Spring Break in Bora Bora: Staying in an Overwater Bungalow Using Points
Back in September 2024, my friend Christine sent me a message about a rare points availability release for overwater bungalows at the Westin Bora Bora. My initial thought was, “That’s too far for us to go,” but since we hadn’t planned anything for Spring Break, I had to look into it. When I saw that the recently renovated overwater bungalows were available for 65,000 Marriott points per night, I knew I had to consider it seriously.
We had some Marriott points sitting in our account, and I knew that if we booked four nights, we’d get the fifth night free. I messaged my husband and my mom with the question, “How does Spring Break in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora sound?” My mom was immediately excited. The catch? I needed to book two rooms, as they only had king beds available. Booking required transferring hundreds of thousands of Chase points to Marriott—a less-than-ideal redemption, but an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
While the rooms officially sleep only two, the king beds are spacious enough for two adults and two small children (from experience!). We booked one bungalow for my mom, with my son “officially” staying there, while we emailed the hotel to request permission for our 2-year-old (almost 3) to stay in our room. They approved it, but it was clear the hotel is designed for couples.
The Bora Bora Experience
Bora Bora is a 10/10 when it comes to beauty. The Westin’s design, from the bungalows to the resort layout, was absolutely stunning. The staff was incredibly kind and welcoming.
Our kids loved:
- Swimming directly off the bungalow’s deck
- Searching for fish through the bungalow’s glass floor
- Playing on the beach and in the pool
- Riding bikes around the resort
- Visiting the on-site turtle rehabilitation center
However, the biggest downside was the food. It wasn’t great and was shockingly expensive. For the first time ever, we packed and ate ramen noodles, beef jerky, and snacks from home. A huge plus of this hotel is that the airport boat transfer is free and feels very luxurious. They also provide a free boat shuttle to the main island, but once you get there, taxis cost $50 each way. We still enjoyed visiting town to stock up on groceries like yogurt, fresh bread, apples, and pastries from St. James Patisserie. We also took advantage of kids under 5 eating free during our stay, and the room service was pretty generous with this rule.
Excursions & Activities
We did a snorkeling excursion, which was great but slightly stressful. It lasted three hours on a small boat with no restroom and limited shade. The guide was very nice, but our 2-year-old slept the whole time, and they didn’t have flippers for our 8-year-old. The water was rough, and while my son enjoyed it, he had to wear his own swim goggles and a life jacket that irritated his face. Despite this, the snorkeling was incredible—we swam with Eagle rays and Manta rays! If you’re considering a tour, I’d recommend a full-day excursion that includes swimming with sharks.
One thing that caught my eye for next time was a gorgeous catamaran tour called Vitamin Sea—definitely something I’d splurge on if we return.
Getting to Bora Bora
The journey was long. We took Southwest Airlines (on points with one companion pass) to Long Beach, CA (though LAX might make more sense for others). We spent the night at the Hyatt House near Disneyland and enjoyed a fun day at the park before taking a 1 AM Air France flight (booked on Flying blue miles) from LAX to Tahiti, landing at 6 AM. From there, we flew on Air Moana to Bora Bora. Unfortunately, on our return, Air Moana canceled our flight, so I’d recommend paying extra for Air Tahiti instead.
The Westin staff greeted us upon arrival and whisked us away to a beautiful check-in experience. On the way back, we spent a couple of nights in Tahiti at the Hilton Hotel Tahiti. With one full day, we took the ferry to Mo’orea and rented a car. While Mo’orea was fun, we’d likely skip Tahiti next time.
For the return trip, we took a daytime Air France flight from Tahiti to LAX, Ubered to a Long Beach hotel for the night, and then took a Southwest flight home the next day. If I did it again, I’d opt for a nicer airport hotel in LAX, skip Tahiti, and splurge on a higher-end snorkeling experience.
Final Thoughts
Staying in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. While the food was underwhelming, the scenery, resort, and overall experience were absolutely incredible. If we had another chance, we’d probably opt for a Hyatt in Hawaii with our Globalist perks or try a different Bora Bora resort with better food options. Still, we feel incredibly lucky to have had this unforgettable adventure! I would say this is a bucketlist trip that would have cost us about $30,000 cash, and we spent about $5,000 for the whole trip.
