Our stay at the Manava Beach Resort & Spa Moorea

The Manava hotel was an excellent choice for our stay. We booked our room with a garden view right next to the main building. We used Booking.com and decided to skip the breakfast deal, which would have cost 3,800 XPF (around $64 NZD) a day, since we knew we wouldn't be eating it every day of our five-day stay.

After a smooth check-in at 2 p.m., the staff were super friendly and gave us a tour of the property at 2:15 p.m. Checkout is a leisurely 11 a.m. so we didn't feel rushed at all.

Our room was spotless and smelled wonderfully of Tahitian flowers, and the Manava's branded soap and lotion were absolutely amazing. It looked like the room had been recently refurbished. The A/C was a perfect 22 degrees, so we didn't have to touch it. Once we dropped our bags, we headed straight to the pool. It’s conveniently located next to the mini bar and the Mahana'i restaurant, where you can grab breakfast from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The hotel is in a fantastic spot. Boat tours are easy to get to with the public wharf right next door for pickups and drop-offs. If you want to get out and explore, just put on your jandals and take a short 5- to 10-minute walk into the small township. The Manava also feels more authentic and has a local vibe, unlike the sometimes manicured or busy atmosphere of some international hotel chains.