trip review
Just completed a 5 night stays with friends and 4 kids (ages 5 and 7). Here is a lengthy review.
This place in incredible. Seriously, the photos don't do this justice. You can't possibly capture the beauty. You feel like you are in a film all day long.
Rate: We originally booked an Overwater Bungalow at Le Meriden Bora Bora, but they closed for renovations (though some people at the St Regis told us they are filming a movie there), so we were re-accommodated at the St Regis -- not a bad swap. We booked a stay 4 nights get the fifth night free AAA rate. Additionally, we used Citi card to book the 4th night free promo, so we only paid 3 out of 5 nights -- at Le Meriden rate of around $600. Good deal.
Rooms: We stayed in a superior over water bungalow. They are huge. Separate living room with beds for the kids. Seriously, they are very spacious. Plenty of room for 4 people. The bathrooms are amazing. The AC works great. The outdoor shower is a nice touch. Jumping into the water each morning and evening from your deck is incredible. Water is deep and nice. Like bath water. What's strange is there are very few fish. Almost disconcertingly so. It's literally like a bath tub. But an amazing color and surrounded by mountains.
Butler Service: We used this for unpacking, which is amazing to arrive in your room completely unpacked. And we used this for morning coffee and hot chocolate, delivered each morning to be enjoyed on our porch- free of charge. Other than that, the butler service was lacking. They basically didn't do anything unless you tracked them down. We had a Japanese woman, dont recall her name? Thats how well we knew her. In my opinion she should have found us each day to check on kids and make dinner reservations. She didn't. She was like a ghost. But useful when found.
Beach: Just amazing. Don't miss the ocean hammock. Also, great to have free paddle boards and canoes. No snorkeling here but, again, like wadding into a bath. Not crowded. Easy to get chairs. Plenty of towels.
Pool: There are two. Adults only and main pool. Adults only is a nice oasis. Small. Private. The bigger pool has a nice pool bar and some cool loungers in the water. The water is almost uncomfortably warm, but better than freezing. Not huge, but a nice size and again, easy to find chairs and towels. Also, free sun tan lotion which is great. And occasional free fruit. And always free water, which is amazing.
Food: Ok, let's be clear you are in the middle of the ocean and expect to pay prices accordingly. What's funny is, the best values are expensive things. Case in point. Cans of soda are $9. The burger is $39 (but it is also amazing by US standards). However, the glasses of wine are $16 and the steak is $58, so that is in line with what you pay in LA (where we live). So don't waste it on a $35 pizza and instead go big. One unfortunate thing is mixed drinks. Very expensive and very watered down. The alcohol is nearly non existent. It's a shame they do this. I don't like strong drinks, but these were basically virgin. Not cool when you pay $28 for a Bloody Mary (seriously). Though the Bloody Mary is fantastic...We brought a few bottles of wine from the mainland. No issues there.
Bikes: There are bicycles readily available around the island -- for adults and kids. This is great. You can also call your butler in a golf cart, as some places are far apart (relatively speaking). But riding a bike around the island is a pleasure.
Lagoon: There is a man-made lagoon in the middle of the island. It is basically like swimming in an aquarium, which is cool. Tons of fish. And free snorkel gear. At first we were told they didn't have children's gear, but when we pushed they somehow "found" it. A little lazy in that regard. But this is a nice touch. Free and a nice diversion to snorkel.
Kids Club: Free, which is great. A nice hut inland on the island. A seemingly indifferent but friendly staff. They seemed to do nice art projects. If anything, it is a nice respite from the heat for the kids for an hour or two. All day would be boring, but a little here and there is good. Having kids was definitely an anomaly on the island, as its many honeymooners, but it wasn't much of an issue.
Overall: This is an amazing property. The service is lacking a bit considering the prices, but you can’t get closer to a dream holiday than this.