Conrad Bora Bora {PYF} (formerly Hilton)
Apr 30, 2022, 8:54 am
#841
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 302
Prior to the pandemic you could get 2.5 liters of Coke Zero and Diet Coke with no issue at any of the different grocery stores. Hope it is still that way. We also bring juice packet that you can mix with water for mixers. Last time we visited was February 2020. Hopefully someone can chime in who has been there more recently. When you go, if you could please reply to the thread with an update. I am curious if you can find club soda?
Apr 30, 2022, 9:12 am
#842
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: So Cal
Posts: 931
For sure, we always drink a lot on vacation but I feel this one we will even more so.
How did you pack your booze? I don’t really want to fly with bottles so I can save the weight. I was thinking of buying those “cruise bags” where you empty your alcohol into a soft plastic bag with a spout. Then maybe seal each of those with a ziplock around it. Surprisingly hard to find suggestions on how to transport booze, I can’t imagine I’m among the few doing it..
How did you pack your booze? I don’t really want to fly with bottles so I can save the weight. I was thinking of buying those “cruise bags” where you empty your alcohol into a soft plastic bag with a spout. Then maybe seal each of those with a ziplock around it. Surprisingly hard to find suggestions on how to transport booze, I can’t imagine I’m among the few doing it..
What I would do to be chilling in the Presidential villa pool watching all the ladies and their reluctant men kayaking/paddle boarding by to try and catch a glimpse of who was staying there. With the point requirement recently going up it's going to be awhile. Enjoy
Apr 30, 2022, 11:20 am
#844
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: DL, WoH
Posts: 1,253
Apr 30, 2022, 6:41 pm
#845
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 3
Have you recently inquired if there's any availability for an upgrade? My stay is mid-May and they only had one Deluxe OWB available at the time. You may want to inquire to see if it is even an option. Alternatively you can do a search on the Hilton site and check your stay dates to see what room types come up. Odds are good whatever shows up there is what is available.
That is the same email I contacted to get my room upgrade back in March. The person I was working with was named Marilyn. Her email was in her signature, you could maybe try contacting her directly as she's a reservations coordinator. [email protected]
That is the same email I contacted to get my room upgrade back in March. The person I was working with was named Marilyn. Her email was in her signature, you could maybe try contacting her directly as she's a reservations coordinator. [email protected]
I'll give an update once I'm there and see what the occupancy is.
May 1, 2022, 4:40 am
#846
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: ORD
Posts: 701
For sure, we always drink a lot on vacation but I feel this one we will even more so.
How did you pack your booze? I don’t really want to fly with bottles so I can save the weight. I was thinking of buying those “cruise bags” where you empty your alcohol into a soft plastic bag with a spout. Then maybe seal each of those with a ziplock around it. Surprisingly hard to find suggestions on how to transport booze, I can’t imagine I’m among the few doing it..
How did you pack your booze? I don’t really want to fly with bottles so I can save the weight. I was thinking of buying those “cruise bags” where you empty your alcohol into a soft plastic bag with a spout. Then maybe seal each of those with a ziplock around it. Surprisingly hard to find suggestions on how to transport booze, I can’t imagine I’m among the few doing it..
May 1, 2022, 1:42 pm
#847
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 442
We just vacuum seal the bottles and place them in the center of the check bagged. Far better than a ziploc seal. Only once has a bottle ever broken but the vacuum seal bags were too thick to be punctured; we were even able to salvage the alcohol.
May 1, 2022, 4:21 pm
#848
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 302
I don't know why I never thought of that...seems like a winner! And maybe vacuum seal them individually for good measure. Thanks for the suggestion.
May 1, 2022, 5:35 pm
#849
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: So Cal
Posts: 931
Mouthwash bottles work great. You can also find the fake sunscreen bottles on Amazon that many have used to get booze to places that might just frown on it.
May 1, 2022, 11:45 pm
#850
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Sacramento
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, HH Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Amtrak Select
Posts: 1,339
I've got a speculative booking for Feb and am always looking for tricks of the trade to weasel myself into top tier suites. Been in the Presidential at GH Kauai, JJAE at St Regis Maldives, and Stella Maris at W.A Maldives.
LMK if you have a technique here.
May 2, 2022, 9:53 am
#851
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: So Cal
Posts: 931
Is this something you've done, or just general fantasing/being fecicious?
I've got a speculative booking for Feb and am always looking for tricks of the trade to weasel myself into top tier suites. Been in the Presidential at GH Kauai, JJAE at St Regis Maldives, and Stella Maris at W.A Maldives.
LMK if you have a technique here.
I've got a speculative booking for Feb and am always looking for tricks of the trade to weasel myself into top tier suites. Been in the Presidential at GH Kauai, JJAE at St Regis Maldives, and Stella Maris at W.A Maldives.
LMK if you have a technique here.
May 2, 2022, 6:07 pm
#852
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 113
So I have a 3 night booking in a few weeks. It is actually 2 separate bookings (first day is with an anniversary hilton free night, then the remaining two days are with free night points awards). I am in a Lagoon View Suite. I believe the category right above me is the standard OVW. It looks like, so luck *may* have it, there is a standard OVW available on the first night. Not the remaining two. Is there a tactful way of explaining before I get there how I don't mind switching rooms during my stay if they wish to complimentary upgrade me as Diamond for some of the nights? Probably not... I feel weird asking for upgrades (especially on free night stays), but may have to be shameless this time lol.
May 2, 2022, 6:13 pm
#853
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 44
So I have a 3 night booking in a few weeks. It is actually 2 separate bookings (first day is with an anniversary hilton free night, then the remaining two days are with free night points awards). I am in a Lagoon View Suite. I believe the category right above me is the standard OVW. It looks like, so luck *may* have it, there is a standard OVW available on the first night. Not the remaining two. Is there a tactful way of explaining before I get there how I don't mind switching rooms during my stay if they wish to complimentary upgrade me as Diamond for some of the nights? Probably not... I feel weird asking for upgrades (especially on free night stays), but may have to be shameless this time lol.
Garden villa
Villa with pool
Horizon view villa
Horizon view with pool.
All before standard owb
May 2, 2022, 6:18 pm
#854
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 113
May 4, 2022, 1:29 am
#855
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,837
Finished a 7 night stay on points. 5th night free + 2FNC. Our hope was a Diamond Ugrade would net us at least a garden villa so rolled the dice with no pre-arranged upgrade. 2 days prior noticed "overwater pool villa" on the app. Held our breath and indeed that is what we got on arrival. They mentioned at check-in Diamond upgrades are usually limited to 1 or 2 categories, but we got lucky due to inventory. From my guess, probably ~75% full. But it doesn't feel full outside of happy hour and at the polynesian dinner show.
Rooms are probably due for a refresh and big one is planned to begin Q4 2022 into 2024. Quoted SF includes the outside space so the room does feel a bit small. Suites and some land villas have a TV wall between sleeping and living space. Villas on the water (aside from Royal and Presidential) is just one big room. There are only 3 or 4 garden villas (and of course all the suites) that don't have private pools.
Diamonds got free breakfast buffet, menu items are an additional charge of 1200xpf. The buffet itself was more than enough, very large selection of pastries and rotating 8-10 hot items.
Concierge is wothless with food recommendations offsite and frowned on us for booking excursions on our own (made little effort to help us secure babysitting)
Food and drink is generally expensive onsite, $40+ for entrees, ~$10+ for beer and wine and ~$20+ for cocktails and hard liquor. There's 4 cocktails on happy hour for $15 at the pool bar from 3-4pm everyday. One thing not advertised is kids under 6 eat free off the kids menu with the adults. This allowed us to order menu items at breakfast for no charge since there was no breakfast kids menu.
Polynesian dinner show was a steal at 14000xpf, kids under 6 also free. The buffet was pretty good and they also had a raw bar which you won't get at a traditional hawaiian luau. Dancing was shorter than we hoped (~45 mins).
Pool was mostly empty outside happy hour, 4 cabanas at the main pool, first come first serve. Pleanty of beach chairs, small cabanas/day beds available. Water equipment rentals were on the cheap side, plastic kayaks and inflatable SUPs. They do have a couple of tahitian va'as which were a pleasure to use. They host a traditional outrigger invite once a week where one of the beach boys take couples out on the 3 man va'a.
Kids club was awesome, free and they do a bunch of traditional arts and crafts with the kids. Officially 5+ without parents but they took our younger one. Lady there also came in early one morning to watch our kids so we can go diving (when the concierge failed us). We ended up tipping her what the babysitter would have cost us.
We had a blast with Bora Bora H2O on a snorkling tour around the island and a dive trip. Their shared tours are practically private since they only take 6 max on snorkle tours and 3 max on dive trips.
The shuttle is 15000 rt pp from airport, to vaitape is 2200 rt pp, 4900 rt pp for dinner hour and 7500 rt pp on arrival and departure days. Not worth dealing with luaggage to go through vaitape on arrival.
For Americans bring your own etest, the line for testing at PPT could be long on nights with multiple departing flights. Air Tahiti Nui Lounge at PPT also refuses priority pass on nights with multiple departing flights.
Rooms are probably due for a refresh and big one is planned to begin Q4 2022 into 2024. Quoted SF includes the outside space so the room does feel a bit small. Suites and some land villas have a TV wall between sleeping and living space. Villas on the water (aside from Royal and Presidential) is just one big room. There are only 3 or 4 garden villas (and of course all the suites) that don't have private pools.
Diamonds got free breakfast buffet, menu items are an additional charge of 1200xpf. The buffet itself was more than enough, very large selection of pastries and rotating 8-10 hot items.
Concierge is wothless with food recommendations offsite and frowned on us for booking excursions on our own (made little effort to help us secure babysitting)
Food and drink is generally expensive onsite, $40+ for entrees, ~$10+ for beer and wine and ~$20+ for cocktails and hard liquor. There's 4 cocktails on happy hour for $15 at the pool bar from 3-4pm everyday. One thing not advertised is kids under 6 eat free off the kids menu with the adults. This allowed us to order menu items at breakfast for no charge since there was no breakfast kids menu.
Polynesian dinner show was a steal at 14000xpf, kids under 6 also free. The buffet was pretty good and they also had a raw bar which you won't get at a traditional hawaiian luau. Dancing was shorter than we hoped (~45 mins).
Pool was mostly empty outside happy hour, 4 cabanas at the main pool, first come first serve. Pleanty of beach chairs, small cabanas/day beds available. Water equipment rentals were on the cheap side, plastic kayaks and inflatable SUPs. They do have a couple of tahitian va'as which were a pleasure to use. They host a traditional outrigger invite once a week where one of the beach boys take couples out on the 3 man va'a.
Kids club was awesome, free and they do a bunch of traditional arts and crafts with the kids. Officially 5+ without parents but they took our younger one. Lady there also came in early one morning to watch our kids so we can go diving (when the concierge failed us). We ended up tipping her what the babysitter would have cost us.
We had a blast with Bora Bora H2O on a snorkling tour around the island and a dive trip. Their shared tours are practically private since they only take 6 max on snorkle tours and 3 max on dive trips.
The shuttle is 15000 rt pp from airport, to vaitape is 2200 rt pp, 4900 rt pp for dinner hour and 7500 rt pp on arrival and departure days. Not worth dealing with luaggage to go through vaitape on arrival.
For Americans bring your own etest, the line for testing at PPT could be long on nights with multiple departing flights. Air Tahiti Nui Lounge at PPT also refuses priority pass on nights with multiple departing flights.
Last edited by mlqsko; May 4, 2022 at 1:44 am
