Villa Ninamu Pearl

I wanted to stay at Ninamu Pearl for now 3 years since we cancelled our original trip to French Polynesia and it was so cool to arrive to the place that did end up looking exactly like it does on all these great scenic pictures! It's a great spot to...

I wanted to stay at Ninamu Pearl for now 3 years since we cancelled our original trip to French Polynesia and it was so cool to arrive to the place that did end up looking exactly like it does on all these great scenic pictures! It's a great spot to explore the island, be close by to some good restaurants, and of course have the stunning views of Moorea, ocean... and whales! We had seen them from both our room and the breakfast patio every single day of our 5 day October stay - amazing! A car is an absolute must here unless you plan to stay and just read a book, chill and watch TV/vistas - the hotel offers breakfast each day but lunch and dinner upon advanced request so it is possible to survive here without a car but that's not really why ones come to Tahiti :) English language barrier is definitely there, but everyone tries their best - some members of the staff speak it better than others, we were able to communicate everything though and after all this is a French speaking country so for us it was natural that not everybody speaks English (as it is the case all over Tahiti island, it being less touristy than Moorea or Bora Bora). Location: the drive here is about 20 to 25m if no traffic... otherwise this can get 1h or longer... so plan that accordingly with your flights/ferries etc. - the views of sunsets/whales/Moorea all facing west directly from the elevated property are absolutely stunning! The roads around Tahiti are very good quality, and the side road leading to the property (I am attaching the cheat sheet from the owners that shared with us via email) is 80% great, just uphill (the small passenger 1.2L 2 door did the trick each day) and then the very last portion of the road leading through the "old ugly gate" all the way to the Ninamu Pearl (it's not the first parking, there is a separate clean nice gate for the property after) is a bit rough and I would lie if I said I miss it :) there are sign along the road, well visible during the day not so sure at pitch black but google maps did perfect job so just download the offline maps or use the internet to run it live. There is nothing walking distance here, so you absolutely want a car. There is plenty of restaurants and stores near by but all require driving. Room: we had opted for the upgraded room with the separate swimming pool - we usually dont go for these type of upgrades but here it was very affordable and it was our 10 year anniversary trip so why not :) while I literally got only once to the pool I must admit the privacy was something I couldn't emphasize how much we appreciated - the original rooms have the breakfast/swimming pool/common area all literally in front of them, which isn't a problem normally for us, but considering we were jetlagging big times and wanted to chill in peace and silence the privacy of the room turned out to be exceptionally useful, especially in the morning and in the evening :) we stayed in room 3 called Bora Bora (which is funny as the only place we visited in French Polynesia before was Bora Bora in 2018....) - the original rooms have a separate parking lot and the "newly added" rooms in the upper row have a separate parking lot too so make sure you park on the top level before you start moving your luggage to the room :) there is a smart TV with Netflix and some other platforms, WiFi is decent, there is also a safe in the room, a fridge, microwave, basically a mini kitchen - the cool part is the outside shower (the toilet is inside an enclosed room with a door for those who dislike open air concept) that you take with open views of the ocean :) definitely the most scenic shower experience I had ever. The bed is nice with decent mattress and covers/pillows. Overall the room is spacious and very nicely laid out. Hotel grounds - there are basically 3 levels - from the original arrival you go up to the first parking lot and where the main commons areas area, and then one more final level to the upper rooms. From the uppers rooms you can take a set of stairs on the property so of course you dont go down each time on the steep road :) parking is pretty tight but most people rent really small cars so it was never an issue for us. The pictures very fairly represent what you get - and it's stunning. The breakfast area and "food room" is shared by everyone, there is a honor bar inside that room too but i havent seen anyone using it, nor I have tried (the hotel has a policy of no outside drinks at the common areas, which we didnt test as we had our own beer at the patio of our rooom, which once again came handy due to the privacy aspect). There is a swimming pool and a jacuzzi but I didnt see anyone using it - it's cleaned regularly from we had witnessed. Pool/beach - not too much to write here as the pictures of the pool show everything you need to know. As to the beaches... well that's not what one comes to Tahiti island for... replace it with waterfalls, gardens, and scenic views is more accurate but if a beach is a must then the "most classic yellow" one we saw was in Tahiti Iti about 30-40 minutes drive next to the La Plage de Maui restaurant (reviewed separately). Food & restaurant options: the breakfast is served daily and has a unique system of you picking in advance from a board that you hang up outside your room in advance - they collect it by 6:00AM in the morning the following day and based on what you marked there prepare for you - it's either a la carte or breakfast buffet - we each time ate a la carte and were full enough and it was literally an equivalent of the buffet price for one person - while the quality of the food options was decent this is definitely the area of improvement for the Ninamu Pearl - if you take the toast... they should come with a jam and butter rather than picking that separately, or eggs should come with some bread... rather than charging it separately just combined them for the total price as after couple days it was a bit frustrating to always pick everything separately... it's not about the cost but while on vacation I just dont feel like building the breakfast for every single ingredient... but at the same time I don't feel like going for a full blown buffet experience... there should be some middle ground and that menu could be upgraded. Lunch can be also ordered and dinner but you choose from a different menu and you need to also let the staff know in advance - dinner I believe by 5PM, lunch I didn't find anything about so can't tell - we always ate outside of the hotel for lunch/dinner so that wasnt ever a problem since we had a car - there are some very nice waterfront restaurants in the area (check my other reviews + other options here on TA) Things to do: whales! You can see them from the hotel, but go do a water excursion and swim with them - pretty awesome experience! Check out the many waterfalls, gardens, and just some scenic stops around the main road, super easy drives and great quality of the road - my only advice would be to avoid Papeete in the rush hours as traffic is very bad, like terribly bad for an island of this size - but then again it's one main road... and it's a busy city with lots of commuters. We didnt do the popular Moorea day trip as one day I want to visit Moorea and stay there for a few nights as we originally planed for in the past - it's too beautiful island just to do a day trip but if that's something you are interested in the options are super easy with the ferries and car ferries going back and forth all day long. Check out Tahiti Iti and its Teahupo'o Wave - that's where the 2024 surfing portion of the Paris Olympics will take place :) The Tahiti Islands museum is right "down" the road too - very nice stop! Overall: I had some mixed feelings coming here about the negative reviews here, especially about the main host - we either didnt get to interact with her or we perhaps did and she wasnt as bad as people said here :) I couldnt flaw the place because of the people that work here definitely, if something I would praise some of them for being so nice and helpful and putting up with us non-French speaking tourists :) Neo was the the one whom stood out the most to us and big thank you for being so helpful! If we ever return to Tahiti either for a stay or as a layover I would probably stay here again - just consolidate that breakfast menu guys :))))) this place/experience was a super solid 4.5/5 so 5 for the encouragement! :)

Stunning property with exceptional views , better than any view point and from your room. Great modern chic design very professionally done and run . Big comfy bed , with good pillows , and a thin duvet ( not just a thin sheet ! Bonus) Large clean bathroom, plenty of...

Stunning property with exceptional views , better than any view point and from your room. Great modern chic design very professionally done and run . Big comfy bed , with good pillows , and a thin duvet ( not just a thin sheet ! Bonus) Large clean bathroom, plenty of towels given and toiletries. TV with access to Netflix . Large fridge Tea & Coffee Safe Easy good Wi-Fi Large rooms , good air con Beautiful clean pool with plenty sun beds and comfortable seating. Jacuzzi Small food menu for dinner and breakfast Drinks and alcohol cheapest we have seen on island. Clearly owned and run by professional , knowledgeable people who care . Book here not a resort No not next to sea but no beaches on this island anyhow . Definitely worth the money which again cheaper than any hotel we have stayed in here . 5*

This place is amazing. The people were friendly, the view was unbeatable, and the food was very good and fresh! The Room was clean and well air-conditioned. Beds were a little stiff, but comparable to every other bed we experience in the islands. Our only difficulty was the drive up...

This place is amazing. The people were friendly, the view was unbeatable, and the food was very good and fresh! The Room was clean and well air-conditioned. Beds were a little stiff, but comparable to every other bed we experience in the islands. Our only difficulty was the drive up there in our little rental car, it struggled on the hill and curves.

We stayed for a week and everything was wonderful! Silvi was very helpful with anything we needed. The view is breathtaking and the suites were AMAZING! we had our own pool and a shower with the most gorgeous view. We went to a white sand beach close by and snorkeled....

We stayed for a week and everything was wonderful! Silvi was very helpful with anything we needed. The view is breathtaking and the suites were AMAZING! we had our own pool and a shower with the most gorgeous view. We went to a white sand beach close by and snorkeled. It was so beautiful with tons of tropical fish. Blue Banana was our favorite restaurant close by.

Well it started with our plane being delayed and I sent the host a message on Bookings. Her response was in French but Google translate said she would leave the details on the gate. When we finally arrived off the beaten path up a mountain on a dark dirt road...

Well it started with our plane being delayed and I sent the host a message on Bookings. Her response was in French but Google translate said she would leave the details on the gate. When we finally arrived off the beaten path up a mountain on a dark dirt road we found the place. And indeed there was a flyer on the gate with instructions IN FRENCH. But she did leave a picture. It was dark and very confusing. So we went up the hill to what appeared to be the correct villas only to find they were the wrong ones. We went back down the steep dark hill and located our room. After a full day of travel we wanted a shower. Surprise… no hot water. We waited and waited. Finally my boyfriend took a cold shower while I opted for a sponge bath. The next morning no greeting, no introductions. I had to seek out the owner and when she inquired about if we found the room ok, I told her we had difficulties and went up to the hotel part. Then she scolded me and said “I left you pictures”. I replied that it was dark, unfamiliar and we were tired but we made it. At that time I told her that we didn’t have any hot water. She said it’s because it comes a long way down and takes time. I said we gave it 10 min plus a shower and no hot water. She came to my room immediately only to find we did have hot water (in the sink). I said well it wasn’t that way last night. She said something about me being American and if I didn’t like staying there I could just leave. I said that staying here was fine but hot water would be nice. She stormed out and I was left wondering what just happened. We had a full day of touring the island so we left. Upon returning the restaurant/bar was not open so we had to seek her out to get a bottle of wine. Just so you know “it is forbidden to bring outside alcoholic drinks onto the property”. We got our drinks and inquired about dinner. We found the menus but when inquiring about the “special of the day” the lovely waitress could not tell us what it was. She went to talk to the chef and still couldn’t tell us anything other than it could be fish or beef”. We opted to go with something we knew. The food was good. Not great but not bad. We asked for bug candles but they didn’t have those either. No music playing so we brought our own. The towels inside the room are tattered and falling apart. No wash cloths and no switch out of towels between nights. The garbage can in the bathroom also is broken. The lid did not pop up so we just kept it off. The view is spectacular and the staff are pleasant and tried hard. The owner as no idea what it means to make someone feel like a guest. She never came to ask if we needed any recommendations for tours, restaurants, ferry information etc. Absolutely nothing and with a type of anger and vitriol that I’ve rarely seen in the travel industry. She has a beautiful property but not worth dealing with someone like that.

I loved everything in this villa. The super big clean room, the decorations, the pool… The view is the best. You could see the mountain of Moorea and beautiful sunset…love it. The beautiful breakfast restaurant. We supposed to stay 3 days but cuz of the lockdown, we changed the plan...

I loved everything in this villa. The super big clean room, the decorations, the pool… The view is the best. You could see the mountain of Moorea and beautiful sunset…love it. The beautiful breakfast restaurant. We supposed to stay 3 days but cuz of the lockdown, we changed the plan and only stayed one night. Highly recommended

Loved: A view that was out of this world, modern bathroom, small rooms but tastefully decorated, elegant simplicity Disliked · Road to facility was horrendous, diesel fuel smell was awful from construction which began at 7am, having a room next to kitchen was very loud in early AM, shower water temperature fluctuates...

Loved: A view that was out of this world, modern bathroom, small rooms but tastefully decorated, elegant simplicity Disliked · Road to facility was horrendous, diesel fuel smell was awful from construction which began at 7am, having a room next to kitchen was very loud in early AM, shower water temperature fluctuates when others in facility are using it as well, guest host appeared to have a slight attitude towards us as Americans, parking is extremely confined