The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort

We stayed 5 nights at the St. Regis in June of 2025. This hotel is indeed as fantastic as the photos look. 5 days is plenty of time to unwind in the seclusion and recover from the likely long trip to get there. Here are some thoughts, tips and things I wish I knew before going. - Rooms are spacious, have privacy, and are well equipped. The bathroom is huge, your swimming deck is fantastic, and there's even a large living room with a full table. Rooms come with bicycles to get around and snorkeling gear is free to borrow for the stay. -Butler service includes 2 pressed items a day and morning coffee/tea. Our butler was generally good but on some days we didn't see much of our specific person and just called/used the front desk. On occasion food/coffee deliveries were late, but 3/5 were perfect. - We made reservations via email before going, and that helped us to secure spots at prime time at the restaurant we wanted. Others we talked to on site usually could get in, but not always at the time they wanted. - We booked the "Big 5" private boat/snorkeling tour through the hotel and it was fantastic. Definitely good to move at your own pace and the water/sights/animals were incredible. - Also incredible is the resort's Lagoonarium- a massive lagoon for snorkeling with contained fish and coral. Great way to spend a few hours! - Other than the adult pool (great privacy, very quiet), and the main pool and beach (faster food service, but more people- though we never had any issues getting space), check out the lawn in front of the Spa. Amazing view, access to the lagoon, and very calm. - Food was hit or miss. The pool food and more casual items for lunch were great, but they should be for about $40-45 an item. Our favorite dinner was the Far Niente Italian place, with home made pasta. The Asian restaurant and BBQ night were just OK- food wasn't especially bad or good, just very expensive. The only major food disappointment was the fancy Lagoon restaurant. It is even more expensive and the most disappointing. It used to be Jean Georges (not surprised the relationship was broken off), and it's French/Seafood. Nothing felt that amazing or unique and the service was no where close to what a true fine dining experience should be. This was really the only disappointment of the stay. Overall, the resort and experience is incredible and worth the money. We're happy we went and did this bucket-list-level destination the right way. I would recommend this fantastic property - be prepared for an incredible room, unique resort experience. the best water you'll ever see, and high prices.

We had five nights of absolute bliss. From the moment you land at the airport, there is a boat waiting for you to take you to the hotel. St Regis staff are there to welcome you off the boat and your assigned butler (ours was Diana who was an absolute delight) drove us around the resort first. Your butler comes and finds you each day to ensure everything is ok and offers to help organise things for us. Our suite was spectacular. We were there to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary and there were lovely messages and treats for us in our suite. All the staff are amazing. The 'Beach Boys' should get a special mention especially Reuben and Tim, but in all fairness they are all very good. Restaurants were excellent too, and of course the water looks exactly as it does on the images. Incredible.

We spent 5 nights at the resort for our 30th anniversary, in a Superior Overwater Bungalow with a Lagoon View. It's a truly amazing place and it was tough to say goodbye and leave. We used Pacific for Less to book the travel, all arrangements were made, such that our arrival and stay were smooth as silk. We chose the "half board" option, where breakfasts and dinners were included. The staff truly bends over backwards to make sure we're taken care of. Our butlers, Julie, Oceane, and Florina, made sure our daily itineraries were accurate, and stayed one step ahead of us for our every need. The pool/beach deckhands were also delightful to talk to and were incredibly accomodating to our every need. The food service was the only thing that gave us any difficulties -- about 3 weeks before our trip our travel agent told us that our fine dining reservations needed to change to these pairings with fixed menus due to an "Oenology Week" that week. We adjusted accordingly, but then it turned out we didn't need to make any of those changes. Guests who didn't want to participate didn't have to, and we also didn't need to move reservations around. I think there was a miscommunication between the resort and our travel agent. That being said, every morsel of food was amazing: we had the chance to dine at Lagoon, Bamboo, and Farniente, as well as the standard fare and Polynesian buffet and dance show at the Aparima/Te Pahu. We thoroughly enjoyed the breakfast buffet each morning. The couples massage at the spa was to die for, and we loved snorkeling in the Lagoonarium. All equipment is available to go snorkeling, including fish food at the gift shop, for an unforgettable experience. Be sure to say HI to Moana, the massive Napoleon Wrasse -- he's friendly as can be. We'd love to return one day: one of the things we'd change is that we'd stay on the resort the whole time -- we did two excursions outside of the resort. They were fun and all, but we don't need to do that part again.

The St. Regis Bora Bora was wonderful. We stayed in beach front villa. The people, service, atmosphere, accommodations, on site restaurants, spa, bikes, and beautiful location were beyond compare.

Having stayed at Conrad Bora Bora just before St. Regis, we can confidently say that St. Regis Bora Bora delivers a far more refined and memorable experience. From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed and looked after by our butler Julien. Unlike at Conrad, where service follow-up was lacking, Julien checked in daily to ensure everything was perfect and handled every request with ease. The concierge team was also attentive and efficient, helping us secure all our restaurant reservations at preferred times—a thoughtful touch that made the stay seamless. We stayed in a Beach Villa, perfect for families. It offered plenty of space inside and out, giving the kids room to play. While the interior felt a bit dated and the open shower layout was awkward, we loved the outdoor shower, and the plunge pool was a highlight—our kids couldn’t get enough of jumping in and out. The villa had a private stretch of beach, rocky at entry but soft and calm for quiet swims once inside. One of our favorite parts of the mornings was having complimentary coffee delivered to the room. We loved French press coffee and hot chocolate for the kids, sipping by our pool overlooking the lagoon before heading to the breakfast buffet. The lagoonarium was just at our front door being another highlight. Snorkeling there is perfect for beginners and children, with incredibly friendly fish, including a batfish that became our daily swimming buddy. For more adventurous snorkelers, however, Conrad Bora Bora offers better open-ocean snorkeling. Beyond the lagoonarium, St. Regis snorkeling is limited due to sandy bottoms, though we did see some a spotted eagle rays right off our Beach Villa and a turtle by the Overwater Bungalows. The views of Mount Otemanu were breathtaking, especially as colors shifted throughout the day. Dining was outstanding. Breakfast had endless options—I particularly enjoyed sashimi and kombucha at the buffet. We attended a Polynesian themed night with cultural performances and flavorful local dishes. The Chinese food was surprisingly authentic, Kung Pao Chicken being my husband’s favourite, Italian service spot-on and delicious ravioli, the beach restaurant was relaxed with friendly staff and complimentary ice cream and smoothies for kids all day, and at Lagoon by Jean-Georges, the fish was exceptional—even kids’ meals were top quality. On-site, the bike doctor was invaluable, allowing my son to get his bike adjusted immediately. The beach boys added small touches, offering fresh fruits and treats throughout the day. The lack of a kids club was a minor disappointment, but with the villa’s private pool, beach, and lagoonarium, our children were more than entertained. We also used the ferry to Vaitape. The boat ride was enjoyable, but the bus ride from the port took over 30 minutes, and the town itself had only a few gift shops and supermarkets—honestly, not worth the time compared to everything at the resort. With Julien’s attentive butler service, the efficient concierge, the spacious family-friendly villa, the breathtaking views of Mount Otemanu, the beautiful private beach, the magical lagoonarium, the morning coffee ritual by our pool, and the outstanding dining, St. Regis Bora Bora made for an unforgettable family vacation. The resort’s service, comfort, and natural beauty left us already dreaming of our return.