Super! Sounds like you had a great time. We first stayed at the property over the Millennium when it had just opened under the Le Méridien flag and have been going back until Covid when they closed to rebrand so I am in process of getting a group of around 8-12 of us (4-6 Overwaters) for November.

Any suggestions about the following would be appreciated:
— Did you take a meal plan or simply go à la carte from the menu?
— 295K for 5 nights is a real good deal ... for the dates in November we are wanting it's like 140+K a night for 2 people half board basic OVB and awesome that you got upgraded also
— How was the food?
— Did you take the resort shuttle to the mainland and was it convenient for shopping, lunch etc.? The resort sent me a list of inclusions, and it appears that a daily shuttle transfer is included in the "Destination Fee".

Thanks!

i am planning to stay at the main island near the airport ferry terminal before going to Westin. Do you know if I can utilize the free airport ferry shuttle to go to the airport and then meet the Westin shuttle there? I was googling around and it says I need to have a boarding pass to ride the shuttle ferry, but not sure how strict they are with this.

quick review
- we were upgraded to a premium Otemanu, which was an amazing surprise, fantastic location!
- bikes aren’t allocated, but we only struggled to find one a few times
- there’s some construction at the back, with cranes visible, and the resort next door is undergoing renovations
- the fine dining at Meare was excellent. Of the two regular restaurants, Tipanier was the better choice. We ate at Varavara a few times but found it disappointing. Overall, the menus had basics like mahi-mahi and red tuna, but no lobster, shrimp, squid or octopus. Note: only 2 restaurants were open at the time, in rotation
- breakfast at Tipanier was great, with fresh juice and plenty of bread options. A bit repetitive but enjoyable overall
- the Polynesian buffet was worth it
- we didn’t use any of the resort’s included services (besides transport), so ~$100 a day felt pricey
- there's a free shuttle to the main island, but then you have to pay $30 for a taxi to drive you to Vaitape (each way)
- many water sports gears were available (kayak, paddle, jet ski) but no va'a
- around the resort, we spotted sharks, rays, and turtles, but there aren’t any corals
- the staff were incredibly friendly, as is always expected in Polynesia

Thanks for the details! I am disappointed there isn't a shuttle on the main island like the St. Regis has. Did you have to make dinner reservations for the restaurants in advance?

there is a Westin shuttle to the main BB island, but the Westin shuttle drops you off on the eastern side of the island whereas most restaurants are near Vaitape (western side of the island). Vaitape is where where FS, StR and other resort boats drop ppl off

Can I ask what status you have with marriott?

Correct, there's a boat that takes you from the Westin to the eastern side of the main island, and then you need a taxi to get to the main town (20min ride, ~$30 each way). For the StR, maybe they changed the process, but a few years ago, they also had a boat to take you to the eastern side and provided a free shuttle to Vaitape.

titanium

We are also platinum and going in May. I'm "gambling" for an upgrade to an OWB with plunge pools, but worst case I might just ask the front desk to pay out of pocket for a cash upgrade. I doubt they'd say no to that? The resort doesn't look that full!

For those wondering, I was communicated by the hotel at all one bedroom bungalows are limited to occupancy of 2 people (adult or child). Anything over 2 people needs the 2-bdrm villa.

My wife and I are thinking about booking a 5 night stay - does anyone have thoughts on whether it's worth the cash upgrade cost to go from the standard redemption (Overwater, bungalow, 1 King, Lagoon access, Terrace) to the Otemanu View overwater bungalow? It looks like it would be ~2.5k USD cash upgrade cost. We've never been to Bora Bora before, so not sure how important/nice it would be to have the mountain view from the room. Thanks!

Sounds like you had a blast!

We just booked a 4-night stay.

BTW it says the Destination Fee includes daily Wine and Rum tasting. Did you partake? :)

Also, where the hotel shuttle drops us off on the eastern side of the main island — is it "Anau"? Are there any shops there? There seem to be a few businesses there in Anau and a mini-market but not sure how far it is from where we disembark.

Definitely not worth $2.5K USD for an upgrade. I have plat and was upgraded from base OW to the Otemanu view in January. The room was bigger and amazing views but all rooms decent. I Wouldn’t pay more than $200 a night for an upgrade.

I would say it’s highly likely. We got upgraded to the second best OWV in the resort with Plat. Resort is not that busy. IMO one of the best value for points in all of marriott. We stayed for 60K/Night with 5th night free in Jan. Didn’t rain at all.

oh wow that's amazing and sounds like you had a BLAST - we are keeping our fingers crossed! Btw did you like the food at the resort? We are thinking of taking the boat to get dinner on the main island one of the two nights, or else instant noodles might do since apparently a lot of ppl don't love Westin's food

The food was okay. Not bad, not amazing. I thought it was on par with Alila Maldives. Fiji Momi Bay is much worse food wise.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b9aaae7bf.jpeg