Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook or Twitter!
Food With a View at the Rotui in the Hilton Moorea!
- Introduction
- Planning
- A Bad Start & a Few Hours in Los Angeles
- Air France Lounge – Los Angeles
- Air France Business Class – Los Angeles to Papeete
- Getting to Moorea
- Hilton Moorea, Panoramic Overwater Bungalow #87
- An ATV Tour in Moorea
- Whale & Dolphin Watching in Moorea
- Eating in Moorea
- Moorea to Bora Bora
- Bora Bora Airport To InterContinental Thalasso
- Emerald Overwater Bungalow #204 at the InterContinental Thalasso Bora Bora
- Jet-Skiing in Bora Bora
- A 9 Hour Bike Ride Around Bora Bora
- Eating in the InterContinental Thalasso
- InterContinental Thalasso Coral Garden Suite
- Around the InterContinental Thalasso
- Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort
- Royal Overwater Villa, Hilton Bora Bora Nui
- Dinner at Villa Mahana
- Eating in the Hilton Bora Bora
- Is Food Expensive in Bora Bora?
- A Day in Papeete
- Air Tahiti Nui and Southwest Flights Home
- Conclusion & Blog Giveaway!
We were in Moorea for only 1 day, so we ate in the hotel and had plans to go out exploring on Sunday evening. But it was raining very heavily so we just stayed in and ordered room service.
In this post, I’ll review the food options at the Hilton in Moorea and around it because food is very expensive in the hotel. However, I was there for only a day, so didn’t have much time to explore.
Lunch at the Hilton Moorea
We sat down at the Rotui Bar and Grill after walking around the resort to have a quick bite. We had to leave at 1:00 pm for our ATV tour, so we wanted to save time by eating in the hotel and also review the restaurant for the blog.
In short, the food is overpriced and not particularly tasty. But the staff were very friendly and the view was gorgeous.
On the other hand, you could eat your own snacks and enjoy the view for free if you sat by the beach, which is next to the restaurant. The portions were large, so you could split a meal as well.
The restaurant overlooks the water and you can see the over water bungalows in the distance (see picture above). I tried the chef’s special of beef tartare with fries and salad, because it was bundled with the fries and salad which would fill me up.
Chef’s Special
I would have loved to eat fish, but since Emily is very allergic to fish, I usually don’t risk it when we’re traveling. Soft drinks were 500 XPF (~$5), beer was 690+ XPF ($8+), and smoothies were 1,200 XPF (~$13). All prices included taxes.
Emily had a smoothie and I had a juice (500 XPF or ~$5). They were both tasty, but I’m not sure if they were that tasty!
Emily: I hadn’t yet learned how to convert from Polynesian Francs to US Dollars, so I let Daraius talk me into the smoothie. He does like to spoil me! I probably wouldn’t have ordered it if I knew it cost $13.
Hilton Moorea Drink Menu
Sandwiches and wraps were ~2,200 XPF (~$24) & burgers were ~2,400 XPF (~$26). Emily had the chicken wrap with coconut milk and vegetables.
Emily: The wrap was awful!
Sandwiches & Burgers
The cheapest pizza is ~1,650 (~$18) for a Margarita pizza. I ordered one for dinner and it was huge and pretty tasty.
Grill & Pizza
Here’s my beef tartar and salad. It did fill me up, but it wasn’t particularly tasty.
Beef Tartare and Salad
All in all, it was very pleasant looking over the water and relaxing. The food prices are expensive, but you’re paying for the view and convenience!
Room Service Dinner
It was raining very heavily, so we couldn’t go out exploring. We had to get up at 6:00 am the next day, so we ordered room service. We ordered a Margareta pizza, a butter crepe, and a vanilla crème brûlée to split between us. The food was enough to fill both of us.
Hilton Moorea – Room Service Dinner
The pizza was tastier & cheaper than the beef tartare for lunch. The desserts were quite good too! However, there was a room service delivery charge (I can’t remember the exact amount) which increased the cost of the meal.
Emily: The Hilton also has an outdoor crepe stall for a potentially cheaper dinner option. It was raining when we were there, so we stayed in and ordered room service.
Breakfast at the Hilton Moorea
Daraius: The buffet at the Hilton Moorea was much better than the buffet at the Hilton in Bora Bora. The buffet regularly costs XPF 2,850 (~$31) per person. However, Hilton Gold elite members get free breakfast and internet, so Emily and I saved $62 with our Gold elite status.
You can get Hilton Gold status with a virtual move to Australia or with the Citi Hilton Reserve card.
However, only the “cold” portion of the buffett is included in the Gold elite breakfast. You have to pay 1,000 XPF (~$11) up charge for the hot supplement. I paid the up charge to sample it for the blog, but didn’t think it was worth it and wouldn’t do it again.
Breakfast Time!
Breakfast is served at the Arii Vahine restaurant which overlooks the lagoon. There is both indoor and outdoor seating, so we chose to sit outside.
Breakfast With a View!
The 1,000 XPF up charge got me access to fish, rice…
Fish & Rice
…eggs & sausages, an omelet station, eggs Benedict, and waffles.
Eggs & Sausage
But the cold selection was vast and quite nice. I gorged on the Poisson Cru (raw fish marinated in lime juice and coconut milk). It was yummy!
Poisson Cru
Emily: My favorite part of the meal was trying the homemade jams with bread. They had flavors like pineapple and vanilla, lemon, and sweet potato. The banana and sweet potato were my two favorites.
This was my favorite breakfast of all 3 hotels (Hilton Moorea, Inter Continental Bora Bora, & Hilton Bora Bora) because of their delicious homemade jams! The banana jam was so good that I bought some from a shop to take home with me.
Different Jams
There was cheese and yogurt as well.
Hilton Moorea Food
And plenty of fresh fruits.
Fresh Fruit & Veggies
There were cold cuts too.
Cold Cuts
I had the tropical juice blend which tasted a little watered down.
Juices
I did ordered an omelet from the omelet station with spicy Polynesian salsa. The salsa wasn’t really spicy, though, and I much preferred the Poisson Cru.
Omelet & Poisson Cru
Food around the hotel
If you walk out of the Hilton and turn left, you will come across a very, very small restaurant in about a minute selling pizza, drinks and burgers. The restaurant looks like it is outside someone’s house, and has a rustic feel to it. We didn’t eat there since we had to leave soon, but took a few pictures while waiting for our ride to the airport.
Restaurant by the Hilton
Pizzas cost 1,500 XPF (~$16), Hamburgers cost 500 XPF ($5) and hot dogs cost 250 XPF ($3).
Menu
Perhaps the best way to save money would be to go to the supermarket and buy food and bring it back to your hotel and eat sandwiches, cold cuts, etc. The crepes at the Hilton are also somewhat cheaper, but you will likely save money by eating outside the hotel.
If you turn right of the Hilton and walk for ~5 minutes, you will come across Lilikoi Garden Cafe, which is another restaurant/cart with prices cheaper than the Hilton.
Here’s a list of a few restaurants in Moorea. Some of them will arrange to pick you up from the hotel.
Bottom Line
Food at the Hilton in Moorea is expensive, but you can save money by either bringing snacks with you, shopping at a local supermarket, or eating outside the hotel.
* If you liked this post, why don’t you join the 7,000+ readers who have signed-up to receive free blog posts via email (only 1 email per day!) or in a RSS reader …because then you’ll never miss another trip report!
I have earned and redeemed millions of airline miles and hotel points to travel the world for free. Now I'm blogging to help more people do the same! 
I just love the pics of the water! Appreciate the detail taken to price of food. If we ever go there, I’ll come back to this post before we leave.
@Lively – I love the water pictures too, and there are lots more coming up!
Yeah! It’s good to finally see the “new” logo as your banner.
Why would you go to French Polynesia if you couldn’t afford the food? You are on an island in the middle of nowhere. The prices really aren’t that bad. There are some Hiltons in LA that charge $20 for a burger. On your honeymoon you went cheap? For shame. Poor Emily.
@You are cheap, I’m careful with my money too so I appreciate this kind of post but I see what you mean. In fact, I would go as far to say that travel to Tahiti is probably all in all NOT A GOOD VALUE. You can essentially get the same thing in Hawaii, and have at least an extra day there because it is so much closer. I’ve been to both places and, dollar for dollar, Hawaii has way more bang for the buck.
@ You are cheap – Daraius actually encouraged me to order whatever I wanted…I was the one who felt compelled to save $$ (gotta make up for my shoe shopping somewhere!)
Yup, gotta remember that Polynesia is really french, so treat breakfast as you would in France. Yoghurt, sliced meat, fruit and maybe a chocolate croissant? No reason to go for the upgrade honestly. I would pay extra for that Poisson Cru though, god I love how they make it there!
did you go during the raining season or just a freak storm during your stay ?
@you are cheap – why would you go to europe, asia, or anywhere in the world and limit yourself to hotel food? there are great local places to eat anywhere you go and french polynesia is no exception. i have been to papeete, moorea, and bora bora many times and although i can easily afford to eat at the hotels, i enjoy tasting the local cuisine at a local level – and it’s just a plus that it happens to be cheaper than at the hotels. a lack of desire to pay high hotel prices for mediocre food should never stop anyone from experiencing travel. @emily – hope you got to experience the roulottes in papeete – all different kinds of amazing food at great prices.
@Debbie Schroeder – You’re the 1st person to comment on it!
@You are cheap – We had both expensive dinners and cheaper meals as well. Not everyone wants to pay $20 for a burger!
@bluecat - I haven’t been to Hawaii as yet, but wanted to experience an overwater bungalow.
@Glenn - That Poisson Cru is excellent, and the upgrade wasn’t worth it at all.
@Choi – We went in September so it was still considered high season, but got a freak storm in Moorea.
@cindy – We did experience the roulottes on our last day – they were great!
re: “You’re the 1st person to comment on it!”
Could be that you used the same image name as the old banner? I had to hit refresh to see it. May want to change to a unique file name to force reload.
@HikerT - I can’t remember if the image name is the same, but it could also be a cached copy. Will look into renaming the image – thanks!
@ You are cheap – I also don’t like how you said “poor Emily”. It’s not like Emily was made to eat the wrap while Daraius went for a filet mignon. It’s not like guys have to pay for everything on a honeymoon. There’s just too much wrong with your post.
Same here – Even though I visit your site almost daily, I had never seen the new logo until today when I refreshed my browser (even though it has been showing up next to the URL in Firefox for a while now, which I thought was odd).
Nice logo/color scheme, Daraius and Emily
!
Breakfast benefit is the most important factor in helping me decide which hotel elite program I’d try to go for.
Greg -Hmmm…I’ll look into that.
@Jimmy @TravelByPoints – I agree that the breakfast benefit is huge and saves lots of money while traveling.
Darius,
I did not noticed you changed your logo until I started reading comments from others. That is a cool logo. Are you both riding on a luggage?
As far as the food is concern, I think it looks about average. Nothing great and nothing bad. When I travel, I eat cheap and expensive depending on the situation. I like to try local food outside of the hotel just to get a more authentic experience. Hotels tend to cater to their guests while local establishments cater to locals.
@Jonathan – Glad you like the new logo! We are behind a suitcase. You’re right that you usually get much better food outside a hotel than inside a hotel.
I’ve gotta admit, I’ve long wondered why Daraius will mention “free internet and breakfast!” when talking about certain credit cards. Whenever I’ve been at a Hilton, I’ve always been at one in the US. So getting breakfast is as simple as walking down the street to an IHOP, Denny’s, local restaurant etc. We’re talking maybe $7-8 dollars for breakfast…….But reading the article above, I see Daraius and Emily saved $62 on breakfast? That makes the credit card worthy right there.
@Gordon – In many cities, it is quite easy to walk out and find breakfast, but in some places you’re stuck in the resort and have to pay a lot. The free breakfast also saves time – especially if you have kids.
Dariaus,
Curious if you tip restaurant and hotel staff on your trips? While your trip reports are interesting to read, the amount of constant bitching about pricing is beyond comical. You are basically on a vacation that would cost you in excess of 25K, by having shifted your way to get the points and you are complaining about having to pay $10 for a breakfast upcharge or for a smoothie. LMFAO. You guys sound like a nightmare to deal with, so I was just curious if you take care of the appropriate tips and gratuities on your own to take care of the people in the service industry or are you a complete cheapskate in that department?
@MW – I tip in the US, but rarely in countries which pay all workers a fair salary. I look at saving money in absolute terms, not in fake comparisons to what a trip would have “actually” cost.
I read your post a few weeks ago and now I am also planning on going to Tahiti with AA miles and Hilton and Intercontinental. I was going to see how much it was to eat there and your post has been helpful. I would try some of the local food but for the most part I will try to go to the supermarket.
I agree with your approach on the trip. The money going towards food could have gone to the ATV trip or a really expensive spa treatment. Would I remember the food or the ATV tour? Would my wife remember the $25 burger or a spa treatment (my wife still remembers and talks about the spa treatment in New Zealand rather than the same cost meal at a gorgeous wine vineyard)? Vacationing in the Bahamas taught me to be frugal with food when there’s really no point in trying out the local food. From the different comments, there are some local food to try, but not for all 6 days I plan on being there.
Thank you for opening up the world of hotel CC and points BTW. I started on the AA cards when i was in college, but the hotel points add a totally different dimension to traveling for free.
@SK - Thanks for putting it in perspective. There was only 1 meal in Bora Bora which stands out. Otherwise, our money was better spent on the experiences.
Pingback: Use miles to Bora Bora | Million Mile Secrets
Pingback: Air France Lounge – Los Angeles | Million Mile Secrets
Pingback: Hilton Moorea Points | Million Mile Secrets
Pingback: Michael Poole Moorea | Million Mile Secrets
Pingback: Bora Bora Jet Ski | Million Mile Secrets
Pingback: InterContinental Thalasso Dining | Million Mile Secrets
I am writing from Hilton Moorea- 7 Dec . A few comment; the pool is about 90% done (closed for remodeling). They are replacing thatch roof on land with wood shingles, and new thatch on the Over the water. Although food is a bit expensive, I had a very good steak (been in South Pacific for a month – so no seafood tonight) with all the trimmings for about $40. Wife had chef special of a seafood stew. Both were huge meals. We could have split one and had some dessert. I think prices are not much more than in Australia. 1.5 liters of water is $2.40 or so in hotel store. Beer about $6.
We arrived very late (1am) due to delay from NZ. Faire Suisse B and B was there to take us to room. Took us to ferry next am. Very friendly and reliable and a good deal. We hired a car from Alberts in Moorea. They took us from ferry to get car (so no transfer problem). Then we had room to get supplies for hotel and tour the island.
I got basic room using Hilton points. As it is low season (only 20-30% full, if that), they upgrade to Over the Water for about $80. Free WiFi works well and “cold” breakfast is free as HH Gold. Upgrade to Hot breakfast is $10. Excellent selections and good food. If going out to dinner, try Rudys – very good French small restaurant. About 10 min from Hilton – they will pick you up and drop you off afterward.
@SAPMAN – Thanks for the update and have a great stay!
Pingback: Hilton Bora Bora Nui | Million Mile Secrets
Pingback: Our Second Honeymoon in Paradise – Conclusion & Blog Giveaway! | Million Mile Secrets
Pingback: InterContinental Thalasso | Million Mile Secrets
You mention the difference in tipping outsde the US. Curious, do they pay all workers a fair salary in Moorea?