Is the Sofitel Moorea open after the renovation?

Yes. Accor says it reopened in 2026 after a complete renovation of its common areas and overwater villas, and it was taking bookings for 2027 in October 2026. Tahiti Tourisme's listing still showed it as temporarily closed; that listing is out of date.

How many overwater villas are there?

38 of the 109 villas, according to the resort's home page, including five Superior Horizon and five Luxury Horizon villas at the ends of the pontoons.

Do any villas have a private pool?

None of the resort's villa pages mentions one. For a private plunge pool on Moorea, the Hilton's garden bungalows have them.

How far is it from the ferry?

About five minutes by road from the Vaiare ferry dock, and the same from Temae airport.

Is breakfast included?

It was included in every public rate shown on Accor's booking page for our February and July 2027 dates.

Moorea · Resort profile

Sofitel Kia Ora
Moorea.

109 villas on Temae, Moorea's long white-sand beach, five minutes from the ferry dock. Reopened in 2026 after a renovation of its common areas and overwater villas. Breakfast is in the rate; private pools are not on the menu.

A ray in Moorea's lagoon

Stay · Moorea · Sofitel Kia Ora

The Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort stretches along Temae beach on Moorea's east coast, five minutes from the Vaiare ferry dock and five from the airport.¹ It has 109 villas by the count on its home page: 38 over the water, 11 on the beach, 9 with lagoon views, 50 in the gardens and one luxury villa.² Accor says it reopened in 2026 after a complete renovation of its common areas and overwater villas.³ This page covers what each villa type gets you, what changed, what it costs on given 2027 dates and where it falls short. Everything comes from the resort's site, Accor's booking pages and Tahiti Tourisme, checked on 19 October 2026.

01 · At a glance

The short version.

Where: Temae beach, east coast, inside a protected marine area²¹BP 28 Teavaro, 98728 Moorea
Status: Open; reopened in 2026 after renovation³Tahiti Tourisme's listing still said 'temporarily closed' when we checked
From the ferry and airport: About 5 minutes from the Vaiare ferry dock and from Temae airport¹
Villas: 109: 38 overwater, 11 beach, 9 lagoon-view, 50 garden, 1 luxury²Other Sofitel and Accor pages say 110
Overwater types: Superior (38 m²) and Luxury (50 m²), each with five 'Horizon' villas at the end of the pontoon⁴⁵⁶
Private pools: None mentioned on the villa pages⁴
Dining: Pure and K restaurants; Vue Bar and the Beach Bar⁷
Children: A two-bedroom family villa; no kids' club described⁸
Adults-only: No adults-only pool or area listed
Loyalty: ALL – Accor Live Limitless⁹
Typical rate: ≈ 115,650–197,035 XPF (approximately US$1,135–1,930) a night for the cheapest overwater villa, February and July 2027, with breakfast, taxes and fees³¹⁰¹¹

02 · The renovation

Closed, rebuilt,
reopened in 2026.

Accor's booking page says the resort 'reopened its doors in 2026 following a complete renovation of its common areas and overwater villas'.³ The resort's own home page lists the common areas concerned: reception, spa, pool, bars and restaurant.² Neither page gives closing or reopening dates, and neither describes what changed inside the villas beyond that.

The resort was taking bookings for 2026 and 2027 when we checked, through its own site and Accor.³¹⁰ Tahiti Tourisme's listing, last updated on 30 July 2026, still marked it 'temporarily closed' and described 113 bungalows; it has simply not caught up.¹² Believe the hotel and its booking engine, and expect older guides and reviews to describe the pre-renovation resort.

The counts on the resort's own pages don't quite agree either: 109 villas on the home and resort pages, 110 on the villa page and on Accor.²⁴³ The overwater figure, 38, is the one that matters for most bookings, and it is stated once, on the home page.²

03 · Where it is

Temae, next to
the ferry and the airport.

Temae is the island's long white-sand public beach, between a coconut plantation and the lagoon, about 3 km from the ferry quay near the airport; it has parking, public showers and toilets, and the Sofitel shares its shoreline.¹³ The resort says the beach has been protected by a marine reserve for more than twenty years, and that motorboat activity in front of the overwater villas is strictly limited.²⁵

That position makes it the most convenient big resort on Moorea for arrivals: the resort puts both the Vaiare ferry dock and Temae airport about five minutes away.¹ Three companies sail from the Papeete ferry terminal to Vaiare: Aremiti, Tauati Ferry and Vaeara'i.¹⁴ Tauati's foot-passenger fare is 1,100 XPF (approximately US$11) one way, Aremiti's visitor fare 2,350 XPF (approximately US$23).¹⁵¹⁶ Air Tahiti flies from Tahiti to Moorea in 15 minutes; there's no airport shuttle, so it's a taxi or the hotel's transfer.¹⁷ The resort's pages don't publish a transfer price; ask.

The resort warns that there are no connections between Tahiti and Moorea after 17:00, so a late international arrival means a night on Tahiti first, and an early-morning departure a night there before.¹⁸ The east coast is also the far side of the island from the north-west's ray sandbank and the Opunohu valley; for those, rent a car at Vaiare or the airport.¹⁹

04 · Villas

Nine categories,
no private pools.

Superior Overwater Villa

38 m², king bed plus a single, Gauguin-inspired interiors, a glass panel in the floor and a deck with direct access to the lagoon; one is wheelchair accessible.⁵ ≈ 115,650 XPF (approximately US$1,135) for 15 February 2027 and ≈ 197,035 XPF (approximately US$1,930) for 14 July 2027, with breakfast, taxes and fees.³¹⁰¹¹

Superior Overwater Horizon Villa

The same villa at the end of the Superior pontoon: five of them, with an unobstructed view of the lagoon and Tahiti.⁴ ≈ 149,965 XPF in February and ≈ 235,058 XPF in July 2027.³¹⁰¹¹

Luxury Overwater Villa

50 m², which the resort calls the largest of its category on Moorea, with a private solarium and sundeck, a walk-in closet and a glass floor panel.⁶ ≈ 134,956 XPF in February and ≈ 218,419 XPF in July 2027.³¹⁰¹¹

Luxury Horizon Overwater Villa

Five at the end of the Luxury pontoon, facing the lagoon and Tahiti.⁴ The most expensive villa for two on both searches: ≈ 170,128 XPF in February, ≈ 257,393 XPF in July 2027.³¹⁰¹¹

Beach, ocean-view and garden villas

Luxury Beach Villas sit on the sand facing Tahiti; Luxury Garden Beach View villas sit between the garden and the beach; Superior Ocean View villas are on the waterfront; Luxury Garden villas face the pond or the gardens.⁴ The garden villa, at 47 m², was the resort's cheapest: ≈ 85,624 XPF in February and ≈ 146,242 XPF in July 2027.³¹⁰¹¹

Two-bedroom Family Villa

Two king bedrooms, a living room with a sofa bed and two bathrooms, one with an outdoor tub, on the edge of the lagoon; the resort gives 161.2 m², Accor 221 m².⁸¹⁰ ≈ 330,119 XPF (approximately US$3,235) for 14 July 2027.¹⁰¹¹ The villa pages we read list a free minibar refilled daily; in the Luxury Overwater villas that is two beers, two sodas and two waters.⁵⁶

05 · The water

A protected lagoon
off a public beach.

The overwater villas step straight down into the lagoon from their decks, and the resort stresses that motorboat activity there is strictly limited.⁵ Accor's page calls it the best place on the island for snorkeling in the protected lagoon, and Temae is Moorea's longest white-sand beach by the resort's account.³² Guests also have a dive centre and an activities desk with water-sports equipment to use.¹

The Horizon villas at the end of each pontoon are the ones with an unobstructed view of the lagoon and Tahiti; the villas closer to shore buy a shorter walk. As anywhere, depth and coral change along the line of villas; ask for the specific villa's position.

For Moorea's set-piece snorkel, the rays and blacktip reef sharks on the sandbank off Les Tipaniers, you'll need a boat or a kayak from the north-west coast; it's too far to swim.²⁰ From July to the end of October, humpbacks pass outside the reef; watching is only legal with licensed boats, outside the lagoon, bays and passes.²¹

06 · Eating and drinking

Two restaurants,
two bars.

Pure

The main restaurant, on the lagoon edge with Tahiti in view: breakfast, lunch and dinner, with Polynesian shows and a meal from the ahima'a, the underground oven.⁷ Breakfast here is in the rates we found.³

K Restaurant

The fine-dining room, feet in the sand under a cathedral ceiling of kahaia wood from the Tuamotu, with chef Frédéric Gigou's menu changing regularly.⁷ Accor calls it the only gourmet restaurant on the island; reserve well ahead.³

Vue Bar

Facing the lagoon and the pool, with what the resort calls the largest selection of liqueurs in French Polynesia, snacks, an ice-cream counter and weekly entertainment.⁷³

Beach Bar

Drinks and snacks on the sand, facing the lagoon and Tahiti.⁷

Off the resort

Moorea Beach Café, on the lagoon in Maharepa, opens daily 11:30–21:30.²² Tahiti Tourisme's 2026 guide puts Moorea's food trucks at 1,500–2,500 XPF (approximately US$15–25) a dish and hotel fine dining above 8,000 XPF (approximately US$78).²³

Festive season

The resort runs a festive programme from 21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027; check whether dinners are compulsory when booking those dates.⁵

07 · Spa, pool, children

Spa in the garden,
no kids' club.

Le Jardin Spa & Beauty sits in the tropical garden, with Polynesian treatments such as the taurumi massage, local oils (monoi, tiare, Tahitian vanilla) and yoga sessions. It opens daily 10:00–18:00; treatments cancelled less than 24 hours ahead are charged at 50%, and missed ones in full.²⁴

The pool is an infinity pool facing the mountains, and there's a fitness centre.³¹ We found no adults-only pool or area.

We found no kids' club on the resort's or Accor's pages either. Families get the two-bedroom Family Villa (up to six on Accor's listing), cots on request, and the beach: Temae has public showers, toilets and parking, which helps with small children.⁸¹⁰¹³ Accor tags the resort 'family friendly', but children's activities aren't described.³

08 · What it costs

The bill,
line by line.

Cheapest villa, February: ≈ 85,624 XPF (approximately US$840) a night, Luxury Garden Villa, 15 February 2027³¹¹
Overwater, February: ≈ 115,653–170,128 XPF (approximately US$1,135–1,670) a night, 15 February 2027³¹¹
Cheapest villa, July: ≈ 146,242 XPF (approximately US$1,435) a night, Luxury Garden Villa, 14 July 2027¹⁰¹¹
Overwater, July: ≈ 197,035–257,393 XPF (approximately US$1,930–2,525) a night, 14 July 2027¹⁰¹¹
What the rate includes: Breakfast, taxes and fees, on the public rates shown³Accor quoted euros; we converted at the fixed rate of 1,000 XPF = €8.38. Bills are payable in XPF
Member rate: ALL members saw rates about 5% lower³
Offers: Stay three nights, get the fourth free; a day pass; canoe and beach breakfasts as bookable extras⁵²
Getting there: Ferry from 1,100 XPF (approximately US$11) one way per passenger, then five minutes by road¹⁵¹
Island context: Moorea's hotels averaged ≈ 60,266 XPF (approximately US$590) per room-night, July–September 2025²⁵

09 · Accor ALL and timing

Points,
and the rate curve.

The Sofitel is in Accor's ALL – Accor Live Limitless programme; members get a member rate, about 5% below the public one on our searches, and earn ALL points on the stay.⁹³ The programme says its Reward points can be used with no black-out dates, and lists status benefits such as welcome drinks and suite-night upgrades.⁹ Accor's booking page showed member and public cash rates for our dates, so those are the numbers to compare.

The jump from February to July is steep: about 70% more for the same Superior Overwater Villa.³¹⁰ February is in the wet season and July in the dry and the busiest month; ISPF's Moorea figures show the island's hotels at 84.4% occupancy in July–September 2025.²⁵ Shoulder months are the compromise.

Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out by 11:00.³ With the ferry dock five minutes away, the Sofitel is the easiest resort on Moorea to leave on the morning of a flight from Tahiti, provided the ferry and the flight leave enough margin.

10 · Against the nearest rival

Sofitel
or Hilton?

Where: Sofitel Kia Ora: Temae, east coast; about 5 minutes from the ferry and airport¹
Hilton: Papetoai, north coast; 13 km from the airport²⁶
Rooms: Sofitel Kia Ora: 109 villas, 38 overwater²
Hilton: 104 bungalows²⁷
Private pools: Sofitel Kia Ora: None mentioned⁴
Hilton: Plunge pools in the garden bungalows and suite²⁸
Beach: Sofitel Kia Ora: Temae, the island's long public white-sand beach¹³
Hilton: A resort beach; Ta'ahiamanu nearby²⁹³⁰
Breakfast: Sofitel Kia Ora: In the rates we found³
Hilton: On a breakfast-included rate only³¹
Cheapest overwater, 15 Feb 2027: Sofitel Kia Ora: ≈ 115,653 XPF with breakfast and taxes³¹¹
Hilton: 111,117 XPF³²
Cheapest overwater, 14 Jul 2027: Sofitel Kia Ora: ≈ 197,035 XPF with breakfast and taxes¹⁰¹¹
Hilton: 177,087 XPF³³
Points: Sofitel Kia Ora: Accor ALL⁹
Hilton: Hilton Honors³¹

Verdict. Choose the Sofitel for Temae beach, the five-minute ferry transfer, breakfast in the rate and a freshly renovated resort; choose the Hilton for the north coast and the Opunohu valley, a private plunge pool in a garden bungalow, and Hilton Honors. Moorea's third big resort is Manava Beach Resort in Maharepa, with 90 units.³⁴ The editorial ranking, with its criteria, is on the best Moorea resorts.

11 · Who it suits

Who it suits,
who it doesn't.

It suits travellers who want the beach as much as the deck: Temae is the island's long white-sand public beach, and the beach villas sit on it.¹³⁴ It suits short stays and first or last nights, thanks to the five-minute ferry and airport transfer.¹ It suits couples who'd rather pay for breakfast up front, and Accor members.

It doesn't suit anyone who wants a private pool: none of the villa pages mentions one.⁴ It doesn't suit families looking for a kids' club, or adults looking for an adults-only pool. And it isn't the base for Moorea's interior: the Belvedere, the marae and the ray sandbank are all on the far side of the island, so budget for a car.¹⁹

For the rest of the island, from small hotels to pensions, see where to stay on Moorea; for the overwater comparison across islands, see the best overwater bungalows.

12 · The downsides

What the brochure
leaves out.

01
No private pools
Not over the water, not in the garden: none of the villa pages mentions one.⁴
02
July costs 70% more than February
≈ 197,035 against ≈ 115,653 XPF for the same Superior Overwater Villa, one night each, 2027.³¹⁰¹¹
03
Prices in euros on Accor
Accor's page quoted euros even when asked for XPF; bills are payable in the hotel's currency, so the final card charge depends on your bank's conversion.³
04
Out-of-date listings
Tahiti Tourisme still listed the resort as temporarily closed, with 113 bungalows, in October 2026.¹²
05
No kids' club, no adults-only pool
Neither is described on the resort's or Accor's pages.
06
No transfer price published
The resort is five minutes from the ferry and airport, but its pages don't say what the hotel charges for the ride.¹

13 · Questions

Questions.

01
Is the Sofitel Moorea open after the renovation?
Yes. Accor says it reopened in 2026 after a complete renovation of its common areas and overwater villas, and it was taking bookings for 2027 in October 2026. Tahiti Tourisme's listing still showed it as temporarily closed; that listing is out of date.³¹⁰¹²
02
How much is an overwater villa at the Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea?
On Accor's booking page on 19 October 2026, the Superior Overwater Villa cost about 115,653 XPF (approximately US$1,135) for 15 February 2027 and 197,035 XPF (approximately US$1,930) for 14 July 2027, for two adults with breakfast, taxes and fees. Accor quoted euros; we converted at the fixed XPF–euro rate.³¹⁰¹¹
03
How many overwater villas are there?
38 of the 109 villas, according to the resort's home page, including five Superior Horizon and five Luxury Horizon villas at the ends of the pontoons.²⁴
04
Do any villas have a private pool?
None of the resort's villa pages mentions one. For a private plunge pool on Moorea, the Hilton's garden bungalows have them.⁴²⁸
05
How far is it from the ferry?
About five minutes by road from the Vaiare ferry dock, and the same from Temae airport.¹
06
Is breakfast included?
It was included in every public rate shown on Accor's booking page for our February and July 2027 dates.³¹⁰

Sources · last verified 19 October 2026(34)

Sofitel Kia OraMoorea.

The short version.

Closed, rebuilt,reopened in 2026.

Temae, next tothe ferry and the airport.

Nine categories,no private pools.

Superior Overwater Villa

Superior Overwater Horizon Villa

Luxury Overwater Villa

Luxury Horizon Overwater Villa

Beach, ocean-view and garden villas

Two-bedroom Family Villa

A protected lagoonoff a public beach.

Two restaurants,two bars.

Pure

K Restaurant

Vue Bar

Beach Bar

Off the resort

Festive season

Spa in the garden,no kids' club.

The bill,line by line.

Points,and the rate curve.

Sofitelor Hilton?

Who it suits,who it doesn't.

What the brochureleaves out.

No private pools

July costs 70% more than February

Prices in euros on Accor

Out-of-date listings

No kids' club, no adults-only pool

No transfer price published