REVIEW: Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Hotel, French Polynesia

This is the next installment of my bucket list trip to French Polynesia. You can read about my flights on Air France’s newest business class suite here. In this article, I also reviewed the Hilton Moorea, explaining why I chose Moorea and how to get there. There are also tips on where to eat etc.

Location

The Sofitel is conveniently located close to the ferry terminal. However, it does not have the advantage of having a pier like the Hilton does, so most boat excursions require you to be picked up and taken to the pier. Moorea is pretty small, so location is not overly important here but for a short visit it saves a longer car trip to the Hilton.

Check-in

Like the Hilton, there was a small issue with check-in. This felt more luxurious and 5*, though, as we were seated at a desk for the process. We were offered a welcome drink of juice and checked in. We had booked on a special Accor rate through a luxury agent that gives you extra, such as upgrades and free breakfast. It also includes getting your normal points and perks from Accor. However, the person at the desk refuted that and would not add my number to the booking. I tried insisting but got nowhere. We were spending a substantial amount of money there, so I did not want to give up on the points, so I had to contact the travel agent to confirm I was correct and then go to a different agent at the front desk to sort it out. Better training is needed for their staff to know fairly basic information such as this.

We were driven to our rooms with our luggage by buggy. I did feel that the landscaping here was beautiful and slightly better than the Hilton.

The rooms

We had both booked overwater bungalows here with my friend in a Horizon Luxury Overwater Bungalow King Bed, and I had the Luxury Overwater Bungalow King Bed. They were both the same but with a slightly different view.

These rooms are quite a long walk down the pier as the Horizon bungalows were right at the end with an unobstructed view. You can call for a buggy to pick you if you didn’t want to walk in the heat (and boy was it hot and humid!)

I thought these rooms were more luxurious than the Hilton overwater bungalows and I found the steps into the sea better as well.

The room had a chic Polynesian feel with its thatched roof. The layout was a little odd with one large king size bed and then a single bed that was used as a day bed.

If the weather was rainy, you could enjoy watching the fish through the window in the floor.

There was also a desk in one corner and a walk-in closet.

Behind the bed was the coffee/tea and minibar. All the items in the mini bar were free. Unlike the Hilton, you could drink the water here but I do feel they could have been more generous than the two bottles of water a day in a tropical climate.

The fridge contained water, juice, soda and beer which were refilled daily.

The luxury rooms get a bottle of champagne included plus we got some welcome snacks and water. The champagne was not bad at all!

I preferred the overall feel of the bathroom, although it would have been nice to have an actual bath for the price paid. Everything you would expect such as toiletries and a hairdryer were provided. I enjoyed using the local ingredient based toiletries which were in large pump bottles, although thankfully not fixed to anything. 

There was a large walk-in shower that looked like it may have originally been partly outdoor as there were glass doors to the outside which were locked. 

Outside the balcony had two loungers and a table and chairs as well as an outdoor shower. There were wooden steps down to a small deck area which then had metal steps into the sea.

Food and drink

This was the main letdown for me and would maybe stop me from choosing the Sofitel versus the Hilton. There are only two restaurants here for the evening, the main one Pure, where breakfast is served and K with a very fancy Michelin star type set tasting menu. Now, I love a tasting menu, but it was expensive, and I really wasn’t that bothered by the menu for the price. So, it only left the main restaurant, which had a buffet the first night, which I would not usually choose. It was a Tahitian-themed night. The food was OK but not the best, and the entertainment was pretty basic for the money we paid.

The other night we ended up having some appetisers in the Vue bar and then room service! Vue has a selection of “tapas” which are Asian influenced such as spring rolls. It seems a shame that a French company does not have a better choice of food.

During the day, the Vue bar was open, but there was also the beach bar, which we both enjoyed, although the service was a little slow.

This offered casual food and drinks with comfortable seats right on the beach.

Breakfast

Breakfast here was actually much better than the Hilton, with a lot more choice. This included everything from traditional breakfast items such as eggs, pancakes, and bacon to local ceviche, salads, and tropical fruit. I particularly loved the huge range of tropical jams, plus the pastries and breads were amazing, as you’d expect from the French influence. Service for coffee and tea was a little hit-and-miss, however. We did enjoy being able to sit outside overlooking the beach which is hard to do at Hilton due to the lack of tables outside. 

The spa and fitness facilities

We both loved the feel of the spa with its tropical garden at the centre. On arrival we were given a beautiful looking welcome drink and a cold towel which was very needed!

We both went for the same relaxing massage and then could relax by the pool after the treatment.

There is also a gym here as well as yoga classes available.

Pool and beach

There was one infinity pool here, which was a lot smaller than the Hilton and had far fewer loungers, although we managed to get one, probably due to the rain early that day. There was no service at the pool as such; instead, you had to go up the steps into the formal bar, which seemed very odd. If they don’t have the staff to provide service, it would be good to have some QR codes for ordering as many hotels do.

The beach had fine white sand and a gentle slope into the beautiful warm and crystal clear lagoon. I have been lucky enough to snorkel in many places around the world but this was the clearest water I have ever seen. There were plenty of fish even just off the beach. You could see them just bb leaning over the balcony of the bungalow as the water was so clear.

There is a dive and water sports centre that provides various activities such as kayaks and organised snorkelling tours. The hotel gives you a voucher for a mask and fins to use while you are there. I was looking forward to trying the sea scooter which you use to propel yourself while snorkeling. However, I was told they had recently changed their policy, and you could only use them as part of a fairly long snorkelling tour, which I did not want to do, which was a shame. 

Pricing 

We paid around £750 a night for the bungalows. This is reasonable as on Bora Bora, prices start from around £1000 a night up to around £2000 a night. If you can find a STEP Accor agent (most luxury agents are members), then you can get these extra benefits free:

• Room upgrade at check-in, if available
• Complimentary daily breakfast for two
• $100 hotel credit to be spent during your stay
• Early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability)
• Welcome amenities

The basic room is a garden view bungalow and these start at around £450 a night. We went in November which is the shoulder season between the dry period and the start of rainy season. Prices can be a little cheaper at this time but we still only had the odd shower rather than any substantial rain except overnight. 

You can check prices on the hotel’s website here. 

Conclusion and comparison with Hilton Moorea

We both loved the overwater bungalows here, and it was magical to snorkel and swim from our own steps. The resort itself was beautifully landscaped, and the staff were friendly and helpful, if sometimes a little slow. Overall, it was a magical place, and for me, it was worth every penny spent for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

I think we did the right thing by staying at both hotels. It allows you to have the best of both worlds, as neither hotel is perfect.

The Hilton was best for:

• Food except breakfast. All the meals we had were fantastic, and there was a decent choice of restaurants.
• Service
• The pool and service by the pool
• Boat excursions

I wasn’t so keen on:

• The check-in
• The rooms (which I believe they are updating now) particularly the overwater bungalow as they felt a little tired. 
• Having to use a towel card every time I wanted a (single) towel. 

The Sofitel was best for:

• The rooms felt more luxurious than the Hilton
• The spa which was marginally better than the Hilton due to the surroundings
• The overall feel of the resort

I wasn’t so keen on:

• The lack of choice of restaurants in the evening
• The pool and lack of service