When people think of overwater bungalows, the Maldives or Bora Bora probably come to mind. While the Maldives has an endless number of resorts, Bora Bora has few properties. The region has now seen its first new hotel opening since 2017, with the debut of the Westin Bora Bora.
Basics of the new Westin Bora Bora
The Westin Bora Bora has opened as of September 2024. In fairness, it’s not a brand new hotel. Instead, the Le Meridien Bora Bora underwent a major renovation, and the property reopened as a Westin. The Westin is located at the base of Mount Otemanu, and boasts the largest collection of overwater bungalows in Bora Bora, alongside beachside villas.
The Westin Bora Bora features a variety of amenities, including the largest swimming pool in Bora Bora, which is an infinity pool in the center of the resort with a swim-up bar and a waterfall cascading from the second floor into the pool. The resort also features a full service spa, plus a fitness center.
The Westin Bora Bora boasts a total of 142 accommodations:
- There are 128 overwater bungalows, many with their own plunge pool, and these start at 441 square feet (41 square meters), which is quite small for an overwater bungalow
- There are 14 beachside bungalows, for those who prefer to be directly on the beach, and they also start at 441 square feet (41 square meters)
I’ve gotta say, the rooms having sinks right next to the bed doesn’t feel very high end to me. Otherwise the rooms look quite nice.
As far as dining goes, the Westin Bora Bora features six dining concepts, comprised of:
- Tipanier is the all-day French Polynesian bistro, featuring a breakfast buffet, plus lunch and dinner service
- Maere is the resort’s signature restaurant, using fresh local ingredients
- Varavara is the beachfront restaurant serving lunch and dinner
- Honu Tiki is the beach bar, offering frozen drinks, light snacks, and more
- Te Ava is the poolside restaurant, open for much of the day
- ‘O’a Bar is the outdoor lobby lounge bar, offering cocktails and more
Westin Bora Bora rates & points requirements
With the Westin Bora Bora now open, what are rates like? For those paying cash, rates start at well over $1,000 per night, and during many periods of the year, the cheapest rate is over $1,500 per night for a base room. Rates below are show in cash (in XPF), and one USD converts to a bit over 100 XPF.
For those looking to redeem Marriott Bonvoy® points, rates are potentially very attractive, at least compared to cash rates. I see some nights that are priced under 70,000 points, and then keep in mind you can also get a fifth night free, bringing down the average cost to a bit over 50,000 points. I value Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, so that’s an exceptional redemption.
I don’t understand the Westin branding
Am I the only one that finds it a bit strange that a lot of money was poured into refreshing a Le Meridien, only for it to be rebranded as a Westin? To be honest, I haven’t really understood the Westin brand since Marriott’s takeover of Starwood. But perhaps I just don’t understand Marriott’s brand positioning anymore more broadly, given the amount of brand inflation we’ve seen.
I get Westin in the context of a generic business hotel, where you’re looking for comfort and a decent gym without much local flair or luxury. But are there really a lot of people who say “boy, I’d love to travel to Bora Bora and spend $1,500 per night to stay at a Westin?”
This may very well be a beautiful hotel, and it’ll certainly feel “fresher” than the other Bora Bora resorts. However, I can’t help but think that the Westin branding detracts from the resort, rather than contributing to it.
From a branding perspective, you’d think that it would make a lot more sense to brand this as a Luxury Collection, or Autograph Collection, or Ritz-Carlton, or something… but a Westin? Something tells me that only a tiny percentage of guests will be paying the standard cash rate found on marriott.com.
I’d be willing to bet this property will be a “points farm,” with a vast majority of guests redeeming points, and those paying cash largely booking package holidays or through consolidators. After all, the standard pricing here isn’t that far off from what the Four Seasons is charging.
Bottom line
The Westin Bora Bora has just opened, and it’s the first new(ish) resort in Bora Bora in many years. However, in reality it’s just the Le Meridien with a substantial makeover. The property looks quite nice, even if the small overwater bungalows with the sinks right by the bed are a bit strange for a property like this. But still, it’s a nice new addition. I just don’t get the branding.
What do you make of the Westin Bora Bora? And what do you make of the branding?
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