Hotel Bora Bora

The Hotel Bora Bora sits on the edge of a turquoise lagoon nestled beneath the lush green volcanic peaks of Mount Otemanu. There are three beaches and a barrier reef offering a variety of colorful marine life. One of the most famous resorts in the South Pacific, having played host to more than a few famed writers including James Michener, the Hotel Bora Bora is the quintessential symbol of French Polynesia.

Hotel Bora Bora, like the island, comes close to perfection in its idyllic setting on Point Raititi. It is nestled among immaculate, mature gardens, where there are hundreds of tropical birds and over 100 varieties of trees and plants. The resort’s three sugar-white beaches are complemented by a lagoon in which every color of the rainbow has its match among the sea life and coral. From this southern peninsula on the very edge of the island’s shimmering blue lagoon, the views run 270 degrees -- from the lagoon and the 40-kilometer barrier reef that rims it, to the green-wreathed volcanic peaks that lend drama to the island. Mount Otemanu (mountain of the bird), at 727 meters (2,385 feet), dominates Bora Bora. Hotel Bora Bora is made for sea-and-sun lovers. Indeed, the sun sets directly in front of the hotel, just off the main beach. Some of the island’s best snorkeling can be found just a few steps into the lagoon surrounding the resort.

The resort’s 54 Polynesian-style bungalows and farés (the Tahitian term for home) are linked to the resort’s public areas by black, lava-stone walkways. These individual accommodations enjoy a variety of settings, from garden-view and beachfront to Overwater locations. All accommodations offer oversized rooms that take on the eclectic taste of an old trader’s house. Each is furnished in rattan and bamboo, with Tasmanian oak floors, red-cedar walls, ceilings of pandanus lashed to beams of Douglas fir, ball-and-claw, cast-iron tubs, overhead fans, CD players and personal safes. The bar and restaurant are perched on a high vantage point with spectacular views of the lagoon and distant reef, and along the most beautiful beach in the islands.