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The Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa is truly breath-taking! We share our experience and photos from our incredible stay at this 5-star luxury tropical resort in French Polynesia.
Personally, I could not imagine a more beautiful place than Bora Bora! It was my bucket-list dream vacation! And we are grateful to have visited for our honeymoon!
Since I always dreamed of going there, many days and hours were literally spent comparing resorts.
After extensive research, we fortunately chose the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa for the last week of our honeymoon! We spent six days at this stunning paradise!
Notably, one of the reasons we chose this hotel was the location of the resort in Bora Bora’s lagoon. The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa has one of the best views of Mount Otemanu!
- Mount Otemanu – Did You Know…?
- According to the Tahiti Tourisme website, Mount Otemanu means “the peak which sucks up living things”
- over 700 metres, or nearly 2,400 ft, above sea level
- it is an extinct volcano
- it is not possible to hike to the top of Mount Otemanu
Also, it is important to note that there are three InterContinental resorts in French Polynesia:
One InterContinental resort in Tahiti:
- InterContinental Tahiti Resort & Spa (4-star resort)
Two InterContinental resorts in Bora Bora:
- InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa (5-star resort)
- InterContinental Le Moana Bora Bora (4-star resort)
The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa is the more luxurious of the two resorts in Bora Bora.
“InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is the leading chain of luxury hotels in French Polynesia…our three resorts secured the most spectacular spots in the Society Islands and Bora Bora.”
-InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa website
Location
We were flying into Bora Bora from another island in French Polynesia. It was a short flight, just under one hour, from Moorea. Read about our stay and review of the Hilton Moorea here!
From the moment we landed in Bora Bora it was like a dream! Although Moorea was lush and wonderful, Bora Bora is a next level, magical experience in French Polynesia!
In the air, I was in awe of the view as the plane approached Bora Bora! The water surrounding the islands and the different shades of blue were truly as breath-taking as I always imagined!
Weather
We visited French Polynesia in August. The weather was ideal, never too hot.
In Moorea, the weather was warm and lovely, although it did rain during our ATV excursion. In Bora Bora, the weather was fantastic as well during our stay.
We swam everyday and wore summer clothing. A sweater was never needed during our trip, even in the evening, at this time of the year.
TIP: There are two main seasons in French Polynesia. The French Polynesia tourism board refers to them as the “dry” season, generally March to November, and the “humid” season from December to February, which is a little warmer and subject to tropical rainfalls.
Transfer to InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa
Notably, this resort is only accessible by boat as it is located on a motu (islet). With advance notice, the resort can arrange the transfer to the resort (for a charge); contact the concierge team.
We were transferred by boat to the resort with a few other people. It is a short boat ride which only takes approximately twenty minutes from the airport.
As the boat approached our resort, there was staff waiting for our arrival. Uniquely, our warm welcome at the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa also included the Tahitian traditional sounds of a conch shell blowing! We felt special and excited to begin our stay here!
Ultimately, the customer service was exceptional from the moment we arrived!
From the dock, we were transported and guided to the reception desk. Each couple had their own staff member for the orientation and check-in.
Lastly, a welcome photo of each couple was also taken by the beach, with Mount Otemanu in the background, before we were whisked away by cart to our over-the-water-bungalow. The photo was then printed and given to us, free.
InterContinental Bora Bora & Thalasso Spa: Accommodations
The InterContinental Bora Bora and Thalasso Spa resort has over eighty overwater villas which are spread over twelve hectares:
- Overwater Villas include:
- Overwater Villa Beach View*
- Overwater Villa Lagoon View*
- Overwater Villa Bora Bora Island View
- Overwater Villa Otemanu View
- Overwater Suite: Termoana Pool Villa with Mount Otemanu view
*The Overwater Villa Beach View and Lagoon View are also offered with a private outdoor pool.
Also, it is important to note the resort only offers overwater villas. Other resorts in Bora Bora usually also include beach and garden accommodations, not on the water.
Our over-the-water-villa
We booked an “Overwater Villa Otemanu View” – bungalow 233, which had an incredible view. Also, since it was our honeymoon, we felt it was worth the upgrade to have a view of Mount Otemanu!
Our over-the-water-villa was incredibly spacious, pristine, and luxurious. It was very clean and surpassed our expectations in size!
Essentially, the bungalow was beautiful with Polynesian as well as contemporary and elegant decor.
Living Room
The living room had a lot of seating, a flat-screen TV, minibar, and more. And of course, there was a glass-floor, located in our living room, to view the beautiful lagoon!
A hand-written note welcoming us to the resort and well wishes for our honeymoon was thoughtful when we arrived. Wonderfully, a complimentary bottle of sparking wine and pound cake from the resort were also appreciated!
TIP: The resort will provide complimentary fish food pellets if you request them! The top of the glass table slides open and the fish food can be dropped directly into the lagoon! Unfortunately, we did not see any fish. Perhaps if our villa was closer to the shore, fish may have appeared; we saw some small fish when we swam at the beach!
Bedroom
The bedroom was beautiful with stunning views of the water from the king-size bed. And, a second flat-screen TV can be viewed from the bed.
Bathroom
Very spacious with a gorgeous view from the bathtub, the bathroom had a large separate shower, double sinks, and bathroom amenities.
Outdoor Terrace
Outside, the upper deck was spacious and had a shaded area with a table and chairs. And, there are two full-body, cushioned sun loungers for relaxing.
In addition, there is a lower sundeck where you could jump from, or lower yourself into the lagoon.
If you bring your own inflatable water toys like we did, let the staff know. We borrowed an electric air pump to inflate our two water donuts!
Also, the water was deeper where our overwater villa was located, so you could not stand up in the water. We swam in the water and also relaxed on our two inflatable donuts we brought along.
TIP: For the location of your overwater villa, if you are a not good swimmer or prefer to be able to stand in the water, consider requesting a villa located closer to the shore! You stand up in shallow waters by the villas closer to the beach.
Sea Water Air Conditioning (SWAC)
Lastly, all the villas have air-conditioning and ceiling fans. In fact, the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa website indicates it is the “first property in the world to successfully implement a private air-conditioning system using cold deep-sea water.”
The SWAC technology is sustainable and free from harmful chemicals (i.e. hydrofluorocarbons) that are known to contribute to global warming.
Room Amenities
In summary, our villa amenities included the following and more:
- Nespresso coffee machine
- “eco-friendly, state-of-the art, deep-sea water air conditioning
- Workspace
- two flat-screen TVs
- Complimentary wi-fi
- In-room electronic safe
- Bath amenities, double vanity, shower & separate bathtub
- Furnished sundeck with table, chairs, two sun loungers
- 24/7 room service
InterContinental Bora Bora & Thalasso Spa: Resort and Facilities
Overall, the resort was breath-takingly beautiful, very clean, and provided exceptional customer service.
Resort amenities included the following and more:
- restaurants and bars on-site
- outdoor pool: hours of operation 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- fitness center: hours of operation 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- spa: “Deep Ocean Spa” is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- “Secret Garden of Love”
- shops: gift shop and some boutiques
- weddings: venues and services available
Restaurants & Bars
We enjoyed all our meals at the resort and can recommend the breakfast and dinner meal plan!
When booking the resort, villas can be booked with or without meals:
- no meals included
- breakfast included
- breakfast and dinner included
We purchased the half-board meal package which includes breakfast and dinner daily in our resort rate. Otherwise, leaving the resort to eat at other restaurants also requires boat transfers.
There are several on-site restaurants and bars at the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa. We mainly ate at the Sands Restaurant and Reef Restaurant.
All in all, we are thankful we purchased the meal package as we were able to just relax and enjoy our time at the resort. For our honeymoon in particular, every night felt a bit more special dining at Reef Restaurant for dinner. Fortunately, the food was delicious at the resort!
Also, it is important to be aware that the cost of bottled water is expensive at the resort and their restaurants. We paid about about $7 USD for a 750 ml bottle of Evian non-sparkling water!
Sands Restaurant & Bar
The Sands Restaurant serves lunch and dinner, local and international cuisine.
Guests can dine casually, on the beach or in the restaurant, with a stunning view of Mount Otemanu!
As lunch was not included in our resort plan, we ate here daily. The food was always very good, served with great service!
During each lunch we had, a complimentary basket of bread was always served with our meal.
The menu has light fare including the following and more:
- fresh fish entrees including cerviche, sashimi of the day, tuna tartare
- salads
- tacos
- burgers and sandwiches
- pizzas
- desserts
Reef Restaurant
We ate at Reef Restaurant daily for breakfast and dinner. The beautiful open-air restaurant serves local and international cuisine.
The buffet breakfast was great and always plentiful with a lot of variety. Hot, cold, and healthy options ensure something for everyone!
At dinner, we usually had the beautiful restaurant to ourselves or dined with one or two other couples. We assumed most guests at the resort did not purchase meal plans or dined at the more casual Sands Restaurant.
For us, we really enjoyed not worrying about the cost of dinner since it was already taken care of in advance. The ambiance was elegant and we enjoyed our delicious three-course dinners each evening!
Each delicious plate was always prepared and presented with thought. Dinners included selecting items from a pre-set menu each night which included meat, seafood, and vegetable options. And we did indulge and ate our two desserts every night!
Also, we recommend attending the Polynesian theme night! It was the only time the Reef Restaurant was full of guests for the buffet dinner and Polynesia show. Therefore, we can only assume that guests from other resorts likely also visited for this special evening.
The show was great and my husband even went up on stage with some of the other guests, and learned some traditional Polynesian dance moves! It was a fun and entertaining evening!
Le Corail Restaurant
We did not eat at Le Corail Restaurant during our stay. Unfortunately, by the time we decided to book a reservation while at the resort, there was no availability. The restaurant is closed Mondays and Fridays so book a table in advance!
The restaurant overlooks the lagoonarium and also has the largest wine cellar in French Polynesia!
Bars
There are two bars at the InterContinental Bora Bora & Thalasso Spa resort:
South Beach Bar:
- serves cocktails, smoothies, snacks, and homemade ice cream
- open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Bubbles Bar:
- happy hour (5 p.m. – 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. – 10 p.m.) and evening drinks
Lounge
In the evening, there were many places to just sit, relax and lounge.
We even enjoyed playing a game of pool one evening after dinner and relaxing by the restaurant.
Beach
The beaches at the resort had white sand and extremely calm, clear blue waters.
TIP: Be sure to confirm the weekly resort itinerary for activities during your stay. There is a stingray feeding by the main beach everyday at 2pm!
There are also various spots along the beach to just relax including sun loungers and hammocks.
If you love the water, be sure to book a water excursion in Bora Bora! Check out our article on the two excursions we did in Bora Bora which included swimming with sharks and stingrays!
Pool & Fitness Centre
The resort had a beautiful outdoor infinity pool with lounge chairs always available.
There is also a fitness centre at the resort available for guests although we did not use it during our stay.
Deep Ocean Spa
The spa was wonderful! In fact, it should be a must-do if you are staying at the resort!
We wish we had gone even earlier to enjoy the amenities longer as we were the only guests at the time. We arrived only thirty minutes before our scheduled spa treatments. So, be sure to ask how early you can arrive, especially given the cost.
We enjoyed the facilities and water therapies at the spa, including the pool, steam room, and hot tub.
For our treatments, my husband and I both had the “Algospa body scrub & wrap”. Unfortunately, we had our treatments in separate rooms. However, it was an incredible body treatment we highly recommend!
Afterward, we reunited in the tea lounge. We relaxed together in another relaxation area before departing the spa.
We left Deep Ocean Spa feeling rejuvenated. To this day, we have not had a comparable spa experience on our travels…so far! The body treatment was relaxing and unique!
Overall, the tropical and relaxing ambiance at the Deep Ocean Spa was truly memorable!
Secret Garden of Love
The Secret Garden of Love is a lovely botanical garden to explore! Inside you will discover “tiki” and other Polynesian cultural symbols!
Gift Shop
There is a small gift shop on site. The store sold handicrafts, some swim wear, pareo (sarong) and local products. We picked up souvenirs such as local tea and boxed cookies.
There were a couple of other boutiques at the resort including a jewelry shop that also sold Tahitian pearls.
Overwater Wedding Chapel
For weddings, in addition to the beautiful spots throughout the resort, there is a small overwater wedding chapel with a glass bottom!
Wedding services are available at the resort. Contact the hotel directly if interested in their wedding packages and to confirm the services that are available!
There was at least one wedding during our stay at the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa! We saw the happy couple on a traditional outrigger canoe approaching the shore!
InterContinental Bora Bora and Thalasso Spa: Sustainability
It is great to see the sustainability efforts and initiatives the Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa is committed to.
Their official resort website outlines these efforts further. Highlights of the resort initiatives include the following, and more:
- monthly reports on energy consumption to measure and reduce their environmental impacts.
- Sea Water Air Conditioning (SWAC): It is the first property in the world that produces its own air-conditioning using cold deep-sea water.
- solar energy
- effots to reduce and eliminate use of plastic:
- eliminated plastic straws and plastic bottles
- refillable amenity dispensers in guest rooms
- goal to ban single-use plastics completely by 2025
- onsite composting program
- organic garden: produce fruit, vegetables and herbs served in the restaurants
- Coral & “Biorock project”: coral restoration and transplantation efforts
InterContinental Bora Bora & Thalasso Spa: Recent Awards
Not surprisingly, the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa has a history of awards! Awards from the last couple of years include:
2024:
- Forbes Travel Guide Star Award Winner: Four Star Rating
2023:
- Conde Nast Traveler: Readers’ Choice Awards 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017
- Elite Traveler: Top 50 Eco Hotel Suites
For the history of awards by year: https://thalasso.intercontinental.com/awards
Check-Out & Last Day
On our last day, the resort provided a complimentary guest room after we checked out of our over-the-water bungalow. It is an exceptional service provided by the resort that we greatly appreciated!
We left our luggage in our over-the-water bungalow at check out. We enjoyed the resort for the rest of the day before our departure later in the afternoon.
About an hour before we left the island, we were able to use the “day use room.” The room was small and not luxurious like our bungalow, but had everything we needed! Therefore, this enabled us to continue using the facilities and beach, then shower and refreshen up before our departure later in the day.
Again, it was fantastic to have access to this room so that we could still use the beach and enjoy our day! I wish all beach resorts did this!
Additional Information
- Check in: 3:00 p.m.
- Check out: 11:00 a.m.
- Doctor on call
- Foreign currency exchange
- Hotel accessibility includes:
- resort is wheelchair accessible
- accessible guest room accommodations
- the resort is not pet-friendly
Tourism Website:
The Islands of Tahiti website – Tahiti Tourisme is the DMO (Destination Marketing Organization) for the country of French Polynesia: https://tahititourisme.ca/en-ca/
Our recommendations to the Resort:
We drink a lot of water. Therefore, although the resort provided some complimentary water bottles, we needed to purchase more water.
Like many other resorts that are not all-inclusive, as previously mentioned, the cost of bottled water is expensive on the resort. Therefore, we recommend the resort install water stations where guests can refill their reusable bottles with filtered water themselves!
We have seen such refillable water stations in hotels and resorts already throughout our travels! It enables guests to conveniently get filtered water anytime and seems to work well for both the guests and hotels.
InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa: Conclusion
Our stay at the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa was breath-taking and incredible! Our over-the-water bungalow, the ambiance of the resort, and the delicious food was everything a honeymoon and luxury dream vacation should be!
In addition, the people working at the resort were amazing from the moment we arrived until our departure. The resort exemplifies excellent hospitality and customer service!
Ultimately, we highly recommend the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa! It is the best luxury tropical resort we have stayed at to date! Although other 5-star resorts, such the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora, may seemingly offer an even “higher-end luxury 5-star” experience, notably, for an even higher cost!
Bora Bora and our stay at the Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa was truly a dream come true and an extraordinary honeymoon we loved! We hope and plan to return one day!
Enjoy Bora Bora and Happy Travels!
For pricing, availability, and more reviews, click here for InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa on Booking.com:
Address:
InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa
Motu Piti Aau Bora Bora 98730
French Polynesia/Tahiti
Bora Bora Tours & Excursions
Explore popular Bora Bora tours from Viator with hundreds of reviews!
Other Bora Bora Resorts
Explore Bora Bora Resorts on Booking.com here – check dates, availability, and reviews:
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The resort stay described in this article was self-funded. The views and opinions expressed in this article are from our personal experience(s). Our content and this article is informational only, not facts, and cannot be construed as professional advice. We always give our honest opinions on topics, experiences or products, made in good faith. Any product or service claims, made by the product or service, should be verified with the manufacturer or provider in question. There may be potential errors on our website, for example due to changes and unintentional mistakes. Thank you.
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