REVIEW: Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa, French Polynesia

This is my review of the Hilton Moorea Lagoon and Spa in French Polynesia.

Those who read TLFL regularly will know that I went to French Polynesia at the end of 2024 after two failed attempts where I had the entire trip booked on points and miles. You can read the reviews of my flights with Air France here.

The first thing to decide is which island you want to visit. We chose Moorea as it is less honeymoon-orientated and we were two friends visiting. On Bora Bora there are more choices of hotel but they are usually on a moto or island so you have to get a boat to get on the island. Moorea only has a small choice of luxury hotels but tends to be much better value than Bora Bora. You can get an overwater bungalow for around £700 a night if you book in advance and go for shoulder season. On Bora Bora it is more like £1000-1600 a night. We visited in early November and had pretty good weather the whole time with plenty of sunshine. 

The other main luxury hotel is the Sofitel which I also stayed in and will review next. I will add comparisons as I go along to help you choose. 

Location and getting there

There are two ways to get to Moorea, flight and terminal. The flights are expensive and very short (around 15 minutes). Add in the often lengthy queues at immigration and having to build in extra time for that, I’d choose the ferry every time. There are several different ferries, with the fastest taking just over 30 minutes. You can buy tickets on line and don’t need to pre-book as a foot passenger but it is easier to get an online ticket than queue for a ticket. We found them very well organised as luggage is collected before you board and returned almost immediately you get off. You also get some great views – we saw a whale breaching on the way which was magical. 

The Hilton is situated further from the ferry terminal than the Sofitel, and I would recommend booking transport as in Moorea, there were virtually no taxis at the port. The Hilton can arrange transport but we used a private company as it was much cheaper. It takes around 25 minutes to reach the Hilton. 

The Hilton has the advantage of its own dock where most of the boat trips go from, so if you plan to do a few boat trips it is worth staying here. 

Check-in

We were helped with our bags by the fantastic bell desk staff and offered a welcome drink.

The check-in staff was the one issue we had with the hotel. Well, to be honest, just one of them; the rest were lovely. Helga, as we nicknamed her, was quite something. I think no-nonsense would sum it up, but definitely not welcoming in any way. We felt that we were being given a lecture rather than introduced to the resort. We had to read through a long document of disclaimers, which we did not have at the other hotel (although some of it may have to do with the location). It left us feeling a bit concerned as there are stonefish in the area. They tend to be found in the bay around the headland from the Hilton. Luckily, we did not see any during our visit. However, I’d strongly recommend taking thick-soled water shoes with you, although they do sell them at the hotels.

We had arrived in the morning after an overnight flight, and I had pre-warned them of this. We had hoped that at least one of the rooms would be ready a little early, but this was not entertained at all, and we were simply told to come back at check-in time. I do feel that they could try to get some rooms ready a little earlier. Typically, most hotels will call you if it is ready early. The good news is that at least check-in is at 2 pm which is relatively early.

On the plus side, they do provide a small free breakfast buffet for when you first arrive with some pastries, fruit, and coffee,e which was a nice touch. There is also a decent-sized toilet by reception where you can change and shower. So we were able to use the facilities while we waited, and I also booked a massage. 

The rooms

The lowest category of room is the King Garden Bungalow with Private Pool which is what I had booked. There was also a larger King Deluxe Garden Bungalow with Private Pool which my friend had booked. This was an interesting study in how sometimes, status means nothing. As Katie had booked a higher category room which was not available, she got a lovely upgrade to an overwater bungalow despite booking with an OTA and having no status. I kept my original room category as a Hilton Diamond that booked direct. The hotel was pretty much full when we were there so there was not much they could without having to downgrade my friend which would not have been right. I already had an overwater bungalow booked at the Sofitel, so I was not too worried. 

The King Garden Bungalow with Private Pool

I paid around £500 a night for this room which may sound expensive but when you think a 4* hotel in London can be that much for an entry level room, I actually think it was a very reasonable price.

I really liked the rooms decor, which felt in keeping with Moorea but not too dated. The rooms are set within well-manicured gardens a short walk from the main hotel. I liked the vaulted roof, and the room felt generous in size. The bed was also very comfortable. The room’s air conditioning took a while to master but once you had it did cool the room to a suitable temperature – and boy, did we need it. It was definitely hot and humid – I was a hot sweaty mess by the time I got back to the room some days! 

In addition to the bed, there was a table for working or doing hair/make-up with a socket within reach. Finally, there was a decent size sofa too although you could not watch TV from there very well as it the 40″ screen was alongside it. You could swivel the TV though. 

Next to the sofa was a mini bar which was free. This is common in French Polynesia, but there is only a small selection of drinks and it is only replaced once a day. It did include beer though!

Above the fridge was a proper coffee maker and a kettle. 

The bathroom consisted of a separate toilet and a large bathroom with a proper bathtub and a walk-in shower. It was an ideal arrangement for a couple or friends with two sinks and the toilet completely in a separate room. Much better than the open plan glass-sided modern nonsense!

There was a lit mirror and the toiletries were the standard Crabtree and Evelyn in large containers, but I love the smell of this brand. You were advised not to drink the water at all at the Hilton and plenty of bottled water was provided throughout the room.

You will notice that the outdoor area has some odd black material in part of the fence. This is a temporary measure while they renew the wood. As well as two loungers there was a table and chairs under cover and a parasol. You need cover here as it is very close to the equator and so easy to get burnt. The pool was cooler than the main pool as it probably got less sun. There was a nice bench where you could sit and lie in the water to relax or read a book. 

The overwater bungalow

These are arranged along two pontoons jutting out into the sea. There are also a couple of King Bungalow with Lagoon View which are set on the beach with steps into the water as well as the standard overwater bungalow like this one and a panoramic overwater bungalow. 

The room felt spacious with a large bed and a sofa with a glass viewing floor by the coffee table. 

The water is so clear here that you can see the fish through the glass!

The bathroom also had twin sinks and a bathtub as well as a walk-in shower.

On the balcony, there were two sunloungers and a table and chairs. Pool towels are provided in your room. There are also steps down into the lagoon.

Out of the two hotels, I preferred the overwater bungalows at the Sofitel, although the bathrooms were better here. The Sofitel rooms felt more upmarket.

The pool and beach

The pool at the Hilton was far superior to the Sofitel. It was larger and had fantastic service from the guys serving and at the dive hut. The water was shallow as you walked in and warm. It was perfect for lounging in as well as deep enough to swim. There was a good range of drinks and cocktails and the guys were super friendly on their regular rounds. They really made for a great atmosphere. 

The view of the mountains behind and the quiet ambiance of the pool (apart from one very irritating group of Americans who thought it fun to blast out their own terrible music while getting drunk loudly).

The pool was never that busy, probably because most people had a private pool or the lagoon. There were always plenty of loungers to choose from. The loungers also all had parasols which were definitely needed! Sadly they had a pool card system with one towel per person. As many of you will know I hate this system. Yes, you can swap the towel, but since I am paying for a room for 2 people I don’t see why I can’t have two towels?! It is really a way to save money as I’m pretty sure no one wants to steal an old pool towel if they are paying £500+ a night! Luckily, you do get two towels in your room, so we just carted those around. 

There were plenty of loungers on the beach as well and there was also good service for drinks too. The sand here was a little stony as you get into the water which is all down to the coral. So again, water shoes are advised. There was a fairly gentle slope down into the water and the water is incredibly calm here. You get a free snorkel and fins with a card that you are given at reception when you arrive. You can also arrange other water activities by the pool such as paddle boarding or canoes. 

Spa and gym

The spa has a good range of local treatments, including some locally influenced ones. I loved my visit to the spa and found the staff here really charming and helpful. I had a great Moorea Lagoon massage which was their signature local inspired massage. It cost around £95 for 50 minutes which nowadays is not bad at all (I pay £75 at a local salon). It started with a welcome drink and choice of three local oils. 

There is a small gym available on the property across from reception.

Food and drink

This is where the Hilton really excels compared to the Sofitel. We were very disappointed by the lack of options at the Sofitel. At the Hilton, you have breakfast in the main restaurant. For a Hilton Diamond, it is continental only, but you can upgrade for £8 a day, which is not too bad. I did not bother.

The main restaurant – Arii Vahine

There was a good choice of hot and cold options with some lovely fresh fruit and a wide range of pastries as well as salad, cereal, cold meat, and cheeses. I would say the Sofitel was slightly better for the range of items but there was not much in it.

In the evening, this restaurant transformed into a fine dining restaurant,t which we did not have time to try. There is also a bar next to the restaurant. Moorea is definitely an early-night kind of a vibe, so if you are looking for nightlife you will be out of luck!

The Creperie – Totea

The one I would recommend for the experience, if nothing else, is the Creperie, which is set over the water. The menu is just crepes, but then it has a tiny open-air kitchen, so it is not surprising that it is limited. However, you will have some interesting dining companions!

The lights seem to attract the ocean inhabitants and while we were there we saw sharks and a spotted eagle ray.

The crepes were very good with plenty of choice between sweet and savoury. They were filling enough to be a main meal. You could also just come for a drink but the view is not as good from the bar. Prices for food and some drinks are pretty expensive. Wine is generally good value with a glass being around £6-9 and a bottle from around £35. Beer is also reasonable. Cocktails are pricey at around £20. A crepe was around £25. 

The beachside restaurant – Rotui bar and grill

This was the other restaurant where we ate lunch and dinner. I loved the location overlooking the beach and the overwater bungalows. Service was generally very friendly although occasionally a bit slow.

There was a fantastic choice on the menu, so much we had difficulty deciding. It had everything from Western classics to local dishes such as ceviche and coconut-crusted fish. Cerviche here is quite creamy from coconut and doesn’t have the kick of the South American ones. 

Everything we had in this restaurant was great and it would have taken a long time to get bored with the extensive menu.

If you want to eat out, most of the island’s restaurants are a very casual cafe style, and you can get taxis to pick you up. There is also a boat service from near the Hilton to Cocobeach which is on an island.

Finally, there is Rudy’s, which is an island institution that we visited, The decor is as old as the proprietors, but we loved it! The food was French classic with a few local twists and the prices were a bit cheaper than the hotel. The restaurant has a very efficient free shuttle service from the main hotels, but I would advise booking in advance.

Prices – points and cash

It is very hard to get redemptions at the standard rate here. You need to book them on the day they are released (around 11 months in advance) which then makes it tricky to do the 5 for 4 offer for those with status. At the moment the cheapest rate for the pool villa I can find is 234,000 points. The cash price start from £495, so I don’t think using points is worth it unless you can get it at the basic points rate, which I would guess to be 120,000. An overwater bungalow starts at £675 which I think is not bad at all. 

You can check current prices and availability here.

Conclusion

Firstly I would highly recommend Moorea for a relaxing or romantic holiday with its stunning scenery and amazing sea life. Overall I loved the Hilton and had a good experience. The arrival could definitely have been more welcoming, and I was not keen on the towel situation. I would much rather you could have two each, and they just noted down how many towels you had. It does look like they may be giving the rooms a slight overall to more neutral colours, judging by the website, which would be a welcome addition.

I liked my pool room as it was spacious and had everything I needed, and I enjoyed having the private pool for a quick dip. The main pool here is beautiful with fantastic service which was a huge contrast to the Sofitel. The food also was vastly superior here with better food and much more choice. 

If I came back, I’d be tempted to do the same again and spread my visit between the two hotels, but this time I would spend longer at the Hilton.