We stayed in an overwater bungalow for 2 nights during September 2010.
It was important for us to see Taputapuatea Marae, that was our only reason for visiting the island. When we arrived Europcar Raiatea informed us that they had no record of our reserving a car and that they had none available (they HAD confirmed to me by email).
The staff at Hawaiiki Nui were very helpful in finding us transport to Taputapuatea at short notice, they eventually negotiated a deal with a taxi driver 9000xpf to travel to the marae return (about 30-40minutes one way).
The hotel is in no way luxurious and the staff have no idea of service by normal western standards but they were friendly, if a little shy. Their English is imperfect.
Now, most importantly, a great storm came up during our visit, none of the staff mentioned the weather at all. The overwater bungalows are not sealed- that is there is a breathing gap between the roof and the walls, there is mesh, not windows in the bathroom. The weather became so (frighteningly) rough that at midnight we decided to evacuate. Waves had begun to reach the floor of our room. My partner went to reception to find noone there! They had all gone home! There was one (barefoot) guy (security?) sitting in his car outside. He only spoke french or Tahitian. My partner managed to communicate with difficulty that we wanted another room. He ended up grabbing a key for an alternative room, the guy must have got the message. We took a garden room furthest back from the beach, not so clean, poor linen etc. The next day roofs were damaged, we looked inside the overwater bungalow, it was full of bits of roofing, some water etc! The staff never mentioned the shocking weather throughout the whole trip, no compensation was offered for downgrading our room.
When the power cut out (both nights), nobody came out to offer candles, everybody had to make their own way in the dark to deal with the shy women staff.
It was a bit of a laugh and an adventure for us on our honeymoon but if we had brought our children or came unprepared with torches we would have felt very isolated and unsafe here. I would recommend considering a good pension where you know that someone will be there in case of emergency.
On a positive note the food in the restaurant was delicious, we enjoyed our romantic dinners in that quiet restaurant on those very stormy nights. Try the seafood soup.
It is an easy 20minute walk into Uturoa, the main township. When there make sure you check out the flower shop in the new ship terminal buildings. From the outside it looks like another souvenir shop crammed with stuff but the lady in there, Flora, is filled with wonderful wisdom about the area and local culture and most or all of the items she sells are authentic homemade goods. If you're lucky she may tell you some myths and tales-very interesting!
Taputapuatea was interesting for us as our ancestors came from there (we are Maori). I would recommend trying to organise a guide if you are not familiar with the place as it may look like a bunch of rocks to some! Please treat the site with respect, take no food there and remove no rocks!!
I wouldn't recommend spending much more than 2 nights in Raiatea- there is very little to do unless you are sailing or diving.
Now I'm not sure how to summarise the Hawaiiki Nui Hotel. It was an interesting experience but I don't think I'd stay there again. I wouldn't recommend it. I think I would choose a homely pension next time and perhaps eat at the restaurant at Hawaiki Nui at night.
I hope this answers some of the queries that you may have about the hotel and island.
Thankyou to everyone who contributes to Tripadvisor, I found the comments invaluable in planning our honeymoon.

This somewhat run down property is located on a narrow land strip on the east side of Raiatea island directly along the main belt road making most of its garden rooms and bungalows quite noisy. However, overwater units are in so bad shape they would not fit the less demanding guest either.
Maintenance and keeping up are unknown words for the management if there is still one! Please see pictures for more details.
We had to change room three times in order to get one with very basic amenities work such as A/C, TV set, in room safe or a clean bathroom !
Each time the lazy, poorly client-oriented staff proved to be grossly incompetent and not willing to solve or help solving the many issues that constantly pop up in a so badly maintained property.
One of them, marianne in charge of the breakfast was particularly rude not even saying good morning to customers whenever they arrive, never giving any consideration to their order and repeatedly removing dishes from your table had they been eaten or not getting very close to your face in total disrespect !
The swimming pool is ridiculously small and the ladder to go swimming from the jetty so rusted that you will feel very uncomfortable using it.
As the hotel allows outside non house guests fellows to use both pool and boardwalk jetty it can get very crowded and noisy afternoons and week ends.
At USD150 to 200 nightly it must appear to be a good bargain particularly in French Polynesia but don’t be fooled by advertising pictures taken at the opening some 30 years ago : you will get much less than what you pay for.

Be aware that Raiatea is a very popular destination for cruise ships, which will make it hit or miss for your visit. The advantage being that when cruise ships are in town, everything is generally open - so you can find places to dine, do some shopping, and even cash travelers checks at the local bank. The down side is, cruise ships bring moderate sized crowds, and the cruise lines are indeed granted priority status when booking excursions and making reservations. So if you're staying on the island, try to find out when a cruise ship will be in town and book your plans accordingly. Otherwise, be prepared to sit back, relax, have a drink, and be sure to have a backup plan when scheduling your days.

Generally speaking and by most vacation standards, the Hawaiki Nui is great.... sun, snorkeling, over water bungalows, and the all important exotic atmosphere. However, it is one of the older resorts and it tends to show in the worn condition of the rooms and amenities, and while the staff still does try, one could get the impression that they're growing tied of tourists.

In any case, if you're going - be sure as someone else suggested, to take a day trip to Taha'a! Oh, and yes - the internet is way over priced!!

We have been to this hotel before 3 years. Very little has changed. The island and its people are very nice. It is a contrast to Bora Bora and Moorea that need to be experienced as a part of a visit to FP. The hotel staff is accommodating without having to pay 4 seasons prices, and whats more you feel like thats the way they are. The rooms are basic and clean. The over the water bungalows are like being in your own aquarium. We saw a manta ray at least 8 feet wing span pass right in front. At night the lighting attracts the plankton and there is a colorful feeding frenzy going on constantly. As a bonus we like to fish. We caught and safely released at least three types of jacks including a 20 lbs GT caught by my 5 year old daughter. The bait of my choice in all of French Polynesia is the Storm swim shad in green with the orange belly, i think they call it fire tiger color. It will catch everything from a casters point of view.. You can swim right off and the snorkeling is there. There is even a dive site marked off so you don't even need to take a boat if you are so inclined. If we ever go back to FP we will definitely go back.