Hotel Kia Ora Resort & Spa

Wanted to share what a special experience we have had at Hotel Kia Ora: the accommodations are top notch. Some of the suites you can get with your own pool and the bungalow is clean and comfortable with fresh towels housekeeping daily. For my finance's birthday, they made a whole special cake and sang to him, so much more than I had expected! So much attention to detail. And also great air conditioning! Altogether, highly recommend, it was a wonderful time!!

Main downside of this place is that there are many mosquitoes in the room and due to the open nature of the room, the AC never actually gets cold. These are pretty serious downsides imo, nobody wants to get eaten by mosquitoes while they sleep. However the location is excellent, just minutes away from the aquarium ($60 per person boat ride) and 1 hour from blue lagoon, easy access to both passes. Sharks are abundant and tons of fish. In spite of the other reviewers, I actually thought the food was pretty good, but I exclusively ate fish given the ease of access to fish for the resort. Anything beef or chicken is imported from New Zealand or elsewhere. The staff is kind and helpful. This resort does not have the polish of fancier resorts in French Polynesia so if that’s what you’re looking for don’t come here - come for the ocean life. 4 stars due to there being a jacuzzi in the room and the spectacular location but wanted to knock it down to three due to the age of the room and poor maintenance. I think some of the beach bungalows are a little more remodeled, but not by much.

We have now stayed at the Kia Ora hotel on 3 occasions over the last decade and unfortunately the hotel had declined considerably during that time. It is a 4 star hotel effortlessly drifting to 3 stars. Unfortunately there is now regular cruise ship visits as well. There is nothing being at an overwater bungalow in a remote atoll and opening your window in the morning and seeing a large cruise ship docked in the lagoon right outside your window. It is frightening to think that they are navigating those vessels through the treasured Tiputa Pass, home to a remarkable collection of marine life. The cruise ship visitors put additional pressure on the island flora, fauna and infrastructure that they are not prepared to handle.