TMM1982

If you need long range planning, then the travel hacking game really isn't for you. To use miles and points to their fullest, you need flexibility to manage around the opportunities that are presented. This game isn't about "Oh I'll take this and that and then that." It's, "Oh this opportunity just came open and looks interesting, shall we?"

dedkends

It can certainly be both. Or either.

TMM1982

It can be both but NOT for all opportunities. This particular hotel doesn't offer both (not anymore at least).

onlysuites

I find I use my miles and points in advance bookings and rarely last minute. Never really face any issues. Some places like here you can't so you need to make other arrangements. Its part of the game.

But lewende is right getting last minute reward nights at this hotel is pretty useless unless you have cash nights booked which you can cancel. This is what I will be doing for my next stay.

zzrayzz

This hotel was by far the hardest award I have ever booked and was definitely worth the pain and hassle. With persistence and def a bit (maybe a lot) of luck, I was able to piece together 7-nt (consecutive) award stay in June (5 on pts, 2 with chase ihg free nt). Took literally up to the end of the free cancellation period for me to string together everything. First, you had to book/snipe the award as it opens 50-wk in advance (any later, you are out of luck). For me, someone had sniped two of my 7 days. I was pretty sure whoever took those solo dates would have a high chance in cancelling (who randomly just books 1 nt on a random wkday!) but the big question was WHEN they would cancel. But I also booked the cancellable cash rate as backup. Thus, I literally checked 3x (throughout the day) everyday for those missing dates. I still remember freaking out when checking during work and saw 1 of my 2 missing dates were available and quickly booked it. Then for the last missing nt, the space literally opened up 2 days before the free cancellation period. I am assuming someone finally gave up on it, or Thalasso opened up the space since there was room (prob not the case since resort was full when we went, though I rarely saw other people)

TMM1982

ZZ, thanks for sharing that. Should serve as motivation that if you want something bad enough, you can do it.

TravelUnlimited

I have 5 straight nights in thallasso reserved somewhere end of January on points.

Anyone willing to swap? I am looking for later dates

You can pm me

BoraYa

The CondeNast List is right on point! Apparently a lot of people on this forum (...) only evaluate hotels based upon if they accept points or not, sorry most of the hotels on the list do not accept points. I only disagree with the ranking of the thalasso as so high up there and with the hilton being ahead of the Sofitel Moorea, the Sofitel is brand new and has now become the four seasons of Moorea ask the locals, the Hilton is old and having been there can tell you first hand as of this month it needs to be renovated and the service is lacking as well as the quality of breakfast.

On to the important stuff, the Thalasso is a LOWER quality and convenience resort than the Le Moana, anyone who says otherwise does not know better.

The Le Moana sells for $750 a night and is 60,000 points for those who collect points and they offer one size room which is a 550 square foot studio bungalow for ALL guests. There is a beachfront bungalow which is the base room with your own private beach and Matira beach across the street from the lobby which has the softest and finest sand with snorkeling fish and rays and 3-4 ft deep water for 1/2 mile out, this is why it was voted the worlds best beach in 2016. The other rooms are all over water, some further out than others, all are in excellent condition and none of the ladders or furniture is decaying like at the thalasso where you have loose ladders and decaying bungalows with roaches and worn out furniture. Anyone who says Le Moana gives you a "basic room" for points is stupid. It is the same 550sq ft bungalow as the end of pontoon and it is beach front with a soft sand private beach and swimable lagoon! In maui you would pay 2,000-3,000 dollars a night for something of the same size and quality and it would not even be 10 ft from the water with private beach chairs awaiting. Why because it would be too close to the ocean and destroyed during high tide, in French Polynesia it is a lagoon no high tides! This is how you know those who are smart and have been there before and those who just look at points vs room cost and dont know any better.

As for the Thalasso the mountain view is not the best, the best view is from the four seasons but they don't accept points so none of the people here would know this, the best view arguably is also at the St Regis but they also do not accept reasonable amounts of points so nobody would know this either. The thalasso is an aging resort with problems with roaches, worn out bungalows, holes in their walkway decks, construction going on which is unsightly and you will hear the cackling of the engine of the crane when it is moving unless you are on the opposite Y pontoon from the construction one and at the end or facing away. The 55 dollar compensation is a joke and only celebrated by those with no money or who are not there to celebrate something special. As for the resort it has lousy features and is unsightly in many areas and fails in comparison with either the four seasons or the st regis. It is a points and redemption resort and they know it, the breakfast buffet is loaded with flies and is a joke compared to the previous two properties mentioned. The food is just ok and any activities require a long boat transfer which few people ever take (was always almost empty or empty). Those in the know stay at the Le moana or the matira beach hotel, or if they prefer a motu the four seasons or st regis, those who are deprived and think a large overwater bungalow is paradise *with no fish or reef under your bungalow like at the lemoana for snorkeling will say otherwise. You cannot help the stupid.

Marco159

We have booked a few nights at the Thalasso (Nov/Dec16) .. what kind of compensation(renovation) can we expect? any experience? 55$ should be a joke or? At the time we booked our stay, the notice of renovation was not public....

Regards

cuzzybro

The Nov 10th night was mine, and Im currently at the Thalasso so your guess was wrong . I had booked 7 consecutive nights at Thalasso, but decided 6 was enough and dropped the Nov 10th night to spend more time at Le Moana. First impressions, the Thalasso is great but I feel like its overhyped. Water is definitely clear and beautiful but in my honest opinion we've experienced better elsewhere in the world. Overwater villa is pretty nice, but as others have pointed out there is some wear and tear starting to show. The construction is actually pretty quiet and we arent affected. They put us near the 230-240 villas and the view is partially of the beach and the mountain, so pretty good on that front. Overall, good but not great.

cuzzybro

We're at Thalasso right now and the compensation is 6000xpf per night, but we were told it only applies to beverages and nothing else, so it seems this is different to what others are saying on this thread. Also, honestly the construction wont have an impact on your stay, unless you are literally next door to it, and if that turns out to be the case just ask for another room, occupancy seems light here at the moment...

BoraYa

There is no compensation due and the construction of new bungalow is listed on the website! As a Spire Amb you ask to be placed on the Opposite pontoon facing the mountain or facing away from the construction that is compensation enough and you will not hear anything or you ask to be placed at the Lemoana where you can actually enjoy a beach and a swimmable lagoon in French Polynesia.

BoraYa

This is smart, go to the Moana sooner and request an overwater bungalow if you must, it is smaller but you will have an excellent condition bungalow and you will have your own private reef under the couch table to view fish or snorkel privately. The water all around the resort at the Lemoana is no more than 1 to 1.4 meters deep or 4 ft deep. Go across from the lobby to the beach and enjoy, also go to Blue Coco for excellent paroquet fish or italian dishes with prawns or tuna. You wont spend more than 100 dollars for a meal for two with drinks. Get the Bora Gold Pass magazine with discounts and the free welcome cocktail. You wont regret the move, the Thalasso offers absolutely nothing and the unsightly crane is enough for those who know better to move on quickly. Even the beach bungalow at the le moana is a gift if compared with hawaii and no there is no "base rooms" like some people here have said.

BoraYa

The compensation is for Food and Beverage and is automatic, use it to offset the cost of dinner buffets or alacarte dinner, there is no need to go hungry at this resort or buy the drinks to spill in the 1960s light blue tiny tile pool.

alanslegal

Two conflicting views Which one is it?


Glad you like the Moana over the Thalasso anyway; the Moana is old but acceptable, the beach out front is nice however nothing beats being over the water, in a villa which is much more contemporary and twice the size of the Moana's