Bloody Mary’s Hotel vs Hotel Royal Bora Bora

Bloody Mary’s Hotel is the natural extension of one of the most storied addresses in the Pacific. The original restaurant opened in 1979 and spent four decades drawing celebrities, sailors, and travellers from around the world to the same sand-floor tables. The hotel wraps around that legend, adding 53 rooms and bungalows, overwater accommodation, a marina, and four dining and drinking venues.

It sits at Pofai Bay with Mount Otemanu views from almost every corner of the property, and complimentary shuttle service to both Vaitape and Matira Beach for all guests.

Hotel Royal Bora Bora sits near Matira Beach in a large tropical garden, with its beach bar, restaurant, and pool facing the lagoon directly. The mountain side is lush garden. The sea side is white sand beach, a swimming pool, and a view of Motu Piti Uu’Uta that does not require a motu resort price to enjoy.

Twice a week local bands play at the bar and restaurant. The Hinatea Spa draws on Polynesian healing traditions. The 80 rooms are comfortable, clean, and well reviewed. This is Bora Bora without the performance.

Fly into Bora Bora Airport via Tahiti on Air Tahiti or Air Moana. Take the complimentary shuttle boat to Vaitape Harbor, where a member of the Bloody Mary’s Hotel team will be waiting to meet you. From Vaitape, the hotel provides a complimentary road transfer to the property, around 10 minutes.

The hotel’s on-site pontoon also makes arrival by private water taxi possible directly to the property, a more memorable alternative for those who prefer it.

Same routing — fly into Bora Bora Airport via Tahiti, take the shuttle boat to Vaitape Harbor. Hotel Royal Bora Bora offers a paid transfer service from Vaitape, arranged through a local company. You must inform the hotel of your flight schedule in advance. The front desk operates from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, so arrivals outside those hours need planning.

The hotel has a pontoon, making arrival by private water taxi directly to the property an option. Free self parking is also available for guests exploring the island by car or scooter.

Bloody Mary’s Hotel offers 53 rooms across six categories. Entry is the Panoramic View Room at 334 sq ft with mountain and lagoon panorama. The overwater categories, Horizon View Bungalow, Otemanu View Bungalow, and Sunset View Suite, all include direct lagoon access from the private terrace. Every room includes a king bed, Nespresso machine, minibar, smart TV, and laptop-friendly workspace.

The Otemanu View Bungalow at 463 sq ft faces Mount Otemanu directly. The Sunset View Suite at 742 sq ft is the largest room and best positioned for the evening light. Children under 12 are not permitted in the overwater bungalows.

• Overwater bungalows with direct lagoon access at a non-motu price
• Mount Otemanu views from most room categories
• Sunset View Suite — west-facing, 742 sq ft, best for couples
• Every room with Nespresso, minibar, and turndown service
• Guest-only bungalow area for privacy

• Brand new — no guest reviews yet to validate room quality
• Children under 12 not permitted in overwater bungalows

Hotel Royal Bora Bora offers 80 rooms across garden and lagoon-view categories. All rooms include air conditioning, flat-screen TV, refrigerator, electric kettle, free WiFi, safe, and a private balcony or patio. Connecting rooms are available for families. Guest reviews consistently highlight clean, spacious rooms and helpful staff.

The hotel sits in a large tropical garden with the mountain on one side and the lagoon on the other. Rooms on the sea side have lagoon and motu views. The property is unpretentious and well run, what you see is what you get, and what you get is genuinely good value for Bora Bora.

• 80 rooms — more availability and flexibility for dates
• All rooms with private balcony or patio
• Connecting rooms available for families
• Consistently strong guest reviews for cleanliness and staff
• Years of operating history, you know what to expect

• No overwater bungalow option
• Smaller rooms at entry level than Bloody Mary’s Hotel
• No elevator, not ideal for mobility-limited guests

Bloody Mary’s Hotel has an outdoor pool for hotel guests with Mount Otemanu as the backdrop and a sandy lagoon-side area for sunbathing and direct lagoon swimming. Sun loungers and pool umbrellas are included. The overwater bungalows include direct lagoon access from the private terrace. Snorkeling equipment, kayaks, and paddleboards are also available for guests.

The pool sits alongside the restaurants, which are open to non-guests as well, giving the area a sociable energy during the day. For a quieter retreat, the guest-only bungalow area with fitness center provides separation from the public dining spaces.

• Pool with direct Mount Otemanu views
• Sandy lagoon-side area for swimming and sunbathing
• Marina — boat excursions depart directly from the hotel
• Direct lagoon access from overwater bungalow terraces
• Snorkeling equipment included for guests

• No natural white sand beach at the hotel itself
• Shuttle to Matira Beach needed for a classic beach day

Hotel Royal Bora Bora has a direct white sand beach with the pool sitting right alongside it, both looking out at the lagoon and Motu Piti Uu’Uta. Sun loungers line the beach. Kayaks and paddleboards are available for rental, giving easy access to the lagoon from the hotel’s own beach. A beach bar serves drinks all day.

This is a genuinely beachfront hotel in a way that most Bora Bora properties are not. The combination of pool, direct beach, and lagoon view at this price point is hard to match anywhere on the island.

• Direct white sand beach — rare for a main island hotel at this price
• Pool and beach side by side with lagoon and motu views
• Beach bar for drinks without leaving the water’s edge
• Kayaks and paddleboards for independent lagoon access

• No marina — boat excursions require transfer to departure point
• No overwater lagoon access from rooms

The dining offer at Bloody Mary’s Hotel is built around four distinct venues. The legendary Bloody Mary’s Restaurant returns in recognisable form, sand floors, fresh fish and meat chosen directly from the display, a history stretching back to 1979, and evenings that always stretch longer than planned.

Povai Bay is a contemporary lagoonside bistro for breakfast and French-influenced island dinners. La Bella Matira is a beachfront restaurant at Matira Beach, accessible via the complimentary shuttle, serving Mediterranean-influenced island cuisine. Tiki Tide is the sunset bar, serving cocktails and tapas as the light changes behind Otemanu. A daily manager’s reception is also included for all guests.

• Bloody Mary’s Restaurant — 47 years of legend, sand floors, choose your fish
• Four distinct venues for different moods and times of day
• La Bella Matira at Matira Beach, beachfront dining via complimentary shuttle
• Tiki Tide sunset bar with Otemanu views

• New venues except Bloody Mary’s Restaurant — no track record yet
• La Bella Matira requires a shuttle, not steps from your room

The Ori Ori restaurant sits on the beach side with a view of Motu Piti Uu’Uta islet. The chef works with local and international cuisine, good food, honest prices, and a setting that is genuinely beautiful without trying too hard. Breakfast runs from 6:30 AM, lunch until 2:30 PM, and dinner until 9:00 PM daily.

Twice a week local bands play at the bar and restaurant, bringing a traditional Polynesian atmosphere that no new hotel can manufacture. A beach bar and a poolside bar keep the social energy going through the day. A snack bar and deli round out the options. The daily manager’s reception is included for all guests.

• Beachfront dining with lagoon and motu views
• Live local bands twice weekly, authentic Polynesian atmosphere
• Full-day dining — breakfast, lunch, and dinner all on site
• Beach bar and poolside bar for casual daytime drinks

• One main restaurant — less variety across a longer stay
• Less iconic dining identity than Bloody Mary’s Restaurant

Mount Otemanu appears from almost every corner of Bloody Mary’s Hotel. The restaurant, the pool, the fitness room, and the bungalow terraces all share the same mountain backdrop. The Otemanu View Bungalow faces it directly. The Sunset View Suite is west-facing for the best evening light over the lagoon.

The atmosphere is sociable and characterful, built around the energy of a legendary restaurant name. The guest-only bungalow area provides a quieter retreat for those wanting separation from the more public restaurant and bar spaces. For first-time visitors to Bora Bora, waking up to that Otemanu view from an overwater terrace is exactly what the island promises.

• Mount Otemanu views from almost every part of the property
• West-facing sunset views from the Sunset View Suite
• Sociable atmosphere built around a legendary name
• Guest-only bungalow area for those wanting calm

• Public restaurant and bar means the property is not exclusively for hotel guests
• New hotel — atmosphere not yet proven in practice

Hotel Royal Bora Bora is set between mountain and sea, with the tropical garden on the mountain side and the beach, pool, and lagoon views on the sea side. Rooms on the lagoon side look across to Motu Piti Uu’Uta. The atmosphere is genuinely relaxed, a hotel where the staff know the regulars and the local bands play twice a week.

There is no Otemanu view from the hotel itself, the mountain is behind the property. But the lagoon view, the white sand beach, and the motu in the distance give the sea-side rooms a setting that is quietly beautiful and does not need to announce itself.

• Directly on the beach with lagoon and motu views
• Lush tropical garden on the mountain side, green and tranquil
• Genuinely relaxed local atmosphere
• Established reputation — guests return year after year

• No Mount Otemanu view from the hotel
• Garden rooms have limited lagoon views