The best resorts in Bora Bora in 2026 are the Four Seasons and the St. Regis on the eastern motu, the freshly renovated Conrad Bora Bora Nui, and the Westin — the island's newest, with its largest overwater count. One warning before anything else: the famous InterContinental Thalasso is closed until mid-2027. Don't book it.
Bora Bora runs on a short list of resorts and a long list of outdated guides. Unit counts, transfer prices and renovation status below were re-verified in July 2026, and where the resorts themselves publish conflicting numbers, we say so instead of picking one that sounds confident.
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First, what's closed
The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa — the all-overwater resort famous for its seawater air-conditioning and Deep Ocean spa — closed fully on June 1, 2026 for phase two of a site-wide renovation and is expected back in mid-2027. Phase one (2025–26) already added plunge pools to 22 villas, so the reopened product should be worth the wait — but for 2026 travel it is simply not bookable, whatever an old listicle tells you. Its sister resort, Le Moana (#6 below), remains open.
The six, at a glance
| Resort | Overwater units | Boat transfer (round trip) | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four Seasons | 100 (+7 beach villas) | Resort boat, charged unless packaged | Lagoon sanctuary, plunge pools standard |
| St. Regis | 77 of ~90 villas | ~$146 pp | Largest overwater villas in the South Pacific |
| Conrad Nui | 86 pre-reno (new count TBC) | ~$166 pp | Renovated 2026; best villa snorkeling |
| Westin (new 2024) | 128 (+14 beach) | ~$130 pp | Largest OW count + largest infinity pool |
| Le Bora Bora (Pearl) | ~50–78 of 108 (sources conflict) | ~$88 pp | Relais & Châteaux; glass-bottom-bed villas |
| IC Le Moana | Majority of ~60 bungalows | None — main island | Matira Point; lowest entry rates |
Transfer prices converted from XPF at July 2026 rates and rounded; resorts adjust them frequently. "TBC/conflict" marks figures the resorts don't publish consistently.
1. Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora
The complete package: 100 overwater bungalow suites (plunge pools standard on the overwater villas) plus seven beachfront villas, a lagoon sanctuary with a resident marine biologist, and breakfast included — a rarity at this tier. Service depth is the differentiator; this is the resort the others are measured against, with entry rates from roughly $1,600.
Honest note: not every villa faces Mt Otemanu, whatever the brochure implies — mountain-view categories cost meaningfully more, and the boat transfer is charged unless your package includes it. Ask for both in writing.
2. The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort
The space play: 77 overwater villas out of roughly 90 total, and the largest overwater villas in the South Pacific — entry category 1,550 square feet, rising to the ~13,000-square-foot Royal Estate. Every villa gets 24-hour butler service, and the private lagoonarium is the best swimming enclosure on the island. Entry from roughly $1,550; transfer about $146 per person round trip.
Honest note: the resort is big and spread out — bikes or buggy rides between your villa and dinner are part of daily life. Couples wanting intimacy at this price should weigh the Conrad.
3. Conrad Bora Bora Nui
Newly renovated: closed January–April 2026, reopened May 1 with refreshed villas and new, larger sunset-facing overwater bungalows (final unit count still settling; it was 86 overwater villas before the works). On Motu To'opua's outer reef edge, it has the best direct-from-your-deck snorkeling of any resort here, plus the island's only hilltop spa. Points travelers: this is the marquee Hilton redemption in the Pacific.
Honest note: the To'opua position means no Mt Otemanu view from most of the resort — you're looking at open lagoon and sunset instead. Decide which postcard you want before booking.
4. The Westin Bora Bora Resort & Spa
The newest resort on the island — opened September 2024 as a ground-up rebuild of the long-shuttered Le Méridien — with 128 overwater bungalows (the largest count in Bora Bora), 14 beach units, a turtle sanctuary inherited from its predecessor, and the island's largest infinity pool. Rooms are the freshest on the lagoon, at rates typically below the Four Seasons/St. Regis tier.
Honest note: Westin is an upper-upscale brand, not ultra-luxury — service ambition sits a clear notch below the top three, and the large bungalow count means a busier lagoon deck. Exceptional value; just calibrate expectations.
5. Le Bora Bora by Pearl Resorts
The boutique local: fully renovated in 2020, now a Relais & Châteaux member and voted Bora Bora's top resort in Condé Nast Traveler's 2025 Readers' Choice awards. 108 rooms and villas on Motu Tevairoa near the airport, including four Pool Overwater Villas with glass-bottom beds — the island's quirkiest wake-up. Transfers are the cheapest of the motu resorts (~$88 round trip).
Honest note: published overwater counts conflict (the resort doesn't break them out), and the entry overwater units are dated-charming rather than new-built. It's French Polynesia's character pick, not its polish pick.
6. InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana
The main-island option, and quietly the smartest budget move on the lagoon: roughly 60 bungalows, most overwater, at Matira Point — the island's best public beach — with no boat transfer at all, restaurants and shops in walking distance, and entry rates from about $750 in low season. The canoe-breakfast tradition started here decades ago.
Honest note: the bungalows are the island's most traditional (read: smaller, older), and with the Thalasso closed until 2027, Le Moana carries IHG's whole Bora Bora flag — book early. Being on the main island also means the view is of the lagoon, not of Otemanu towering over your deck.
Getting there — and what it really costs
There are no seaplanes in Bora Bora. Arrival is a ~50-minute Air Tahiti flight from Papeete to the airport on Motu Mute, an islet in the lagoon — and from there, everything moves by boat. The resorts' shuttles are rarely free: budget roughly $80–150 per person round trip (St. Regis ~$146, Conrad ~$166, Westin ~$130, Pearl ~$88), or take the inexpensive public shuttle to Vaitape if you're staying on the main island. On a 6-night couple's trip, transfers quietly add $300+ — treat them as part of the room rate when comparing resorts, and note Le Moana's zero-transfer advantage.
When to visit
- May–October (dry season): the reliable window; June–September is peak, with peak pricing.
- November–April (wet season): humid, with real rain — and discounts that can reach 50%. Shoulder edges (May, late October, November) are the value plays.
- Six nights minimum: with 10+ hours of flying from the US West Coast plus the Papeete connection, shorter trips spend too much of themselves in transit.
Bora Bora or the Maldives?
The honest comparison: Bora Bora gives you drama — Mt Otemanu rising from the center of one of the world's great lagoons — plus a shorter trip from North America (~10–12 hours). The Maldives gives you flatter scenery but clearer house-reef snorkeling, a far deeper resort selection at every price, and a shorter trip from Europe. Food programs in Bora Bora are good, not destination-grade — if the tasting menu matters as much as the lagoon, the Maldives' top resorts win that category. See our tropical destinations pillar for the full matrix.
Sources
Facts verified July 2026 against: Four Seasons Bora Bora, Marriott (St. Regis), InterContinental Thalasso renovation notice, Le Bora Bora by Pearl Resorts, Conrad reopening coverage, and Westin Bora Bora opening reports (One Mile at a Time / Upgraded Points, Sept 2024). Transfer prices and unit counts change frequently; where sources conflict we flag it in the text rather than guess.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get to Bora Bora resorts?
Papeete to Bora Bora by air (~50 min), landing on Motu Mute — then boats everywhere. Resort shuttles cost roughly $80–150 per person round trip. No seaplanes here.
Is the InterContinental Thalasso open?
No — fully closed June 1, 2026 for renovation, reopening expected mid-2027. Le Moana remains open.
When should I go?
May–October for dry-season reliability; the wet season (Nov–Apr) trades rain risk for discounts up to 50%.
What does an overwater bungalow cost?
Roughly $850–1,500 entry-level in 2026, $1,800–3,500 for pool/premium villas, $4,000+ for top suites — plus transfers and meal plans.
Which resort is newest?
The Westin (September 2024, ex-Le Méridien rebuild), followed by the Conrad's May 2026 post-renovation reopening.
For more, see our Bora Bora hotel collection, Fiji's best resorts, Hawaii's best hotels and the Maldives collection.
