Imagine walking into a postcard-perfect paradise, where crystal-clear turquoise waters lap softly against immaculate white sand beaches and lush green mountains rise magnificently against the blue skies.

Bora Bora, best known for its famous overwater bungalows, embodies tropical charm and romanticism. Snorkel among vibrant coral reefs, climb to panoramic views, or simply unwind on the beach with a refreshing beverage in hand. Bora Bora's gorgeous surroundings and laid-back ambiance provide for a memorable retreat from the daily grind.

Best Hotels in Bora Bora

Conrad Bora Bora Nui

Conrad Bora Bora Nui

The resort overlooks a half-mile-long white-sand beach (the longest of any Bora Bora hotel) on the southwest end of Motu To'opua, a small islet 20 minutes by boat from the main island. Guests arrive (typically from Papeete, Tahiti) at Bora Bora airport, where they board the resort's speedboat for the 20-minute ride.

With a length of white sand bordering an impossibly blue sea and a cluster of thatch-roofed overwater villas set on wooden piers, the resort resembles a computer screensaver come alive.

Conrad Bora Bora Nui

Because you can't see any other properties from here, the hotel feels especially private, with a serene atmosphere that extends even to the poolside, where the only sound is water spilling over the infinity edge. Suites and villas are designed in a sleek, contemporary manner with neutral colours that highlight the exteriors.

The crew is competent and courteous, always calling out "Ia ora na!" ("hello" in Polynesian) as they pass in purring golf carts. They willingly go out of their way to assist, not just showing you where you need to go, but also driving you there.

Conrad Bora Bora Nui

A hilltop spa and an 18-hole mini golf course are enjoyable landside activities, but most visitors prefer the tiered oceanfront pool (Bora Bora's largest) or the sea, where they can use complimentary stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and snorkel gear. Conrad's "Stay Inspired" programme includes a variety of activities and excursions, ranging from flower crown crafting to stingray diving.

Conrad Bora Bora Nui

Of the resort's 114 rooms, 83 are the sought over-water bungalows, with 22 featuring infinity pools on oceanfront terraces. Families frequently reserve hillside suites or one of two beach houses with private pools. The resort also has French Polynesia's only two-story over-water villas, known as Presidential Suites, which feature two master bedrooms, a pool, hot tub, sauna, and butler service.

All resort rooms have contemporary décor in a neutral beige and brown colour scheme, with fresh floral arrangements. Expect king- or queen-sized beds with integrated lighting, electricity, and USB outlets in the headboards; a minibar and Nespresso machine; a living room with a sofa and coffee table; and a TV that emerges from a cabinet and swivels so you can watch from bed or outside. The bathrooms feature walk-in showers, double sinks, a freestanding bathtub, and a separate WC.

Breakfast is served in the hotel or from the lavish buffet (£27) at ocean-view Iriatai (an excellent French restaurant by night), which includes scrambled eggs, bacon, miso soup, and chicken dumplings. Breakfast served to your overwater room by a decorated traditional Polynesian outrigger canoe costs £140 for two. Enjoy lunch with your toes in the sand at beachfront Tamure, served directly to your beach chaise or pool cabana, or on Motu Tapu, the resort's private island, where guests can book excursions.

Upa Upa lounge and Uaina wine bar serve cocktails and small dishes dockside, while Iriatai serves supper, and Tamure hosts a weekly Polynesian buffet and show. The only misstep was our dinner at Banyan, an Asian restaurant that exclusively serves dinner, which had an uninspiring menu and confusing service.

The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort

The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort

The resort spans 44 acres across three "motus" (islands), is bordered by the open ocean and a vast lagoon, and offers views of Bora Bora's famed peak, Mount Otemanu, from practically every vantage point. Guests arrive at Bora Bora airport (typically from Tahiti), where they are greeted with flower garlands and scented washcloths before boarding the resort's private boat for the 15-minute ride to their overwater suite or beach house.

The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort

This Edenic beachfront property is precisely what you expect when you think of a South Pacific resort, with thatch-roofed bungalows situated on stilts above the turquoise sea, verdant gardens interrupted by winding walks, and a white-sand beach lined with coconut palms and lapped by quiet, clear water. Although there are a few families, this is largely a couples' hideaway and honeymoon hotspot, with an Instagram-worthy sunset and the seductive aroma of tiaré (Tahitian gardenia) in the air.

The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort

This Edenic beachfront property is precisely what you expect when you think of a South Pacific resort, with thatch-roofed bungalows situated on stilts above the turquoise sea, verdant gardens interrupted by winding walks, and a white-sand beach lined with coconut palms and lapped by quiet, clear water.

8uAlthough there are a few families, this is largely a couples' hideaway and honeymoon hotspot, with an Instagram-worthy sunset and the seductive aroma of tiaré (Tahitian gardenia) in the air.

Service is excellent, whether it's provided by butlers (standard at all St. Regis resorts) who unpack and repack your travel luggage or pool staff who bring complementary fruit smoothies to your chaise. Guests use a golf cart or complimentary bicycles to access the facilities, which include an artificial "lagoonarium" for snorkelling with tropical fish, two pools (one for adults only), and French Polynesia's only Clarins spa.

The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort

Four restaurants and 24-hour room service keep hunger at bay, and tennis and watersports like sailing, paddleboarding, and kayaking help you burn off any excess calories.

The resort's 90 suites include 77 over-water villas. Even the smallest of them is enormous, with hardwood floors and glass panes in the entryway, living room and bathroom that allow for underwater viewing (known as "Tahiti TV" here).

Décor includes wood furniture and wall coverings with motifs that provide a traditional Polynesian vibe that is real, if not slightly gloomy. Each suite contains two televisions, a separate living space, and an overwater terrace with a covered eating area, sunbathing chaises, a shower, and seaside steps.

The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort

The bathrooms are remarkably spacious, with double basins, a walk-in shower, a sunken tub and a walk-in wardrobe. Robes are given everyday, along with lifejackets for spontaneous swimming and a couple of umbrellas. The resort also provides beach villas, the largest of which is the Royal Estate Villa, a three-bedroom/four-bathroom spread that sleeps nine and has a private beach and pool.

Four restaurants and 24-hour room service guarantee that visitors don't have to leave the motu to dine (though there is a complimentary water taxi to the nearby Le Meridien Bora Bora and Bora Bora's main island).

The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort

Breakfast is offered at Te Pahu, an open-air seaside restaurant, with fresh egg dishes à la carte and a buffet featuring everything from charcuterie to sashimi to pain au chocolat, as well as a self-service Bloody Mary station. Dinner at the resort's Lagoon by Jean-Georges is the highlight, with an Asian-Fusion meal served in an overwater dining area with glass panels in the floor, allowing you to see lemon sharks glide by while sipping a lychee-raspberry bellini.

InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa

InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa

This resort is located on the outer coral sandbank Motu Piti Aau and offers unimpeded views of a warm crystalline lagoon and verdant Mount Otemanu. You're a 15-minute speedboat ride from the airport, far enough away from the sounds of landing traffic to let peace and stillness establish the tone.

This resort is about 20 years old, yet because to meticulous maintenance, it still looks fantastic. You'll find it difficult to take your gaze away from its most valuable asset: the azure waters that meander past and through the property, where guests can kayak and paddleboard (both are free to use).

InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa

Swim amid schools of fish near a coral nursery (there is an onsite regeneration project), wander along the rocky oceanfront, or explore the sprawling tropical gardens. The hotel's on-site footprint is quite limited, with much of the space dedicated to a vegetable garden and other eco-projects.

This resort is about 20 years old, yet because to meticulous maintenance, it still looks fantastic. You'll find it difficult to take your gaze away from its most valuable asset: the azure waters that meander past and through the property, where guests can kayak and paddleboard (both are free to use).

InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa

Swim amid schools of fish near a coral nursery (there is an onsite regeneration project), wander along the rocky oceanfront, or explore the sprawling tropical gardens. The hotel's on-site footprint is quite limited, with much of the space dedicated to a vegetable garden and other eco-projects.

The pool staff provides relaxed yet attentive service, teaching guests how to tie a pareo skirt (sarong) or manufacture a palm leaf purse during free daily 12pm entertainment sessions. The softly shelving pool, which resembles the gentle sandy slope of the neighbouring beach, is possibly the most popular area on the property, with many honeymooners.

Meanwhile, the sprawling spa is tranquil, albeit you must pay extra to utilise thalassotherapy facilities such as pools and the hammam. Book here for the superb Polynesian Taurumi massage, which uses long smooth strokes to imitate the gentle lapping of waves; you'll leave smelling like a tiaré flower.

InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa

Aside from a handful of bigger 2,010sq ft Teremoana Pool villas (each sleeping eight), the villas are of the same size; each is enormous, and the only difference between them is the view of the water and beach. Beds and couches feature large windows that look out to the ocean, but the finest places to spend time are on the expansive private decks.

Classically luxe bathrooms also offer views of the sea, allowing you to luxuriate in a bubble bath while admiring the blue; loos are tucked away discretely behind separate doors. The air conditioning and refrigerators in the rooms are cooled with a unique eco-sensitive technology that uses seawater.

InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa

Three restaurants and a bar await, with two daily happy hours: 5-6pm and 9-10pm. Le Corail, a fine dining restaurant, features French Polynesia's largest wine cellar. Reef Restaurant serves upscale Mediterranean cuisine, while Sands' beachside location is popular for Polynesian seared fish and delicious pizzas. The daily breakfast buffet is fantastically extensive and reasonably priced in a place when nothing comes cheap.

Sofitel Bora Bora Motu Private Island

Sofitel Bora Bora Motu Private Island

This private island offers breathtaking views of Mount Otemanu and Matira Bay from its own motu, just a few minutes' boat ride over Bora Bora's genuinely spectacular fifty shades of blue (one minute turquoise, the next emerald or aquamarine) from sister resort Sofitel Marara.

Sofitel Bora Bora Motu Private Island

The private property is ideal for romantic getaways as it is targeted towards couples and does not allow children so you are assured to have a relaxing stay.

There is no swimming pool, but visitors can access the pool and all other amenities of the Marara resort via a complimentary water shuttle.

Because it is a small hotel the service is super attentive and you will notice how the staff goes above and beyond to help you with whatever you might need.

Sofitel Bora Bora Motu Private Island

With only 31 bungalows (20 overwater, 10 on a lush garden setting on a hill with stunning views) and one luxury villa, which is not overwater but has direct lagoon and sandy beach access and a private jacuzzi (the only one on the property), privacy and intimacy are prioritised. You almost feel like you are the only guests in the hotel.

Sofitel Bora Bora Motu Private Island

If you don't want to leave your little slice of paradise, the onsite Manu Tuki restaurant serves delicious French Tahitian cuisine our tip is order lobster everything, you won’t regret it. There is also a bar called the Mako if you are in the mood for a good cocktail before or after dinner.

Whether you stay overwater or on the hill, the layout is the same, and all rooms have contemporary Polynesian decor, beautiful wood flooring, and quality products in big bathrooms. Overwater bungalows also include glass observation panels on the floors and direct access to the lagoon.

Sofitel Bora Bora Motu Private Island

Make sure you reserve the "Romantic Soiree" for one night. It includes sunset champagne on top of the hill, followed by a romantic meal on the beach beneath the stars. Breakfast delivered by boat is also a a fantastic touch for a romantic holiday.

Conclusion

Bora Bora's best hotels redefine luxury in paradise. From unique overwater bungalows perched above turquoise lagoons to beachfront villas with private pools, each property is a piece of perfection.

The impeccable service, world-class amenities, and spectacular views of Mount Otemanu make for an unforgettable experience. Whether you're indulging in gourmet dining, relaxing with a spa treatment, or simply soaking up the sun on a quiet beach, these hotels make every moment unforgettable.