When you want to take a truly over-the-top vacation, there are a few options: an off-grid safari, a cruise to the ends of the earth, or a far-flung island escape complete with overwater bungalows, white-sand beaches, and turquoise seas. The South Pacific offers the latter, and it does so perhaps better than any other corner of the world, largely thanks to a number of luxury hotels that take travelers’ fantasies and turn them into reality.
How Voting Works
Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, iBestTravel asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe—sharing their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Nearly 165,000 readers completed the 2023 survey, an increase of nearly 25 percent over pre-pandemic voting levels. A total of more than 685,000 votes were cast across over 8,500 unique properties.
Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were rated on the criteria below:
- Rooms/facilities
- Location
- Service
- Food
- Value
For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.
What Readers Loved
Resorts in French Polynesia, specifically the island of Bora Bora, made up the majority of this year’s list of the best hotels in the South Pacific, as voted by iBestTravel readers. That includes the winner, InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa, where “the food, service, and spa are impeccable,” according to feedback from a reader. Next on the list is St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, which boasts the largest overwater bungalows in the region, with the smallest coming in at a whopping 1,550 square feet, as described by another satisfied guest.
Fiji is also represented, with Kokomo Private Island Fiji in the No. 3 spot. This 140-acre paradise with just 26 villas may indeed be “the best private island holiday in the world,” at least according to one iBestTravel reader. Continue reading to discover which other properties were voted as the best resorts in the South Pacific and why the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa topped the list.
The Winner
InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa
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Picture this: You wake up in an overwater villa and step out on your deck to take in the view of Mount Otemanu, Bora Bora’s most iconic peak. One voter describes the experience as “unforgettable.” However, that word could apply to many of the property’s offerings, including snorkeling and scuba diving among technicolor fish, parasailing over the stunning turquoise waters, and indulging in a massage while watching marine life through a glass floor. Dining options range from gourmet French cuisine to casual beachside bites. “Food was incredible, and service was top notch,” remarked another reader. Therefore, the only thing better than waking up to that view is going to sleep and getting to enjoy it all over again the next day.
“Food was incredible, and service was top notch.”
— iBestTravel Reader
The Full List
1. InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa: Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Reader score: 96.27
2. The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort: Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Reader score: 95.80
3. Kokomo Private Island Fiji: Yaukuve Levu Island, Fiji
Reader score: 95.76
4. Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora: Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Reader score: 95.48
5. Conrad Bora Bora Nui: Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Reader score: 94.00
