Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort

It's great when a hotel exceeds your expectations. Sadly only stopped for 2 nights between getting off cruise ship and flying home. So wish we could stop longer and seriously thinking about coming back (something we rarely do to any hotel or place). The location is sublime, staff lovely, Polynesian night fab and snorkelling from the beach really, really good. We've had a great time.

Overall: great stay and fantastic snorkeling! Pros: -nice beach and one of the only hotels with that nice if a beach and views of tahiti across the water -good snorkeling in the water. Best is further out close to the bouys. They give you free snorkeling gear for your whole stay and you can go out any time you want. We went maybe 4 times. Saw spotted eagle rays, moray eel, black tip reef sharks and various other fish -great breakfast buffet and lots of variety of options -enjoyed polynesian night dancing and buffet! -nice staff that remembered you -really nice spa. Get a massage! -beautiful grounds. We liked to walk them at night after dinner and saw a shooting star! -really nice pearl boutique onsite-an actual legit jeweler way better than other resorts had. Really glad we picked one out there! Cons: -Wish there was a hot tub! -annoying to have to exhange towels to get new ones. They’re not just set out and available. Half the time i went to exchange a towel the station wasnt open yet or had ran out etc. it’s not the end of the world but for how expensive that resort is it feels cheap to have to get a token and exchange them -not a ton of food variety and its expensive (as everywhere in moorea. Tip: switch up restaurants each night. Do the polynesian buffet, we also did the private dinner on the beach which was incredible and a highlight) Other tips: -Get alcohol at the grocery store on tahiti! We stayed one night at the hilton and the store is across the street. Brought snacks and 5 bottles of wine with us on the ferry (the ferry doesnt have any luggage restrictions) and this really helped on costs and it was nice to drink it on our balcony or the beach.

We stayed in a garden view suite. Our view was the back of the OWB but it was very quiet & peaceful. We had three different sets of chairs/loungers. The snorkeling right off the beach was better than expected. There were quite a few fish & they were very friendly. There were plenty of beach loungers. The dive shop even helped me out with a replacement piece when my personal snorkel broke. The grounds are nice but there is definitely signs of needed repairs around the resort. We ate breakfast, lunch & dinner here at the main restaurant & all were just average except for the sushi rolls which were very good.

Firstly, the positives. Whilst the Sofitel is not one of the most luxurious island resorts I’ve stayed at, it does offer comfortable and relaxing accommodation in a beautiful location. The resort is set on a beach overlooking a stunning lagoon with the island of Tahiti in the distance. The swimming and other watersports are sublime and well catered for. The location is also midway between the airport and ferry terminal which is very convenient. The service provided by the staff was efficient and very friendly. The housekeeping staff were especially prompt with the daily servicing of our bungalow. The Beach and Garden Bungalows consist of a single room with a large bathroom at the rear and a covered porch at the front. All the land-based bungalows have the same configuration, the differences in pricing is dependent on their location on the property with beach front being the most expensive. The bed was comfortable and the property is very quiet at night so restful sleep is readily achievable. The room and bathroom were well equipped and kept clean. It would be advisable to use insect repellent if you planned to sit outside in the evening. The property looks a few decades old and looks a bit “tired” at some locations. The swimming pool is a very basic affair and is in no way ay a glamorous centrepiece as is the case with many resorts. Having said that, swimming in the lagoon would be more enjoyable than most pools anyway. I note that portions of the resort are closing for 2 periods of 3 months each in 2026 for renovations. Hopefully, this will freshen up some of the facilities. With the exception of breakfast, dining at the resort was just OK, as well as being expensive. During our 8 night stay we dined 5 nights at the excellent Rudy’s restaurant which offers French cuisine with Polynesian influences. The food at the restaurant was better quality and much cheaper than the resort. They also offer the convenience of a free return shuttle to the restaurant. In summary, if you’re not expecting a “super-luxe” experience, the Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort offers comfortable accommodation in a great location.

We just completed an amazing stay at the sofitel overwater bungalow. The hotel beauty and more importantly the staff were friendly and beyond helpful. I was fortunate enough to deal with Jack who is a true asset and the epitomy of service hospitality. His various suggestions of restaurants and activities were top notch. The rooms were dreamlike and the snorkeling from the bungalow was "bucket list" material. At check out I had a need to complain about a disproportionate price of a simple soft drink (plain non- bottled ice tea) in a hopefully helpful way. I had the pleasure of meeting with the general manager named Charlotte who was professional and incredibly charming with great people skills..She assured me she would look into this matter when I could not rationalize an ice tea from a tea bag could be 3-4x the price of a regular tea. Needless to say the setting alone was incredible but the people in the hotel are what made this so special!!