The Westin Bora Bora just opened in September, and my partner and I were fortunate enough to complete a recent three night stay. The location where the Westin resides was previously a Le Méridien, which had a reputation as one of the worst hotels in Bora Bora. This was due to the property not being well maintained. After the Le Méridien closed, the rooms and property underwent a complete renovation along with a re-branding as the Westin. My partner and I were intrigued to stay here and write a review of our experiences at the Westin Bora Bora.
In short, we had an excellent stay and felt it was a good value, although there are some areas for improvement. Read our full review of the Westin Bora Bora below to find out more about our experience.
Westin Bora Bora Room Types
Before delving into the review, let’s briefly take a look at the room types available at the Westin Bora Bora. When traveling to Bora Bora, most people look to stay in an iconic overwater bungalow. The Westin Bora Bora has three main types of overwater bungalows: a standard size room without a plunge pool, a standard size room with a plunge pool, and a larger sized room with a plunge pool.
These types of overwater bungalows can then be associated with different views including a lagoon, island, and an Otemanu view. The Otemanu view is considered the most premium of the available views and commands the highest rate. If you are looking for something for more than two guests – a two bedroom overwater bungalow is also available.
The standard overwater bungalow with or without a plunge pool is only 441 square feet. If you compare this to other properties in Bora Bora, this is certainly on the smaller side. For example, the standard overwater villa at the St. Regis Bora Bora is 1,549 square feet and at the Four Seasons Bora Bora it is 1,080 square feet.
If you stay in one of the Westin’s larger overwater bungalows with a plunge pool, the square feet increases to 613. The extra square footage provides you with a larger bathroom, couch, closet, and outdoor terrace, which I’ll discuss further in my review.
Is the smaller room sizes compared to nearby properties a deal breaker? Not necessarily depending on your preferences. While I have not stayed at the St. Regis Bora Bora, one downside you’ll often read about the property is that the rooms can feel dated and in need of renovation. The Westin has the advantage of being a newly opened property so things feel fresh and modern but the room design and size may not be for everyone. Below are some sample images of the standard overwater villa at the St. Regis to judge for yourself.
In case you are interested in a room other than an overwater bungalow, some lagoon beach villas are also available at the Westin Bora Bora. The beach villas look essentially the same on the inside as the overwater bungalows. Personally this would not be my preferred room type.
The beach villas at the Westin Bora Bora provide direct access to a smaller lagoon rather than the larger overall beach of the property. You can get a good view of Mount Otemanu from these rooms but you are just across from the Tevara restaurant which doesn’t make it feel as private in my opinion.
Westin Bora Bora Map
Below is a map of all the rooms on the property to give you a sense of what is located where. I had an opportunity to stay in the standard overwater villa without a plunge pool and then the larger sized room with a plunge pool. The rooms facing to the west in the image below will see Mount Otemanu. You’ll notice the two clusters of rooms with a circular path behind them that would offer the most unobstructed views in both the 200 and 300 sections. The rooms labeled 1000, 2000, and 3000 are the royal overwater villas with 2 bedrooms.
The rooms facing towards the beach are considered island views and the rooms facing the east are lagoon views. This will be personal preference, but I think the island view rooms see more traffic with boats coming in and out of the dock along with people enjoying the beach. The rooms facing the lagoon would tend to be more peaceful with less activity.
The beach villas are located along number 9 in the picture. You’ll notice the smaller swimming area here and the closer proximity to some of the restaurants labeled as 3 and 4.
Westin Bora Bora Room Rates
Now that you have a basic understanding of the room types at the Westin Bora Bora, let’s discuss the important factor of cost. While rates will of course vary throughout the year based on season/demand – you’ll typically find the Westin Bora Bora to be less expensive than the St. Regis and the Four Seasons.
Looking at a stay in July 2025 for a base room overwater villa, I found the following rates – $1,700/night St. Regis (nonrefundable rate), $2,100 Four Seasons, and $1,400 at the Westin. While this is subject to change, the Westin also has some special rates in the $600-$800 range as introductory pricing due to its recent opening. Beyond paying cash, I assume most readers will be interested in redeeming points :)
As of writing, the Westin Bora Bora offers an excellent value when booking with points. Marriott’s points pricing are dynamic so rates will be different day to day, but you can often find rates in the 70,000-90,000 points range for a night (even below 70k during off peak times) while at the St. Regis it will often be 100,000+ points for a night.
The cost difference here is key if you are planning to use a free night certificate from a Marriott credit card. An 85k Marriott certificate could be used at the Westin while being out of reach for a stay at the St. Regis. Marriott does allow you to combine an 85K certificate with up to 15k points, making the total possible value 100k points. You may be lucky enough to book the St. Regis as there are some nights that fall right at or just below 100k. Marriott also nicely offers a 5th night free when booking 4 nights with points.
Another important distinction is the room type that you book into with points. At the Westin, you can easily book into an overwater villa with points at the lowest rate while at the St. Regis that lowest rate will most likely be an overground villa. It’s possible to book an overwater villa with points at the St. Regis, but most of the time it will require even more points or an additional cash payment. It’s possible that as the Westin grows in popularity the standard points room could become a beach villa but that has not occurred as of writing.
Getting to the Westin Bora Bora
As with other properties in Bora Bora, you’ll have to pay for a water taxi from the Bora Bora airport to your resort. The water taxi can be pricey so it’s something to consider as part of your travel budget. As of writing, the Westin currently includes the water taxi as part of your rate when booking with cash through Marriott.com. This is a nice savings if booking with cash, but if booking by points do note you’ll pay ~ $102 destination fee as part of the reservation which covers the water taxi.
By comparison, you will pay ~ $142 at the St. Regis for the water taxi, and this is an additional fee not included with your original booking by cash or points. The Four Season adds 15% to the overall room rate (resort fee plus a service charge) that covers the water taxi.
Prior to arrival at the Westin, we received an email to confirm our time of arrival at the Bora Bora airport so they know when to pick you up.
Westin Bora Bora Water Taxi
After arriving to the Bora Bora airport, my partner and I found the Westin hotel stand. The friendly greeter presented us with a lei, assisted us with grabbing our luggage, and brought us to our water taxi. We were the only ones arriving at this time so we had the boat to ourselves, but you may end up sharing it with others. The staff also recognized my girlfriend’s birthday, which was appreciated.
We were informed that our room would be ready upon arrival which is quite nice considering our 9AM arrival time and check in normally starts at 3PM. Your results may vary with early check in, but at worst case you can enjoy the resort while your room is being prepared.
The water taxi was pleasant, and we enjoyed great views. The boat seemed to be much newer than most of the other ones going to the other resorts. The driver pointed out to us of the different properties we passed along the way including the St. Regis and Four Seasons. As we arrived, he warmly welcomed us to “our new home” and wished us a pleasant stay.
Our boat arrived at the central dock of the property. This is where you can take other boats to go on and off property excursions such as snorkeling, whale watching, or visiting the main island (free certain times of day).
Check In
Property staff welcomed us and again acknowledged my girlfriend’s birthday. They took care of our luggage and drove us on a golf cart toward the front desk to handle check in.
We took note of the funny wet floor signs shaped like a banana that you’d see around the property grounds now and then.
The main reception/check in area is quite beautiful, and we enjoyed lounging in the chairs just outside for a view of Mount Otemanu. Below is what it looked like during the day and at night.
At check in, we were given a wristband, which would serve as our room key. The wristband is waterproof so you can wear it while swimming. We were also given a set of Westin branded water bottles, which you could re-fill for free around the property. Another cool perk is the front desk offers free daily chocolate if you stop by which we always took advantage of (although one day they ran out). Finally, we were given a free Westin branded beach bag and a refreshing drink as check in formalities were completed. If interested, you can also request complimentary snorkel gear to utilize for free during your stay.
After check in, we were given a tour of the property on a golf cart and then transported to our room. Overall, the check in process was seamless and informative.
Welcome Gift
Before reviewing our overwater bungalow in detail – I wanted to briefly touch on the welcome gift we received in our room. We were given a welcome note, bottle of champagne, sweet and salty snacks, and a delicious dessert for my girlfriend’s birthday. You can expect a welcome gift at most properties in Bora Bora even if you don’t have status.
Westin Bora Bora Review – Overwater Bungalow
During our stay at the Westin Bora Bora, we had the opportunity to review two different types of rooms, which will hopefully be informative as you consider a stay here. The first night we stayed in the standard size overwater bungalow without a plunge pool. This was due to our early morning check in upon arrival and nothing more premium being ready as an upgrade. We could have deferred checking into our room into the afternoon in favor of an upgrade, but we decided against it after a long travel journey to Bora Bora.
As a Platinum member, I was then able to get a complimentary upgrade to the larger plunge pool room for the second and third nights of our stay which was quite nice. Your mileage may vary with upgrades here depending on occupancy, but based on my experience and reports on Flyertalk, it’s certainly possible to get into a nicer room based on Gold, Platinum, Titanium or Ambassador status.
The standard overwater bungalow without a plunge pool is beautiful and modern. It’s certainly small but didn’t feel lacking of any amenities. The biggest con of this room type is the lack of a dedicated bathroom space. You’ll find your bathroom sinks and tub next to the bed.
Taking a look around you’ll find a couch, TV, and coffee maker. Below the TV, a mini fridge is available.
Just in front of the bed, you’ll find a find a see through panel for looking at the water below. The Westin Bora Bora does not have an active reef like you’ll find at some other properties such as the Conrad Bora Bora. We saw occasional sea life here, but it’s certainly not constant. There is a light you can turn on at night time to look at the water as well.
The tub offers a nice outdoor view and pleasant place to watch the sunrise or set depending on your room. I found it odd there is no dedicated bath amenities located here such as bath salts, soap, etc. Also of note is the outdoor windows utilize manually drawn curtains. Not a big deal, but one feature I’ve liked of other overwater villas is being able to press a bed side button to automatically open and close the curtains.
Next to the tub you’ll find the two bathroom sinks and a scale underneath. Towards the shower, you’ll find two Westin branded robes and slippers.
In the shower you’ll find mounted dispensers for shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel.
At the front entrance to the room we had two umbrellas available and a large standing mirror.
You’ll also find a small closet in the room for storing luggage and clothes along with a safe and ironing board.
For climate control, you’ll find a thermostat and ceiling fan available overhead. Do note if you open the exterior doors to the terrace, the AC will automatically shut off.
Moving onto the exterior of the room, you’ll find a terrace with two lounge chairs along with a small table towards the other side.
Taking the stairs down, you can then directly access the ladder and the light blue water below.
In terms of view, we had a lagoon view room. The more premium view would be that of Mount Otemanu. The view you want comes down to preference and budget. As I’ll discuss later on, you can get great views of Mount Otemanu throughout the property so I wouldn’t necessarily feel like I was missing out by not staying in a room with that dedicated view. Additionally, the water of the lagoon is much lighter blue in my opinion than the darker blue water closer to Mount Otemanu so in that sense I preferred the lagoon view.
Below are some rooms that face Mount Otemanu to give you a sense of what that would look like. You’ll notice the view is epic but tends to show slightly darker water. Rooms facing Mount Otemanu will also face the direction of sunset however we found the sunset views here a bit limited as Mount Otemanu itself will partially block it.
I also wanted to share an example of the larger 2 bedroom bungalows with a direct view of Mount Otemanu.
In terms of tech, you’ll find buttons next to the bed for engaging the various lights available around the room. I didn’t find these to be the most intuitive to use given the lack of labels but did appreciate the flexibility you have for lighting options. Next to the bed you also will find USB-A and USB-C ports and an outlet. I would’ve like to have seen universal outlets here, but the Westin does offer converters you can borrow in case you forgot to pack one. WiFi both in the room and around the property was fast and stable.
Finally, the room offers bluetooth allowing you to connect your smartphone and play music both inside the room and outside on the terrace. We enjoyed using this feature but do note there is only one speaker inside the room in the back upper corner so it’s not like a surround sound experience but still very much useable. Below you’ll see the speaker on the outdoor terrace.
Westin Bora Bora Overwater Bungalow with Plunge Pool
Now let’s take a look at the larger room we stayed in with a plunge pool for the second and third nights of our stay.
The larger space offers some key advantages. The first includes a larger closet space for your stuff.
The next benefit over the standard room is the dedicated bathroom. You won’t find sinks next to your bed here along with larger mirrors. The mirrors can partially slide open to give you a view into the bedroom and the outside terrace.
The one downside of this room for some may be that the tub is located in the bathroom and wouldn’t offer a view of the outside like shown with the standard room. You can tilt the window next to the tub for a glimpse of the water but it’s limited.
As you enter the bedroom, you’ll find a larger couch and larger see through panel for viewing the water below.
You’ll find the TV located to the left of the bed. One thing I did want to note is the TVs here offer Youtube and Netflix. You can also stream items to the TV via Chromecast.
Next to the couch you’ll find the same coffee maker and mini fridge as the standard room.
This room also offers more window shades compared to the standard room, which I liked opening to hear the water passing by.
The final differences with this room come outside. Here you have a larger terrace for enjoying the outdoor view along with a plunge pool.
The sunrise views we got from this room were amazing and another reason I personally like the lagoon view bungalows.
To wrap up reviewing the rooms, this is the best room type you can get at the Westin Bora Bora beyond getting this same room with an Otemanu View or something with two bedrooms. We greatly preferred having the larger space and the plunge pool to enjoy during our stay. We think it may be worth paying a couple hundred an extra night to upgrade over the standard room but if you are an elite member hopefully you’ll have a shot at a complimentary upgrade.
While the rooms at the Westin are certainly smaller than its competitors, everything felt new and modern and I didn’t feel myself longing for what I saw on offer elsewhere. Staying in an overwater bungalow is an amazing experience regardless of the room size in my opinion.
Getting Around
The Westin Bora Bora offers shared bikes that you can borrow throughout the property to get around the breathtaking grounds. One of our favorite activities was bike riding during the sunrise in the morning.
The one thing I disliked about the bike system here is that they are not always easy to obtain. Bikes are available on a first come first serve basis and not given to each room like some other properties I’ve stayed at. This may just be a logistical issue as I’m guessing the Westin has too many rooms here to allow everyone access to a bike. You’ll notice all the bikes are unavailable at the rack below.
With that said, I did feel that the current number of bikes they had was a bit limited. Guests are able to ride the bikes to their room and keep them outside. The bike wouldn’t be available for someone else to use until it’s parked at one of the public areas again.
I would say about half the time we wanted a bike we were able to find one.
Below are some additional pictures of the grounds we took while riding bikes and hopefully gives you a better sense of the property layout. This view is a walkway leading out of the rooms in the 200s you see on the resort map.
Looping around the back of the property, you’ll find the beach side villas coming up on the right. These rooms have direct access to the lagoon in front of it.
Below you can start to see the lagoon that is in front of the beach villas.
Here you can see the Tipanier and Maere restaurants which are just across the lagoon of the beach villas.
Continuing past the lagoon and beach, you’ll find the walkway to the other set of overwater bungalows (the 300 numbered rooms).
As you reach the 300 numbered rooms, you can look back across the island and the beach.
Pool and Beach
Personally, my favorite defining aspect of the Westin Bora Bora is the central beach and pool area. The views of Mount Otemanu here are absolutely stunning, and I never got tired of looking at it during my stay. While going on excursions outside of the property that passed by other resorts, we felt that the Westin had one of, if not, the best views of Mount Otemanu. While I wouldn’t base a decision of which property to stay at in Bora Bora based on this factor, it’s certainly something unique that I loved about the Westin.
The pool area is apparently the largest one of all the hotels in Bora Bora, and you’ll find a variety of seating. There are also tables directly in the pool for use at the swim-up bar.
Conveniently, there is free sunscreen and towels available next to the pool bar.
Along the beach are a number of chairs and free kayaks that are available for use. Kayaking was a lot of fun and you can go under and around the overwater bungalows. The kayaks are clear on the bottom so you can see through the water below.
Jet skis can be rented from the property as well through the concierge.
Along the beach there is also the Westin Honu Tiki Beach Bar for drinks and snacks. We enjoyed the swing seats here and having a milkshake.
Below is a contrast of how bad the visibility can be if rain comes through. Luckily, we only had bad weather for one day of our visit.
One thing to note if you like snorkeling is there is not much sea life to be found in the beach area right in front of the property as well as the nearby lagoon. You can find some towards the outskirts of the property which we enjoyed, but it will take a bit of effort to get to. If you are looking at the 200 numbered rooms facing eastward, the best snorkeling we found was between the gap between land you see below.
We also booked a snorkeling activity through the concierge which included sharks, sting rays, and some really nice reefs that we’d recommend.
Fitness Studio and Spa
Near the turtle sanctuary/ecocenter you’ll find the fitness studio and heavenly spa. The fitness studio is open 24/7 and had a decent amount of equipment including treadmills, ellipticals, and free weights. Morning sunrise yoga is also an activity that takes place here on the outside platform.
For those interested in the heavenly spa, here is the link to the menu. The spa did offer a monthly special during our stay as well that I’ve shown below. Prices are expensive, but that comes with the territory of staying in Bora Bora.
Westin Bora Bora Ecocenter
The Westin Bora Bora has an ecocenter for rescuing and caring for turtles. They offer a paid morning activity where you can feed the turtles. All proceeds go to caring for the turtles. We didn’t opt for this activity, but you may be fortunate enough to spot a turtle or two in the nearby lagoon where they have a small viewing window. Sometimes you’ll find staff out and about caring for the turtles and they are happy to discuss their work with you for free.
Breakfast Westin Bora Bora – Tipanier
Breakfast at the Westin Bora Bora is served at the Tipanier restaurant, which offers indoor and outdoor seating. Platinum and elite members and above receive complementary breakfast. You may also receive it with your room rate depending on what you purchase. Given food is so expensive in Bora Bora, one strategy is to fill up on complimentary breakfast, skip lunch, and then eat dinner.
On offer is a pretty well-stocked breakfast buffet along with the option to order freshly prepared omelette or eggs, which is also complimentary to qualifying elite members. We enjoyed the lagoon view, and you’ll want to arrive earlier in the morning to snag a seat outside if interested. Off to the left you can see the on ground villas with direct access to the lagoon.
With your meal you can order a fresh beverage, and we enjoyed the iced lattes.
Occasionally you’ll find see sea life in the nearby lagoon while eating, such as a sting ray.
I certainly left satisfied every morning and in particular enjoyed the pastries and fresh omelettes. I would note that it did not have as much on offer as when we stayed at the Conrad in Bora Bora but it certainly wasn’t limited either. Quality of the food was good but some items were hit or miss either being under or overcooked. I would imagine the food on offer at the St. Regis is a bit higher end given my experience at their properties in the Maldives and Venice.
Below are some pictures of items available including juices, cereals, oatmeal, cheeses, cold cuts, raw fish, salad, fruits, pancakes, crepes, and other hot items.
Westin Bora Bora Review – Lunch and Dinner
If you haven’t done much research on Bora Bora yet, one of the things you’ll discover is that food is very expensive here and the Westin is no exception. Along with that expense you generally get average food. Outside of the Lagoon Restaurant at the St. Regis, I haven’t heard many amazing things about food across the properties in Bora Bora so I won’t knock the Westin for this directly and would just manage expectations accordingly.
On our first day we tried lunch and dinner at the Varavara restaurant, here is the menu. You’ll notice we didn’t get much of a view as some rain came through our first visit but was much better the second time. You’ll find seating is available both inside and just along the beach.
During our lunch visit to Varavara, we tried their beef burger and fries along with the casa pizza. We found the burger to be pretty good and the pizza was just ok.
During our dinner visit we tried the catch of the day and the angus beef sirloin. Both were delicious but the fish portion felt small for the price.
Beyond Varavara, we also tried ordering food pool side from Te Ava. We tried the Bianca pizza here which we found much better than the pizza we had at Varavara.
The staff also brought us a free sample cocktail to try.
Above the pool area, you’ll find the ‘O’A lounge bar and here is the menu. The wine tasting and rum tastings activities that I’ll discuss later also took place here. The lounge bar offers a great outdoor view.
I enjoyed a Mai Tai during my visit to the ‘O’A lounge bar.
Finally, we also tried the Westin Bora Bora’s signature restaurant, Maere. The restaurant offers a daily set menu, and you’ll want to inquire when you make reservations what menu will be featured. You can see the set menu options here including fisherman catch, French&Polynesian, Asian, Italian, and Mediterranean. On the night we visited, the Italian menu was offered. Maere is located just beyond the Tipaneer restaurant and offers indoor seating and a small outdoor seating along the lagoon.
We visited after sunset and sat along the lagoon.
The food here was about $140 per person for the set menu. Drinks are an additional cost.
Food was very good here and a noticeable step up from the other restaurants. Service was friendly and attentive. We did have a few service mishaps including being poured an incorrect drink re-fill a few times. A couple waiters also came out and realized they didn’t know how to describe the dish they were serving us and then another waiter had to step in to explain it. With the property only being open for about a month I think these things will resolve themselves with time and the staff was apologetic anytime an issued occurred.
If you can swallow the cost, I’d recommend eating here at least one night during your stay.
Westin Bora Bora Activities
The Westin Bora Bora offers a number of daily complimentary activities. You can find the current link of activities on offer here. During our stay we enjoyed the wine tasting, rum tasting, and flower crown making/lei making. You’ll also notice fitness based activities like pilates, sunrise yoga, and water bicycle if you are looking to stay active. The staff working these events were friendly and quite knowledgeable.
While I’m not a big rum fan it was hard to beat this amazing view you have from the center of the property. We were offered three types of rum to try during the activity.
For the wine tasting, we were given two wines to try. This was a nice escape from the rain during our first day.
Below is the lei making. You could also make a flower crown if interested.
In regards to the activities, there are some events that required reservations while others did not. Unfortunately, that wasn’t always communicated clearly to some guests. One guest got into quite the argument with the staff about not having a reservation and was ultimately let into the rum tasting. I’d chalk this up to just a growing pain of the new property and staff not fully trained yet and that should clear up with time.
To book activities, the concierge is located just behind the ‘O’A bar. We visited to book a couple of excursions of the property and the staff was helpful in identifying what we’d be interested in doing.
Westin Bora Bora Service
Service at the Westin Bora Bora was quite friendly and helpful. Room keeping and all service staff would warmly greet you around the property. Whenever we were at the pool or beach area someone would proactively offer us towels and provide free water with refills. Calls to room service were answered promptly and accurately. A number of staff members at the various restaurants and pool would remember us and address us by name. Many times we were asked if we wanted a ride somewhere by staff passing by on a golf cart.
We also liked the nightly turn down service which included free chocolate and flowers being placed on the bed.
While service is good, I would also note that you won’t find the personalized service here like you will at the St. Regis where you are assigned a personalized butler who focuses on you as an individual guest. Based on my stays at other St. Regis properties, you can request things from your butler via WhatsApp or phone and receive complimentary tea/coffee service, ironing, drawing a bath, making reservations, etc. They proactively check in on you in person day to day to see what they can help you with and will stock your room with preferred drinks and snacks. They are also more likely to surprise you with something personalized for a special event like an anniversary.
By comparison at the Westin, you’ll be a bit more of a number amongst other guests here and need to go to the front desk or the concierge for help. Again, that’s not to say service is bad here by any means but just know the Westin isn’t a luxury brand per se like the St. Regis or Four Seasons where more personalized service is expected.
One final note on the service – we stayed just shortly after opening and if I had to guess, the property was probably half full. Hopefully service does not degrade as it fills up more in the future.
Westin Bora Bora Review – Pilot Debrief
Overall, my partner and I had a fantastic stay at the Westin Bora Bora. In general, I think it would be hard to go to Bora Bora and have a bad time given its overall beauty. When it comes to selecting a property here, I’d consider your reason for visiting. If you are coming to Bora Bora for a once in a lifetime trip like a honey moon and want the best experience possible including the largest rooms, personalized service, and the top food available – you’ll likely be more satisfied at the St. Regis or Four Seasons.
With that said, if you are going to Bora Bora for a general vacation or are more cost conscious, I think the Westin is hard to beat value wise. You’ll find cheaper and more modern overwater bungalows here compared to nearby properties (although smaller), enjoy a front and center view of Mount Otenamu, and still receive adequate food and service. If you are booking with points – the value proposition at the Westin is even higher given you are more likely to be able to use free night certificates and book directly into overwater bungalows compared to the St. Regis.
We’d visit again in a heart beat and hope the property maintains itself well. Let us know if you have any thoughts or questions about our Westin Bora Bora review in the comments below.
