Hotel Kia Ora Resort & Spa

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1537 reviews

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  Beautiful!!

  The island is very small and very beautiful. Amazing water colors. Most people are very friendly. Went on a fishing tour and had a tiger shark for a visitor, a bit scary but a once in a lifetime experience, even for the captain, he was so excited! We found a tiny place to eat called Chez Rua, highly recommend, the fish was amazing!! Came in a paper bag with fries and mayo in a leaf. So cool how they work with what they have. I hope to go back someday.

  Apr 03, 2025
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  Superb experience in Rangiroa

  This was our first trip to French Polynesia. As avid SCUBA divers we wanted to ensure we had a good experience for a resort based trip and the Kia Ora seemed to fit the bill. We arranged our stay and contacted the on-site dive operator (Blue Velvet) to arrange our diving. The Blue Velvet is associated with The6Passengers dive operations - see my separate review. We were met at the Rangiroa airport as arranged, no issues at all. The staff were happy to see us and explained the resort well. We were in the first bungalow, right on the beach. We had a private spa tub on the back patio facing the lagoon beach. Very nice overall. The room was spacious and typical for polynesia - set your expectations appropriately - this is NOT going to be hermetically sealed room - we had small lizards and other little bugs on occasion - all part of being in the remote South Pacific. The Air conditioner blows onto one side of the bed - don't turn it too low - you are going to be warm the entire time you are in Polynesia - again, set your expectations. The staff was wonderful - friendly, attentive and ready to help at a moment's notice. We were picked up at the resort dock each day for our diving and dropped off either in between or at the end of our dive day. The local representative helped and accompanied us each time to and from. The room was clean and nice - staff cleaned daily and kept everything stocked as needed. Two water bottles provided each day (you will get more at the restaurant). Most of the guests when we arrived were French, with a couple others. As we got to the end of the week many more guests arrived with a mix of locals, French, Americans and more. The hotel pool is a nice infinity pool, good for kids as it is not deep and comfortable - right on the lagoon. The hotel bar is open 11 to 11 - super friendly, nice drinks and snacks. We loved the house-made chips each afternoon. Strongly recommend bringing some insect repellent. We did get quite a few mosquito bites at night. The are tiny mosquitos, yet I, who is normally left alone by then, got eaten up pretty well. Power is French standard - easy adapters if needed available at the front desk (we brought ours) Internet is included - not super speed, but consistent. and now for the restaurant. The restaurant is reportedly the best on the island. I can see why. Breakfast is buffet style - eggs to order and plentiful. Good options for vegetarians and vegans too. Opens at 7am - as we were diving, the told us we could arrive at 6:45 - easy and accomodating. Lunch starts at noon. Simply amazing and good food. Great service staff. SOOOOOO good! From local dishes to pizza or a hamburger - the menu is fairly set, yet we were able to try all the options during our week stay. Nothing was bad at all. The fries are excellent as well. Loved the curry chicken, loved the Tahitian marinated fish salad, so many more options - my wife had the cheesburger one day and the fish burger another - both excellent. The fish tartar one day as well - very good, a bit of a lot to eat ;) The House chow mein was also excellent with a vegetarian version option. Dinners were off the hook delicious. Multiple fish options that delighted us each night. The steak options were truly impressive with flavor and preparation. We like RARE and they delivered! New Zealand beef - superb. the fish options were all excellent. Strongly recommend the parrotfish, the unicornfish, the wahoo, the tuna and mahi mahi - all local, all superb. I had the duck one night as well - heaven! My wife also had the prawns with curry sauce - also amazingly delicious. Twice there were Polynesian entertainments at dinner. Very nice local culture. One night we had the Polynesian buffet and BBQ - excellent options for all tastes. Desserts were amazing - I strongly recommend the chocolate sphere with passion fruit center - wow! The restaurant manager did absolutely everything in his power to ensure we were happy during our stay. Sebastien is a lovely fellow and his staff are there to ensure you enjoy every meal. We also did one land excursion to a local pearl farm - very informative and fun afternoon. The resort has a lot of other excursion options we did not take advantage of as we were diving nearly the entire week. Overall - Superb! Kid friendly and adult friendly.

  Mar 30, 2025
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  Hotel Kia Ora, a rare gem!

  We traveled to Rangiroa for our 3rd trip to French Polynesia and booked the pool villa at the Hotel Kia Ora. The vibe is laid back lux. It is quiet and serene, and if that is what you are looking for, book now. Our villa was #24 OpaOpa and it was very spacious! Vaulted ceilings, king bed, A/C, ceiling fan, double vanily, 2 sliders to the outside walled private area, 2 lounge chairs, a palapa, a table for al fresco snacking, outdoor shower and an outdoor tub with shower hose and we used that the most besides the plunge pool. Totally private. It is hard to put an experience like visiting the islands of Tahiti into a paragraph, but Hotel Kia Ora offers everything you will need to experience FP in an authenic, and beautiful setting. The STAFF is top notch, nothing is out of the realm of (sensible) possibility. I need to drop some names: Imiau in the bar/restaurant is a fabulous addition to the staff! We loved him, and he does everything to please you and make your stay one you will treasure. In the Front Desk there is Ghisaline, Tania and Teapua.....remarkable women who steer the ship!! The general manager Jerry is always around checking on guests, and making sure evryone's stay is just as they expected. Rainbows are an everyday occurence on Rangiroa...the beach and house coral heads are fantastic...enoght to keep you busy between the many excellent excursions offered by the hotel. Their staffs and guides are native Rangiroa or Tahitian Island peoples...and they love their island, and want to share it with us. The excursions are 100% worth the price....don't hesitate. Plan on taking all meals at the resort as Rangiroa is less developed than Mo'orea...and certainly less than Bora Bora, which is exactly what we were looking for. 8 staight days of snorkeling the South Pacific and the 2nd largest lagoon on Earth. Can't argue that!! Take the trip!

  Mar 24, 2025
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  Great hotel

  True Polynesian welcome. The overwater bungalows have been recently renovated and are very nice. Snorkelling by the bungalow was great. Xmas dinner buffet was one of the best we have ever experienced. Loved the over water bar. Most beautiful sunset!

  Jan 25, 2025
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  Bad

  It's one of the worst hotels that I've ever stayed in. The guy who greeted us looked like he was forced to say welcome, and it was our honeymoon. His face looked annoyed as he threw some beats at us as he yawned. The hotel is falling apart and needs to be gutted, and the dining area looks like a prison. The bungalows are not stable. The food was terrible. Stay away.

  Dec 04, 2024