We spent two nights of our vacation in French Polynesia at the Intercontinental Tahiti Resort. This resort is located in a semi-urban area just outside of Papeete, near the airport. The airport noise was minimal while outside and not at all distracting. We could not hear the planes while in our room.
We received excellent service at the reception desk, and even though we arrived a couple of hours before regular check-in time our room was ready and we were taken by golf cart to it. A tasty tropical drink made it into our hands at the check-in desk.
The room was beautiful, with a nicely crafted wooden bed and other wooden furniture. There was also a small fridge, which was perfect for storing water, wine, and beer. The tub was huge, and the bathroom nicely appointed with two sinks and a large shower.
They've done a decent job with the resort layout, considering its proximity to the airport and the limitations of the property. There is no sandy beach directly on the ocean, but they have
created semi-private alcoves with sand. These alcoves are under and around palm trees and most have 2-4 lounge chairs to relax in and are a few feet above the water on top of a rock retaining wall.
We ate at the less formal of the two restaurants at the resort twice. We enjoyed the food, particularly a chicken curry dish steamed in Taro leaves that came with taro, bread fruit, and
another veggie. It was one of the finest curry dishes I've had. The pizza was also good as were their salads.
One of the best parts of our stay was the assistance we received from Teiva Milz, the Head Concierge at Intercontinental Tahiti. We were looking for a very specific souvenir to take home with us, and he recommended a couple of stores where we might find them. We looked but unfortunately they didn't seem to carry them and we let Teiva know. He went to one of the stores, by his own volition, and found the items for us. We had simply missed them but are grateful that Teiva took the extra time to find them. He also provided terrific information about where to eat locally and what to see and do. His information was boundless and he is one of the best concierges that we have worked with at any hotel.
We also had a good experience with the front desk on two occasions besides check-in. A local restaurant (Le Belvedere, which I have reviewed) was having issues processing credit cards, so the restaurant's driver took us back to the resort to get a cash advance against our room. The amount we needed was about 3 times the resorts normal cash advance limit, but the front desk clerk quickly received approval to accommodate us. At check-out the pre-arranged airport transportation came about 45 minutes earlier than we had expected. The driver was irritated and rude because we were not ready when he expected us to be, but the clerk did a great job in defusing him and preventing him from driving away while we scrambled to get to the lobby.
As I mentioned in my review of one of the other French Polynesian resorts, food is expensive anywhere in French Polynesia. To help mitigate the cost of meals we brought packets of oatmeal and bags of dried fruit and nuts. Considering that breakfast is about $30/person we saved over $400 on our week-long trip to French Polynesia. There are also two supermarkets within a mile of the resort where you can purchase beer, wine, and food for less than at the resort.
Although not the most beautiful Intercontinental Resort in French Polynesia, they certainly try to do their best with the property they have. The grounds are well maintained, and there is a
walking path around the resort. We found the resort to be very relaxing and the staff friendly.
If you have a need or desire to stay on the island of Tahiti, the Intercontinental Tahiti Resort is a good option.
- Also Known As:
- Intercontinental Resort Tahiti Hotel Faa`a
- Intercontinental Resort Tahiti Hotel
- Intercontinental Hotel Tahiti
- Intercontinental Hotel Faaa
- Beachcomber Resort Tahiti
- InterContinental Resort Tahiti French Polynesia
Phone Number:
Region:
French Polynesia >
Society Islands >
Tahiti >
Faa'a
Amenities:
Bar/Lounge
Beach
Business Center
Fitness Center
Free Parking
Restaurant
Room Service
Shuttle Bus service
Suites
Swimming Pool
Wheelchair access
Ranked #1 of 2 hotels in Faa'a
Price Range:
$$$
Hotel Class:4.5 star (4.5*)
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
-
The resort has a total of 258 rooms and bungalows, comprising 172 fully renovated garden and lagoon view rooms, a separate wing with 60 panoramic view rooms for the top achievers and VIPs, a suite, and 32 over-water bungalows. All units are air-conditioned, with international facilities and amenities. Located in 32 acres of gardens, the Polynesian style resort offers views of unforgettable sunsets and volcanic peaks of the sister island Moorea, just 12 miles across the sea of moons. The resort offers 2 restaurants including gourmet over water restaurant and an all day dining restaurant featuring the best Tahitian shows on the island, 2 bars, 2 crystal clear, fresh Water overflow swimming pools, and a host of activities to entertain just about everyone. The property features an activity center including tennis, water sports and the largest scuba-diving center Special mention about the huge lagoonarium where guests can swim in a protected area and enjoy Polynesian exceptional sea-life. The Deep Nature Spa by Algotherm is open since the end of 2008” is also equipped with a great gym
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