Le Meridien Bora Bora didn’t reopen after the pandemic era arrival restrictions were lifted in French Polynesia, but the owner decided to close the hotel for 18 to 24 months for renovations (read more here) and reflag the hotel under Marriott’s other brand – Westin.
The hotel is accepting paid reservations from August 1, 2024, but award reservations have been blocked through January 1, 2025.
You can access Westin Bora Bora here.
READ MORE: Marriott Bonvoy Rate & Bonus Points Offers
The above image was taken upon landing in Bora Bora on January 30. The hotel within the white box is the Westin, and the right above it is InterContinental Thalasso.
Paid Availability:
There is paid availability loaded from August 1, although the website indicates that the hotel will reopen in July.
Award Availability:
There is award availability from January 1, 2025, but nothing before this date.
Conclusion
I just spent two and a half weeks in French Polynesia in both Bora Bora and Papeete, and I stayed at this Le Meridien hotel in 2019. The GM at the time told me that they were going to add another “finger” of overwater villas that had been completed based on the aerial photos that I took.
Based on my chats while in French Polynesia, the owner decided that the Westin brand would be better suited for the market where most visitors currently arrive from (the US) than Le Meridien. Tourism hasn’t rebounded since the early 2000s; most Asian visitors never returned.
Le Meridien, which Air France founded, represents French chicness, but I am not sure what Westin stands for in 2024 besides White Tea (their line of bathroom amenities). Overall, I believe that Le Meridien would have been a better-suited brand for this unique destination.
It would be a perfect time to burn some Bonvoy points for stays at this Westin for early 2025. I imagine that award availability will soon be gone, and all left are non-standard rooms with high copays using points.
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