Conrad Bora Bora Nui - Horizon View Villa

We tried the Horizon View Villa for a couple nights during our stay at Conrad Bora Bora which continues to be thoroughly enjoyable.  Once again my conclusion is that each room type can please different types of guests because they all have their strengths and weaknesses.  

The layout of the Horizon View Villa is similar to the suite because there is a separate living room on the other side of the wall from the bedroom and there is a TV on both sides of that wall.  The design of the bathroom is also similar to the suite and we found it to be generally in great condition like the suite, being less exposed to salt water and ocean mist.  This is particularly true outside the villa where the speakers connected to the Bluetooth system had better sound than from the OWV.  In terms of size, even though the HVV looks similar to the suite, it is smaller, but still larger than OWVs.  The HVV only has one AC unit unlike the suites which have two, but it is centrally located and blows cool air in the bedroom so we had better sleep than in the suite.  The HVV also has cathedral ceilings which give a great feeling to the room and something that we missed in the OWVs.  

Of all the room types we have tried at Conrad Bora Bora, the HVV is the most private.  The villas are sitting on the hill behind the resort and offer great ocean views including sunsets, and also views of the OWVs down below.  When sitting on the terrace there is a wall on the left which affords privacy from neighbors on the left, and villas on the right could not see us either because of their own wall.  Also from the HVV you are standing far above the pathway that unless you are standing near the edge of the terrace, nobody down the hill can see on the patio.  There is also very little traffic up there because there are only 7 HVVs on the resort. This is very different from the OWVs which are closer together and there is traffic on the bridge behind the OWVs or people swimming or snorkeling in the lagoon in front of the OWVs, as can be expected.  The HVV also has extra privacy due to the stone wall in front of the bathroom windows, yet not covering them all which allows some light to come through the bathroom.

Sitting on the terrace of the HVV is much better than from suites due to the views and privacy, the drawback is that in the evening there are some mosquitoes so personally I preferred the OWVs in the evening because they were completely bug-free.  Fortunately, there were no mosquitoes during mornings and afternoons around the HVV.

As I mentioned in one of my previous reviews of Conrad, there are bicycles to get around the resort.  However guests are not allowed to bring bicycles up the hill to the HVVs, most likely for safety reasons.  The hill is quite steep so I could easily picture some guests losing control when going down the hill.  That makes the HVVs somewhat less convenient to access than other rooms.  We had no problem whatsoever walking up, but folks who do not want to walk in the heat will have to call the buggy.  Not a big issue, but not the same convenience as cycling there.

While we have not tried a Garden Villa, I suspect that these are identical to the HVVs except that they are on lower grounds on the resort.  We have been to other resorts in the world where sitting on top of a hill with great views comes with a significant price premium over the rooms with lesser views. At Conrad BB you can get a HVV for a modest 10% difference over the GV and you will also get extra privacy so personally I think it is well worth paying extra.

Obviously the HVVs are cheaper than OWVs because you do not have access to water, so you will make more liberal use of the main pool of the hotel if you stay in the HVV.  The pool at Conrad is quite good compared to other resorts of this kind that we have visited in the past.  One section of the pool simulates a lagoon because it is very shallow so people can sit in the pool.  One other section is an infinity pool which has a more standard depth and you can enjoy ocean and beach views from there.  There are lounge chairs in the pool to get some sun while keeping your butt in the water.  There are also 4 cabanas suitable for couples and you can order food or drinks via a call button when you need something.  The pool also has a swim-up bar where the counter is at a suitable height to allow to eat a lunch or a snack.  Overall this is a very well-designed pool area with several sections to handle a decent number of guests.  I would note that when we were there it was not overly crowded and it was enjoyable. Part of the reason why it’s not crowded might be because lots of guests in OWVs prefer to spend time in the ocean or in their villa instead of going to the main pool, which is exactly what we did ourselves in our nearly 10 days in an OWV before staying in the HVV.  

Based on our experience, the HVVs would be most suitable for people who enjoy hill-top views, who value privacy the most, and who prefer to swim in the hotel pool rather than in the ocean.  We are glad we could enjoy a couple of days in the HVV to break up our stay with different room types.  Overall we prefer OWVs but that comes down to personal preferences; in my opinion the OWV is worth paying extra because sitting over water is something you cannot get in a lot of other destinations of the world.  For those who hesitate between Garden Villas and HVVs, I would say the price premium of the HVVs over the GVs is modest, views are better, and privacy is better as well.