Does anyone know if there are fishes and free snorkeling available on the property? Or the over the water bungalows can you jump off and there are fishes or corals ?

Is the base room not a bungalow (over water, however close to land)? I booked it when it first became available, rebooked for later dates and noticed description changed to say lagoon access (with a lessor view) but don’t recall seeing any beach bungalows available except the higher-end ones which you would pay to upgrade into anyway

A travel youtuber named Mandy Roams just posted a fairly extensive video of this hotel. I won't directly link it here since it may be against the rules. She was there during the grand opening and the resort "lagoon" wasn't open which explains why the beach villas haven't been available to book.

It appears the resort needs a bit of time to work out some kinks and open all the facilities which is normal and I've experienced first hand when I stayed at the St Regis Maldives when it first opened. I thought I read somewhere all the restaurants weren't open initially and since I have a reservation over XMAS/NYE I reached out to the staff and they confirmed all the restaurants would be open by then.

Lastly in case anyone is also planning a stay here at the end of December and has any interest in chartering a private boat feel free to send me a private message and we can discuss the possibility. From my experience in Bora Bora this is one of the best activities available. The Westin brochure lists quite a few options and the rates don't appear to have a large upcharge vs booking direct with the vendor in case anyone is interested.

I'm hoping flyertalkers will be sharing their experience at this hotel soon in this thread.

You mean to say Mandy Hong, the gf/spouse of credit card shill tuber Sebastian Fung (asksebby). Deeply unpleasant hacks.

I meant what I said and was sharing her youtube name. I never looked into her "background/credentials" and found the video revealing since there isn't much media available on this property since it's new.

The reef between the hotel and the lagoonarium would be the best bet for snorkeling though technically that would not be on the property.

Thank You for the reply !! Is the reef easily accessible ? I have teen boys and they only love to snorkel with the fishes. So I was hoping the Westin Bora Bora had a lot of areas to snorkel in. If not if anyone on here has any suggestions as to which hotels have great snorkeling areas for the kids ?

I stayed at the Westin Bora Bora in late October, 2024. Just a few weeks after the Mandy Roams video.

To update her info: the boutique store is now open, though it is small and there wasn't much worth buying.
Tote bags have been improved: now you'll get a large, woven bag that's identical to the Conrad Bora Bora's beach bag, only with different branding.
The turtle sanctuary is open, but we didn't feel it was worth paying $50 per person just to feed them.
The inner lagoon is still closed for swimming. That is unfortunate as it seems to be the best place to snorkel with fishes.

There is a trade-off between views and snorkeling from your over water bungalow.
Rooms closer to the beach are in shallower water. It some areas it's possible to stand, and we noticed more fish in the shallows.
Rooms deeper in the lagoon have a closer proximity to Mount Otemanu and better view. However, the water is deeper with a stronger current. There weren't many fish off of our balcony, and we had to expend more energy because of the current. I would still take the better view. One can have an unforgettable snorkeling experience by taking a one day boat tour. We were "upgraded" to an OWB with an excellent view of Mount Otemanu. (Platinum status; booked 4 nights using 85k FNAs and points)

On Thursday nights, the Tipaniers restaurant has a Polynesian song and dance show at their restaurant, along with a buffet dinner. We were impressed by both the food and the performance. At $150 per person, it was well worth it. I suspect it may be the same group that performs at the St. Regis every Wednesday evening. Also, we saw that every restaurant was open.

I appreciate the fact that the Westin runs complimentary boats to and from the mainland. Though in the end, we wanted to maximize our time at the resort, having spent a few days on Bora Bora beforehand. The Westin boat goes to and from Anau. There is a U Express supermarket nearby if you need to resupply. The main purpose of this boat is to shuttle employees to and from Bora Bora.

I have watched the Mandy Roams video and thought it was accurate and informative. I've picked up plenty of point related benefits from her boyfriend, "Ask Sebby" so I'm not sure why anyone would call him a shill. Overall they do a creditable job of sharing useful information.

As I just came back from the Westin Bora Bora, I can try to answer any questions.
Overall we were pleased with the hard product and service. It felt great staying at a newly refreshed hotel.

Thanks, this is helpful. Have you stayed at the St. Regis since you mentioned you knew the show schedule there - I'm sure like me, many are trying to decide between the two hotels!

I might be able to help with this. I recently spent 5 nights at the Westin and had a day pass at the St. Regis a few days ago.

The Westin felt like a brand-new apartment with a modern design and great facilities. In contrast, the St. Regis has a more traditional resort vibe—it's much larger than the Westin—and features excellent restaurants and services that my parents would enjoy.

The great thing is that both offer day passes, so you can stay at one and visit the other for a day!

You would need to start from the beach on the north end of the hotel and then swim or wade over. Technically the reef isn't on property, but it's fairly easy to do. I believe the Conrad has the best snorkeling generally.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b1172c6488.png

How much was the day pass to the St. Regis BoB?

Using Marriott cc?
 

Anyone stay here yet and pay with either an Amex or Chase Marriott cc? I heard that it didn't code as a Marriott on a Marriott boundless card, just lodging so unfortunately this person only got 1x Marriott points on the stay. Checking if any recent data points and if it's worth using one of our Marriott cards vs CSR.

Perhaps you are right? I just checked my Amex Brilliant credit card statement, and I received only 2x points for my Westin Bora Bora stay.
I believe I'm supposed to receive 6x?

However, in my Bonvoy account I see a decent number of points earned. It doesn't say via credit card or whatnot.

So I'm unclear how the bonus points are distributed. Maybe the points go directly to your Bonvoy account without showing up in your Amex account?

Can anyone speak to what the weather is like in Bora Bora during the first half of October? I understand that is towards the end of the best time to visit. Curious what to expect in terms of temperature and winds.