wife is vegetarian and they prepared a special appetizer and main for her. Come to think of it, they also made her a special pre-appetizer or whatever that is called. They also made my not quite two year old daughter a plate of penne, mushrooms, and cream sauce, for which we were charged 4,000 XPF (about $45)! Goldfish crackers may have been a better option. Anyway, they let us charge it to our room at Le Meridien and Le Meridien applied our half-board credit, so it wasn't too bad. Apparently the other restaurant at the St. Regis was closed temporarily due to low demand.

There is quite a bit of construction at Le Meridien right now. The beach bungalows are being upgraded and they are building a new pool.

They had free wifi in the bungalows.

All in all, well worth the 7 nights at Le Meridien San Francisco last spring.

afraidofheights

I stayed here about a month ago. The place is very nice, and the overwater bungalow was great. As a platinum, we were upgraded to a room with a great view of the mountain. However, I thought the service here was pretty indifferent. One annoying thing is that when you check in, the desk person takes you on a ten minute "tour," which basically consists of selling various services on the property. After all the traveling it took to get there, I was not in the mood for that at all.

I think on the day we left, they started some sort of renovation project and closed the hotel.

Admittedly, I'm in a tiny minority, but I really didn't love Bora Bora. It is too quiet for my tastes.

afraidofheights

One more thing. After the "tour," we went to have lunch in the restaurant next to the pool and were served by possible the rudest waitress I've ever had. We were nothing but polite, but for some reason she seemed to hate us. She was so rude that it was like we were on candid camera or something. I should have complained, but I didn't want to start off my stay with a confrontation.

teaseicu

Random I know, but 2 questions:
1. will I get free wifi/internet as a Plat *wood member?
2. I've used points to book - what will the food options cost? Any advice on how to not break the bank on meals?

Thanks!

justspg

you will get free internet.. never been to the property so I can't comment on whether they have wifi or wired internet, but either way it is one of the benefits of being a plat.

From NYC

Was there about 2 years ago. Internet service is very slow. Wasn't really able to get it in my room, so went to their lounge where they had 2 computers available to guests for free.

They have a fabulous breakfast buffet; choose cold or the hot for more money. You can take their shuttle boat to the main island and do some food shopping to bring back with you, but it's fairly remote where the landing is because you're on the opposite side of the main town of Vaitape.

futaris

1299 AUD for Three Nights in a Lagoon Bungalow at Le Meridien Bora Bora! Honeymooners Stay for 1099 AUD

onlysuites

Awesome offer! Wish I could take it up.

caesar04

Any recent Plat experiences at this property? In particular, if I booked a OWB, is it likely that I'll get a Premium OWB at check-in?

Caesar