I hate giving Club Med only 3 stars, as we did have a good time there and would go back. It was dirt cheap compared to other places. However, if you are going all the way to Bora Bora, I would highly recommend staying at a resort for at least part of the time. Club Med compares poorly to the other places where we stayed for a variety of reasons. It started out like a hotel and towards the end we felt like it was more of a youth hostel. The problem with Club Med is that it isn't as polished as the resorts.
The GOs are nice and friendly but more like camp counselors. The front desk will make dinner reservations for you, and there is an excursion desk that sells Club Med tours. Information on non-Club Med tours is nonexistent. The shuttle to town is 1000 xpf per person. If you want to get a free shuttle to a pearl store other than Nyco's (the store at Club Med, which has a larger store in Vaitape), then you will have to make the local call yourself and on your own dime. Nyco's must have a contract prohibiting any other competition. Also, if you call a shuttle from another company, the shuttle won't be able to drive all the way into Club Med and will have to pull off of the main road. Not a big deal, but penny wise and pound foolish in my opinion, as trying to restrict where guests shop seems kind of pathetic.
Prepare for chickens and roosters to wake you up at 5:30 a.m. Cute at first, but annoying by the end of the week.
The rooms are more than adequate, and the photos on Club Med's web site actually don't do the rooms justice. The beds are firm and a king bed is really two twin beds pushed together. However, this was OK. The room had fresh flowers when we checked in. It also had a bottle of water, mini-fridge, hot water pot with instant coffee and tea, and a TV. There is ample storage for clothing. Garden rooms have a sliding glass door with a small patio. The air conditioning worked well. The bathroom has a stand up shower (no tub) with a good shower head and good storage space. There is an open window that has no screen and is just a shutter. This is quite charming but bugs will enter the room this way.
The food is pretty good and there is ample bottled water. There is one restaurant, and it's buffet. As one reviewer mentioned, the hours are pretty strict and some food becomes unavailable towards the time the restaurant is closing. The restaurant is nicely decorated with wood tables and chairs, and it appears that the staff take pride in the restaurant. Food is basically French, American, and Japanese offerings for all meals, plus local food and whatever the night's theme is. The hot food wasn't the greatest, as it's been sitting under heat lamps. Each night has a different theme. One night there was a gigantic merlinfish, one night there was a roasted whole pig, etc. We found the cold food to be better, particularly the appetizer table. There is always fresh bread, fruit, and a salad bar. Dessert was OK but not great (think lots of Cool Whip-like items renamed "mousse" -- I'm sure the desserts cause French people to cringe as they tasted nothing like real French desserts), but local ice cream flavors were in abundance.
The drinks were good and plentiful. There isn't a huge bar scene, but the bar is open pretty much all day. At night they generally offer a signature drink. We became addicted to their alcohol-free "Clubber Colada," which is great all day long. Also, the espresso in the bar is much better than the coffee at the buffet. Hors d'oeuvres are nightly and consist of 1-2 hot hors d'oeuvres and some chips and olives.
The shows were entertaining. There is a Polynesian fire show and a Polynesian culture/dance show, both with outside performers. The variety shows by the GOs were cute.
The beach at Club Med is decent but rather murky (at least on overcast days) compared to other places on Bora Bora. There are some coral areas for snorkeling. Canoes, windsurfing, and hobie cats are free. We were a bit put off in that hobie cat lessons are advertised as "daily" in all of the information but not being offered on the day we went for a lesson. Also there is a sunset cruise, but this fills up quickly, so book as soon as possible. There are other activities throughout the week, such as a picnic on the motu, nature walk, etc.
In addition to the small Nyco's store, there is a gift shop that sells Club Med and local souvenirs. A photographer takes pictures daily. Laundry facilties are abundant and it costs about $11 USD to do a load.
Club Med rents part of a motu, and a boat goes to the motu several times a day. It's a short 10 minute ride. The water at the motu is beautiful and shallow. The boat ride to the motu is lovely. If you want a snack, take it with you to the motu as there is no food there. There are no lounge chairs on the motu unless you want to rent one for $10 USD, but there is plenty of sandy beach. Dogs roam the motu freely and are friendly. There is organized snorkeling and "aquagym" water exercises almost daily. The motu is definitely the highlight of Club Med. The motu is not raked, etc. like other beaches but is still lovely. There is no pool or gym, but there are tennis courts.
Club Med is not the place for a romantic honeymoon, but it can be a lot of fun for a small price, especially in French Polynesia. We certainly realize the value of having three meals a day provided. There are definite kinks in the system and this is not a luxurious place to stay. However, if you know what you are buying before you arrive, it can be a great time.
One suggestion is to bring an inflatable raft, which you can take to the motu. Also bring water shoes, as it can be hard to get on and off the boat in flip flops, and bring a lot of bug spray!
