When we booked our cruise for Tahiti and the islands we were happy to see an overnight stay in Bora Bora. After researching the hotels with over water bungalows we chose this hotel. It had been a dream of ours to stay in one of those. We were not disappointed. After my wife showed her membership, they double upgraded us and we were overjoyed when they brought us to the bungalow. We acted like school children. We were so happy. One of the best experiences of our lives. The staff was very helpful. The bungalow was very modern and comfortable. The only problem was that we only had one night. We made the most of it. Highly recommend

The resort itself was very nicely laid out. They service was unbeatable. They pick you up from the airport in a water taxi, greet you when you land, and take you straight to check in. Escorted all the way through check in with a complimentary drink and taken to the room. Common areas where nice. There was a very nice bar at the entrance, the bartender Alex was one of the best bartenders I have met. Unbelievable drinks. Over 50 drinks on the menu, very creative tasted good. Alex said he came up with most drink ideas and names. He really takes pride in the drinks, and uses fresh ingredients. Order the Somosas and spring rolls from the bar. Probably some of the best food we had on the island. Cheaper than anything too. There is a pool table, books, board games, ping pong table for day time activities. Pool area could have been better, not bad though. Sits right against the beach. The 2nd restaurant, Sands was closed when we were there, so we only had the one option for food. Food was not good. We are vegetarian. We didn't have many options. They tried to make some special plates, but didn't have much flavor. It is hard being from San Francisco and being vegetarian there, since they eat a lot of fish. Strong French influence there too, most everyone speaks French. All restaurants are French or Chinese.

The beach was nice, water was amazing, nicest water I have ever seen. This is why you come to Bora Bora, and are OK with spending that kind of money. One issue - there were a lot of rocks in the shallow waters of the beach, so they recommend you wear water shoes. Lots of activities, I wind surfed, paddle boarded, kayaked, snorkeled. They provide this all free.

The room, overwater bungalow, was great. Couldn't have been better. New, big, very nice furniture. Small glass enclosure to look straight into water from living room. Large rear covered deck, with a smaller lower rear deck that you can jump into the water from. Amazing room. Bathroom very large. We looked at the St. Regis and Four Seasons. St Regis looked a little nicer, but a local told us they are a little snooty, and always are looking for tips. They charge for the water Taxi (think its $75) to get to mainland, round trip. IC offers free taxi (runs from morning to 10pm last shuttle), has a shuttle to get to town, etc. So you are not trapped on resort, and have to only eat at their places. I think the view from IC is the best. We sat on the deck, and that view of the mountain was great. Looming over you. St. Regis has a view, but is not as nice.

Concierge, I forget her name, was very good. Made reservations for all restaurants and activities. They really take care of you. Service was very good, all around.

Breakfast was good, typical American buffet style. Omelet station, random other things. One issue, they had a lot of flies around the fruit, should cover it, we didn't eat any because of this.

No small snack place, maybe since Sands (the pool restaurant) was closed. Would be nice to get a sandwich or chicken wings when at the pool.

We went in off season, January. No rain for us, but was very hot and humid. AC in room was very cold, no AC in restaurant or other parts of resort.

Spa was very nice. Massage was great. Very nice, very good massage. We did a couples massage, glass floor massage room, can see lots of fish. Deep sea cold water tub, outdoor spas, nicely laid out.

To summarize - All was great. Wish they had better food. That being said, we didn't find much good food throughout the island. Some other people that we spoke to were on the same page. Polynesia is not known for the food. you go for the water. Everything is very expensive. 1 lunch plate is $35. One drink is $25

No other word for it really; the quality of the accommodation, the price of the accommodation, the service, the views over the lagoon, the prices of food and drink, and the feeling when you walk into your bungalow - everything is jaw-dropping!

We chose the IC Thalasso because of the reviews, the location, and the package deal that we got (breakfast and dinners included in our 8 night stay.) It is a fantastic property with a great staff and will probably be one of the best trips we will have ever taken...

Check In: They greet you at the boat launch with a conch shell welcome. Golf carts are lined up to take you and your luggage to the front desk. As you ride the concierge will point out the features of the property. You are seated in a reception area and given a cool fruity drink and towel to refresh yourself after your flight. The check in process was quick, painless, and all done with beautiful Mt Otemanu as a backdrop. Heaven.

Day Rooms: Our villa was not ready yet (it was only 9am so we weren't thinking it would be) and so they gave us a day room to use. They have several day rooms that consist of a shower, sink, toilet in the bathroom, and a closet and futon sofa in the "living room." We were urged to leave our luggage here and change into our swimsuits to head to the pool or beach. The concierge said he would find us around the resort when our villa was ready. Having the day room was a huge plus...after 4 plane rides and a 26 hour trip we were in need of a shower.

Villa: We were in Villa 111, which is the farthest out on the pontoon. The water is deep here - around 10ft so I was glad I had brought an inflatable raft to float on in the lagoon. We had a spectacular view of Mt Otemanu, and the privacy from being the last villa on the pier was very nice. If you want a shallower water depth, request an emerald villa closer to the beach, where the water would be more like waist to shoulder deep. The inside of the villa was gorgeous...definitely a 5-star property. One thing to note - the A/C worked wonderfully because of their deep water air conditioning system. We slept like babies each night!

Pool: The infinity pool is wonderful with zero entry in the shallow end. Activities are planned around noon each day at the pool (lei-making, coconut lecture, palm leaf hats) but you could also just chill. No pressure to partake in any "activities." The resort also has several floaties available at the pool for use, along with beach towels and even sunscreen dispensers in case you need to reapply!

Water Activities: Several kayaks are available on the beach to explore the lagoon. Snorkels and fins are available too. Lots of folks were using these throughout the week.

Restaurants: Le Reef was open for the breakfast buffet and a gourmet nightly dinner, and Sands is the beachside restaurant open for a casual lunch and dinner. We ate at both places and enjoyed each meal. Le Reef has a very French flair and Sands has a variety of entrees from hamburgers to pasta to seafood. I was prepared for the food to be disappointing - just because of the remote location of Bora Bora - but it was surprisingly very very good. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and the entrees were nicely prepared.

Excursions: We only did one excursion through the resort - a 2 hour jet ski lagoon tour. Our tour guide was friendly and professional, and we enjoyed that morning. It is more expensive to set tours up through the resort, but we liked the ease of it and having the jet ski guide pick us up right there on the Thalasso beach.

Bars/Drinks: Bubbles Bar hosts happy hour each night, and since we're not big drinkers we only went one time for some mai tais. They were strong and fresh. A two man acoustic band played music near the bar and that was very nice. The 5-6pm happy hour is popular and most of the guests congregate in the bar around this time...before heading to dinner.

Spa: The Deep Ocean Spa was wonderful - we spent an entire afternoon here one day. We each booked one treatment (massage for hubby, pearl rain massage for me) but we were allowed to use the spa's facilities for a good part of the day. We sat in the jacuzzis, used the deep chiller spa therapy walk for legs, sat in the steam room, used the freezing cold deep plunge pool and relaxed in the spa's tea lounge. It was very quiet and peaceful, and we were glad we had "splurged" on the treatments.

Shuttle To/From IC Moana: A big plus of staying at an IC property in Bora Bora is that they have free boat shuttles to and from the Moana all day and into the night. This is a great service that we used a lot. We took the shuttle to Moana one night for dinner (you can use the dining plan at either resort - nice for a change of pace) and we took the shuttle over to catch a van into Vaitape for some shopping. We also used it to go to Bloody Mary's for dinner one night. So the service had a great value for us, and we would not have liked to pay for each trip like some other resorts require.

Check out: Again very smooth, just sad to have to say goodbye! The resort sets up a boat shuttle ride back to the airport and drops you off with enough time to make it to your flight.