Hotel terbaik di Paopao

This is a review reflects a 5 night stay (end of May thru early June 2023). Allow me to start this review by indicating that this is the SECOND time that we stayed at this property (first being in 1997) and it was our THIRD time visiting Moorea (previous time being in March 2020…yeah I know). After receiving notification from Costco Travel of a special deal that included airfare, all transfers, breakfast AND (3 course) dinner at the Hilton, free minbar use and free wifi. YES, this (and our previous stay here) was in an overwater bungalow. Allow me to separate this review into discrete sections in an attempt to make it easier to read. COSTCO TRAVEL: Excellent service and (overall) easy to work with. While their website provided almost everything you would need with the exception that there was no direct integration with Air Tahiti Nui so I was required to go to the airline’s web site and re-enter all of the necessary travel information. One issue that I had pertained to me repeatedly asking Costco Travel to confirm the details for the return ferry from Moorea to Tahiti and the time of the pick-up from the hotel on the final day of our vacation. Eve though Costco had this request more than a month before we were ticketed, after final documentation was created I noticed that this still was incorrect (seems most travel agencies will put you on a late afternoon ferry as your flight will not leave Tahiti until just before midnight). I once again asked Costco to make the changes and eventually was told by a rather curt agent, “Costco made the request but it’s up to the agent on the other side to fulfill it.” REALLY? COME ON! Costco is responsible for all ticketing and in my opinion, Costco dropped the ball on this. A simple call by one of the hotel concierge staff fixed the issue. Costco could have done the same thing. Shame on you Costco! AIR / LAND TRANSFERS: As with the previous two trips, this visit had a local tour company collect arriving passengers and then drive them to the ferry dock. Excellent service all the way around! (NOTE: Arrangements were made with two different tour companies…one on Tahiti and another on Moorea.) HOTEL STAY (Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort): Where to begin? My wife and I love the Hilton! Truly! It’s smaller than some Moorea resorts and it’s certainly farther away from places like the airport / ferry dock / golf course…that’s fine! I’ll start this portion going through the typical and general parts of our stay. CHECK-IN: Of course we (as do most guests) arrive well before the typical check-in time of 2PM. Rooms (especially overwater bungalows) should NOT be expected to be ready as they almost always are occupied 100% of the time. While I appreciate the fact that the staff working the front desk are trying to help multiple people at the same time, I do not understand why this same staff member made a rather flashy show of ushering my wife and I, along with two other couples, out of the main lobby

It's a piece of paradise, unbelievable service, every person who works there is helpful, and willing to go above and beyond to ensure you feel at home .. definitely recommend staying there. You can snorkel right there - the bungalos are on the edge of a small coral riff

Check in was easy. There is a main circle driveway n a separate larger parking lot to the right of the hotel. Each room has a fridge, kitchenette, n kettle with coffee n tea supplied. The outdoor garden porch has a table n four chairs. We spent hours watching the chickens n drinking coffee. The bed was comfortable. The pool is amazing n directly adjacent to a small beach. There is a manned pool bar where you can sit n play cards. They have water equipment for use-kayaks, etc. There are multiple beds at the beach which is located on the bay. The sunsets are incredible. Across the bridge is the restaurant. It provides breakfast, lunch, n dinner which wildly convenient if you’re not in the mood to cook in your suite. I would suggest renting a vehicle if you’re staying for any length of time. We rented a vehicle n took the car across with the ferry. The vehicle was a stick shift. It enabled us to visit beaches, overlooks, shops, n small businesses around the island for lunch. There were multiple families from France on extended vacations. Family friendly hotel. There were no language barriers with staff or the community. Everyone appears to speak English. The hotel concierge will arrange whale watching, snorkeling tours, ATV, etc. you can access most of the tours from the restaurant dock or the front lobby. Other hotel occupants were coming to meet tours at the Cooks Bay Hotel dock. The staff are welcoming n helpful. We had a wonderful stay.

When the best thing about a hotel is ”eating with your feet in the water”, you really need to wonder. How about the restaurant being open for lunches and dinners for the brothers and their wives and friends, but not for the patrons of the hotel? The restaurant was closed more than half of the 14 days I was there. Suddenly the ”closed” sign goes up, for obviously bogus reasons. How about the fact that there is a spate of thefts, all perfectly timed for snatching shoes off patios at night or entering locked doors during the day, during the only hour a person was known to be out of the room? And the day after the maintenance man was given the job of cleaning that person's room? And suddenly security is too expensive for them to pay for, so some dude goes around a few times a night with a flahlight. And the police don't come even if they say they will because this island is a rotational job, they come from France and it is a vacation more than a job. Of course you need cash, because they don't accept credit cards, and banks are few and are all in the town 30 minutes away, as are the markets. So if you don't want to rent a car or scooter for exorbitant fees, you need to hitchhike to town ot take intermittent busses that may not operate that day. And the fish and coral in the lagoon are third-rate; the lagoon and its coral are degraded from too many tourists and too many boats zooming back and forth to bother the whales or the turtles or the sharks or the rays, and the coral id covered with sediment, no soft corals, not a great variety of marine species. Mildly fun, as were the kayaks, but not worth the transactional costs of being at a mediocre hotel with proprietors who couldn't care less about the comfort, security, or wellbeing of their guests! Do yourselves a favor: skip the bad vibes here, do diligent research and try to find a place that represents what Moorea should be and used to be, the one that exists in your mind. You will find it, it exists, but not at Fare Maheata!

Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea is a GORGEOUS Resort, and I would give it 5 stars except for a few small pet peeves. #1 - I sent 3 emails which went unanswered by them. #2 - Even though we made our reservation 6 months in advance, we did not have a preferred view with our over the water bungalow (this could possibly be the fault of our Costco package, as I'm assuming that people who pay the MOST money get the preferred views!). And #3, the bar by the pool charged us $67 for THREE margaritas (outrageous!). Now for the great points! The over the water bungalows are spacious and beautiful, and even have outlets that accomodate American electrics. The staff decorate your room with gorgeous local flowers and homemade cookies before you enter! You have a ladder to access the water. Don't be swayed by the bad reviews of the restaurant (Pure) - it was excellent! We are from San Diego, and we know great food! Two of the nights we were there we enjoyed a HUGE buffet that included fresh seafood and roasted pig, plus many other Tahitian dishes and fabulous desserts. There was a Tahitian show with lots of dancing while we ate. The other nights our package included an entree, main dish and dessert, all of which were delicious. In the morning from 6 - 10, there is another HUGE breakfast buffet with lots of choices, including fresh crepes, egg dishes, bacon, sausage, potatoes, omelettes, fresh tropical fruit and French pastries. The infinity edge pool is beautiful and has direct access to the ”aquarium” like lagoon! The resort will loan you snorkel equipment if you don't have your own, plus kayaks and stand up paddleboards. The front desk is very accomodating and will line up activities for you. Taxis are very expensive, but they seem to ”know” people who will come and take you to their shops! There is a very nice pearl shop on the premises and a gift shop with very nice clothing (bought my husband a Tahitian shirt). All the activities that I had booked picked us up right outside the lobby! Best of all, Sofitel Kia Ora is just minutes away from the ferry dock! From what I understand, Sofitel Kia Ora has been there many years, but it is very well maintained and all of the staff we encountered is very friendly and accomodating.