We spent 4 nights at the Sofitel Moorea during our South Pacific Honeymoon in October. Located just minutes from the airport on the Cook’s Bay side of the Island we found it was a perfect location. The resort is very contemporary and sleek in design. We stayed in a Deluxe Beach Bungalow which was absolutely perfect - like having our own beach house. The Overwater Bungalows looked very nice as well but since we stayed in one in Bora Bora the Beach Bungalow it was a nice way to get the best of both worlds. The room was very comfortable and the garden shower was terrific. In addition, no need to bring any shampoo, conditioner, etc. as the amenities they provided were great and were replaced as needed! The bathrobes in the room as well as the towels were very fluffy and luxurious. The beach at the Sofitel is very calm and clear. Take a kayak out to the reef for some great snorkeling (although the water was so clear we didn’t actually need snorkels!). The beach is a little rocky so we were glad we brought water shoes.

We personally did not eat any meals at the Sofitel other than breakfast. Breakfast was great and so plentiful that we were often not hungry for lunch. Ours was included in our package; if you can get this it is advised as breakfast is very pricey otherwise. We opted to venture out to local restaurants in Moorea for several reasons including getting more of a local flavor, better food and better prices. We never rented a car or felt the need to as most of the local restaurants on the Cook’s Bay side of Moorea will pick you up if you call and make a reservation. One thing to note is that the Sofitel requested that we make these local calls ourselves from our room which we did with the help of a Frommer’s South Pacific Guide that we brought with us. The local calls were not that much and it wasn’t a big deal. I would suggest bringing a guide book of this sort for quick reference to local information. Le Mahagony is worth the visit for dinner! Many of the pearl shops will also pick you up if you call them as well. We even asked one of the pearl vendors to stop by the grocery store on the way back to the Sofitel and they were happy to oblige.

Finally, as beautiful as tempting as it is to never leave the beach, take the time to see the interior of Moorea on a Jeep Safari tour. It is well worth the time!

Our only complaint was that we couldn’t stay longer!

We stayed in March 2008 as the US dollar continued to tank. I must say we have stayed in some wonderful hotels over the years (Post Ranch Inn, etc...) but really felt this hotel's bungalows were ideally suited to the lovely environment.

As everyone has mentioned the bungalows are large, comfortable, and simply lovely. We loved the indoor/outdoor shower, dark woods, and wonderful porch/balcony.

The property is quiet. We loved walking into the water each morning and having the beautiful tropical fish so close to shore. Take advantage of the free snorkel equipment. Bring bread to feed the fish. My husband had never been able to snorkel before but learned easily in Moorea, in part due to the absence of waves.

We splurged for an overwater deluxe bungalow for 1 night. While it was quite an experience, I think we enjoyed the beachfront bungalow even more.

We had the meal plan, and given the poor exchange rate - $100 for 2 cheeseburgers and 2 beers - were glad that breakfast and dinner had already been paid for. The food was fine - not extraordinary. We did, however, really enjoy the nightly free entertainment. We also rented a car to explore the island. As you will have read, Belvedere Point is a must see - go before noon to avoid the dense clouds. We loved Aldo pizza which was recommended by another trip advisor reader. We also visited Champion grocery store to purchase lunch items, alcohol, and snacks - a very good way to save a few dollars. We had brought a collapsible cooler with us and were glad we had. We also recommend Eva Perles as a wonderful shopping experience with "reasonably" priced items.

We had intended this to be a once in a lifetime trip, but loved it so much we want to come back, and stay at the Sofitel in about 3-5 years.

Warning, one of the couples travelling to the airport with us had their luggage stolen from the ferry. Please watch your luggage in the departing and landing areas.

The only bad experience for us was the experience at the Tahiti airport. We arrived 4 hours before our flight and nothing - nothing was open. Terrible waste of time.

My wife and I stayed at the Sofitel Moorea for 5 days in late April. We had read reviews here and while we expected it to be nice, we were surprised when it exceeded our expectations.

We were debating between staying at a garden, beach, or overwater bungalow. We decided to stay at a garden bungalow and let me tell you, that we were a mere 50 feet from the beach and had views of the lagoon. It felt like we were on the beach. Now not all gardens had the view that we did, but we saved a bit of money and got essentially the same experience as the beach bungalows. Our room was very clean, the best was comfy, and the shower opened up to the outdoors, which was kind of neat. We passed on the OWB - personal preference - but from what we could tell, the seemed very nice too.

We really liked the fact that this resort was on the eastern side of the island which is less commercialized. We drove around to some of the other resorts and felt that the Sofitel had a bit more of a secluded feel to it, which is what we wanted. The closest town is about a 25 minute walk away, which we did and enjoyed. The beach at the Sofitel is absolutely the best we could see. It is good sized and you can walk right out into some great snorkeling. We snorkeled every day. And there are plenty of other activities too, if you want to choose those.

I should also mention that we opted for the meal plan and were thrilled that we did. We read some reviews here about whether to take the meal plan or not. We liked the fact that we didn't have to worry about where we were going to eat each night, but instead just had to get dressed and go to the restaurant. And the restaurant had a great breakfast buffet and for dinner there were many alternatives. Plus they had food theme nights a couple times - International and Italian, to break it up for us. We also enjoyed the Polynesian dance show after dinner.

This happened to be our honeymoon and every day the resort took care of us with little things that got us to try elements of the resort - ie the spa and their second restaurant that had a slightly more romantic feel than their regular restaurant (which was not bad either). We enjoyed these nice touches - we certainly did not expect them.

Overall the service was great! Very helpful attentive staff. The Sofitel is a great choice.

Stayed in an OWB at the end and loved the privacy. The coral gardens are terrific and the best beach on the island. Great views. try to get one on the end (119,121) and you can get a map from the hotel. Went by others but this is the best hotel on the island.