Four Seasons Bora Bora

We've done Four Seasons Bora Bora, The Brando, and Le Taha'a—you can't go wrong with any, though Four Seasons food is meh.

The recurring theme in French Polynesia seems to be mediocre food, and Four Seasons wasn't an exception. We were at Le Taha'a for four days and felt it got redundant, but we could have stayed at The Brando forever. Still, Four Seasons is a beautiful property if food is secondary to your experience.

Four Seasons has the best grounds in Bora Bora but serious mold issues in the rooms.

Currently the pastry chef for breakfast at Conrad is number one, but Four Seasons has significantly better grounds overall. However, I've noticed persistent mold problems in the rooms that need addressing. In French Polynesia, staffing has high turnover unfortunately, so service can be inconsistent month to month.

The food here is miles better than the other three Bora Bora resorts we've tried, even the pool bar.

Don't miss the two hot tubs in the spa area—they're open even if you aren't getting a massage. The fish dinner is pretty good and overall dining quality exceeds other Bora Bora properties. One thing I wish they had is bikes to quickly zip around like St Regis has—that's a great amenity for getting around the property.

Despite traveling with our 3-year-old daughter, we felt families with young children were not genuinely welcomed.

Our child was repeatedly treated as an inconvenience rather than a guest, with certain staff members showing discriminatory behavior. There was a noticeable lack of empathy and patience with our toddler. Instead of feeling relaxed, we felt judged and unwelcome throughout our stay. This was supposed to be our dream vacation but left us hurt and disappointed.

I had one unfortunate interaction with front desk staff that stuck with me the rest of our trip.

We were returning soaking wet from an excursion when Emily at the front desk asked me to remove my belongings so she could check in another guest. I was standing there cold and trembling, and would have expected her to offer a towel or assistance rather than dismissing me. Most staff were wonderful, but this experience highlighted inconsistent service standards that don't match the premium pricing.

The service fell short compared to other Four Seasons hotels we've visited, and rooms were outdated and need renovation.

At breakfast we were given the bill before placing our order, which felt rushed. Service was very slow—15 to 20 minutes just to receive coffee. The rooms didn't reflect modern luxury associated with Four Seasons brand. We also stayed at St Regis during this trip and felt they executed much better in terms of service and property conditions.

We stayed eight days for our honeymoon and the lagoon-view overwater bungalow was the absolute highlight of our stay.

The room was modern, fresh, and large enough that we never felt trapped—most of our time was on the outside deck with great shade and lagoon access. We brought floats which the dive center helped us tie to the deck. Being on the pontoon closer to the resort was perfect for quick trips back. Check-in was smooth with boat pickup, though we wished we could have accessed our room earlier after the long travel day.

I spent $2,800 per night for four nights but had to cancel activities due to poor treatment during a jet ski excursion.

During a hotel jet ski activity, I was repeatedly ignored by the guide while other non-Asian guests received immediate responses. When I tried to keep a piece of seaweed as a souvenir, the staff member threw it away despite my explanation. The jet skis were slow and outdated—I hit 85 km/h at Thalasso but only 44 km/h here. When I complained in person and writing, there was no response for five hours, and even then no apology or meaningful solution.

We stayed at St Regis, Four Seasons, and Westin—Four Seasons was the clear winner with better overall resort amenities and higher quality overwater bungalows.

While St Regis has a better lagoon for marine life and larger villas, Four Seasons edges out with better resort grounds, more updated rooms, and superior Mountain Otemanu views. The quality of the overwater bungalows at Four Seasons is simply higher. St Regis does have better service and food, but Four Seasons delivers a more refined overall experience. For pure luxury resort experience, Four Seasons takes it.

We did a split stay last August and thought the Four Seasons bungalow was nicer with far superior views and better swimmable water.

The Four Seasons breakfast buffet was far better than St Regis, and we didn't have a bad meal there while St Regis served us stale and moldy items. Four Seasons has better Mount Otemanu views from everywhere on property and superior sunsets. English was more widely spoken and we got fewer mosquito bites. The shops are better too. On the whole, I preferred Four Seasons and that's where we'll return.

After exploring Four Seasons, St Regis, and The Brando, Four Seasons is the clear winner for French Polynesia and will be my number one choice for clients.

From the first step off the plane onto the transfer boat, everything was at a level of luxury and service that had me texting my family constantly. The property consists of 100 overwater bungalows on two pontoons plus seven beach villas. The current owner has invested heavily in rolling renovations and continually refreshing offerings. They're building a six-bedroom masterpiece villa that will be one of the best at any Four Seasons worldwide.

I booked through Sarah and the experience was absolutely next-level—from the first moments off the plane to the dedicated reception lounge, everything felt surreal.

We were greeted by smiling Four Seasons staff and loaded onto a speedboat with chilled towels and branded water bottles. The 15-minute boat ride to the resort was breathtaking. Being ushered into the air-conditioned reception lounge felt like VIP treatment from minute one. On Sarah's recommendation, we booked a lagoon-view plunge pool overwater bungalow and the upgrade process was seamless.

We just wrapped up our honeymoon here in February and I can't say enough great things about Four Seasons Bora Bora.

This is my third Four Seasons property so I'm biased toward their hospitality and attention to detail. The overwater bungalow facing Mount Otemanu is absolutely breathtaking—those views are unobstructed and the lagoon access is perfect. When we did excursions around other properties like Conrad and Westin, I felt Four Seasons had the best mountain views. The spa deserves special mention—it's relaxing and secluded, though you need to book early since it fills up fast.

I stayed at Conrad, St Regis, and Four Seasons for seven days each—Four Seasons was best for families and had the most tech-savvy operations.

Four Seasons has the best beach of all three resorts and excellent dinner options for longer stays. Everything is organized through their chat feature which made requests seamless. If you're staying in an overwater room, I'd definitely recommend beach view on the side closest to the beach—we got upgraded to lagoon view but the winds were just too much. The worst part was breakfast: too many fruit flies and zero selection changes over seven days.

We just spent five nights in an overwater bungalow with plunge pool—it was the nicest room we've stayed in across 78 countries.

The food was fantastic and staff attentive to every need. For such a remote place, it's not more expensive than Hawaii or Cabo. I'd suggest a private boat for snorkeling through the concierge—only $1,100 for four hours with stingrays and sharks. The whole experience exceeded expectations for luxury in such an isolated location.

Four Seasons Bora Bora captures the essence of paradise—we've traveled across the Pacific, Europe, Caribbean, and Australia, and none compare.

The setting is breathtaking with turquoise waters, lush greenery, and Mount Otemanu views that look like a dream. The resort offers hidden peaceful spots and exciting activities so you're never bored yet it always feels serene. Food was excellent with every meal fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Service was flawless, warm, and consistent throughout our stay, making it truly unforgettable.