Residence Moorea Sunset Beach

Travel Date: October 31, 2024

It took us a while to find the right place in Moorea and to be perfectly honest I have almost cancelled MSB looking until the last minute for something that is more "certain" as despite many reviews and some videos on YouTube there is not much really useful information on...

It took us a while to find the right place in Moorea and to be perfectly honest I have almost cancelled MSB looking until the last minute for something that is more "certain" as despite many reviews and some videos on YouTube there is not much really useful information on what this place is, and it is a pretty unique setup - but in short, it's super clean/modern somewhat luxurious condos and bungalows (can't speak to the level inside as we stayed in the condo building that looked pretty new) in a "gated" beachfront community that is sharing with some other rentals along the Sunset Beach or how it's referred to in other website as Les Tipaniers (Frangipani trees) Beach, not to confuse with the Les Tipaniers Hotel next door - which ironically was the last missing piece in my "perfect hotel search" as it provides the restaurant that you literally access from MSB via beach (or road if longer walk is preferred) for breakfast (and lunch as well), and a very scenic one! Location: as mentioned above you are on the Sunset Beach, about 35-40 minutes drive from MOZ airport - the distance through north is similar to south so it's really up to you how to get here but in general North of Moorea is where the attractions and majority of restaurants are. There are some nice restaurants in walking distance, Chez Irene/Restaurant Tiahura to name one, but overall you want to have a car here. This place functions more like a condo rental but to my surprise it actually has a check in lobby where you pick up beach towels and can speak to someone - which is a plus as opposed to a typical rental. Everything is close from here but a car is a must - some tours pick you up from hotels so that's an option. I am not sure if there are any grocery stores walking distance as we always drove to pick up stuff for the room. Room: it's a huge space, with a full kitchen, comprised of 2 "separate areas" - living room/with TV + kitchen and a toilet with sink room=half a bathroom, and separate bedroom with huge bathroom and also laundry machine and dryer. What makes it a bit awkward is that it's impossible to cool down the place in full ever as only the bedroom has the A/C unit and it would take absolutely ages to cool it down, if possible at all - so for the night we always closed that door and that did the trick - though the kitchen/living room were unusable and that was in October. There is a nice big balcony with a table for a breakfast, if you like to cook at home - it is basically a HOME away from home, it has literally everything one has at home - just move it to the beachfront location in Moorea :) well all except a safe, but I guess most of homes don't have one either so it's a fair deal! Wi-Fi was great and can't speak to Cable TV as we haven't turned it on in 6 days. Hotel Grounds: it's a pretty vast area, that start with a modest check in lobby building and a fence, and an automatic gate to enter and other to leave the property (electronic cards/keys provided by the hotel in the check in lobby). There are, I want to say, 3 condo buildings and then the rest are bigger and smaller bungalows. Beachfront access is common, pretty gardens and vegetation fills up the spaces in between the structures. There is also a tennis court. You can buy some water and small things at the check in lobby as well. Beach: this is indeed a SUNSET beach :) it was awesome every evening to sit down on that deck with other people and observe sun setting - some were better than others but overall an experience to remember, usually I want a more secluded sunset experience but it's the "group" atmosphere here that made this a memory for life for me. As to the water, it's like a little coral garden that you can literally check out while walking in the water, you don't even have to go under - the water is so clear and so peaceful at most of the time that I had never seen something like that before - and it was literally in front of the hotel! There are some boats to rent/and this is also a docking area for many of them, something my wife disliked, but it never really bothered me and I was the one who went to water and spend more time in it. What we definitely missed was lack of sunbeds/chairs/loungers - it's a pity that there is a boat rental company but nothing to sit on. Some shade under trees is available, and overall never a problem. It took us a few days to notice the Moorea stone sign in the water someone nicely put together by the docks :) Food & drinks: the biggest problem to me was the breakfast, at first I was reluctant to go to another hotel next door as I dislike normally eating at other non-stand alone properties, but it was my mistake! That Des Tipaniers Restaurant at that hotel next door is exactly what we were looking for (reviewed separately) - the trick/advice is just don't buy a buffet as it's pricy and we always ended up paying the same amount or less for 2 adults when we did a la carte than what it costs for 1 person buffet there - plus it comes with a super nice view of the water/fish. Moorea has a rich food scene, there are amazing options all over the place and 90% of them take credit cards so just do your homework and rent a car, you won't be disappointed (feel free to check the places I reviewed, I would recommend pretty much all of them) - my advice would be to check hours, many places are closed on Sunday/Monday, some are only open for lunch and pretty short hours from 11AM to 2/3PM Things to do: if you have no car do an island Safari as they will, I bet, take you to all the big ones like Magic Mountain/Belvedere Lookout/Toatea Lookout/Pineapple Road, also most Whale Watching companies offer pick ups - otherwise if you like to be independent do rent a car and check out good restaurants, do a circle around the island (not too much to see in the south but there are some little scenic spots) - overall Moorea is a very picturesque island - my fav for sure in all Society islands we have been so far, and that's after being/staying in Tahiti, Raiatea (with day trip to Tah'a), Maupiti and 2x Bora Bora - the island is a perfect mix of everything bets Society Islands have to offer, green peaks and amazing coral reef/lagoon with still all amenities of the "western world" but no big hotels, except Sofitel but that is actually a decent spot for a Day Pass (reviewed separately, highly recommend). Overall: this is a superb value place, it's very modern, convenient, with a good beachfront location (despite what people think there are only 3-4 true beaches around the Moorea island, others are just waterfront shores for great views only), thanks to that restaurant next door it also allows to stay without really cooking for people like us who enjoy eating out when we travel, all would add is sunloungers/chairs and it would be a pure perfection, as at the price it comes it just offers best of all world out there, definitely highly recommended - I haven't been so uncertain with a hotel in a long time or maybe ever as I was coming to Moorea Sunset Beach, but rest assured this is an excellent place - hotels can make it or break it when it comes to a vacation/trip experience, and this one is definitely the one that makes it possible for a memorable great one!

Travel Date: June 30, 2024

This property is wonderful, this is our second stay here and we will definitely return. The rooms are clean and tidy they have all the necessary cutlery and cooking utensils you need. If you catch a taxi from the ferry the cost is about $60usd lots of taxis outside the...

This property is wonderful, this is our second stay here and we will definitely return. The rooms are clean and tidy they have all the necessary cutlery and cooking utensils you need. If you catch a taxi from the ferry the cost is about $60usd lots of taxis outside the terminal. There are 2 shops nearby where you can get groceries and also buy ready made baguettes sushi, raw fish on Sundays they had hot chickens etc and plenty of restaurants within a short 10-15 min walk. If you walk at night be aware it is dark and no lights but we just kept our lights on our phones so the traffic could see us. There is also very little traffic and they drive slow. Beach access is about 1 min from the rooms and the beach is absolutely stunning. The sunsets are stunning and there is a bar on the beach you can get cocktail or beer and sit on the beach and watch. We hired a boat from the beach for 5 hours ( you do not need a boat license) and did our own snorkeling tour and had a picnic at the motu-it’s also very close to the sharks and stingrays and you can boat or kayak out in the afternoon and miss the tourists. Coco beach boat also picks up and drops off at this beach. Overall stay here was fabulous- if you are expecting a 5 star resort then you will be disappointed but if you would like comfortable clean accommodation with great location to snorkeling spots and a beautiful beach then this is your place.

Travel Date: December 31, 2023

We rented a ground floor 1 bedroom apartment. While not fancy it was very functional. Decent bed, nice bathroom (an oddity is the toilet is in a separate room near the kitchen far from shower etc). Decent size kitchen with needed pots pans, dishes, cups etc. Washer and dryer in...

We rented a ground floor 1 bedroom apartment. While not fancy it was very functional. Decent bed, nice bathroom (an oddity is the toilet is in a separate room near the kitchen far from shower etc). Decent size kitchen with needed pots pans, dishes, cups etc. Washer and dryer in the unit is a nice feature. Large patio that opened up to open area with interesting vegetation. Very useful patio furniture. A very short walk to beach. Good snorkeling but as water not very deep you must walk out a good distance and be careful to avoid coral. No need for flippers. No BBQ. A very quiet pleasant place to stay. We did not see any lizards and insects were not an issue for us. There are birds and a few chickens. Tips--The unit does not come with any condiments etc. so good to bring your own. Good also to bring a large zip lock bag so you can store up ice cubes from the two ice trays. Only channel in English on tv is CNN so good to down loads some movies on lap top for evening entertainment. We enjoyed our stay

Travel Date: September 30, 2023

My experience of this place is divided into two parts. The first one is linked to the house itself which is good (4 stars). Indeed, it is great to have basically an entire house with a full kitchen a nice terrace and a laundry room at your availabilty. The house...

My experience of this place is divided into two parts. The first one is linked to the house itself which is good (4 stars). Indeed, it is great to have basically an entire house with a full kitchen a nice terrace and a laundry room at your availabilty. The house itself is also quite new and it is conveniently located next to the Tipanier beach. Additionally, the price is really good. The second part though was definitely bad (1 star) and it is based on how the house is kept and built. Indeed, while it seems to be new, it already shows some signs of usage I think that this is because it is open to the outside!! One might think that an apartment is fully isolated, but not here. The ceiling has openings which allow direct air passage, and when one says air in a tropical climate means hot and humid air with a lot of insects! The only part of the apartment that has AC is the room. Of course we ended up always keeping our door closed in order to maintain the room fresh while the rest of the apartment was incredibly hot and humid. At night all lights must be switched off otherwise insect (mosquitos) just fly in. Adding insult to injury, because of this direct contact with the exterior there are even noisy lizard that enter and stay in the apartment! This is not acceptable. Our stay in Moorea was mostly excursion-based, therefore we did not plan to stay much in our hotel. If this is also your plan then this is a good structure. On the other hand, in my experience, if one plan to relax and enjoy the hotel and the beach then look somewhere else, unless you are fine to share the room with insects and lizards and if you don't mind living in a hot and humid apartment. Overall, my experience is not good based on these points, during the first night we even tought about going in another hotel because sleeping with lizard was not really our plan.

Travel Date: June 30, 2023

This is a nice self-contained apartment to stay in. It had a full kitchen and plenty of items to cook with. I wish there were some spices and stuff there, so when you go be sure to pack salt, pepper, and other spices you might need. We picked up groceries...

This is a nice self-contained apartment to stay in. It had a full kitchen and plenty of items to cook with. I wish there were some spices and stuff there, so when you go be sure to pack salt, pepper, and other spices you might need. We picked up groceries at the small market very close by. I speak French but I found most people at the grocery stores and restaurants speak pretty good English. The have a Nespresso coffee machine. Also I would advise pick up Nespresso pods in your home country. They charge $1 per pod so we brought about 20 from home to save money. The living/kitchen area is small but sufficient for 2-3 people. We cooked breakfast every morning and the stove top worked nicely and gets hot quickly. The couch wasn't very comfortable, but we didn't use it much since the Netflix doesn't work on the TV. The wi-fi works very well so we watched Netflix on our tablet. The bathroom is in the front right past the front door which is rather odd since the shower and sink are next to the bedroom on the other end of the apartment. You only get two bath towels and two hand towels, but we would wash them in the washer and dryer when they got dirty. The office will give you beach towels for the stay. They only include 2 rolls of toilet paper, and no paper towel rolls so I would pick that up at the store too. I did like that there was a washer dryer but the washer has to warm up the water before it starts. Not a big deal but something to be aware of as I thought it was broken in the beginning. They sell cleaning stuff for $1 a pop but we brought ours from home and saved some more money. Yes, the AC is only in the bedroom but we kept the door open and it cooled down the main area a bit. The bed was comfortable and there was a closet right behind it to store your items. We stayed on the ground floor unit which was fairly quiet. They change the linens and other things once a week which is nice. We brought our rental car from Tahiti and there is ample parking in the resort area. Plus they have gates and a key fob to open said gates to keep it secure. There are a lot of restaurants close by and most everything else was at most 30-45 minutes by car. We liked Holy Steak House, Rudy's, and Casa Vicenzo. The grounds are really beautiful and we enjoyed the onsite beach. During the day we drove to Tamae Beach which was our favorite since you could snorkel right off the beach. We watched the sunsets most every night since you could see if perfectly from the onsite beach. You can take a boat (rental) to Cocoa Beach which was fun (they have stingrays that will come up right to you). The beach is very shallow and very clear. I have been all over the Caribbean and the water is Moorea is the clearest I have ever seen. Overall this is a good place to stay since it is much cheaper than the resorts and is clean and well kept.

Travel Date: April 30, 2023

The suite met our needs perfectly. It was clean, well laid out, and comfortable. We appreciated that the bedroom had air conditioning but the rest of the suite was air temperature. That meant that leaving the large sliding glass doors open was perfect. The location is great, the beach was...

The suite met our needs perfectly. It was clean, well laid out, and comfortable. We appreciated that the bedroom had air conditioning but the rest of the suite was air temperature. That meant that leaving the large sliding glass doors open was perfect. The location is great, the beach was beautiful and the snorkelling was really good. I kept thinking that I want to bring the grandkids. I left my cell phone there and before I realized I had forgotten it, they had emailed me. The staff were so helpful. I would love to return someday!

Travel Date: February 28, 2023

Residence Moorea Sunset Beach are probably the most wonderful vacation me and my wife ever had. The service-minded and friendly employees in the reception were so nice and so helpful during our entire visit. Bungalow no. 55 and the little garden and the beach just about five steps from the...

Residence Moorea Sunset Beach are probably the most wonderful vacation me and my wife ever had. The service-minded and friendly employees in the reception were so nice and so helpful during our entire visit. Bungalow no. 55 and the little garden and the beach just about five steps from the hedge surrounded the garden was the best bungalow at the entire property. The bungalow were so well equipped with everything for cooking your meals and a modern washing/dryer machine for cleaning your clothing's so you couldn't feel more home there than in your own house. The cleaning personnel did always showing a glad face and carried out their job with enthusiasm and perfection. We have been travelling all over the world in our work as well as several vacations the past fifty years and can just say ... Hotel Residence Moorea Sunset Beach are so quiet and beautiful and the best of the best. Note: just about ten minutes walk from the reception you'll find Tiahura Magasin, a little grouser'y store that have everything you need, really nice and service-minded and if you carry home two/three heavy bags, just ask the owner and he will drive you home with his Pick Up. Several restaurants in the surroundings has pick up service ... pick you up at the reception and take you home after your dinner. We are happy to give our best recommendations to all of you as intend to visit this gorgeous place and wonderful part of the world. You'll carry it with you for the rest of you life.

Travel Date: January 31, 2023

My wife and I spent 5 days at Sunset Beach and it was fabulous except for rain for the first two days. The beach is wonderful with coral reef just off shore and a pier for watching the sunset, the stars at night and the fish. There is a dive...

My wife and I spent 5 days at Sunset Beach and it was fabulous except for rain for the first two days. The beach is wonderful with coral reef just off shore and a pier for watching the sunset, the stars at night and the fish. There is a dive shop and boat rental at this same beach (Plage des Tipaniers) as well as a bar that looks over the water. It is on the other side of the island from the ferry so a car rental is very useful. The ocean here is beautiful but the current is swift.

Travel Date: December 31, 2022

Opted for the additional cost of a waterfront bungalow and stayed in #56. There were enormous hedges (presumably for privacy) mostly obscuring the view of the water, yet there was no attempt made at privacy along the side of the property, which was a bummer because that is the walkway...

Opted for the additional cost of a waterfront bungalow and stayed in #56. There were enormous hedges (presumably for privacy) mostly obscuring the view of the water, yet there was no attempt made at privacy along the side of the property, which was a bummer because that is the walkway to the beach for the entire community, so it was very busy all throughout the day. I wish there was more privacy along the side of the property line and less in front so we could have enjoyed the ocean view. The accommodations themselves were acceptable, but nothing to write home about. They only supplied 2 small rolls of toilet paper which the 2 of us ran out of before the end of our 3 night stay. If you left any food out for more than 5min it was immediately swarmed by ants. There was a steady supply of ants just around the accommodations in general no matter how meticulous we tried to keep the place clean. Would keep all food in fridge or very carefully sealed ziplock bags. Some of our days included very heavy rain and wind and the not completely closed in nature or the roof allowed us to be sprayed a bit with rain while sitting on the sofa. Not the end of the world, just unexpected. The accommodations felt fairly clean for Moorea but there was definitely a mildew smell in the bedroom which was a bit unideal. I understand that’s difficult to avoid in this area but it was surprising because the bedroom is the only space with AC in the unit. We did not try to cook, but it appeared that there was reasonable cookware available. Overall would say the space and amenities are a bit lacking for the price.

Travel Date: October 31, 2022

Location 5 stars!!!! Beach is right in front, snorkeling, paddle boarding or kayaking to the stingrays and blacktip sharks is a must do. Room 3.5 stars. This is our second time visiting Moorea and coincidentally the first time we stayed next door at Les Tipaniers. Stayed on the second floor...

Location 5 stars!!!! Beach is right in front, snorkeling, paddle boarding or kayaking to the stingrays and blacktip sharks is a must do. Room 3.5 stars. This is our second time visiting Moorea and coincidentally the first time we stayed next door at Les Tipaniers. Stayed on the second floor and had an amazing view of the mountains (loved waking up early in the morning and listen to all the birds sing and watch the sunrise). Room was tidy but found a few roaches inside (freaked out), the sliding door lock broke the first night but thankfully someone came out to fix it the following day. No safe in the room so don’t leave anything valuable behind. Shower was a good size and water pressure was great. Powder room was tiny and in an inconvenient spot. Reminds me of a studio apt in NY. Designated private parking lots (lots of spaces). Poor lighting at night to get back to your room, had to use our camera light to go up the stairs down the hall to find our door and see where the key whole is. Large private balcony. I like the full kitchen however no free complimentary water or coffee so coffee is $1usd per Nespresso pod as well as a tide pod for laundry. Market close by so stock up on water/drinks and snacks, they close at 6pm. Door locks from inside/outside so basically before you go to bed to use your key to lock yourselves in. First night I had left my backpack and my hubbys backpack on the chairs in the kitchen but removed all of our valuables into the bedroom and locked our door. I was woken up around 11:49pm-12ish am and heard something in the kitchen, dozed off and was woken up again to a familiar noise of my backpack being unzipped (it was loud) considering tv was off, lights were off. So I sat up trying to decipher if im actually hearing things. Laid their quietly trying to listen but dozed off again. My hubby woke up at 5am to use the bathroom and I wake up to ask him if he’d seen anything out of place in the kitchen/living area and to check the front door again. Mind you this was the night when our lock broke so I was paranoid. Staff 4 stars, friendly and informative. You must dine at Casa Vincenzo and get the Bufala pizza it’s delicious!! I totally recommend this place for those that can work remotely and want to getaway for a month. Fully equipped small apartment in a great location.

Travel Date: August 31, 2022

If you are looking for a romantic Moorea getaway, this is not it! The facilities well worn and the tiles stained. The TV only managed (with great difficulty) one French language channel. Everything is DIY (including taking out the trash) and there is no food outlet on the premises. Despite...

If you are looking for a romantic Moorea getaway, this is not it! The facilities well worn and the tiles stained. The TV only managed (with great difficulty) one French language channel. Everything is DIY (including taking out the trash) and there is no food outlet on the premises. Despite all this, the place is not cheap!