There’s a celebration at the Hilton Moorea going on right now. It is to mark the end of TPOL’s reign of terror on the resort. It’s no coincidence that today is one of the sunniest days on the island. The sun gods are happy that I, along with my complaining ways, am leaving. Nevertheless, I got in a good swim, downed a bottle of bubbly, and said my farewell to the accommodating general manager of the hotel, a person with a lot on her plate.
Though I may be the only one blogging about it, many of my fellow travelers from Fort Lauderdale to Dallas, shared in my frustration with the resort. Too many times, the service was inconsistent. Need a taxi? That will be $16. After a call an hour later, the price was $32. Looking to golf? The package is $125. Get out to the course and the price shoots up to $150 with no lunch (and no grass on the course, review to follow).
Based on my experience and to quote the traveler from Dallas, “Tahiti is stuck in time.” Like an athlete relying on his natural talent, Tahiti has relied on its natural beauty to entice tourists to come from all over the world. Instead of watching game film and adapting to the changing landscape of the service industry, Tahiti believes that the sun and scenery can cover the warts of bad service and an indifferent attitude.
Make no mistake, the people who live here are friendly and welcoming. I had great conversations with many locals about life on the islands. At the same time, they were quick to point out the deficiencies in the tourism sector. A savvy entrepreneur resigned from a position at a prominent hotel and set up a restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. There, tourists are greeted with a warm smile and some of the best food on the island.
With the abundance of honeymooners coming to Tahiti and the new insurgency of Chinese tourists expected to follow, resort juggernauts have little incentive to step up their game. Americans, who may not be as well-traveled as other foreign nationals, made up the majority of the former. They were awestruck by the beauty of the island and accepted the shortcomings of service as a natural consequence of traveling abroad. As a sharp contrast, an American points traveling couple were quick to point out the multiple issues with the resort, validating my gripes.
To recap, TPOL enjoyed Tahiti as a destination, got along well with the travelers and locals, but stands firm in his assertion that the service leaves much to be desired.
You’re such a douche TPOL Just kidding! It was awesome hanging out with you and your reviews are totally spot on!
Likewise, glad we found you guys at the airport. “Our dinner cost more than our trip!” See you in S Florida.
After Bora Bora, I thought it was hard to beat it’s beautiful lagoon and I found Aitutaki in the Cook Islands without the expensive average at best food! Best meal and drinks we ever had and very wallet friendly consider how remote it is! We flew to Tahiti on miles and catch their once a week flight over to Cook Idlands. True Polynesian experience but the downsides are no chain hotels to use points for stays and expensive wifi!
no chain hotels can be a positive if the price is right and the service is great…no wifi, now that’s a problem haa
Darn, so the Hilton Moorea isn’t that great? I guess I’ll stick to using my 4×4=8night AXON redemptions in Maldives…maybe Koh Samui. Always wanted to get to Polynesia but it’s kind of a pain on points anyway and coming from east coast too. But you did it. Will you be doing a full review of the Hilton Moorea?
yes i will…everyone said st regis bora bora was nice and IC moorea as well
ill do a full review but I can see the pluses and minuses of all the properties. As a quick review, I’d say Maldives is way better but you can’t bring your own alcohol. Koh Samui is beautiful but I went for the full moon party so the Samui resort would’ve been useless since it’s so isolated. The Moorea is just a bleh Hilton, nothing special besides the photos.