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2379 reviews
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May 03, 2025Dream Vacation for Relaxing in Paradise! Includes Le Moana vs Thalasso comparison.
We stayed 4 nights here and had an amazing time in their lagoon/beach view overwater bungalow (unit 36). This truly was a dream vacation for us. The bungalows have the Polynesian design you’re looking for with the glass see through coffee table to see the fish below. The entire resort has beautiful turquoise water and is shallow enough to stand in throughout. It was important for us to be able to directly access the warm turquoise water from our bungalow and enjoy walking/swimming/floating/ snorkeling around. You’re able to stand in most places without worry (we still recommend water shoes) but they also have groupings of coral throughout so you can go see plenty of colorful topical fish including under the glass viewing of each bungalow. We even saw a sting ray swim by our bungalow one night. The sand on the beach at this resort was some of the softest white sand I’ve ever experienced so it’s wonderful to walk barefoot on the beach. As a layout, the lagoon view bungalows tend to have the most turquoise water right in front of them. Mountain View bungalows faced the dock (where the resort shuttle arrives as well as excursions) but also away from the rest of the bungalows so you may have more privacy except for when the boats some by. The Mountain View ones may also have less of the turquoise water in their view (depending which one you get) as the water gets deeper in that direction so it turns a darker blue. Overall, service was great with friendly staff members. We enjoyed having drinks at happy hour, breakfast every morning, the novelty of the canoe breakfast, and the higher energy Polynesian dance show dinner. Both the concierge and front desk were very helpful for us, including making arrangements for Arc En Ciel to pick us up after checking out so we can do pearl shopping before returning home. We also enjoyed our time on the shuttle from the airport (stops at Intercontinental Thalasso first then Le Moana) as well as to/from Thalasso for our spa appointment, with our captain pointing out the different resorts & landmarks as well as singing us a song. On the Le Moana beach, it was easy to rent the complimentary kayaks, pool towels, paddle boards, outrigger canoe, and snorkel equipment. We were very happy with the location being on the main island. It gave us the option to go off resort occasionally for dinner at Bora Bora Beach Club, do some souvenirs shopping, and stocking up at a nearby market for snacks and beverages. During our stay in April, the wind seemed to come from the East so the resort, being on the east side of the island, constantly had a nice breeze whereas if you were somewhere on the West side of an island, there wouldn’t be wind. The resort is right across the street from the lovely Matira Beach if you want to go there for a windless experiences or to enjoy sunsets. We were actually relieved to return to the resort’s breeze when returning from other locations on the West sides of islands such as Matira Beach or Intercontinental Thalasso. The location also allows you to access the rest of the main island easier since you’re already there rather than needing a boat shuttle. They did acknowledge our Ambassador status so we did get some of the perks including 2 free drinks, $20 credit for restaurant, free breakfast, discount on the resort boat shuttle from the airport, and late check-out. We also received earlier check-in but that may be unrelated to our status. Breakfast on our arrival day wasn’t included (which is normal) and cost over 10,000 CFP for two people, so signing up for Ambassador status specifically for this trip was definitely worth it. Comparisons with Intercontinental Thalasso We took the shuttle from Le Moana to Thalasso to get massages at the spa one day, spending 4 hours at the other resort. The shuttle ran between the resorts 4 times per day and usually has a cost but was included in the spa price for us. One thing that stood out is that Thalasso had a more luxurious feel, with what appear to be larger bungalows than Le Moana, and absolute breathtaking views. Le Moana’s views were also beautiful but it doesn’t compare to Thalasso. If your top priority is to take the best pictures possible, Thalasso is where you want to go but at nearly double the price of Le Moana. Thalasso is also a much larger resort than Le Moana, with it taking a longer time to get to your bungalows and guests often being driven in carts rather than walking. This is something where we really appreciated Le Moana instead, with everything being a shorter walking distance and staff getting around on bicycles rather than motorized vehicles. I also noticed at Thalasso that most people in the water were actually snorkeling in the Lagoonarium or relaxing in the pool. There wasn’t anyone relaxing in the beautiful turquoise waters of the lagoon. We did see a blacktip shark swim by the bungalows when we walked to the end of the pontoon to enjoy the view. There did seem to have a lot more coral in the waters at Thalasso and the water was deeper near the bungalows (too tall for the average person to stand in). In comparison, most people enjoying the water at Le Moana were in the actual turquoise lagoon water with us not seeing anybody in the pool during our 4 days there. I’ll also note that the beach facing the lagoon at Thalasso was smaller than Le Moana’s and the sand at Le Moana was significantly softer than the shell infused sand at Thalasso. Also there were rocks blocking most of the entrance into the water at Thalasso whereas you could easily enter the lagoon anywhere on the beaches of Le Moana. If you’re looking for a soft sand beach overlooking the lagoon, Thalasso is not the one for you and Le Moana would be a much better choice. We also found the gift shop at Thalasso very expensive, even by Bora Bora standards, but perhaps that’s what happens when your resort in on its own motu so you literally have no other choice. Le Moana’s wasn’t cheap but was more reasonable. Overall in comparing our 4 hours at Thalasso with our 4 days at Le Moana, Thalasso is better if you want a feeling of luxury, want the best views/pictures, or want larger bungalows. We preferred Le Moana for the more intimate size, the location, the perfect standing height turquoise water with our overwater bungalows, and the amazingly soft sand. That being said, this was just to help you choose between the two but you’d be very happy with either choice since you’re in paradise after all!
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Apr 23, 2025Peaceful stay
Beautiful setting, very peaceful. Great pool and low key bungalows made of natural materials. Lovely gardens and kind staff for the most part. Concierge staff Kaeda and Mayana are stand out for their competence and excellence/warmth. Downsides include 1. No gym 2. Poorly maintained activities room that is regularly taken over by staff or performers. The property in general is a bit tired (ie pool tiles dumped on the ground) 3. Staff are largely sweet and well meaning but restaurant service is very slow/struggles (ie almost impossible to get bread basket unless you ask for it) Feels like not enough effort is being invested in training up the staff to a basic level in some cases, possibly 4. No kids activities - would be so easy to put on a few social events such as a film night in the activities room when it’s raining! 5. GM was sighted occasionally but did not make her presence felt or obvious - lack of meaningful management apart from one French man trying very hard to run the show and elevate the professionality - he was fantastic 6. Internet patchy - not available besides parts of the pool or in some areas of the hotel 7. The hotel offers a sharks and ray tour but half of the day is actually spent on a family’s island watching a slightly odd coconut show and tie dye making session All in all a wonderful week of peace but because the prices are so steep you do notice these problems.
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Apr 20, 2025
Wonderful resort in fantastic location.
We enjoyed the premium bungalow, the professional and friendly team. Great value for families (plenty of activities). Good food. Laurence, the General Manager, is going out of her way to pamper the guests. She is surrounded by a great team.
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Apr 12, 2025
Bora Bora Hotel
Hello, My wife and I would like to share how happy we were to celebrate our 30th Anniversary at your wonderful hotel, The Intercontinental Le Moana. Thank you to all of your staff! They were all professional, courteous, helpful, and very attentive. From the front desk staff, the person that showed us our room, the short-order cook, and the wait staff, we were very well taken care of. The room was great, firstly - the view was fantastic! The accommodation was very functional and comfortable and easy to relax in. The swim platform and outdoor shower are super. Breakfast was delicious and the varied selections kept it different each day. Dinners were also very good, I enjoyed a Havana Club 7 as a starter - what a treat as it is not available in the USA. I travel for work and stay in five to six different hotels every month and countless restaurants. I very much appreciate the attention to detail and customer service at Le Moana. Thank you for a wonderful stay. I recommend this hotel to everyone.
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Apr 10, 2025
Perfect place!
Absolute paradise! Wonderful location, great and spacious bungalow over water, extremely welcoming and kind reception, breakfast was incredible! The staff is so friendly and goes far and beyond to accommodate . Very clean and well manteined
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