Relaxing at Le Méridien Tahiti (Now Tahiti Ia Ora Beach Resort)

I awoke after a restful night's sleep before the dawn. This had been an occurrence that had been happening more frequently since Ben and I moved into our new house that came complete with at least nine neighborhood roosters. But even if I hadn't become acclimated to arising early, there's something magical about waking up early on your first day of vacation, and admiring your new setting in the most beautiful light possible.

Ever since we got up early and did a sunrise hike to Cathedral Cove on the Coromandel coast of New Zealand a few years back, I have made it a point to get up before the sun and take pictures of the new day in a new place. My first day in Tahiti was no different.

But when I walked outside to the beach, it was still barely dusk. Floating like little islands above the lagoon were the Le Méridien's over-water bungalows, eagerly awaiting the dawn's morning light, and I along with them.

Then, slowly at first, the first beams of light crept up over the mountain behind us and gently began to light up the bungalows. And as I sat there, admiring the view and taking as many pictures as I could, I knew without a doubt that we were in for a memorable trip to one of the most beautiful places on earth.

(Note: This post was written before the Le Méridien was bought by Accor Hotels, turning it into the Tahiti Ia Ora Beach Resort Operated by Sofitel. I have elected to share this post and review it as the Le Méridien as it's likely the staff is mostly the same, and the rooms - as of August 2021 - also look similar too).

The Property

Le Méridien is a brand not often found in the United States. However, because of Ben's association with his hotel company, we've stayed at a number of Le Méridien's throughout our travels around the world. In every case, each one has been chic, stylish, modern, and comfortable. Le Méridien Tahiti was no exception. There was a bit of wear and tear that showed throughout the property, but the exceptional staff made up for any shortcomings.

We stayed here 3 times throughout our trip, and we were comfortable each time. We predict you will be too.

We had arrived somewhat late the night before, around 9:30pm, on our flight from Kona to Honolulu to Papeete. Upon arrival, we were greeted by our driver who had our name on a card, placed a fragrant lei around our necks, and shuffled us out to her car. She shared her travel experiences with us as she drove, having been to Hawaii (as most people in Tahiti et ses isles had also been), as well as France and beyond. The drive was short, but we learned a lot about her in the jaunt from the airport to our hotel.

Our only other trip to Tahiti eleven years ago had us staying at the Sheraton Tahiti, which no longer exists. I spent my time in the taxi trying to get my bearings straight, but the darkness and the general unfamiliarity with Papeete prevented me from truly understanding what we were seeing and which direction we were heading.

We eventually turned off the highway onto a long driveway and approached the Le Méridien Tahiti. It's a dramatic building, with a soaring tent as its lobby, and three stand alone front desk pods with the words "Ia Orana" brightly lit up. It was a beautiful space, and though we didn't know it at the time due to the darkness, the entrances opened up to jaw dropping views in either direction.

These pictures are out of order from our arrival experience, but will give you a general idea of what was experienced that first night.

The check-in experience was warm, with an oshibori, or a cold towel, handed to us, along with a glass of juice and as of yet opened tiare, or Tahitian gardenia. After some quick words about our journey, it was off to our room - our first of three (though the second and third time found us in the exact same room those two times). Our first night's room was not the most extravagant, but comfy enough.

As previously mentioned, the next morning I was up before the dawn, joining a few other hearty souls as we snapped dramatic pics of the floating huts in a warm Tahitian lagoon. For the first time traveler to Tahiti, you might be tempted to think that this is the absolute height of paradise.

And I'm not here to convince you that you're wrong.

While the views towards the ocean are certainly dramatic, the view looking, as we say in Hawaii, 'mauka' (or towards the mountain) is equally beautiful. And just like in Hawaii, a warm afternoon shower simply means more rainbows.

Throughout the property are extensive ponds, both at ground level, and also at balcony level. I'm not sure in all of my travels if I have ever seen such a thing, but it was fun to watch the koi from our lanai. They especially looked picturesque with the reflection of a colorful sunset burning its colors into the surface of the water.

When you have a room that is high enough and faces the ocean, sunsets are something special at the Le Meridien Tahiti. Worth the splurge? You decide.

Rooms

Source

As I mentioned above, Ben and I stayed at the hotel three times during the same trip in 2017. Because we were experiencing an airline strike that was causing us some serious consternation, and the eventual loss of our visit to the island of Huahine, we were grateful that we had the option to extend our stay at the Le Méridien Tahiti, though we wound up not needing it.

Our second and third stays had the best room of all of our stays (we got the same room twice, which was handy!), and our first night was in a more modest section of the resort. The higher category rooms were definitely more stylish and comfy, but if your goal is to get out and explore the island and the property, the garden view rooms will definitely do the trick!

Below, I'll share some images of our rooms in all of their glory.

Panoramic Ocean Front Room

Though this room was not our first room at the Le Méridien Tahiti, it was by far the nicer of the two. I say this not as a complaint, but simply as a fact. The entire space was much more contemporary and comfortable, and the views were really quite beautiful. You'll have to forgive me for not taking a picture of the bed/view immediately upon entering the room, but after the bed had been sat on (hence its rumpled appearance).

As you can see, though, the view from the bed of the pool and lagoon beyond was really quite enjoyable.

The room also includes a reclining day bed, which was a nice place to read from and plan our future adventures.

The room includes a large wooden panel that has a cut out for the TV, as well as a bench to put a piece or two of luggage.

I have mixed feelings about the window from the bathroom into the bedroom. This is popular at hotels/resorts in the tropics, and I sorta hate it.

First, if you're sharing a room with your significant other, then it's not that much of a big deal. But if you're with friends, family, or co-workers (which, granted, may not be the biggest traveler to Tahiti), then it's super awkward. Yes, you can close the curtain, but there's still a lack of privacy that I prefer not to experience.

This is by no means a failure of the Le Méridien Tahiti, as these windows exist all throughout Hawaii. And when I travel for business with colleagues or friends and share a room, it's just a feature I could live without.

::end rant::

Overall, these rooms are fairly spacious and have enough amenities to be comfortable for a longer stay than we enjoyed.

The bathroom in this category room is a much nicer improvement than the Garden View Rooms, feeling much more modern and updated. That being said, there are some quirks to the space, but nothing that would make the space a deal breaker.

The view, on the other hand, requires zero complaints from me. We sat out here, taking in the beautiful vista of the lagoon with brief peeks of Mo'orea in the corner. Sunsets from the lanai were worth the price of admission.

Garden View Rooms

As you can see, the Garden View room was (and perhaps still is) quite a bit dated. This isn't to say that the room was uncomfortable, only that if you are looking for something a little more modern, the higher category rooms are what you are looking for (though I would double check to see if when the hotel brands switched hands that there were room renovations done).

The bathroom was a similar set up to the higher category room, but for some reason felt especially less nice in this older styled room. Overall, it worked, but it didn't leave a great impression.

The garden view rooms opened up, well, right into the gardens, which are pleasant and enjoyable, though of course, hard to compare against the ocean views. Still, if you're looking for a more budget friendly option, this can be a great way to save money but still have access to all the beautiful hotel grounds just beyond.

Pool

The pool at the property really is quite lovely, with early morning silhouette views, or afternoons spent cooling off, the pool does a great job of acting as a more controlled version of the lagoon just beyond. I'm a sucker for a nice pool, and this one did the trick.

To see more of the property, watch the video below.

Dining

Though we spent a few nights staying at the property, we did not dine here often. Our first morning we enjoyed the Sunday brunch, which was a well presented buffet option. It seemed very popular with the locals too (which makes sense as these things are also popular with the residents of Hawaii too). This restaurant is located in an open air space beneath the lobby, with lovely views of the hotel grounds. We enjoyed the experience.

The buffet included American favorites, but also French classics, like crêpes and croissants.

During our last stay, the resort sent us a little chocolate cake to celebrate our upcoming anniversary, as this was one of the events we celebrated on the trip. This was a nice touch.

Overall, I'm more than a bit bummed that this property is no longer associated with my husband's company, making it less likely that we would stay here in future trips to French Polynesia. However, I would still look this hotel up either way to see what rates they had available, as I did think the overall experience was enjoyable. I do hope to someday stay here again, regardless of who owns the property. Until then!

Le Méridien Tahiti Details

As mentioned above, the Le Méridien Tahiti is no more. However, it is currently operating as Tahiti Ia Ora Resort operated by Sofitel. Looking through the pictures in August 2021, much of the property and the rooms look the same. However, I expect that when a new brand comes in, there are changes made throughout that I cannot predict or explain. I do hope this post can give a general idea of what it might be like to stay at this property in its current form.

The resort is located about 15 minutes from the airport, and not far from a Carrefour, our favorite French supermarché brand, that will have everything you could possibly ever need.

We did hire their driver to pick us up and drive us back to the airport on our first night before we headed over to Mo‘orea, but rented a car the second and third visits. Unless you are planning on spending all of your time at the resort, I would recommend having a car to get around the island.

Dates of travel: Days between May 13th and May 28th, 2017