8 Best Hotels in Moorea, French Polynesia

This is the last remaining hotel of a handful that were started by the "Bali Hai Boys," three Californians who came to Moorea in the early 1960s to start a vanilla farm. Instead, they ended up running hotels and invented the legendary overwater bungalow concept. The Club is part time-share, part hotel, and it would be hard to find a more spectacular position in Moorea. It sits on the eastern shore of Cook's Bay with a perfect view of the iconic shark-toothed mountain—Mt. Mouaroa—from almost every angle. There are mountain- and beach-view rooms and beach and overwater bungalows, although the latter are only partially overwater. The five garden rooms have kitchenettes and several are large enough for families. A grocery store across the road is stocked with a good range of fresh produce. The resort is comfortable without being luxurious and has a very friendly atmosphere. It's virtually a one-stop-shop with a free dance performance on Wednesday night (preceded by a seafood barbecue), its own boat for lagoon excursions and sunset cruises, car rental desk, boutique, weekly crab races, and a sunset talk every day (except Wednesday) given by Muk, one of the two surviving "boys." Gather round over a few drinks as he shares stories of the "good old days" of Moorea and his interesting exploits. The hotel's best rates are available over the Internet.

Fare Hamara is nestled into the hillside overlooking Opunohu Bay, in the shadow of the shark-toothed Mt. Mouaroa. It has two bedrooms and trundle beds in the living room, making it ideal for six people. It's family friendly with a crib and high chair, washer/dryer, and TV. The villa is owned by an American couple, Bob and Mary Hammar, and bookings are made through their U.S. phone number or by e-mailing them. The minimum stay is five nights and costs US$1,325, (or 111,000 CFP); 10% discounts are given to three-week and monthly rentals.

If you want something very different and have money to spare, this luxury four-suite residence is a bit like Louis XIV meets Polynesia and it all works wonderfully. Touches run from bohemian to European with chandeliers, four-poster beds, chaise longues, Oriental carpets, upholstered tub chairs, and gilt mirrors, plus typical island decor of rattan and bamboo. There is a junior suite that can accommodate three, a prestige suite for two people, a royal suite with two bedrooms and two bathrooms and a collection of exotic—and slightly erotic—art, while the presidential suite is split-level and includes two bedrooms, two bathrooms (one with Jacuzzi), and a small "office" with Wi-Fi–ready computer and printer. The gardens are beautiful and the French owner, Eileen, who has furnished the rooms with pieces she collected in her European travels, provides a very warm welcome. Meals and half-board options are available, together with a weekly Polynesian dance show.

Location is the draw for this popular budget hotel at Hauru Point. It doesn't have a pool but it has a lovely position on the lagoon and a daytime beach restaurant with fantastic views. There's also an Italian restaurant, near the coastal road, which opens in the evening. Bungalows with fridges are near the beach or in the garden and each can accommodate up to four people, while the superior category have telephones, and 13 bungalows have full kitchens. The upscale "vanilla bungalow" has a kitchen and a living room. Interiors are bright and airy with tropical style fabrics and cane bed heads and bed bases. Free activities include outrigger canoes and bicycles. Loca Boat, a company that rents out small boats with no license required, is right next door. A smaller sister property—Tipaniers Iti—is 4 km (2.5 mi) to the east and has three bungalows, each with a kitchen.

This budget accommodation deep in the Vaianae Valley is designed for folks who love camping and don't mind roughing it. It's a cross between a backpackers' hostel and a guesthouse with half and full-board options. As the name suggests, the house is tucked away in a natural setting, a few miles inland from the PK 21 clockwise marker (near Haapiti). The owners are avid hikers and conduct mountain hikes and photo safaris and run camps for school children during school holidays. There are four rooms with four single beds, one room with six single beds, and one dorm with 24 beds. The four bathrooms (with warm water) are all shared. The "maison" is solar-powered, has a shared kitchen, living room, library, and restaurant.

The family owners of this five-bungalow pension will mix you a cocktail to sip while you read your e-mails (you can toast the lagoon view from the deck). The pension is on the western shore of Cook's Bay and has great mountain views. Each bungalow has a bathroom with hot water, fan, and TV. There's also a 20-bed dormitory, above the hotel lobby area, which shares bathrooms with hot water. It's a cozy little place with a 60-seat restaurant, open from 6 am until 8:30 pm daily, serving all-day snacks such as hamburgers, pizzas, and fresh fish. On Sunday at around noon everyone is welcome to take part in the Ma'a Tahiti (traditional Polynesian meal) cooked in an underground oven over hot coals, known as an ahima'a.

This friendly little self-catering pension, started by a Swiss national more than 20 years ago, was recently taken over by Edmee Imfeld, who owned a nearby diving operation for many years. The residence has a pleasant location on a small beach on the western side of the island, near Haapiti. This is the sleepy side of Moorea with few tourist facilities apart from a take-away pizza parlor (Daniel's Pizza) half a mile down the road and a grocery store a short drive away. There are nine accoommodation units—called bungalows, suites and villas, which can take varying numbers and are scattered along the beach or in the garden; the two largest ones can accommodate four and seven people. Each bungalow has rattan walls decorated with island artwork or pareos; a kitchen equipped with stove, fridge, microwave, and coffeemaker; and a bathroom with hot water. All have ceiling fans while a few also have air-conditioning. All bungalows are Wi-Fi ready (free); otherwise, there's access to dial-up Internet (fee) in the lobby. Each bungalow has a small terrace with a floor fashioned from river flagstones. This is the perfect place to have breakfast, which can be delivered by room service (1,550 CFP per person) if you don't want to make your own. The new owners have also introduced a dinner option, which can be served on the hotel's deck in a family-style atmosphere, or couples can have it served to their veranda for a romantic night in.

Under new management, this medium-size, budget establishment on the popular Hauru Point strip has neat little beach and garden bungalows and a wing of 11 hotel rooms in the garden. New owners have upgraded the lobby and restaurant and are renovating each of the rooms with new bedding and paintwork and are adding new artwork. Each room is air-conditioned and has a bathroom with hot water and a small corner kitchenette with fridge. Bungalows are fan-cooled, have a fridge, a wide terrace, and can sleep up to four people. The hotel's beachfront Sunset restaurant is one of the most popular eateries on the Hauru Point strip and serves French, Italian, and local dishes, plus children's menus. Half- and full-board meal plans are available (5,250 and 8,250 CFP, respectively), but if you wish to eat out you can every day of the week as the Hibiscus is near a handful of cafés and restaurants. Le Petit Village is about a half a mile away.