InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa

We were on a cruise and selected Intercontinental for a beach day. Bar and restaurant was great. Underneath the tiki huts they have established coral that serve as tropical fish habitat, in waist deep crystal clear water, which is perfect for weak swimmers, children, and lazy snorkelers. The tiki hut platforms also provide shade, making the entire beach experience well worth the inexpensive cost. $95 us per person, which includes a nice lunch, beach chair. Snorkeling gear isn't actually needed.

I stayed at Le Moana, the other property in Bora Bora. Went over to Thalasso to hang out and use the Spa. What can I say except that the property is stunning, the Spa is AMAZING!!!!!!!! Wow, best masssge I've had. The facility is insanely gorgeous. I wish I had stayed on property. I don't know what the bungalows look like on interior, but I'm sure they are lovely based on what I saw. The infinity pool is wonderful.

My husband and I stayed at the Thalasso Resort & Spa for our 10 year anniversary in the beginning of May. It turned out to be a perfect time to go as the resort was close to empty due to the busy season hadn't quite started. We had gone around the island a few times,(jet skiing, snorkeling and helicopter) and saw all the different resorts. This is by far the best view of Ote'Manu and has the best spa on the island. The staff was absolutely incredible. The villa was exceptional. It surpassed all of our expectations. We highly recommend this InterContinental property.

Cannot wait to return! Most beautiful place on earth. So tranquil. Over-water bungalow were perfect for our family of 4. December was a great time to go, not at capacity so felt like we had the resort to ourselves!

My wife and I stayed at the Intercontinental Bora Bora Thalasso Spa in early May to celebrate my 50th birthday and this place does not disappoint. There is no reason to stay anywhere else. Sure the Four Seasons may be more luxurious, but for the cost, location and service, this place can't be beat. First, when you choose a resort on Bora Bora, choose one on the Motus (small islands that surround the lagoon). If you stay at a resort on the main island you will be looking out on the lagoon and the motus which aren't as fantastic as the view of the island with green, lush landscapes and the soaring peaks of Mount Otemanu. Just trust me in this. The location of the IC is along the southeastern portion of the lagoon. The wind at the resort is much lighter here than the island resorts because the high trees knock down most of the wind and so the water is less choppy. The service here is incredible. At the airport, you check in with the host, they grab your bags, and get you on a small boat to the resort (about 20 minute trip). Once at the resort they take your bags to your bungalow while you get a tour of the grounds in a golf cart and you spend about 15 minutes checking in. Take a printed copy of your itinerary, they need it to plan your departure. They then take you by golf cart to your bungalow and give you a tour of your room. Upon check out they will assign you a "day room" which you can use to freshen up, shower, etc. This room has a toilet, shower and little sitting room. You will find your suitcases in your Day room since they take them from your room upon check out. A valet then takes your bags to the marina and to your boat for departure. You will rarely need to haul your luggage at any time during your stay. The bungalows are very spacious with windows facing the lagoon in every room. In the living room is a glass coffee table that opens below the bungalow so you can see the water, but since there isn't much coral in the lagoon you don't see many fish through it. There is a minibar and coffee pot. There is an espresso machine but there is a charge for using the coffee pods. They provide you with unlimited instant coffee and tea and everyday they provide a couple of bottles of water. The bedroom had a very comfortable king size bed that faces a large picture window. There is a fairly large walk in closet with a mini safe and a good sized water closet with a door. The bathroom has a private shower, a large tub and two vanity sinks. The real kick was the large lanai with table and chairs, chaise lounges and a stairway to a large deck near water level. The deck has a ladder for accessing the lagoon. I read some reviews about guests bringing flotation devices to use off the deck and we did bring some, but the waves in the lagoon were a bit rough so we didn't end up using them. Perhaps on less windy days they would have been okay. The housekeeping staff always took great care of us. We would hang our towels up after one use so we could use them again, but the staff always gave us fresh ones. The bungalow was always clean. Really friendly staff; if you need something they are very responsive. In fact the entire staff is friendly. French is the preferred language amongst the staff but we didn't come across anyone that didn't speak English well enough to get by and you will learn a few Tahitian phrases like La Ora Ina pronounced " yo-rah-na" because everyone greets you with this phrase which I guess basically means hello. The grounds are beautiful and well-maintained. There is an infinity pool, a large bar area called Bubbles with a pool table and many chairs, an area to snorkel (ask pool guys for snorkel equipment and fish food), paddle boards and kayaks. The lagoon is perfect for swimming and at 2:00 most afternoons they feed and pet the sting rays. The only restaurants open were the Sands and the Reef. Apparently there is a slightly more upscale restaurant open only a few months of the year. The reef is open for buffet breakfast and dinner while the Sand is open for lunch and dinner. They recommend reservations for dinner but a couple times we forgot and they sat us anyway. There is room service but we didn't take advantage of it. You can get meal plans with your stay and I highly recommend them. Breakfast buffet was $90 for the two us and for dinner we usually got a bill between $150-$200. Lunch will set you back around $100. Cocktails are expensive here but very good. Bubbles has a happy hour between 5:30-6:30 where if you order off their menu it's 2 for 1. Anyway the meal plan we got really helped offset our food expenses. The food is generally good, probably depends on your tastes. Service was very good, but if you're American you will probably think it's slow. You have to remember that Polynesia is part of France and the French view meals as events not just sustenance, so they take longer than what we are used to. Just be patient. The Deep Ocean Spa is a very cool place. This was my first Spa experience, so I have no frame of reference but my wife and I did the honeymooners package with massage facial and reflexology- just a terrific experience. They let you enjoy the spa's other features for a few hours before or after your treatment. Very pleasant staff, although one of the ladies working with us wasn't interested in making small talk, but maybe that's their directive. We did the jet ski tour around the island and had a blast and we did a half day snorkel with a company that took us to see sharks and sting rays. Again there is no reason to go anywhere else but the IC. It may be more expensive than some of the other resorts and expensive is relative anyway. What you want is best value and we left feeling fully satisfied and well-taken care of. Last tidbit- we got a great deal from Costco travel and they took care of everything for us, it was flawless. Maruru IC Thalasso