Tucked away on a picturesque motu just off the main island of Bora Bora, the Conrad Bora Bora Nui is a delightful blend of Polynesian charm and modern luxury. As you step onto this secluded paradise, you’re embraced by warm hospitality and breathtaking views of the South Pacific’s azure waters. The resort seamlessly merges with the island’s natural beauty, offering a tranquil and intimate setting. With luxurious accommodations, delectable dining options, a rejuvenating spa, and a plethora of activities, the Conrad Bora Bora Nui promises an unforgettable escape into tropical bliss.

Location and How To Get There

The Conrad Bora Bora Nui is located on a beautiful motu (islet) just off the mainland of Bora Bora. To get here, you will first have to book an international flight into Papeete, Tahiti. From there you will need to get a domestic flight to the island of Bora Bora through either Air Tahiti or Air Moana. There are multiple flights a day, however the cost for the short 50 minute flight can be quite expensive. If you are interested in island hopping and exploring more of French Polynesia it is worth booking one of the Island Passes through Air Tahiti which actually isn’t that much more expensive than a round ticket trip to Bora Bora and you’d get the chance to experience more islands. 

The airport in Bora Bora is also located on a motu, it’s very small and won’t take you too long once you arrive. There are two options for how to reach the Conrad. You can take the free passenger ferry to the mainland (the cost of which is included in the price of your airfare) and then take a taxi to the Conrad’s dock before boarding one of the scheduled boats to the hotel. Alternatively, you can book a direct boat from the airport to the Conrad via the hotel. At the time of writing it was approximately $185 pp roundtrip. You’ll check in with the Conrad reps in the arrivals area and pick up your bags and then be whisked away to paradise in no time. The Conrad’s boats are very nice and it takes very little time to reach the hotel, maybe 15-20 minutes from the airport. It’s a steep fee for a short transfer but after a long travel day with multiple bags it’s often worth the expense to arrive in fewer steps. 

Check In Process

During our stay, we were coming from a different resort and booked a boat tour through Moana Adventure Tours so that we could leave one hotel, do a full day of water based activities and then arrive at the Conrad all in one go, negating the steep fee that either hotel was offering as a private transfer. And while I had informed the hotel of our arrival time, we arrived 10 minutes early to the dock, and unsure where to go we stumbled into Concierge (instead of Reception). The staff were all very nice and apologetic, handing us welcome drinks and flower leis. We filled in the necessary paperwork and were then given a short tour before heading to the pool bar as our room was not quite ready. 

We grabbed a couple of drinks and a bite to eat while taking in the surroundings. The pool bar area really was stunning with an infinity pool overlooking the lagoon and overwater bungalows. It wasn’t long before we were approached that our room was ready. We hopped on a golf cart for a more thorough tour through the property, eventually reaching the Spa at the very top of the hill which offers unencumbered views across the whole property. It is a really nice place to take a few pictures.

After a few photos we headed back down the hill to our room. We were in the Lagoon View Suite, which is one of the entry level rooms, but my oh my was it spacious! It has a huge private balcony with exceptional views. I had booked this room using Hilton Points so I was already impressed. I hold Hilton Gold status which usually grants you a free upgrade but due to the hotel being fully booked, it was not possible this time. We received a welcome letter explaining our benefits as gold member which included: 

• Free WIFI in guest room and lobby
• Guaranteed member discount upon booking 
• Late checkout upon availability and request 
• No additional charge for second guest 
• In room personalised amenities 
• Two bottles of water daily with turndown service 

• Room upgrade on arrival (if available)
• Space available room upgrade to the next category 
• My way benefits 7000xpf resort credit (approx $65 USD) for food and beverage per day or 1000 bonus points per stay 
• Access to our Hilton honors beach from 9.30am to 4.30pm

To be honest, I think a lot of this is fluff just to pad it out and make you think you’re getting great benefits, when in reality most of these should be free anyway (WIFI, no charge for second guest, etc.) and maybe to negate from the previous benefits (free breakfast and room upgrades that used to often be offered by more than one room category).

After a few minutes of settling in we received a knock at the door and not only were our suitcases arriving but also a welcome bottle of sparkling wine and box of chocolates.

Rooms and Suites 

I was surprised at just how spacious the accommodation was for an entry level room booked with hotel points. The entryway had a coffee machine and mini fridge with some pricey items for purchase (*cough* $26 M&Ms *cough*). The living area featured a sofa, coffee table and large flat screen TV mounted on the wall separating this part from the bedroom. The bedroom also has a large TV on the other side of the room, an expansive wardrobe featuring a safe, ironing board along with the much loved robes and complimentary slippers. There were bedside tables on each side all of which featured many different electrical ports, which given all the electrical items I have to charge, was a pleasant surprise. There is also a nightly incense choice that you can select when the staff come to do the nightly turndown service. You simply select your preferred scent from the sheet and state whether you would like housekeeping to light the incense or leave it for you to set up yourself. I thought this was a nice touch that I hadn’t seen anywhere before. 

The bathroom had double vanity sinks on either side of the room (sort of like a galley kitchen) with all the fancy toiletries you’d expect at a Conrad hotel. At the end of the bathroom was a large free standing tub. The shower and toilet were in two separate enclosed rooms on either side. 

Perhaps my favourite feature was the in room Bluetooth speakers which were installed not just in the main bedroom, but also in the bathroom and outdoor balcony which you can sync to your phone – such a neat idea! 

The outdoor balcony was huge! It had expansive views over the grounds with the sparkling blue waters peaking through palm trees. It was incredibly private and had two loungers in addition to a dining table and chairs. 

And while we didn’t spend a whole night here for reasons I’ll explain below, the layout and features of the room really was modern and spacious and I’d have been really happy spending my entire vacation in this room. 

After shooting content and settling in for a couple of hours when we first arrived we noticed that the air conditioning had not cooled the room down – we had asked the member of staff who showed us to our room to set it for us, and while he set it at 16C, the room was still sitting at 25C. On our way to dinner we let the front desk know and they assured us they would send someone from maintenance down to have a look while we were out. After dinner, we swung by the front desk and they said maintenance had been and there was nothing wrong and it was blowing cold air. We headed back to the room and there had been no change – the room was still at 25C. I took a manual thermometer reading on my phone and it was showing 26-27C so we headed back down to reception where they called maintenance to meet us there. And while he was very professional, he positioned his thermometer right up into the air conditioning unit and showed us that it was blowing 16C. We asked him to take the temperature underneath it at our height and it showed 25C before he quickly stashed it in his pocket. He said he didn’t have a solution for us so we trapsed back to the reception for a fourth time. They originally said they were fully booked and couldn’t help us but after insisting it was far too hot to sleep in, they said they might be able to move things around and they would call us if they came up with a solution. Much to our surprise they called us 20 minutes later and said they had a different room for us (which was actually an upgrade!) – so despite the back and forth, they ultimately did provide a solution to the problem.

Our second room was one of the Garden Suites – completely detached and sitting high up on the hill with views of the grounds below. The outdoor balcony was a little larger than our previous room but most of the interior features remained the same.

We didn’t get a chance to stay in any of the overwater bungalows, but I can assure you this is where the Conrad shines! And there’s a good amount of them too, all with varying views of the lagoon or mountain and some featuring stunning private pools. And if you’re really wanting to splurge, there are two enormous presidential villas at the end of the pontoon that are multi stories tall and the largest overwater bungalow in Bora Bora (with a price tag to match).

Food and Drink 

There are 5 restaurants and bars at the Conrad, all offering very different and unique dining experiences. 

Starting with my favourite place on the resort – Tarava Pool Bar – not only did we start our stay here but it set the bar high for the rest of our stay – also another reason why we repeatedly came back here! The bar staff here work incredibly hard, they’re efficient and super friendly too, making for a great vibe by the pool.

The swim up area is always shaded which I thought was a great feature, I’m always worried that I’ll burn while sitting at a swim up bar when I lose track of time. There is a daily happy hour from 3-4pm where there’s a selection of drinks at a reduced price – I highly recommend visiting during this time and trying one of the fan favourites! There is also a food menu that they serve which has some great selections – my favourite by far was the poisson cru which came served in its own coconut, complete with the fresh coconut milk and shavings from inside! 

Iriatai  – this French restaurant is located near the main reception and is where the buffet breakfast is served. While we didn’t have breakfast here due to the removal of the free breakfast benefit for Gold Hilton members, we did have a peek in during the morning and the spread looked very expansive – and we did hear excellent things about it from fellow guests. 

Banyan – this is Conrad’s Chinese restaurant, also located in the main building and also offers some seating in an air conditioned room, so if you’re looking for a bit of a relief from the heat this is your best bet. Their menu has a great variety of different dishes and offers an upscale ambiance by the signature Banyan Tree.  

Tamure Beach Grill – this is right next to the pool bar and is the location of the weekly Polynesian Night with an expansive open air buffet followed by a traditional Polynesian show – if this is your first time in French Polynesia, I highly recommend attending! It is very fun, and it’s wonderful to see some of the culture from the islands. The menu can be pricey, so bear that in mind and be sure to eat your share at the buffet! 

Upa Upa Lounge Bar – this is the resort’s signature sushi restaurant and this is where we were a bit let down by the dining experience. It has a stunning location right on the water by the dock and all the menus are backlit so you can stay out once it gets dark – a great touch that I had not seen before. However, the sushi we ordered was exceedingly mediocre – and while very expensive, we just expected a bit more finesse. Most of the rolls came with an oversized proportion of raw vegetables on the inside (carrot, cucumber, etc) which overpowered the taste and texture of the entire roll – I couldn’t even taste any fish. The service here was lacking and we only had one server come to us during our 90 minute experience. I still think it is a beautiful location, but maybe just come here for some sundowner cocktails, and skip the sushi unless you are absolutely famished.

Facilities 

There’s no hiding the resort is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. I could have stared at the beach all day, it really is the postcard picture white powdery sand and crystal clear turquoise water that you see plastered all over screensavers. And to be honest, pictures don’t even do it justice. Besides the main beach, there is also a Hilton Honors beach reserved for those with status Gold or higher. While this is a nice perk and it is equipped with comfy shaded loungers and an amenity station (that unfortunately never seemed to be manned), the main beach was always remarkably quiet and I never saw more than a handful of people on it. It seems that the majority of people choose to hang around the hotels most popular asset – the infinity pool (and quite possibly the reason for the popularity – the swim up bar). 

The pool is separated into two sections, a shallower portion up top which had five highly coveted covered palapas in addition to a plentiful supply of sunbeds. The lower portion is deeper and features in water loungers and a swim up bar. Around the pool bar are some beautiful sunken table set ups, it was my favourite place to have lunch during my stay – not to mention the over water stepping stones you had to navigate on your way to your table. 

The spa at the Conrad is perhaps their most popular asset and for good reason. During the ride to our room, the staff made sure we had a peek in before we settled in. The views are stunning, it’s situated right at the top of the hill and offers unparalleled views of the resort and lagoon below. I can only imagine what it feels like to have a treatment with that stunning view to look at.

There is also a 24 hour fitness centre on the property that has a large range of different machines and also hosts many fitness classes during the week. One unique feature I found was the Golf and Sports Stimulator situated at one end of the property whereby you can practise your swing or have a go at some of the other realistic sports experiences such as bowling and football. 

As the resort is fairly spread out, they offer complimentary bicycles for guests to use. You do not have to sign or book them out, if you see one available in the bike rack you are free to use it. They are the old fashioned American bikes so there’s no brakes – remember to peddle backwards!

Activities 

The resort hosts a plethora of different activities during the week from various fitness classes (aqua fitness, aerobics, stretch, step aerobics etc) to cultural experiences such as coconut braiding, ukulele lessons, Tahitian dance classes and tutorials on how to open a coconut. 

There are also various watersports for you to participate in straight from the grounds or if you’d prefer the concierge can set up an excursion or tour around the island – I highly recommend the shark and ray adventure! 

The hotel provides a free shuttle from the dock to the mainland multiple times throughout the day – just check with the concierge for the times and be sure to book a spot on your preferred time! Once on the mainland you can choose to explore at your own pace by renting a car or scooter or even hire a driver for the day. Many restaurants will also offer pickups from anywhere on the mainland so this is also a good option for you if you want to try a different dining experience.

Service

Overall we received excellent service during our stay – an extra shout out goes to the pool bar staff who I never saw standing still for more than 3 seconds! All of the staff we encountered while exploring the grounds were professional, friendly and helpful and despite our initial room problems, they did find a solution in the end and the senior staff member made sure to find us the following day to ensure we were enjoying ourselves. With a resort that large, I thought it would have been incredibly easy to forget about us but he quickly disproved that theory. 

Closing Remarks 

The Conrad Bora Bora really is a stunning property with one of the best beaches I encountered during my travels throughout French Polynesia, not to mention the expansive infinity pool and swim up bar. The rooms are well appointed and modern, however the dining experience was a little lacking in my experience – but this does not negate from the fact that I would happily return in an instant! The ability to be able to book with Hilton Honors points wipes any disappointment from my stay – it is easily the best points redemption throughout the Hilton network.

Ready to book Conrad Bora Bora Nui? Click here!

You can find out more about my stay on my “Bora Bora” Highlights on Instagram @chase.the.rainbows.

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