PERMANENTLY CLOSED AS OF MARCH, 2015
Offering what appear to be the cheapest overwater bungalows in the South Pacific, the Raiatea Hawaiki Nui Hotel is an old-timer on an island that gets few visitors outside of the occasional cruise ship stop. The 9 overwater bungalows lack air conditioning, so this might not even be considered a 3-star hotel.
For someone who dreams of staying in an overwater bungalow and is on the tightest of budgets, this hotel might work well enough. But for anyone else, there are many better choices in the area.
The Raiatea Hawaiki Nui Hotel is located on Raiatea Island, which is 120 miles northwest of Tahiti, and just southeast of Bora Bora and La Taha’a.
3 Overwater Bungalows
6 Premium Overwater Bungalows
There is no on-site spa at this resort.
To reach the Raiatea Hawaiki Nui Hotel you’ll first need to fly to the main airport in the capital of Tahiti. From there you’ll board a smaller plane for the 40-minute flight to Raiatea Island.
In an extremely rare situation for an overwater-bungalow resort, the Raiatea Hawaiki Nui Hotel gets mostly negative reviews, with many or most recommending people don’t book there in the future. The rooms are called old and poorly maintained, including the overwater bungalows, and the rest of the facilities are similar.
The food does get some good mentions, and the setting itself doesn’t seem to be faulted. This is the cheapest overwater bungalow resort in the South Pacific, and even if you don’t mind not having air conditioning, it’s hard to say that it’s worthwhile for anyone, at least until they renovate the place.