Hotel Hibiscus

The pool was great, and reception were helpful during the brief times I dealt with them for check-in, a taxi to the ferry, and checkout. But you can get much better accommodation for a lot less money. I stayed five nights in a building room. Housekeeping barely seemed to do anything: they left an empty pizza box and sunblock drops on the basin, and seemed only to pull up the sheets. The room light flickered, so we fixed it ourselves. One sheet had a small tear and another a little stain. The restaurant was okay, but outdoor tables were often kept reserved for hours with nobody using them, and prices were too high. It’s too expensive for what you get.

We were sad to leave our lagoon view room today. We’ve moved to another hotel on the island and already wish we were back at Hibiscus. The beach is just twenty metres from the front door, and the water is lovely for swimming and snorkeling. If you’d rather eat off-site, there are good, affordable places a short walk down the road. I’d happily stay here again if I return to Mo’orea.

I’ve never had to write a review like this, but the whole situation felt shady enough that I want others to know. Our Expedia booking clearly said buffet breakfast was included. A woman charged us 6,800 ($68) and said eggs and ham weren’t part of it. What does “buffet breakfast” mean, then? The food was terrible too, with powdery eggs and jam that was far too sour. When we asked for credit, she insisted on cash. I took out a 10,000 ($100) note to get change, but she took all the cash from my hand and said she’d just take 4,000 instead, then handed me some change. We walked out and realized we didn’t have the 10,000. My boyfriend went back to ask if we’d dropped any money. The same woman immediately said, “Oh, the 10,000?” and claimed she’d given it back to me. We were out $100. I can’t prove it, but the whole thing felt very shady. If we hadn’t had another activity to get to, I’d have stayed longer to ask about the missing money.

We didn’t stay here, but stopped in for lunch and dinner and really enjoyed both meals. The food and drinks were good, and the service was amazing. Everyone was so friendly and accommodating. I’d come back!