Hilton Moorea Resort and Spa: Spectacular Setting, Not a 5-star Property

We only had four nights in French Polynesia, so I had a dilemma on my hands: To spend three nights in Bora Bora or to add Moorea? Since we had an early flight to Auckland NZ, we had no choice but to overnight on the main island of Tahiti. So, by adding Moorea, we would have to stay in three separate hotels.

Originally, I could only find award availability in Intercontinental Thalasso Bora Bora during the first two nights, so my decision was seemingly made for me. I went ahead and redeemed 80,000 Hilton points on one night in Hilton Moorea Resort and Spa and paid an extra $120 to upgrade to lagoon bungalow.

I bought our inter-island flights, but still kept going back and forth. Well, a month before the trip I found award availability for the third night in IC Thalasso Bora Bora. Hmm… I thought about it, but decided to keep things as they were.

My $120 upgrade fee was non-refundable and changing flights would incur an $80 penalty for both tickets. Plus, I really wanted to visit Moorea. I only hesitated because I knew my husband doesn’t like to be constantly on the move.

Overall, I’m happy with my decision because Moorea is a spectacular island that is quite different from Bora Bora. That said, Hilton Moorea Resort and Spa is a huge downgrade compared to IC Thalasso Bora Bora. If you are visiting French Polynesia, I recommend you stay in the former property first.

Before I go any further, let me address “You got your Hilton hotel for free, why are you complaining?” crowd. Two things. I didn’t get it for free, I’ve spent 80,000 Hilton points+$120. I value these points at around $240, so you could say I’ve actually paid $360 for our one-night stay. That’s definitely no chump change, so I’m going to review it accordingly.

Second, when I criticize certain aspects of a hotel, it’s not to be whiny. We were visiting a beautiful island, and all the issues I’ll mention later in the post are quite minor and didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment. Still, this hotel isn’t exactly dirt cheap on points, and I hope to help readers decide whether to stay here or look elsewhere.

Check-in process and review of our bungalow

When we pulled up to the resort, I was surprised by how compact it was. Coming from sprawling IC Thalasso Bora Bora  property, the difference was quite clear. This isn’t good or bad, just an observation. The check-in lady has acknowledged my Gold status (free breakfast) and the prepaid upgrade to lagoon bungalow. She also gave us two free mixed drink vouchers as part of elite benefit.

I asked her if it would be possible to get an actual overwater bungalow and she offered me a panoramic unit for an extra $220 all-in. I thought about it and decided to stick to our original plan. We’ve already spent a good bit of money in Bora Bora and I mostly cared about having a water view.

I previously requested  unit 53 (the furthest from the walkway), but we got the one in the middle instead.

I definitely thought it was quite nice, though like I said, it would have been far more impressive if we stayed here before going to Bora Bora.

<

p style=”text-align: center;”>There is a minbar with complimentary drinks (water, Coke and even beer), which were much appreciated. We also got a free bottle of wine, but ended up giving it away.

We could see a row of overwater bungalows from our porch, but I rarely spotted any people outside. Honeymooners, I guess?  I woke up really early the following morning, so  just sat on the patio and listened to the waves. It was neat to see the sunrise from the balcony.

The bungalow had a glass table, which was pretty cool. Even though there were mostly rocks at the bottom due to proximity to the shore, I saw a bunch of various types of fish.

The bungalow was reasonably spacious for just two people, but would probably feel a bit cramped if you had a kid with you. The units in this resort have triple occupancy, though I’ve read reports indicating that you can request to add a rollaway by contacting the manager directly. YMMV I’m not sure I would pick this place for my family of four unless I was swimming in Hilton points and wanted to preserve cash.

The bathroom was quite spacious and had a nice soaking tub.

I definitely loved the fact that we could snorkel from our own bungalow. And snorkeling in this area is absolutely amazing. Only ten feet away from our unit  I could see a beautiful coral formation with all types of fish circling around. The resort lets you borrow snorkeling equipment at no charge. Make sure to bring water shoes because Moorea has species of fish which can be deadly if you step on them. 

Don’t like to snorkel? No problem. You can see beautiful coral reefs right from the overwater bungalows’ walkway:

There is a sitting area where you can watch sunsets. I thought it was nice that the resort tries to accommodate the guests who are not staying in overwater bungalows.

By the way, here is a photo of  a garden bungalow (their entry unit that costs 80,000 Hilton points):

I was definitely happy with my decision to upgrade to lagoon bungalow.

Amenities and dining 

There is a beautiful, though unheated, pool. When we visited Moorea, it was a bit overcast and as a result, it felt relatively cool. So the pool water temperature didn’t feel comfortable to me, though it wouldn’t deter my kids.

The resort has a nice koi pond by the reception, which would definitely be a hit with small children.

The beach area is rather small, but there are complimentary lounges scattered throughout the property.

As a Hilton Gold I got complimentary (full) breakfast for both of us. This is a huge benefit in French Polynesia because the hotel charges $47 per person. Breakfast buffet was very good, so no complaints there.

They used to charge extra $ for hot portion of the buffet, but apparently now you get the whole thing at no cost as long as you are Gold.

For dinner I decided to make a 6:30 PM reservation at Toatea Creperie, located in the path to the overwater bungalows.

The crepes were made by French chef, and were quite good. We got two savory crepes and one dessert crepe to split. The dessert  with apples and brandy was delicious and the chef even lit it on fire. Overall, thumbs up! The chef was very friendly and came to talk to all the guests. We spent around $86 total, including tip. A bit expensive, but atmosphere was worth it.

You can see small sharks circling the creperie area while you eat, which added to the whole “wow” factor.

Areas where the resort is lacking

So far, I’ve focused on the good, but a couple of issues are worth mentioning. First, the resort is in desperate need of some TLC. The furniture in the bungalow was scratched up, and the floor had many scuff marks on it.

More importantly, some boards on the balcony were loose, with nails about to pop out, which presents a serious safety hazard. I’ve read that the resort is planning a makeover in a near future, so hopefully, those things will  soon be remedied.

I’ve also spotted some cigarette butts in the sand, which is off-putting, to say the least. The hot tub by the pool was boarded up, and was a bit of an eyesore.

Doesn’t exactly scream “5-star resort”, does it?

Overall, to me, the resort seemed more rustic than posh. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but set your expectations accordingly. Something I found interesting is the fact that the resort borders a residential neighborhood. One time I saw a huge dog go for a swim near my bungalow. Some may find it charming, others gross. I happen to fall in the first category, but won’t judge you if you don’t.

Seeing a local dog swimming under the glass table may not be what you have in mind when you burn a boatload of Hilton points on this resort. There are also a ton of chickens and boy, are they loud! They scream their heads off all night long, so if you stay in the garden bungalow, you better bring a noise machine.

There were also few service issues where several staff members were rude to me and my husband, though most workers were perfectly nice. Perhaps what we’ve encountered was a fluke, so I’m willing to give the resort the benefit of a doubt in this area.

Bottom line

At the beginning of the post I’ve mentioned that technically, I’ve spent $360 on our one-night stay. Assuming I value two breakfasts and mixed drinks at $60 total, the cost is really $300. For that price, I feel like I got a really good deal considering my lagoon bungalow usually retails for $600-$700 per night. The cash rate here is way too high IMO.

My husband told me that even though he thought Moorea was stunning, he would have preferred to spend the third night in our fancy bungalow in Bora Bora. Oh well.

As for me, experiencing  another Polynesian island was definitely worth the hotel downgrade. All in all, I thought Hilton was a nice resort set in a spectacular area of Moorea. Snorkeling was to die for, and scenery was magnificent. I’m not so spoiled that few issues here and there are dealbreakers in a place of such amazing natural beauty. I don’t really need a 5-star resort in order to enjoy myself.

I do recommend you check other lodging options before emptying out your Hilton account. Moorea has many locally-owned establishments where you may get a better bang for your buck. If you are traveling with kids, check AirBnB or Booking.com (both are referral links) for two-bedroom units which will afford more privacy.

You may also want to look into Intercontinental Moorea Resort and Spa. It costs 50k IHG points, and you can upgrade to an overwater bungalow for an extra $200-$300 per night. Those appear to be quite a bit more spacious than Hilton units. If you are staying on a weekend, look into buying IHG Ambassador status that will give you second night free, one-category upgrade and a host of other perks.

Whatever you decide, try to add at least a night or two in Moorea before going to Bora Bora. And yes, you should definitely go to Bora Bora.

Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses