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Konrad Tillman

Review: Hilton Tahiti

Intro


Spring break of 2023 consisted of a fabulous time in the French Polynesia. The trip started with a flight onboard United Polaris in a 787-9. You can read about my Polaris review on a previous flight with them here, but this flight was extra special as my mum and I were going to a new destination!


Polaris from SFO-PPT

Once we landed in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, we made our way to the Hilton Hotel in Tahiti.



Location


The Hilton Hotel in Tahiti is located a mere 6-minute drive from the airport due northeast. Taxis are easy to come by and local currency can be taken out at ATMs once you leave the airport.


The main island is easy to get around!

As you can see on the map above, the Interncontinetly is also extremely close to the airport. Sadly, this resort was sold out for the night we were staying, book early!


How I Booked


The Hilton Tahiti rates start at a minimum of about 300+$ before taxes per night. The 4-star hotels seem to all range around this price point.


I booked a standard room with two queen-sized beds for the price of 379$ for a one-night stay. Yes, this is expensive, but Tahiti is expensive so come prepared! I booked through hotels.com due to trying to accumulate status as I seem to get lots of free upgrades!


The Room


Our room was arranged with the basic necessities in mind but nothing over the top.


Hilton Tahiti Room

The room featured two queen-sized beds that were perfect for getting a good night's sleep! I found the mattresses to be firm but not too firm and the pillow to be extremely plush.


Me just being me😅

There was a TV in the room which had a few channels, although I didn't check it out as we both headed straight to sleep and had to leave for the airport early the next morning! There was a decently sized bench for storage, and a small desk for working.


Baggage storage and desk

The last part of the room featured a sliding door leading to a beautiful outdoor terrace. These were lockable by the old-school style locks!


Outdoor Patio

The view wasn't so good at night but...


View from the terrace at night

When I woke up the next morning, I found a marvelous sunrise view from the terrace. Morning coffee was needed while watching this sunrise!


Sunrise view from the room!

Pool Area


My mum and I headed down to the pool area to check out the reflection of the sunrise on the ocean.


Morning view can you spot the Air France 👀

There is plenty of seating by the pool (you won't be fighting over space to sit) that includes cabanas, chairs, and sofas to soak up the sun.


Sunrise view from Pool Area

The actual pool seemed a bit dull at this time of morning. However, the temperature was good at least!


The Hilton Tahiti pool

As you can see from this picture, there is plenty of space. We had to leave the hotel by 8 am for our flight over to Bora Bora, no one else was around the pool at this hour😅. Everyone seemed to be in relaxed mode here, and by the end of the trip, we were as well!


Seating for the pool

Around The Hotel/Amenities


There is a pretty walkway that runs around the hotel. If you enjoy walking you'll love this feature. We managed to strike up a conversation with a couple (it's mostly couples in French Polynesia) that also liked the ability to walk on a walking path.


Walking path

The most amazing part about the hotel is the ability to see planes take off! If you are an AVgeek like myself, watching the Air France morning departure can be done from the Hilton or the Intercontinental. I was even able to hear the engines fire up as the 772 rocketed off to Los Angeles!


AIR FRANCE!

Breakfast


There are a couple of different dining options at the Hilton Tahiti. However, the only one we got to try was the main restaurant serving breakfast. Unfortunately, breakfast didn't open until 6:30 am, and we were up early from the jetlag. The room was large and wasn't too busy at this hour. I imagine it gets busier later. Breakfast was included in our rate, and a buffet and an a la carte menu were featured! The buffet was incredible with croissants that could be compared to the ones in Paris, I guess it is a French nation after all!


Breakfast dining room

The view from breakfast was nothing short of spectacular. How can one complain when the only thing to see is the ocean when eating your French croissant?😋



The service was spot on, but the coffee was on the weak side😒.


Final Thoughts


The Hilton Tahiti is a terrific option for those looking to spend a night before or after a flight. However, I wouldn't recommend more than two nights here, only because there are more beautiful places to experience in French Polynesia! The Hilton ticked all the boxes from modern rooms to comfy beds, divine croissants, and warm hospitality. Sadly, rates seem to be quite steep for a standard Hilton, but that is across the board from the nicer hotels in the capital, Papeete. We stayed at the same hotel on the return, and it was just as nice!


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