#61507 - 03/24/07 07:43 PM
Re: A Little Worried about Le Taha'a
[Re: snowboarder]
|
holte
Expert Advisor
Registered: 11/19/04
Posts: 2365
Loc: Duluth, Minnesota
|
snowboarder-the Pension Maurii costs about $100 a night or less. It is in an absolutely gorgeous location and you can hardly get a motel 6 for that price in the US. To compare Pension Maurii with the Thalasso is a little odd. I would love to name drop, but I won't. Let's just say that we meet many fascinating people traveling in Huahine that prefer it to Bora Bora.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#61527 - 03/26/07 07:49 AM
Re: A Little Worried about Le Taha'a
[Re: snowboarder]
|
NYCchic
Member
Registered: 01/28/06
Posts: 209
Loc: New York, NY, USA
|
Thanks Travcarib and Snowboarder - appreciate the kind words!!! Part of me doesn't even want to write up a trip review anymore b/c of how people have responded to some of my posts. Like you said snowboarder - people just attack you when you're honest if they don't agree with you. So why should I bother?
I think I was actually wrong to say I think the post from "ynotsmile" was from a Le Taha'a employee. I know exactly who it is and I am just LOL about it....he posts quite frequently on TA...he's a Trav Agent himself! I just find it kind of pathetic he didn't have the nerve to tell me himself his feelings...what a fake! He responds to all my posts over there and then had to come on here and join with a different name to tell me how he really feels! Too funny!!! He made it quite clear it was him when he made reference to the post (he made reference on TA about this shady post here - very obvious it's him).
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#61528 - 03/26/07 08:07 AM
Re: A Little Worried about Le Taha'a
[Re: NYCchic]
|
jells
Expert Advisor
Registered: 05/18/03
Posts: 1024
Loc: Buckeye, AZ
|
Everyone should take the opinions posted on here with a grain of salt. Each person has their own unique perspectives on things that can vary greatly from your own desires and expectations. In the case of Le Taha'a, I have heard quite a few negative posts on this resort over the last year. This led me to believe that the resort had really gone down hill from when I was there in 2004. However, it's quite possible that the expectations of these travelers far exceeded mine due to room costs, expected level of service, etc. Although I had high expectations, I also spent a lot of time on here and other boards and knew to expect certain nuiances (FP service can be really slow, there are a lot of sea cucumbers in Taha'a, etc).
I guess my main point after all of my rambling is that I think it's 100% okay to post your honest opinion, as NYCchic did. However, negative opinions will, in fact, affect the business of the hotel. I used to post very frequently on a wedding chat board when I was engaged/married. When a local vendor got a bad review, brides freaked out and canceled their reservations or totally bypassed the vendor altogether. People tend to hold someone else's opinion in very high regard, hence the comment above that we should take opinions with a grain of salt.
And, also, I do have a feeling that the Thalasso will "fall from grace" as time goes on. Right now, it's the newest, affordable resort in Bora Bora (The St. Regis is just not accessible to most people due to cost). I went to the BB Nui for the same reason, but I haven't heard of many people going there at all recently. I'm sure the Thalasso is awesome, though! Can't wait to see it in person.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#61568 - 03/27/07 10:23 AM
Re: A Little Worried about Le Taha'a
[Re: carrieg]
|
Thomas Marshall
Moderator
Registered: 02/10/04
Posts: 1152
Loc: Newport Beach, Ca. USA
|
Not to worry about Le Taha'a.
Water clarity and bugs are generally related to the weather and those factors affect any of the Islands in F.P.
Some times when the wind blows the leaves and debris will wash onto the shore line at Le Taha'a but the hotel is usually very good about quick clean up.
The water conditions near the pool area are usually very clean and clear. FYI - the snorkeling to the left of the pool is excellent if you swim far enough toward the barrier reef (about 200 yards).
From the OWB's the water is usually crystal clear, warm and dead calm in most cases; the only exception would be very windy days or storm conditions which would affect any hotel.
Regarding service; one needs to set their expectations correctly before you visit F.P., not generally as good as the US, but based on my personal experience I would say most major up scale hotels do very well. IMO most of the major problems/issues noted about service in F.P. are a result of the travelers unrealistic expectation (in their mind) and not the actual service the hotel provides (highly critical people should visit Hawaii or Europe and stay away from F.P).
Bottom line; Le Taha'a is one of the most beautiful hotels on the planet, so I really wouldn't worry about all the over exaggerated reports :)
_________________________
Thomas
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#61569 - 03/27/07 10:28 AM
Re: A Little Worried about Le Taha'a
[Re: jells]
|
Zoe
Senior Advisor
Registered: 12/14/03
Posts: 801
Loc: Walnut Creek, CA
|
NYCChic: I appreciate the post and I think Jells makes a very valid point-- sooner or later, the Thalasso will have its "fall," we'll all be shocked and horrified, and then life will continue! I personally do want to hear about both the positive and negative experiences at Le Tahaa-- it is, frankly, too much $$$ for a mediocre experience. We were debating between there and the Tikehau Pearl (which we love), and Tikehau would have cost far less.
This board certainly seems to have a significant impact on business/services in FP and, yes, we should all think carefully before posting-- but I certainly felt like NYCChic's post was well-thought out (you see tons of posts on TripAdvisor for various resorts just blasting the heck out of the resort and starting panic with no concrete facts or hilarious interpretations of what happened) and sometimes there has been fire where there is smoke. I *think* I recall that the service/attitude at the Sheraton Moorea was called out for a while as poor (and more recent posters have been careful to specif that this is fixed) and that the Eden Beach resort in Bora Bora also could be questionable. Of course now I could be rumor mongering!
I guess... more rambling.. I just wanted to say thank you for the information and for sticking by your opinions. I'm also glad that someone (forget who) talked to the manager at Le Tahaa. It seems to be an inescapable fact that the resort is a) undergoing extensive renovations (our TA spoke to the hotel and was told June18th before everything re-pens) that came as a surprise to most of us and b) has had some bad weather leading to some less-than-stellar lagoon conditions. If I hadn't had to change my trip from March to July due to work circumstances, I'd certainly be really concerned.
We're doing the Sheraton Moorea for two nights simply because of the snorkelling hype (granted, we're doing a garde bungalow to keep the costs down); I'll be curious to see how we like it since we are huge fans of the IC and the Pearl. Ditto, we've fallen prey to the lure of the marketing materials for Le Tahaa and the glowing reports of folks' travel there. We're then going to Bora Bora where I delliberately talked myself out of the Thalasso in favor of Le Moana because I was afraid that I was getting lured by the unbelievably gorgeous photos of the resort rather than considering what has usually been most important to us in selecting a resort (snorkelling, proximity to shops/restuarants, and bungalow quality). So I'll have two instances of thinking like a lemming (who, granted, trusts the opinions of folks on here!) and one of thinking for myself... it should make for an interesting trip report!
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#61576 - 03/27/07 12:41 PM
Re: A Little Worried about Le Taha'a
[Re: Zoe]
|
NYCchic
Member
Registered: 01/28/06
Posts: 209
Loc: New York, NY, USA
|
Thank you Zoe...I appreciate you appreciating my honest opinions!!!
You will love Le Moana. I visited there daily from Thalasso b/c that is where the free shuttle from Thalasso dropped us off. It's a beautiful resort. Has a much more Polynesian feel to it than Thalasso. And like we all keep saying - everyone is different. The Thalasso was perfect for me because there was little to no snorkeling. I don't enjoy swimming with so many fish...when I jumped off my OWB deck I enjoyed just having clear blue water to swim in with no fish. Others may love to swim with the fish and may be traveling all the way to FP just for that experience. I got the experience on the snorkeling tour we did...so we loved not having a lot of fish around our OWB. But obviously this isn't for everyone. Sounds like you made the right choice by choosing Le Moana! It's a really pretty resort. Just be sure to take the free shuttle over to the Thalasso for a few hours during the day to hang at their pool or to have lunch...or at night for dinner. Food was excellent!
Enjoy!!!
And Thomas Marshall - you are right. The water at Le Taha'a was much more clear over by the pool. By our OWB however - that is where it was very dirty (I know it can be from the weather...I am just letting people know what it was like during our stay). People keep mentioning sea cucumbers...I have no idea what they are. All I know is the ground was all black and slimy by our OWB. And things floating which appeared to be the black slimy things from the ground being picked up - probably from the weather, I know!
Also Thomas Marshall...I have to say I feel sorry for you if you think Le Taha'a is the most beautiful resort on the planet...??? I know everyone is entitled to their own opinions but it is comments like that which made us feel a little let down upon our arrival at the resort. That is a pretty bold statement..."most beautiful resort on the planet"! We read that a lot so we had VERY high expectations! I'm sure if I was expecting less, I wouldn't have been so let down.
Now with me giving my 2 cents...maybe people heading there after me will think it's the best place on the planet b/c they'll be expecting a little less. We'll see.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#61580 - 03/27/07 01:56 PM
Re: A Little Worried about Le Taha'a
[Re: snowboarder]
|
Justine2
Expert Advisor
Registered: 02/12/07
Posts: 1911
Loc: Minneapolis, MN
|
I never said not to be honest, just to use more objectivity in expressing both sides of the story and a realization that you have an impact on someone else's life who doesn't have our options. If the Thalasso can sustain their service levels good for them, but don't bet the farm on it. The only hotel that I'm aware of that has come close is Hotel Bora Bora.
NYCChic- Sea cucumbers are hard to explain. Closest real world explanation is that they are a type of sea sponge that looks like rolled up sushi wrapping paper. Not a solid, but not a liquid either. When they get squished they turn into sludge and are slimy. They are actually a delicacy in most Asian countries, although why I'll never know.
I wouldn't knock Thomas too hard on his hotel choices. He's been all over the world and has definitely been there and done that. He books quite the vacations. I'd love to be his TA!
Edited by Justine2 (03/27/07 02:22 PM)
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#61582 - 03/27/07 02:49 PM
Re: A Little Worried about Le Taha'a
[Re: carrieg]
|
Pacific Andy
Supreme Advisor
Registered: 10/16/01
Posts: 4278
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
|
Te Tiare is operated by Outrigger but still owned by the same person. The Le Tahaa isnt owned or operated by Outrigger its operated by SPM or Pearl Resorts. Its owned locally in Tahiti.
I have stayed at Le Tahaa three times and the service isnt the best in the world but either is any of the hotels in FP. The water maybe having the some issue with the alge which comes up once in while. Its some kind of el nino think. Bora has had the same thing many years back. Bugs in Tahiti is kinda of what you get in the tropics.
_________________________
Once You Go You Get It
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#61585 - 03/27/07 03:36 PM
Re: A Little Worried about Le Taha'a
[Re: Pacific Andy]
|
jells
Expert Advisor
Registered: 05/18/03
Posts: 1024
Loc: Buckeye, AZ
|
Agreed Justine. Thomas has superb taste in travel. I try to stay in some of the best hotels and resorts around the world and Thomas has me beat by a long shot. :)
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#61607 - 03/28/07 11:55 AM
Re: A Little Worried about Le Taha'a
[Re: jchip]
|
Thomas Marshall
Moderator
Registered: 02/10/04
Posts: 1152
Loc: Newport Beach, Ca. USA
|
NYCchic,
First: you misquoted me, I said "ONE of the most beautiful hotels on the planet", not "THE most beautiful resort on the planet".
Second: I think you're a bit too critical and your expectations were generally unrealistic to start with. However, I'll give you some benefit of the doubt because it appears from reading your comments that things have changed, or some recent issues need to be resolved, at Le Taha'a since my last visit (summer of 04). But none the less, I've been reading and commenting on this board from the time Le Taha'a opened and the majority of people who have visited and commented on Le Taha'a absolutely loved the place (so you join a small minority of people who didn't have their expectations met).
Third: don't feel sorry for me, if you want to feel sorry for someone I suggest it be for yourself!!
Edited by Thomas Marshall (03/28/07 11:57 AM)
_________________________
Thomas
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
Moderator: BarbiJKM, hamara, DenverJoe, Poehere
|
6653 Members
15 Forums
10176 Topics
90579 Posts
Max Online: 98 @ 03/09/11 04:15 PM
|
|
0 registered
and 13 anonymous users online.
|
|
|
