KatW

MacMyDay

Yes, don't go to The Brando first, as Bora Bora will only disappoint. We stayed 3 nights FS Bora Bora and 4 nights The Brando last year. I will never return to FS Bora Bora, but would happily return to The Brando.

LinLant

BESVISOR

+1 on doing Brando last.

Having just visited Bora Bora then Brando, I'd say this is the best and only way to do it.
The Brando Suites at IC Bora Bora are drastically better than the normal bungalows, as you'd expect.

Brando isn't perfect by any means but still a much better experience and value than Bora Bora. For certain crowds. If you like the Aman etho then Brando will be more to your liking than anything in Bora Bora, for sure.

Between now and Aug, Brando can be booked as low as EU2,550++/night, under the all inclusive package (food, activities, spa), depending on your dates and length of stay.
5 nights or more for 15% off. 7 nights will also provide complimentary roundtrip air for 2 adults from PPT.

You can easily spend the same amount and more in Bora Bora, depending on the category of accommodation.
I think one has to consider the fact that the One Bedroom Villas at The Brando is basically the same as a top tier room at most Bora Bora resorts, which could easily run between Eu2,500 - Eu4,000++/night. Without including food, actives and spa.
With families visiting The Brando, child under 12 is complementary (can setup bed in Media Room and eat free).

Regarding construction at FS: when booking FS for clients last week noticed that FSPP offered EU 100 - EU 300 daily credit (based on your accommodation category and can be used for a particular list of activities/items) for the inconvenience of the construction.

Having visited Bora Bora, I would now happily visit Brando only on return trips to FP.

Have a few photos of The Brando Suites at IC. They are two bedroom suites. The bedrooms are in two different wings, separated by the living room. The bedrooms are identical, almost. One of the bedrooms has a loft above with a study that can be turned into a small bedroom for children and a terrace overlooking the water. There are four Brando Suites and all at the end of the bungalow piers so it's an unobstructed Mt. view. For single couples, have been able to get them to sell it as a single bedroom suite by locking the door to the second bedroom and at a discount.

Per usual, just can't seem to get photos uploaded to FT correctly. Below is a link to the photos. Apologies for the poor lighting and composition as I basically just ran through a quick tour and took them in a rush while trying to note some of the details from the GM. Was in a rush to get back in the water

Photo #1 is actually from my regular water bungalow but you can see one of The Brando Suites to the left and its position.

Photos of Brando Suite at InterContinental Thalasso.

Pausanias

There does seem to be a mindset here that in Bora Bora it's the FS by default - it's the most expensive therefore it must be the best. NOT SO!

It's also for travel agents and their clients . . .

By the same token I've never understood why people get suckered into staying at the IC in Tahiti. It's so much better to stay in downtown Papeete, wander around, dine at the roulottes and not spend your time resenting being ripped off by the IC.

chinmoylad

Great photos, thanks for the review!

I hate using FT's upload function too - but since they're hosted on your site, you should be able to copy + paste the image URL and sandwich it between [img] tags, ala below

BESVISOR

The "IMG" icon on FT literally does nothing when I click it. I think it hates my Mac for some reason

chinmoylad

I'm old school forums//bboards so I'm used to just manually typing it anyway!
[ img ] [ /img ]

Without the extra spaces and stick the URL in between