SD › Bora Bora Hotels › Matira Review
Updated: November 26, 2020
By Santorini Dave
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Hotel Matira – Resort-style setting with guesthouse-type facilities facing a wonderful beach.
This place is full of contrasts. The wooden fares (bungalows) are rather sombre, but the billiard-table lawns with swaying palms are extensive, and the white-sand beach with turquoise waters would be the envy of any five-star resort. Bungalows feature a Polynesian design and many offer genuine unobstructed views of the sea. And while the budget-priced rooms at the back of the block are a little too close to the road, the other bungalows are separate and feature pleasant porches. All accommodations contains two double beds, small living areas, and ceiling fans (no air-conditioning, which is often not provided elsewhere either).
Hotel Matira – The Basics
- Location: Along the main road in Matira at the southern end of the main island. About 7 km from the only town, Vaitape; and 30 minutes by boat and taxi from the airport.
- Guests: Appeals mostly to those who want a setting similar to a resort, but without the price tag. Not that suitable for families.
- Beach: The beach directly in front is ideal: white sand, shady palms, and calm water.
- Views: Quite a few directly face the sea. Even the Garden View Bungalows are angled nicely for glimpses of the ocean.
- WiFi: Available for an extra charge.
- Parking: Enough secure places at the reception area.
- How to Book: Book directly through the hotel website.
- Phone: (689) 4067 7051
- Email: hotel.matira@mail.pf
- Website: hotel-matira.com
Hotel Matira – Amenities
- Pool: No pool.
- Spa & Fitness Center: Not expected or provided at this sort of mid-range hotel.
- Private Pools/Jacuzzis: Not expected or provided.
Hotel Matira – Food and Drink
- Restaurant & Bar: The modest café serves French food but is mostly setup for guests who have booked meals as part of their hotel rates.
- Breakfast: Not included but available at an extra cost. An ‘American Plan’ (with breakfast and dinner) is also offered.
- Room Service: Available for breakfast only.
Hotel Matira – Rooms
- Room Types: Beach Bungalow • Lagoon View Bungalow • Garden View Bungalow • Standard Bungalow
- Smoking Rooms: No smoking in the rooms (they are all wooden), but permitted on the grounds and the beach.
- Best Room: The Beach Bungalows offer the finest views of the sea and more seclusion from other guests.
Hotel Matira – What’s Nearby?
Best Restaurants & Bars
- InterContinental – Virtually next door, this massive 5-star resort offers the intimate Noa Noa for breakfast and dinner, and the more casual Vini Vini for light meals and happy hours.
- The Lucky House (40 67 68 08) – Alongside a pool for bistro-style meals, including wood-fired pizzas and a children’s menu. Barely 100m away.
- Roulotte Matira – Quaint setting with a few tables for burgers, crêpes, fish, and steaks. Mostly for takeaway, and opening hours seem fairly random. Virtually opposite the hotel.
- Restaurant Matira Beach (87 79 47 04) – Squeezed between the street and beach about 450m northwest. Classy French cuisine with Polynesian and Japanese influences. Family-friendly and free transfers. Reservations recommended.
- Snack Matira (40 67 77 32) – Simple meals and plastic tables, and a heavenly beachfront position. About 800m to the northwest.
Nearby Market or Grocery
- On the other side of the road from the hotel is a small shop which sells basic supplies.
Local Transport
- There is no public transport anywhere on Bora Bora. Taxis (unmetered) can be organized through the hotel but rates are extortionate, which is why many visitors hire a car, scooter, or bicycle – and the road (7 km) is flat all the way to Vaitape.
Hotel Matira – The Hotel
The hotel is located at the only real beach region on the main island.
It is conveniently along the main road in Matira and close to several cafés and bars.
The hotel offers the sort of immaculate lawns and lofty palms expected of a much more expensive resort.
The main selling point is the excellent beach right in front of the hotel, although it is – like all beaches on Bora Bora – open to the public.
The beach in front of the hotel offers white sand, sapphire water, and enough shade.
The bungalows are separated and dotted among the lawns.
The Garden View Bungalows are angled towards the ocean for possible glimpses of the water and beach.
Each bungalow is spacious inside and features a wooden porch.
While the interior is reasonably modern, the overall design is slightly unexciting.
Some bungalows directly face the sea, with the beach only a few meters away.
There is plenty of shade among the gardens, although trees do block some of the sea views.
The wooden porches offer the sort of views of the sea and lawns that wouldn’t even be possible in more expensive rooms at upmarket resorts.
Virtually next door to the hotel, the InterContinental offers 2 classy restaurant/bars.
Almost directly opposite the hotel entrance, Roulotte Matira offers simple but tasty foods in a casual setting.
Probably the best place to eat in Matira is The Lucky House, which provides pizzas and children’s meals in a poolside setting.
Within a short walk north along the road, Snack Matira is more popular for its wonderful setting than the simple meals.
Views from the plane show the shades of blue in the lagoon that surrounds the main island of Bora Bora.
Planes between Pape’ete (the capital of Tahiti) and Bora Bora are always busy.
The airport at Bora Bora is on an atoll which is linked to the main island by boat (with free transfers).
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