Currently at the resort, arrived on Friday. A few notes:
1) It is still possible and MUCH cheaper to take the (Free) boat from the airport to Vaitape and then the shuttle to the hotel. I told the hotel that I was doing this in advance, and much to my surprise they still had someone at the airport waiting to greet us AND take our luggage directly to the hotel so we didn't have to schlep it around town. This was perfect, and gave us about an hour in town to run to the grocery store to stock up on water and a few other supplies
2) We are extremely happy that we brought alcohol from home, so we can enjoy it hanging out in the overwater bungalow. We are in the 300's so it would be quite the walk to get a drink each time we wanted one. Also, yes Mai Tais are like $22 but normal drinks/beers are in the $8-12 range which is more reasonable than I thought it would be. Still, I'd rather drink my own booze!
3) We got suckered into the Mediterranean buffet on our first night, Friday, which is actually the only dining option available on that evening. At the cost of approx 9000 XPF a person I can easily say that this was the most disappointing meal I have had anywhere, and set a horrible tone for the food at this resort. We went off property tonight and had a wonderful meal at St James and will be venturing off property a few other nights to avoid eating at the hotel.
4) Speaking of which, we asked the concierge to recommend a restaurant for Tuesday night, the other "Forced" buffet night (since there was no way I am doing that again) and she was putting a great deal of pressure on us to stay for the buffet. I suspect that combined with the ridiculous 1500 XPF fee to leave the resort during dinner hours (otherwise 700 XPF), that the staff try to discourage you from leaving as well. I'd recommend doing your own recon and securing reservations in advance. This goes double for excursions as they won't book anything that they are not "contracted with"
5) Overall, we are finding the service to be quite indifferent, everyone is nice enough but nobody is going above and beyond, especially if it is not earning the resort any $$$$. It certainly pales in comparison to the service we received at the Park Hyatt Maldives last year.
6) The rooms could certainly use some TLC.. notably the decks which are splintering and could use a good sanding and sealing; the floors which the finish has worn off near the doors; the bathroom counters which are worn/stained; and the living room Tube TV that screams 1995 (the bedroom has a nice flat screen). We have had several other minor maintenance issues as well that were handled quickly.
7) Deluxe Overwater Bungalows in the 300's facing West (where we are), are on the leeward side of the resort. This has some pros: the lagoon here is very large, is amazingly calm (which is great for the spring floats we brought with us), and has great afternoon sun / sunset views; but also some cons: sitting on the deck can be a very hot as there is no wind to cool you off. The east side of the 300's (mostly regular overwater bungalows) is on the windward side and the water is much rougher, and is roped off into a a very tight space. Also, the low 100 Deluxe Overwater Bungalows (notably 105/106) have an amazing view of the mountains on the main island and would be my choice if you wanted to stay closer to main part of the resort.
I know I am pointing out some negatives, but rest assured we are having a great time and the property (and Bora Bora!) is otherwise beautiful and well worth the trip. Just come with your expectations set properly and you will enjoy your stay as much as we are!
We are here until the end of the week, if anyone has any specific questions let me know.