Quick Facts: Westin vs InterContinental Thalasso

The Honest 30-Second Answer

If you only read one section, read this one. We stayed overnight at both resorts, and the Westin wins this comparison for most travelers. It is newer, fresher off its 2024 renovation, better run, and it treated us better from the dock to checkout. Our anniversary stay there ran 79,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for the night. Our Thalasso stay ran 165,000 IHG points, and we left with mixed feelings. The two programs use different point currencies, so we break down the real value math in the points section below.

The Thalasso won one category, and it matters: families who want to sleep overwater. It was one of the few properties in Bora Bora where a family of four could stay in a standard overwater villa. The room came with a convertible couch and a rollaway bed. Add the overwater swing and the lagoonarium and it was built for kids in a way the Westin is not.

That said, the Westin can still work for a family of four. You just won’t fit in a regular overwater bungalow. Instead, your options are a beach villa with a Mount Otemanu view or one of the suites at the end of the pier. We break down the full room math in the bungalow section.

Right now, though, the decision makes itself. The InterContinental Thalasso is closed for a full property renovation, so the Westin is the one you can actually book. We cover the renovation timeline in the next section. After that, we get into what each resort was like when we slept there, swam there, and paid the bill at both.

Property Age, Rebrand & Renovation Context

These two resorts are at completely opposite ends of their property life cycles right now, and that gap shapes this entire comparison.

The Westin’s 2024 Rebrand

The Westin is the newest feeling resort on the island. The property formerly known as Le Meridien Bora Bora was rebranded to The Westin Bora Bora Resort & Spa in 2024. The rebrand came as part of a full renovation. New bungalows were added on the far side of the property and existing ones were refreshed.

Also, the food and beverage program was updated. When we stayed, everything felt light, airy, and modern. In fact, the property looked cleaner and more polished than anywhere else we visited on the island. If you read older reviews mentioning Le Meridien, they’re talking about this resort. Our full Westin Bora Bora review covers the property in detail.

The Thalasso’s Renovation Status

The InterContinental Thalasso opened in 2006. After twenty years, it closed its doors on June 1, 2026 for a top to bottom renovation of the entire property. That’s the resort’s own language. When we stayed, the first phase was already underway with one wing of villas closed off. Construction was also visible from parts of the property.

Here’s what you need to know as a traveler: the resort has not published an official reopening date. A renovation of this scope can take anywhere from 9 to 18 months from start to finish. It all depends on how deep the work goes. If the Thalasso is the resort you have your heart set on, keep checking availability directly on the IHG site. Dates will open up before any announcement reaches the travel blogs. Until then, the Westin is the freshly renovated option you can book today.

The Bungalows Side by Side

This is where the two properties are most different, and where your travel party size basically makes the decision for you.

Who Fits Where: The Room Math

The Thalasso was the family room winner, full stop. Our family of four stayed in a single standard overwater bungalow villa with a king bed in the master, a couch that converted to a bed, and a rollaway provided. Very few overwater properties in Bora Bora do that, and it’s the single biggest reason families booked the Thalasso.

The Westin’s standard overwater bungalows max out at three guests. That doesn’t mean the Westin is off the table for a family of four, it means you’re shopping different room categories. The beach villas sleep four and come with a Mount Otemanu view. That’s nothing to feel shortchanged about, because this resort has the best view of the mountain on the island. If sleeping overwater is non-negotiable for your family, the suites at the end of the pier are your option. Same lagoon, same experience, just a different room type and price point than the standard bungalow you probably priced first.

The Glass Floor Difference

Both rooms let you watch the lagoon from inside, but they do it in completely different ways. The Westin has the largest glass-bottom window of any overwater bungalow in Bora Bora, set flush into the floor. You lie down on it and the lagoon is directly beneath you. On our way to dinner we watched a spotted eagle ray glide under our feet.

The Thalasso’s version is coffee table style, an enclosed glass viewing box that sits in front of the couch. You look down into it like a built-in aquarium. It’s fun, especially for kids sitting on the couch, but it’s a viewing box, not a window into the lagoon. So if the glass floor is your reason for booking an overwater bungalow, the Westin’s version delivers it.

The Details That Set the Tone

The first five minutes inside each room told the story. At the Westin, our luggage was placed in the closet and pool towels were already set out on the deck. Then our check-in host walked us through every amenity in the room, including the speakers. At the Thalasso, our bags were sitting at the front door when we walked in and nobody showed us how anything worked.

Each room had its wins. The Thalasso’s stocked minibar included local mango and passion fruit drinks, sparkling water, and snacks with one free refill. It also had an espresso machine and actual wine and champagne glasses.

The Westin’s welcome champagne arrived with two flutes. However, the room itself had no glassware stocked despite a designated spot for it. The Thalasso villa also had its quirks. The blackout blinds were broken and the bathroom sits in the closet area, so smells travel.

Also, passing boats rocked the villa noticeably. Some of that is exactly what the current renovation exists to fix. So we’d expect the reopened rooms to feel very different. Both rooms shared the best bathtub placement in the business, a soaking tub facing a lagoon view window.

The Dining: What We Actually Paid at Both

Neither resort is cheap, this is Bora Bora. But the gap between them was real, and we have the receipts from both stays. Quick rule of thumb for all Bora Bora pricing: drop two zeros from the XPF price to get rough USD.

Real Prices Side by Side

The Thalasso’s food quality was good, but the pricing stung harder at every turn. A $39 pina colada versus a $23 to $26 cocktail at the Westin adds up fast over a multi-day stay.

Happy Hours and Drink Perks

Both resorts run a happy hour, but the Westin gives you twice the chances. It runs two discounted windows daily, with prices around half off on participating drinks. Time your evenings around them and they put a real dent in your bar bill.

The Thalasso’s happy hour ran 5 to 6 PM daily at Bubbles Bar. IHG’s website lists the same window at Sands Bar too. So you got one hour there against the Westin’s two. Our IHG status drink vouchers also came with a catch. They covered three adult drinks plus one non-alcoholic, limited to wine, beer, or soft drinks only. No cocktails. If you’re picturing voucher pina coladas, adjust that expectation.

The Experience Difference

The Westin gives you six venues and easy dinner reservations through the resort app. There’s also a hidden bar with swings, plus a sunset tapas bar upstairs. At the hidden bar, an octopus came right up to the dock. The Thalasso’s dinner service was solid. Breakfast was different. Even though we prepaid it at a 20 to 30 percent discount offered at check-in, it felt rushed and transactional. One Thalasso win for families: our daughter received an unlimited ice cream certificate for Sands Restaurant, and she used it.

The Lagoon: Eco Center vs Lagoonarium

The Murky Truth at Both

Let’s set expectations before we compare anything, because this applies to every motu resort in Bora Bora. The lagoon water around the overwater bungalows is not the crystal clear water in the promotional photos. It’s murky. Boat traffic churns up sediment, and fresh ocean water pushes in from the other side of the island carrying silt with it. Meanwhile, the wind keeps everything moving.

At the Thalasso, visibility off our villa was maybe three to four feet. The Westin’s lagoon wasn’t meaningfully clearer. The blue color comes from the sandy bottom, not from clarity. You’ll still see life at both.

For example, we watched an octopus come up to the shallow part of the beach at the Westin’s hidden bar and a spotted eagle ray glide under our bungalow. We also spotted an octopus at the Thalasso. But for actual snorkeling, you’re booking a lagoon tour no matter which resort you pick. Our full guide on snorkeling in Bora Bora covers where the clear water actually is.

In the Water: The Thalasso Wins

The Thalasso’s lagoonarium, an enclosed snorkel area, was the highlight of that entire stay. Great fish variety, visible coral restoration, a resident octopus, and a dedicated reef in the lagoon where clownfish live. Yes, you can find Nemo here, and that alone made it the best in-water kid experience of either property. There was a second snorkel spot near the spa bridge with better clarity, just watch for sea urchins.

The Westin flips this. Its most interesting lagoon area, the resident turtle’s habitat, is off-limits for swimming because it’s an active rehabilitation zone. You can swim under the chapel nearby, but the in-water experience is thinner. Fair warning at the Thalasso: the concrete walkways get scorching hot. In fact, our kids nearly blistered their feet. So pack water shoes.

Out of the Water: The Westin Wins

The Westin’s Eco Center is a real turtle rehabilitation facility run by on-site biologists. Also, the free outside access is surprisingly deep. It includes a touch pond, an education center with turtle bones and shells, and viewing windows into the rehab tanks. On top of that, a glass panel lets you look straight into the lagoon like an aquarium.

The resident turtle has lived there six years and usually shows up in the lagoon between 12 and 2pm. The hands-on program runs 7,000 XPF, about $63 per person. The Thalasso’s out-of-water counter is simpler but effective: the overwater swing with the mountain view. Our kids would have lived on it if we’d let them.

Boat Transfers & Getting to Each Resort

Both resorts sit on their own motu, so a boat is part of every arrival and departure. That part is equal. How each resort handles the mainland side of it is not.

The Westin: Simple and Findable

The Westin’s mainland base in Anau comes up accurately on a Google Maps pin, parking was easy, and the process was self-explanatory. The waiting area is open-air, so you’re in the elements if you arrive midday. Also, our island transfer boat ran about 20 to 25 minutes late. It was a functional worker vessel rather than anything glamorous.

Still, the crew made up for all of it. They joked with us about our private boat tour since we were the only passengers, and wanted to be in our photos. And if you’re flying in, the Westin’s airport boat transfers are free, bundled into the daily destination fee, so there’s no per-ride charge on arrival or departure.

The Thalasso: The Le Moana Runaround

The Thalasso’s mainland departure point is Le Moana, its sister property, and this was the roughest part of our stay before it even started. We stopped by Le Moana days ahead to ask about parking and logistics.

However, the employee gave us almost nothing and essentially told us to figure it out ourselves. Once we got someone on the phone, the useful answers were: show up for your shuttle time, and do not park in the public lot next door because it closes at 6pm.

On departure day, parking behind the resort required a staff escort. Then, despite a side gate sitting about 100 feet from the shuttle, staff walked us the long way through the main lobby. We arrived at 8:20 for an 8:45 boat and it was too tight. Give yourself 30 minutes minimum.

The Arrival Ceremony: Thalasso’s Redemption

Credit where it’s due, once the boat reached the motu, the Thalasso delivered the better arrival. A horn announced us, two staff waited at the private dock, and luggage went straight to the villa. Then we got a golf cart tour of the property before a seated check-in with tea and cool towels. The Westin’s leis and live ukulele were lovely, but the Thalasso’s arrival felt like the luxury moment you booked. It just made us wish the mainland side matched it.

The Vibes: Who Each Property Attracts

Walk both properties and you’ll feel the difference within an hour. These resorts are built for different travelers.

The Westin Is Built for Couples

The Westin felt like the best overwater bungalow resort on the island for couples, and it wasn’t close. Our anniversary stay set the tone. The room filled with hibiscus flowers, and a note and chocolate appeared at turndown. Best of all, none of it required a pre-request. The staff even suggested gathering the petals into the tub overnight for a flower bath with champagne in the morning.

Daily wine and rum tastings, a hidden bar with swings, and a sunset tapas bar fill the days. Add cultural activities every afternoon at 3:15, and the rhythm is clearly designed for two people with nowhere to be. The bungalows are also more private than other properties, with young plantings adding separation between neighbors. We saw kids at the Westin, but the property isn’t oriented around them.

The Thalasso Is Built for Families

At the Thalasso, roughly two out of three guests had kids, and the resort leans into it. For example, our daughter received a pareo and a coloring book with a prize incentive for finishing it. She also got Bora Bora colored pencils and that unlimited ice cream certificate.

Between the lagoonarium, the clownfish reef, and the overwater swing, this is the property families default to. The rooms that actually sleep four seal it. The tradeoff is atmosphere. It’s a livelier, louder property, and the cultural programming was lighter than we wanted. Specifically, we saw one or two morning activities and one in the afternoon.

Service When It Counted

This is where the gap widened. At the Westin, Amanda left her purse at the rum tasting and staff called us and held it at the bar. At the Thalasso, Amanda fell on an unmarked elevation drop near the bridge. The spot had a foot-sized gap in a high-traffic walkway. One employee witnessed it, made eye contact, and walked away without a word.

A manager did respond well in the moment with ice, Arnica cream, and a late checkout. Afterward, though, there was no follow-up from the property. We had to email them ourselves to request incident documentation. A swollen ankle and a bruised knee meant Amanda missed the lagoonarium swim with the kids. Accidents happen anywhere. What stays with you is how a property responds, and the two responses we experienced weren’t in the same league.

The Points Math: 79,000 Bonvoy vs 165,000 IHG

We booked both stays on points, so this comparison comes from real redemptions, not award charts.

What We Redeemed at Each

Our Westin night ran 79,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for an overwater bungalow. Our Thalasso night ran 165,000 IHG One Rewards points for a standard lagoon view villa. The “upgrade” we received was vague, still lagoon view, just repositioned away from the construction.

The two programs use different point currencies, so the raw numbers aren’t apples to apples. Translating them helps. Points experts value Marriott points at roughly 0.8 cents each, while IHG points run roughly half a cent to 0.7 cents each.

In plain dollars, our Westin night cost around $630 worth of points. Meanwhile, our Thalasso night cost somewhere around $900 worth. The cheaper-sounding program was the more expensive stay.

How You Earn Them Matters

IHG points are easy to accumulate in bulk if you or your spouse travel for work. Similarly, military families earning through TDY and PCS stays can stack them fast. If that’s you, 165,000 points for a night in an overwater villa that sleeps your whole family is a legitimate redemption. If you’re earning through credit card points instead, the math shifts hard.

Chase and Amex points transfer to Marriott, which puts the Westin’s 79,000-point night within closer reach. For comparison, we got two nights at the St. Regis for 90,000 points combined, about $720 worth. Less than one Thalasso night bought two nights at Bora Bora’s most exclusive property.

Want to judge any redemption yourself? Divide the room’s cash rate by the points required. That gives you the cents per point you’re getting, and anything above the valuations up top is a good deal.

Status Perks We Actually Received

Neither program’s status changed our stays much, so don’t book around it. Marriott Silver Elite at the Westin got us a 4pm late checkout based on availability. However, we had to catch the notification on the in-room TV and then go extend our keys at the front desk ourselves. IHG Platinum Elite at the Thalasso got us the drink vouchers, wine, beer, or non-alcoholic only, and that vague villa repositioning. Book the resort that fits your trip, not your status.

The Shuttle Question: Getting Off the Motu

Both resorts sit on their own motu. So if you want to explore the main island, eat where locals eat, or hop between resorts, the shuttle logistics matter more than you’d think.

From the Westin

The Westin runs a set boat schedule between the resort and its mainland base in Anau. Boats leave the resort at 8:45 AM, 12:30 PM, and 5:30 PM. Meanwhile, returns from Anau run at 9:00 AM, 12:45 PM, 4:10 PM, and 4:55 PM. The 5:30 PM boat is the last one off the resort, so plan dinner reservations on the main island carefully.

One cost note: the boat itself is covered, but Anau is a quiet stretch of the island. Because of that, getting from the base into Vaitape means a taxi. Expect roughly $40 round trip, paid in cash to the driver. Our full Westin Bora Bora boat transfer guide breaks down the complete schedule, the destination fee, and how arrival day actually works.

From the Thalasso

The Thalasso’s shuttles ran to Le Moana, its sister property near Matira Point, which is a better place to land than Anau. You step off the boat within reach of Matira Beach and some of the island’s best casual restaurants. The schedule was the catch. Shuttle times were fixed and the staff-side communication was thin.

In fact, as we covered in the transfers section, the Le Moana end of the operation was the weakest service link of our stay. Shuttle schedules will almost certainly change when the renovated resort reopens, so confirm times directly with the resort when you book. Our full InterContinental Thalasso review covers the Le Moana departure experience in detail.

Can You Shuttle Between the Two Resorts?

No, and people ask this constantly in the Bora Bora Facebook groups. There is no boat running resort to resort. Getting from the Westin to the Thalasso, or to any other property, means taking your resort’s shuttle to the mainland first.

After that, you take a taxi to the other resort’s departure base. We used Danny, a reliable English-speaking taxi driver, for exactly this kind of hop: +689 87 71 79 11. Budget the better part of an hour for the full transfer and check both resorts’ boat schedules before committing to a lunch reservation across the lagoon.

Splitting a Stay Between the Westin and the Thalasso

Does This Split Even Make Sense?

A Westin and St. Regis split is the classic Bora Bora move because both run on Marriott points. A Westin and Thalasso split is a different animal, and it makes sense for exactly two kinds of travelers. The first is the points diversifier. That’s someone holding a real balance in both Marriott Bonvoy and IHG One Rewards. Instead of paying cash for extra nights, they burn both piles.

The second is the trip with two personalities. First comes a family stretch where the kids get the lagoonarium, the clownfish, and a villa that sleeps everyone. Then comes a couples stretch at the Westin while grandparents or older kids take the main island. We essentially ran that second play across our two months on the island. Each resort delivered exactly the half it was built for.

The Moving Day Reality

Know this going in: the two resorts don’t touch. Moving between them takes three legs. First a boat off your motu, then a taxi across the main island, and then a boat out to the second motu. The Thalasso’s mainland base at Le Moana sits near Matira Point on the south end.

Meanwhile, the Westin’s Anau base is up the east side. So the taxi leg is a real drive, not a hop. So budget a half day for the full move and book the taxi ahead. This is another job for Danny (+689 87 71 79 11). The upside of a Thalasso-side start is that moving day can include lunch near Matira Beach before your afternoon boat.

The Private Boat Shortcut

There’s a shortcut option too: a private boat directly from one resort’s dock to the other, skipping the mainland entirely. It costs quite a bit more than the boat-taxi-boat route, but do the full math before dismissing it. The Thalasso’s shuttle isn’t bundled the way the Westin’s is, so the standard route isn’t free either. Once you add the shuttle cost plus the taxi plus the time, the private boat gap narrows.

This is especially true for a group splitting the fare. Book it through either resort’s concierge. Both resorts will hold luggage outside your room window. For example, the Westin’s bell service held ours after checkout while we used the pool. So the moving day doesn’t have to feel like an airport layover. And once the Thalasso reopens, confirm its shuttle schedule and transfer pricing before you lock the taxi time. Both will likely be new.

The Verdict by Traveler Type

If we had to hand our points to a friend and pick one resort today, it’s the Westin. It won the bungalow experience for couples, the dining value, the service moments that stick with you, and the view of the mountain. On top of that, it cost us noticeably less in points value per night.

The Thalasso earned its place here through the lagoonarium, the family room math, and that spa. Better yet, the renovation may fix the exact things we dinged it for. When it reopens, we’ll update this comparison. Until then, this one has a clear winner.