Bora Bora

The Bachelorette's Bora Bora Retreat

Last night once again "The Bachelorette" offered kisses, drama and plenty of tears in an idyllic setting. Bachelors Robert Martinez and Chris Lambton met Ali Fedotowsky's family in the final episode which took place at the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa on the French Polynesian island of Bora Bora. The resort is a popular honeymoon spot set into a curve of white sand and lava rock plunk in the middle of paradise. In the episode the resort's best features are shown off to full effect as Ali and Roberto kissed in the ocean in the rain by the shadow of the Mt. Otemanu volcano and Ali and her family discussed the men in one of the resort's two-story villas.

Villa suites set above crystalline blue waters offer a private water-side balcony, king canopy bed and glass floor-viewing panels. The suites also feature an Italian marble bathroom and private Jacuzzi. The separate sitting area is equipped with satellite TV and internet access. The resort includes the Ta Le Le Beach Bar, hilltop Nui Spa and the Iriatai Panoramic Restaurant.

The LA Times reports that the hotel is offering a "Bora Bora Is for Lovers" package for $4,995 for two that includes five nights in one of the resort's over-water villas, a daytime picnic lunch on a nearby island and more.

Tags: ali fedotowsky, bachelorette, bora bora, chris lambton, hilton bora bora nui, roberto martinez

Marù Spa at Bora Bora Lagoon: A French Polynesian Paradise

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spas

Marù Spa at Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa, an Orient-Express hotel in the South Pacific's French Polynesia, has been nominated for a Readers' Choice Award for Best International Spa Retreat.

Located on an idyllic little motu (islet) called Toopua in the cobalt blue lagoon, Marù Spa is "the only treetop spa in Polynesia." Its wooden cabins fit elegantly into the lush greenery, waterfalls and lilies that surround it high up between two Banyan trees, tucked away from the over-the-water, pandanu-leaf-topped bungalows below. The resort was built in 1992 and is only accessible by boat. There are no roads or villages on the private isle of Toopua, just pristine beaches, blue water and an extraordinary hotel & spa.

Tags: awards-main, best international spa, best spa, bora bora, bora bora lagoon resort and spa, international spa, luxist-awards, Orient-Express, Orient-Express Hotels, Orient-expressHotels, spa, spa-main, tahiti

Continue reading “Marù Spa at Bora Bora Lagoon: A French Polynesian Paradise”

Sleep Over Ocean Water in Bora Bora

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

When you visit Bora Bora, in French Polynesia, the thing to do is to book a stay in an over-water bungalow.

Now, no ancient Tahitian lived in an over-water bungalow -- it would have been the height of stupidity, with the problems of the occasional and at that point in history, entirely unpredictable tsunami and cyclones. (Besides, the ocean was considered a God and if you polluted the water you'd be messing with something that might introduce your midsection to a spear, although a person of status could likely get away with it. This I learned from anthropologist Mark Eddowes, aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin, but that's a story for a different day.)

Interim conclusion: Ancient Tahitians preferred to live on higher ground.

Historically accurate in location they may not be -- in fact, over-water bungalows were an import from Southeast Asia some years ago -- but the style of house, called a fare, with its distinctive thatched roof, is definitely traditional. In any event, it's definitely what you want to book, and the InterContinental Bora Bora & Thalasso Spa has rooms of this sort that are so lovely that it's wrenching to leave.

The bungalows are arrayed in two horseshoes, to maintain some privacy while affording a view of the steep greenly mysterious Mount Otemanu, which defines Bora Bora's geography.

Gallery: InterContinental Bora Bora Resort

Tags: awards-main, bora bora, BoraBora, french polynesia, FrenchPolynesia, hotels, intercontinental, luxist-awards, winter-travel-awards, winter-travel-main

Continue reading “Sleep Over Ocean Water in Bora Bora”

Cruise Company's Woes Prompt Yacht Discount

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

Just around this time last year I wrote about the listing of the Tia Moana, one of a matched pair of mini cruise ships based in beautiful Bora Bora. Tia Moana, a 226-foot beauty with 30 cabins was listed last year at 30 million euros. The ship has five decks including two Jacuzzis and an on-deck movie screen. It includes a library, fitness area and ample dining space. It is one of two ships run by Bora Bora Cruises. According to the Sydney Morning Herald the company recently was placed in receivership by the Papeete Mixed Commerce Tribunal and has been renamed Nomade Yachting Bora Bora. Cruises for the Tia Moana were canceled but the sister ship the Tu Moana should be available for private charters starting in April 2010 after a renovation that will make it more like a private charter yacht, including a large owner's suite, six VIP suites and eight double cabins with a maximum capacity of 30 passengers. Both yachts were built in Western Australia in 2003 by Austal Ships Oceanfast. Tia Moana is now listed for 25 million euros.

Gallery: Tia Moana

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Tags: bora bora, BoraBora, tia moana, TiaMoana, yacht for sale, YachtForSale

St. Regis Bora Bora Couples Retreat Package

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Couples Retreat, the new Vince Vaughn - Jon Favreau comedy that's big at the box office, stars a number of talented actors but they had to work hard not to be upstaged by the beautiful location - the St. Regis Bora Bora in the South Pacific. The lush resort, a favorite celebrity getaway since it opened in 2006 - Nicole Kidman and Keith honeymooned there while Eva Longoria and Tony Parker and others have enjoyed its tropical splendors - is offering an exclusive Couples Retreat package celebrating the film's opening and continuing through May 31, 2010. The package offers guests a four or five night stay in a Premiere Overwater Villa where Vaughn, Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristen Davis, Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell's characters stay in the movie, as well as other experiences seen on the big screen including couples yoga on the lush 44-acre property's pristine beaches, massages at its world class Spa Miri Miri, outrigger canoe lessons, a jet ski tour in the lagoon's pristine crystal waters, and dinner at Lagoon, the St. Regis Bora Bora's Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Bora Bora, BoraBora, Couple Retreat, CoupleRetreat, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Jean-georgesVongerichten, movie, Nicole Kidman, NicoleKidman, South Pacific, SouthPacific, St. Regis, St. Regis Bora Bora, St.Regis, St.RegisBoraBora

Tia Moana Yacht For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

Tia Moana is one of a matched pair of mini cruise ships based in beautiful Bora Bora. Both ships, which are part of a small cruise service, are available as private charters but Tia Moana, a 226-foot beauty with 30 cabins is now for sale as well. The ship has five decks including two Jacuzzis and an on-deck movie screen. It includes a library, fitness area, ample dining area and has a la carte full service spa and massage service. The ship charters for 260,000 euros a week or can be all yours for 30 million euros.

[via Superyacht Times]

Gallery: Tia Moana

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Tags: bora bora, BoraBora, tia moana, TiaMoana, yacht, yacht charter, YachtCharter

Saks Fifth Avenue Holiday Gifts

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Luxury Cars & Autos, Events, Charity

Not to be left out by other department stores, Saks Fifth Avenue has their own version of over-the-top holiday gifts but a portion of the price of each of their gifts are donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The most coveted is the chance to own the first-ever SLR Mercedes-Benz Roadster Convertible. As part of the package you will fly to Monaco for the 2008 Formula One race and take private lessons from the pros at the Circuit Paul Richard Racetrack in Provence, France. The package costs $520,000, $10,000 of which will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The rest of the five gifts are a concert experience with Matchbox Twenty ($25,000, $5,000 of which will go to St. Jude's); a vacation experience in Bora Bora with chef Jean Georges Vongerichten which costs $115,000 ($5,000 of which goes to St. Jude's); a weekend in New York City which includes the chance to create a customized ring with jewelry designer Temple St. Clair and formulate your very own fragrances with Bond No. 9 founder Laurice Rahme, dine at Gramercy Tavern and go on a private shopping spree at Saks Fifth Avenue before the store opens which sells for $60,000 ($5,000 of which $5,000 will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital) and lastly five customized snowglobes to share with family and friends for $3,000 ($1,000 will be donated to St. Jude's).

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Tags: bora bora, gifts, holidash, holiday, matchbox twenty, mercedes, mercedes slr, saks, st. jude children's research hospital

Nicole and Keith at the St. Regis Bora Bora

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Ah, to be Hollywood honeymooners, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban. They took their Gulfstream jet to French Polynesia and ended up at the St. Regis in Bora Bora. The newlyweds are reportedly enjoying the new $15,000-a-night Royal Estate. We first heard about this suite last October and thought it was impressive when it was reported to be 8,000 square feet. It now turns out that this amazing space is 13,000 square feet and includes a private pool. The resort also includes a spa, several restaurants including an overwater dining experience and 24-hour butler service.

UPDATE: It looks like Eva Longoria and Tony Parker are there too.

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Tags: bora bora, keith urban, nicole kidman, NicoleKidman, st. regis

InterContinental Resort and Thalasso-Spa Bora Bora To Open Next Month

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

A while back I mentioned the St. Regis in Bora Bora which was supposed to open this month but now is opening in late June. Another idyllic getaway in this remote location will be the InterContinental Resort and Thalasso-Spa Bora Bora. The $70 million resort should open in May. It has a great feature, an eco-friendly air-conditioning system which uses a 7,874 foot pipe (the deepest ocean pipe in the world) to pump deep sea water through a titanium heat exchanger, which transfers the cold from the sea water into the fresh water circuit that powers the air conditioning throughout the hotel. The water is then returned to the ocean (rerouted to avoid hurting the ocean ecosystem). The resort has 80 over water bungalows. The resort’s Thalassotherapy Deep Ocean Spa which will open in September will use mineral-rich deep seawater extracted from 2,500 feet below sea level in its treatments. It will also have what may be one of the most romantic settings for a wedding, an over water chapel with a glass bottom floor.

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Tags: bora bora, BoraBora, french polynesia, getaway, hotel, intercontinental, resort, vacation

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