How to choose a Bora Bora resort: motu or main island?
The first decision isn't which brand to book. It's where on the lagoon you want to be. Bora Bora hotels fall into two groups:
- Motu resorts: the Four Seasons, St. Regis, Conrad, Westin and Le Bora Bora by Pearl sit on the low coral islets (motu) around the lagoon. You get privacy, calm water and the classic view across to Mount Otemanu. The trade-off is that you rely on boats for everything, including the airport transfer, which is usually charged at about $100–300 per person return. You'll eat most meals at the resort.
- Main-island hotels: InterContinental Le Moana, Maitai Polynesia, Village Temanuata and Bora Bora Ecolodge are reached by road. You can walk or drive to Matira Beach, Vaitape and local restaurants, and the free airline shuttle boat to Vaitape covers the first leg from the airport.
Views are worth thinking about too. Resorts on the eastern motu, like the Four Seasons, look west across the lagoon to Otemanu. The Conrad, on Motu To'opua in the southwest, is better placed for sunsets. Check our Bora Bora map to see where each resort sits.
Overwater bungalow or beach villa?
An overwater bungalow is the reason most people come. You step off your deck into the lagoon, and at the Four Seasons every overwater room has a glass floor panel. But overwater isn't automatically the best choice:
- Private pools are more common in beach, garden and hillside villas than over the water. Le Bora Bora's Garden and Beach Villas and the Conrad's hillside villas all have their own pools. At the St. Regis, only a handful of overwater villas do.
- Families often find beach villas easier, with more floor space and no open water off the deck.
- View categories matter. Bungalows are priced by what they face, so an "Otemanu view" or end-of-pontoon unit costs more than a lagoon-view one at the same resort.
Many couples split the stay: a few nights on the beach or main island, then the last nights over the water. Our overwater bungalow guide goes deeper.
Bora Bora hotels by budget
Here are the open resorts grouped by nightly price (October 2026 guides; rates swing widely by season):
| Budget | Resorts | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra-luxury | St. Regis Bora Bora | Overwater from ~$4,000/night |
| Luxury | Four Seasons, Conrad Bora Bora Nui | Overwater from ~$2,500/night |
| Upscale | The Westin Bora Bora | ~$1,000–3,000/night |
| Mid-range | Le Bora Bora by Pearl, InterContinental Le Moana | From ~$700–800/night |
| Budget overwater | Maitai Polynesia | Garden from ~€300, overwater from ~€800 |
| Budget | Village Temanuata, Bora Bora Ecolodge | ~$150–350/night |
Room rate is only part of the bill. Transfers, meals and lagoon tours add up fast. Plug your own numbers into the trip cost calculator.
Best resorts in Bora Bora for honeymoons, families and budgets
For a honeymoon: the St. Regis for butler service and its private lagoonarium; the Four Seasons for glass-floor bungalows facing Otemanu; the Conrad for hillside pool villas and sunsets. Le Bora Bora by Pearl also has overwater pool villas on a motu, at a lower starting price. Read more in our Bora Bora honeymoon guide.
For families: the Four Seasons runs the Tamarii kids' club for ages 5–12, and the Conrad has the Tamariki Kids' Club. On a budget, Village Temanuata has family bungalows that sleep up to five, with basic kitchen equipment.
For a budget trip: stay on the main island. Maitai Polynesia offers some of the cheapest overwater bungalows on Bora Bora, Village Temanuata is a short walk from Matira Beach, and the Ecolodge's kitchenettes let you self-cater.
Bora Bora all-inclusive resorts and meal plans
Few Bora Bora resorts sell true all-inclusive rates in the Caribbean sense. Instead, you add a breakfast, half-board or full-board plan. This matters most at motu resorts, where you can't easily walk out to a cheaper restaurant. On the main island, a room-only rate plus meals at Matira and Vaitape restaurants is often better value. See our all-inclusive and meal plan guide for how the plans compare.