Westin vs St. Regis Bora Bora: At a Glance

The 30-Second Answer

Here is the short version. Book the Westin if you are a couple. It has the newest rooms on the island, the best view of Mount Otemanu, and a lower-category points redemption that stretches your balance further. It is also dialed in for honeymoons and anniversaries.

Book the St. Regis if you are traveling with kids. It has the largest villas in French Polynesia, doting butler service, and a more iconic dining moment. You will spend more points or cash to get there, but families get a lot back for it.

Both are Marriott Bonvoy properties. Both sit on their own motu, and both are stunning. We stayed at each one on points within the same trip, so this is not a guess. The rest of this post is the why behind that answer.

First, the Honest Context: We Stayed at Both on Points

Most comparisons of these two resorts are written by people who only stayed at one. Ours is not. We have spent close to six months in French Polynesia across two long slow-travel trips, including two months on Bora Bora this time, and during that stretch we booked both Marriott properties on Bonvoy points. At the St. Regis we stayed in a beachfront villa with a private pool. At the Westin we stayed in an overwater bungalow.

That detail matters for how you read this. We did not book the same room category at both. Instead, we picked what made sense for our family and our points at each property. So when we compare rooms, we compare the St. Regis villa we lived in against the Westin bungalow we lived in.

For the other categories, we tell you clearly when we are working from research rather than firsthand experience. Every bungalow and villa on this island comes with trade-offs, and we would rather be honest about ours.

Want the deep dives first? We have full standalone reviews of each property: our honest Westin Bora Bora review and our full St. Regis Bora Bora review. This post is the decision layer that sits on top of both.

Property Age and the Le Meridien Question

Start here, because it shapes everything else. The Westin is the new one. It reopened in 2024 after a full renovation and a rebrand from Le Meridien Bora Bora. So if you are reading older reviews under the Le Meridien name, that is the same resort. Same motu, same overwater bungalow setup, same Bonvoy program, new finishes and a new name.

The St. Regis, on the other hand, has been open since 2006. It spreads across 44 acres with only around 90 rooms. That makes it one of the most spacious and most intimate resorts on the island at once. So the contrast is real. The Westin gives you bright, modern, brand-new rooms. The St. Regis gives you established, classic, old-world luxury.

Neither is better in the abstract. It comes down to whether “newest” or “classic” speaks to you more. For what it is worth, the Westin’s 2024 rooms felt the most modern of any resort we stayed at in Bora Bora. The St. Regis, meanwhile, felt the most polished in its service. Both impressions held up across the whole stay.

The Bungalows and Villas, Side by Side

This is the single most-asked question in the Bora Bora travel community, so we will spend real time on it. Quick reminder first. We slept in a Westin overwater bungalow and a St. Regis beach villa, so that is the firsthand spine of this section.

We have also stayed in an overwater bungalow at the IHG Thalasso, so our overwater perspective is firsthand rather than guesswork. We did not book a St. Regis overwater bungalow specifically. Still, after living in two overwater bungalows on this island, we expect the St. Regis version to feel broadly similar.

The Westin Overwater Bungalow

The Westin’s signature is the glass-bottom window. It is reportedly the largest of any overwater bungalow in Bora Bora, and the glass is flush with the floor, so you stand directly over the fish rather than looking down into a raised case. Lying on the floor and watching rays pass underneath does not get old.

In fact, a stingray glided directly below us on the way to dinner one night. The 2024 rooms are light, airy, and modern. You also get a Westin Sleep Well oil roll-on, Bluetooth speakers inside and out, and on some bungalows a step straight off the deck into the saltwater pool. The base rooms do run smaller than the other top-tier resorts, though. That is the honest trade-off for the newest finishes and the best mountain view on the island.

Families need to know one thing here. The Westin overwater bungalows cap at three guests. So a family of four cannot fit in a standard bungalow without moving up to a larger suite category. Confirm that directly with the resort before you book.

The St. Regis Beachfront Villa

The St. Regis villa felt enormous. You get a large bedroom, a separate living area, a soaking tub with Tahitian vanilla bath salts, a private plunge pool, and direct beach access behind a full privacy fence. The St. Regis also has the largest overwater villas in all of French Polynesia, starting around 1,550 square feet. That is roughly three times the size of the Westin’s base rooms. So if space and a private-compound feel matter to you, the St. Regis is in a different league.

For our family, the beach villa beat an overwater bungalow. It was more private. It was also easier with a kid, because there were no ladders or open water to watch. On top of that, the lagoon-facing villa side ran noticeably cooler and had far fewer mosquitoes than the overwater section. That climate difference surprised us, and it is worth weighing if bugs tend to find you.

Which Room Should You Pick?

Are you a couple chasing the overwater bungalow dream? Then the Westin’s plunge-pool bungalow facing Mount Otemanu is the most modern version of that fantasy. Travelers in the Bora Bora groups almost always call the plunge pool upgrade worth it. Are you a family, or do you want maximum space and an easy in-and-out setup? Then the St. Regis beach villa wins. In short, the deciding factor is rarely “which is nicer.” It is “which layout fits how you actually travel.”

One thing to set expectations on, since this applies to every overwater bungalow on the island. Boat traffic across the lagoon starts as early as 6 AM and runs all day. When a fast boat passes, you feel it inside the bungalow. Golf carts moving along the elevated walkways do the same thing. Privacy between neighboring bungalows is also not absolute, since you are sharing a strip of overwater rooms. After two OWB stays in Bora Bora, we can say this is true at every property we have been in, and it is the honest counterweight to the Pinterest version of the experience. It does not ruin anything. It just helps to know going in.

Want Both? The St. Regis Lets You Split Room Types

Here is a tip a lot of people miss. At the St. Regis, you do not have to choose between the beach villa and the overwater bungalow at all. You can book both room types for your stay, and when it is time to switch, the resort handles the move for you. We met a mom doing exactly that, traveling with three kids under ten, including a toddler. You also get the same welcome amenities and the same service in either room, so nothing about the experience drops off when you switch. It is a clever option for families weighing villa against overwater, and a good one for travelers who simply want to try both on one trip.

Families should also know that the resort childproofs both setups on request. The beach villa gets safety glass around the private pool, and the overwater bungalow gets added safety measures too. So even the overwater side can work with young kids, which is not something every Bora Bora resort handles well.

The Westin: Where We Actually Ate

At the Westin we ate at Varavara, the beach grill, where we had the smash burger and a pizza. We also ate at Te Ava, the swim-up pool bar, and at O’A, the upstairs sunset tapas bar with an epic Mount Otemanu view. All of it was good, casual, and well priced for Bora Bora. For reference, a pepperoni pizza ran about 3,900 XPF (~$35), and cocktails sat around 2,600 to 3,000 XPF (~$23 to $27).

We did not eat at Maere, the Westin’s fine-dining signature, so we will not rate a meal we did not have. We also have photos of Tipanier, the main restaurant, but we did not dine there. Here is what we can say from seeing it. Tipanier looks out over the resort’s own constructed lagoon.

To our eye, that view was not as striking as Lagoon by Jean-Georges, which puts you out over the open lagoon with fish under the glass. So on the iconic dinner moment, the St. Regis takes it. On everyday casual eating and value, though, the Westin held its own.

The Honest Dining Verdict

For a special dinner, the St. Regis edges it on setting and on the dishes we tried. For relaxed, all-day eating with a great sunset view, the Westin’s O’A and beach grill were a pleasure. Food quality at both is strong. In fact, the broader Bora Bora travel community rates the two as comparable, and some travelers prefer the Westin’s breakfast.

That said, the best dinner we had anywhere on the island was off-resort at La Villa Mahana. It beat the St. Regis Lagoon restaurant for us on both value and craft, so it is worth a night away from whichever resort you book.

The Lagoon: Turtle Center vs Lagoonarium

Both resorts have a signature in-lagoon experience. They are very different, too, which makes this a real point of difference rather than a tie.

The St. Regis has the Lagoonarium. It is a calm, protected stretch of lagoon you can snorkel without worrying about current or boat traffic. It is also home to Moana, a large Napoleon humphead wrasse who swims right up to you, plus visible coral restoration work. For kids, it pairs with a scavenger hunt around the lagoon. Our daughter completed it, learned about the ecosystem, and chose a bracelet kit as her reward. It became the most-used part of our whole stay.

The Westin’s signature is its Eco Center and turtle rehabilitation program. On-site biologists care for injured sea turtles there. You can visit the touch pond, the education center, and the rehab tank viewing windows for free, and you can pay extra for the hands-on Turtle Discovery program. There is also a resident turtle that has lived on the property for six years, usually visible in the lagoon between noon and 2pm.

One expectation to set for both resorts, though: the open lagoon water around every Bora Bora motu is murky from boat traffic and sediment. So the crystal-clear snorkeling happens on a lagoon tour out to the reef, not off your bungalow ladder. We did exactly that on a local Keishi lagoon tour and swam with blacktip reef sharks and rays in clear water, which neither resort lagoon delivers on its own.

So here is the simple way to choose. If you are traveling with kids, the St. Regis Lagoonarium and scavenger hunt are the bigger draw. If wildlife and conservation are your thing as a couple, the Westin turtle program is special and unusual. You will not find it anywhere else on the island.

Service: The Real Difference Maker

If one category separates these two properties, it is service style. The St. Regis runs on butler service. From the moment we arrived, our butler Julie gave us a property orientation and proactively booked us a dinner reservation. The team also folded our day-pass-visiting daughter into activities without any fuss. At departure, they handed us cold waters at the dock and seashell necklaces. This is the kind of attentive, anticipatory service the brand is built on, and the wider travel community flags it as the property’s biggest advantage.

The St. Regis is not flawless on service, though. Morning coffee took 30 to 45 minutes. The concierge phone often rang nine or ten times before anyone answered. The rotating butler team also felt a little disjointed until we understood it was not one dedicated person. Our fixes were simple. Schedule coffee the night before, and clarify the butler system on day one.

The Westin’s service was warm and genuine, and the check-in host Sebastian stood out. Still, it leans more island-relaxed. That is not a knock. It is a different energy, and for a lot of couples the easygoing pace is part of the appeal. So if you want service that notices what you need before you ask, the St. Regis is the one. If you want friendly and unfussy, the Westin delivers.

Boat Transfers and Getting There

Both resorts sit on their own motu, so you reach each one by boat from a mainland base. Both bases are over on the Anau side of the main island. We arrived at each one from the mainland dock rather than the airport, since we were already living on the island. If you are still planning how to reach the island itself, you arrive either by air or on the overnight ferry from Tahiti before any resort boat transfer.

At the St. Regis, the mainland dock had a small air-conditioned lounge. Staff tagged our rental car to the reservation, and the shuttle ran close to on time. The St. Regis’s published shared transfer pricing is 16,800 XPF round trip from the airport (about $165) and 3,500 XPF round trip from the mainland dock (about $35), so the mainland route saves more than $100 a head if you happen to be coming from the main island.

At the Westin, the dock waiting area is open-air. Our transfer ran about 20 to 25 minutes late on a functional worker boat, though the crew were a highlight and joked around the whole way. There is one practical Westin win, too. Airport boat transfers are bundled into the daily destination fee, so there is no per-ride charge on those. For a deeper look at the St. Regis transfer system specifically, see our St. Regis transfer guide.

The Vibe: Who Each Property Attracts

The Westin is a couples and multi-generational adult resort. We saw exactly one child during our entire stay. Music plays softly, the pool is full of couples, and the whole property has a calm, romantic energy. So it is dialed in for honeymoons, anniversaries, and vow renewals.

The St. Regis manages a harder trick. It feels like a luxury Bora Bora property first, but it still folds kids into the experience without feeling like a kids club. There is unlimited ice cream and smoothies for kids under 12 at Aparima Bar, plus child-sized robes and slippers, the scavenger hunt, flower crown making, and dance lessons. At the same time, adults and honeymooners did not feel out of place. So it is the more balanced crowd of the two.

The vibe split is clean, then. The Westin is for adult romance and quiet. The St. Regis is for a luxury trip that still works beautifully with kids in tow. If you want to weigh a third motu resort for families, our InterContinental Thalasso review covers the other property we stayed at on the island.

Marriott Bonvoy Points: Real Receipts

Here is where most comparisons get vague, so we are bringing real numbers. Both properties are Marriott Bonvoy. We booked both on points, using a single Marriott credit card welcome bonus topped off with a small Chase transfer. The full system is in our points and loyalty strategy post.

The key fact for choosing is simple. The Westin is generally a lower category than the St. Regis. So the Westin is the more accessible Bonvoy option, and the St. Regis is the more aspirational one. Here are our actual receipts. We booked one night at the Westin for 79,000 points. We booked the St. Regis for two consecutive nights as two separate one-night reservations as Silver Elite members in the off-season, and they ran 94,400 points for the first night and 91,200 for the second.

Marriott uses dynamic pricing on points, so a second night can land at a different number than the first, even back to back. Worth knowing if you might extend on the fly. Both properties also climb in peak season, so your exact numbers depend on when you travel.

The Taxes and Fees, Explained

A free room on points does not make the whole stay free. First, the taxes. French Polynesia charges a mandatory government tax on every hotel stay. It is the same at both resorts, since they sit on the same island and follow the same rule. Points never cover it at either property. On our one-night Westin folio, it came to about 11,000 XPF, and you should budget the equivalent at the St. Regis.

Now the resort fee, and this is where the two properties differ. The Westin charges a daily destination fee of 11,550 XPF, about $104 USD, on cash bookings. Crucially, that fee bundles real value. It covers your round-trip airport boat transfers, your welcome champagne, and the full activity program, including the wine and rum tastings, cultural activities, and yoga. On our points stay, that fee even dropped to just 550 XPF (about $5) a night, which is a quiet win for points bookers. The St. Regis, by contrast, has no equivalent all-in fee. Instead, transfers, activities, and extras are mostly à la carte.

So here is the value nuance. On a shorter stay, the Westin wins. It is the lower points redemption, and its resort fee folds transport, champagne, and activities into one number. On a longer cash stay, though, that nightly fee stacks up. Because the St. Regis does not charge it, the overall value can actually lean St. Regis the longer you stay.

Which Is the Better Points Play?

For most Bonvoy travelers building toward a redemption, the Westin gets you into an overwater bungalow for fewer points. That is why it is the more accessible choice. The St. Regis costs more points, but it gives you bigger villas, butler service, and the more established luxury feel. For a family of four, there is also a practical tiebreaker. The St. Regis beach villa sleeps four comfortably, while the Westin overwater bungalow caps at three. Sometimes that decides the question before points even come into it.

A Word on Budget: Bora Bora Is Just Expensive

We want to be honest about something bigger than points. Bora Bora is expensive. That is true at both resorts, and it is true across the island. Both properties price their food and activities very high, so the costs add up fast whichever one you pick.

So set your expectations now. This is not a budget-hack destination. Points get you the room. They do not get you a cheap trip. Once you are on the island, the daily spending is real, and there is no clever workaround for it.

Here is our person-to-person advice. Have your real budget set before you go. As a planning number, expect to spend roughly $300 per person, per day on top of the room. That covers meals, drinks, and the occasional activity. More importantly, it buys you peace of mind.

Why does that matter so much? Because if you stress about every charge, the spending compounds and the stress compounds with it. That is the fastest way to ruin a once-in-a-lifetime trip. So decide your number, make peace with it, and go enjoy the lagoon.

Is There a Shuttle Between the Westin and St. Regis?

Short answer: no. There is no scheduled shuttle that runs directly between the two resorts. Each one runs its own boat transfers to and from its own mainland base on the Anau side of the island.

Here is what actually matters for choosing between them. The Westin’s round-trip resort shuttle is bundled into the daily destination fee you are already paying, so using it costs nothing extra. The St. Regis charges per trip. If you plan to leave the property a few times during your stay, that difference adds up, and it is worth deciding which model fits your trip before you book.

If you do want to move between the two resorts, you have a few options. The long way is to take your home resort’s shuttle to the mainland, cross to the other resort’s mainland base, and board that resort’s shuttle out. That route is not just about cost. It can also fit your day better if you already plan to be on the mainland for lunch, shopping, or sightseeing, since you are not coming back to the motu just to change. You can also book a private transfer through either resort, and both run a cross-property dinner shuttle for guests dining at the other property.

For exact pricing and schedules, see our St. Regis transfer guide and our How to Get to the Westin guide.

Doing a Split Stay at Both

Splitting a trip between the two is a popular move, and a smart one. It lets you experience both the modern and the classic side of Marriott in Bora Bora. We have seen travelers do a few nights at the Westin and a few at the St. Regis on a single honeymoon. The points math works nicely, too, because the Westin’s lower category balances the St. Regis’s higher one.

Plan for the logistics, though. You cannot use a resort’s free airport shuttle if you are not flying that day. So moving between properties means a boat to the mainland, a short taxi between the two Anau-area bases, and a boat back out. Build that in as roughly a half-day moving day. If we were planning a split, we would put the newer, couples-focused Westin first and finish at the St. Regis, so the trip ends on its standout service.

Day Pass Crossover: Visit One While Staying at the Other

You do not have to commit to a full stay to see both. Both resorts offer a day pass. So a day pass is a great way to scout the other property, or simply to add a second resort experience to your trip. We have done day passes here firsthand, and we broke down every resort’s pass in our Bora Bora day pass comparison.

The St. Regis day pass runs 22,000 XPF per person, or about $400 for a couple before drinks. It departs the Anau base at 11:00 AM and returns at 6:00 PM, and it includes a two-course lunch at Aparima Bar plus the beach, main pool, and Lagoonarium.

The Westin, meanwhile, is the only tiered day pass on the island. The Manava pass at 15,000 XPF is the most affordable formal day pass in Bora Bora, and it includes pool, beach, breakfast, and a drink. The Honu pass at 20,000 XPF then adds the Turtle Discovery program at the Eco Center. The Westin shuttle departs its mainland base at 8:30 AM and returns at 5:30 PM, and prices include tax and a 5% service charge.

So if you are staying at one and want to preview the other before a future trip, the day pass is the move. Just remember that each shuttle leaves from a different dock, and you book by emailing the resort directly.

The Verdict by Traveler Type

Both resorts are excellent, so the right answer depends on who you are and what you want. Here is how we would call it.

What to Pack for Either Resort

Whichever you choose, the planning that helps your photos most starts before you pack. Pick a color palette first. Then bring matching sets for beach and pool days, plus something smart casual for dinner. Pack a pareo, too, because it works as a coverup, a photo prop, and a sarong for walking the property.

One more tip: arrange a flower crown before you arrive, because other guests will ask where you got yours. Our guide on where to get a flower crown in Bora Bora covers exactly how. Here is the resort wear we actually packed for both stays.

FAQ

More Bora Bora Planning Resources

Wherever you land between these two, here are the rest of our firsthand Bora Bora guides to round out the trip. Everything below comes from our two months slow traveling the island.

• How to Get to Bora Bora: The Complete Guide to Flights, Ferries, and Transfers
• Snorkeling in Bora Bora: Don’t Book a Lagoon Tour Until You Read This
• Snorkeling in Bora Bora: Our Keishi Lagoon Tour Experience
• Bora Bora Day Pass: Every Resort Compared, Prices and What’s Included
• InterContinental Thalasso Bora Bora: An Honest Family Review
• La Villa Mahana Review: Is Bora Bora’s Most Famous Restaurant Worth It?
• How to Stay at the St. Regis Bora Bora for Free: Our Points and Loyalty Strategy
• Where to Get Flower Crowns in Bora Bora
• Hiking in Bora Bora: Free Self-Guided Trails, Ridge Views, and When You Need a Guide
• Vaeara’i Ferry to Bora Bora: What to Expect With an Overnight Ride

The Westin vs St Regis Bora Bora, Which One Should You Book?

You cannot go wrong with either resort, which is the fun problem with this comparison. So here is a single rule of thumb. Book the Westin if you are a couple who wants the newest rooms, the best mountain view, and the smarter points value. Book the St. Regis if you are traveling with kids, or if you want the largest villas and the most attentive service on the island. And if you still cannot decide, split your stay and have both.

For the full picture on each property, read our complete Westin Bora Bora review and our complete St. Regis Bora Bora review.

Have a question about choosing between the two? Drop it in the comments and we will answer it.