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French Polynesia hotels
Any traveler's scrapbook from French Polynesia will inevitably include a photo of an overwater bungalow, or OWB: a traditional thatched hut (or fare) set on stilts over a shallow lagoon. Private OWBs are offered—at a hefty price—at most premium resorts in the islands. The development boom on Bora Bora has quieted with the opening of the newest, and hopefully last, mega-resort here: The Four Seasons Bora Bora, opening in Summer 2008.
If you're on a budget, finding lodging in French Polynesia can be challenging. Your best bets will be family-run properties just outside the most popular tourist areas. A good resource is the Federation Haere Mai, an association of smaller properties throughout the islands. Value conscious travelers should also avoid private island resorts where dining choices are limited to the hotel's pricey venues.
Occupying the same motu as Dream Island, this compound is set amid tropical gardens of hibiscus, gardenia, and breadfruit trees. The 3,000-square-foot villa...more
If you're ready to venture to the next French Polynesian frontier, the Tuamotu group, about 180 miles northeast of Tahiti, is an easy temptation. At the Tikehau...more
Wooden walkways connect the mainland to thatch-roofed bungalows that sit "above the clearest water you'll ever see." Casual accommodations are mostly on land,...more
Though Bora Bora was already home to no less than 14 luxury resorts, the St. Regis easily upped the ante when it opened in June 2006. The resort is the first in...more
It's not exactly budget-friendly, but this property, newly renovated in summer of 2006, has the most reasonably priced over-water bungalows on Bora Bora...more
The self-declared "most exclusive resort in all of French Polynesia," Le Tahaa's main selling point is its location on the small, stunning islet of Motu Tautau,...more
"To this day, we smile when we think of the water and the views of nirvana on earth," including those of Mount Otemanu. Beach villas have direct access to the...more
Set on the remote Avea Rahi motu on the south coast of Rangiroa, this property has just five thatched beach bungalows made with precious woods, woven palms, and...more
Whimsical bright colors and modular 60s-style designs meld with Polynesian décor at this sexy, adult beach resort. It's the youngest—in both years...more
Sprawling and opulent, the InterCon is also surprisingly, unabashedly sexy—just check out the bare-chested bellmen bound tightly in their traditional...more
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