The Westin Bora Bora Resort & Spa

We came on our honeymoon and also for my partner’s birthday. The Westin is a beautifully renovated resort, and incredibly thoughtfully designed, which is why I gave this three stars. The location is gorgeous. However, the execution left something to be desired. We came during the off season, and the entire resort was understaffed. Breakfast orders kept being forgotten, food would take ages to arrive, and basic things like water or condiments would run out frequently. Drinks at the pool bar were back ordered, in room service would be so busy that they would have to call you back 20 minutes later just to take your order, and then it would arrive 45 minutes later cold. Getting around the resort is also a pain if you are in need of any sort of mobility assistance. We are lucky that we are able bodies so we are able to walk long distances, but if it is raining, you are out of luck unless you want to carry a giant umbrella and still get wet from the winds. The resort had a 15-30 minute wait for a cart to take you back to your room or take you anywhere within the resort. They have a cute method of getting around the island, which are adorable bikes with baskets. The problem with this, however, is that every single bike is rusty and has flat tires and most of them have broken handles or brakes. This makes it difficult to use them, and I wouldn’t trust a child to use them either. The resort advertises a giant lagoon full of incredible fish that you can see at your leisure, however, they ran out of snorkeling gear, which meant you couldn’t even see them if you wanted to, unless you brought your own,, which is unacceptable. This makes me think the busy season would be even worse. The food is good, but unless you have the meal plan it isn’t worth it. The “fancy” restaurant is definitely not worth it; their food is nearly inedible unless it’s Polynesian, including the main course. Their “Italian” menu was as if they followed an AI recipe. They also forgot my partners birthday despite being reminded during dinner. The free activities are fun, and the excursions are amazing and worth the money. The ONOKU pearl farm snorkeling excursion was by far our favorite and one of the best excursions I’ve ever been on ever. The concierge is incredibly helpful and a wonderful resource. The most inconvienient basic thing was the lack of a do not disturb sign; staff would appear at odd hours, constantly ringing the bell asking if we wanted things cleaned or removed. It made me realize how much we took a do not disturb sign for granted at every other resort. it’s such a basic thing and I’m surprised they don’t have it here. The Westin needs better training, more staff, and more management in order to succeed. A new shiny resort is not enough. The beautiful location, amazing excursions, and better price than other resorts in the area makes this resort worth it; however, don’t expect a five star experience here because you will not receive it.

This is the third time I stayed with family on this property - 2000, 2009 and 2025. The major renovation undertaken a few years ago is very impressive, and I loved how they kept the property layout more or less the same. Service from pickup at airport by boat to drop off at airport was top notch. Beach and restaurant/bar staff were attentive and welcoming. Mixed drinks could be better - but add a dash more rum and it is all good. Food was very good from buffet to à la carte. Expensive - yes - for example USD 30 per mai tai - but you know that going in. We were here this year during Xmas week - definitely encountered the rainy season element. We did not have many days of mostly sun, but whether heavy or soft rain it would move by and we got our beach - pool time in. We were here the same week in 2009 and I don’t recall much rain. Hit or miss I guess. Great beach and pool. We used our room a lot - room 329. A over the water room with own pool —which was awesome to sit in with a glass of something and take in the amazing Otemanu mountain. Would have been great place to watch a sunset - alas not this trip, but for the first of our 5 nights. Never felt busy - just usher although I’d say it was more or less full every days. It is a spacious property, but you are isolated being on the Motu. Which we loved. Snorkeling isn’t good on the property — no change from past. Snorkeling at the reef south side of island is great. We rented a pontoon boat from La Plage - worth it to see eagle rays, sting rays etc. swimming by boat - my family not into being water with such large majestic animals. It’s a long haul to get to (from New York) - but worth seeing and feeling the vibe and beauty of be place (again) - like none other. Thumbs up to the management of this property - great job.

A friend and I stayed 21-25 December 2025. We absolutely loved our time here. Every staff person we interacted with was extremely friendly and accommodating. We were able to have an early check in and late check out because of my Bonvoy status. Highlights included: The beaches and water were sublime The everyday breakfast buffet was incredible and especially amazing for Christmas The Eco Center was a real treat The spa was delightful Santa Claus landed on the beach via water ski and it was the best Santa arrival I’ve ever seen.

This is a beautiful hotel. The recent renovations were superbly done and the rooms are chic and extremely comfortable. The Westin may have a bit less sophistication than the Four Seasons or a couple of the other hotels on Bora Bora but the staff is incredibly friendly and everyone goes out of their way to make sure you're having a great time. What the staff may lack in polish, they make up for in attitude. I personally don't think we are missing a thing by not staying at the more expensive area resorts. Gigi in the beach restaurant was particularly helpful. Actually, everyone was. That said, we are here at Christmas and the rates are SKY HIGH. Dinner on Christmas Eve was a set price of $350 per person, excluding booze. Once you are here, you are captive (captive in paradise, but still captive) and you have to deal with it. We've also had a ton of rain which is no fault of the hotel, but makes paying the prices a bit tougher. We're here three days and, for us, that's the right amount of time. I'd be a bit bored and certainly broke if we stayed much longer.....

Paradise, there is no other way to describe. The service was amazing from the time we landed at the airport and met our boat. Restaurants and room service were fantastic. Resort was incredibly beautiful. The view of the main island was breath taking. The staff was very helpful and friendly. We never wanted to leave. The overwater bungalows were beyond anything we could have imagined. The only bad thing was having to decide each day if we wanted to stay in our bungalow or leave and explore the resort. I could not imagine what more the St. Regis and Four Seasons could offer to make someone want to stay there for double the cost. There is no better deal. Get here before they realize they can charge twice as much.