ARRIVAL/CHECK-IN: Flights from the U.S. West Coast arrive early (ours landed at 6:15 a.m.), so after clearing customs and immigration, you can easily be at your hotel way before check-in. Therefore, we requested and received an early arrival which either can be granted or paid for. We stayed at the property before our cruise and after, each time arriving early. The extra cost is not much and well worth it.

Check-in was friendly and swift. Since we were so early, our room was not ready, but they promised it would be within an hour; it was about 8:30 a.m. We checked our bags and went for breakfast at Moevai. You may order from the menu or the buffet with its vast number of choices. After breakfast, our room was ready and our bags were brought promptly to our room.

© Hilton

GUEST QUARTERS: We were in Room 412, a cozy king bedroom with an ocean view. The room included a seating area and built- in desk where I set up my computer and device chargers. Immediately to the right of the room’s entrance, the bathroom housed a single marble sink supported by a Tahitian-style wooden base and offering a nice area for toiletries. The shower featured a glass front and a rain showerhead. Crabtree & Evelyn amenities were available in the bathroom. Taking up the lion’s share of the room, the king-sized bed was very comfortable — certainly great for catching up after flying, but we decided to go to the fantastic and huge pool to get some sun.

SERVICES/AMENITIES: The overall comment we made to each other was how tasty all the food was at the restaurants. Moevai serves a lovely breakfast spread including an omelet station, plenty of fruit and cheese, Asian choices, and many baked goods. We really could ask for nothing more, and breakfast was included in our room rate. The pool is wonderful and large (it could maybe use some better umbrellas) and very relaxing. We spent a good amount of the day there reading and adjusting before our cruise.

© Hilton

For lunch, we settled in at Vaiuna Pool Bar, which has a swim-up bar on one side and more traditional seating on the other; we sat at a table behind the bar. I ordered the Hilton Tahiti club sandwich, a unique and surprising treat. The ingredients are chopped and mixed with mayonnaise and placed on toasted white bread with the crust cut off and served with pommes frites. A chicken was walking around, and I took great joy in feeding her a few French fries. San, the Japanese restaurant, also on the lower level by the pool, has a great reputation, and we were pleased to have dinner there one evening at the sushi bar. La Strata is the hotel’s Italian restaurant, also on the same level, and Heiva Lounge is nice for pre-dinner cocktails. It also makes cappuccinos to go.

TOP TAKEAWAYS:

• Beautiful harbor views from the pool
• Concierges arranged helpful transfers, and it was easy to communicate with them via email.
• The gift shop sells some items worth purchasing that are really not seen elsewhere.

HILTON HOTEL TAHITI
Auae Faaa Papeete 98713
French Polynesia
tel 689 40 86 48 48