Budget & Tips
French Polynesia is an expensive destination, but this does not mean that the stay is reserved for the wealthy; it is neither Saint Martin nor the Maldives, and you will find the whole range of prices and comfort.
The very small budgets will find enough accommodation between 1 500 CFP and 4 000 CFP per night per person (about 13 to 34 €), most often in dormitories or camping. In the remote islands, services are limited and the water is usually warm, but this is not a problem. Cleanliness is sometimes to be checked, but most of the time it is beyond reproach. Be careful, places are very limited in this range, so be sure to book in advance or else you will have to pay the full price.
With a little more money - between 4,000 and 9,000 CFP per night per person (about 35 to 75 €) - you can afford a small room with an air blower in a modest guesthouse, especially on the less touristy islands. From 9,000 CFP per night per person (75 €), you already have a little more room for a slightly more attractive boarding house; at this price, half board can even be included. In principle, children benefit from special rates. Another option is the bed and breakfast and the guest house, bungalows or furnished houses, which must have their own bathroom and kitchen. They can be rented by the night, week or month, and do not necessarily share (or not at all) family life. Usually between 15,000 and 22,000 PSCs for two, sometimes on half board, sometimes not.
In Polynesia, a budget of 20,000 to 30,000 CFP per night per person (about 170 to 250 €) is considered "big". This price range will open the doors of hotels and classified residences composed of air-conditioned bungalows, independent or grouped in a vast garden or on the water. These establishments include a restaurant, reception, daily room service and a business office; the reception is usually professional and relaxed. Few of them belong to large groups, and there is no chain of standardised motels in Polynesia as there is in Europe. For an equivalent budget or almost, some will prefer the intimacy of their own "home". Well, you should know that this is also possible at Fenua! If you dream of being a couple, with friends or family, the vacation rental option can be a real good plan (especially if you are numerous). A beautiful panel of luxury villas are today proposed for seasonal rentals, particularly in Tahiti, Moorea and the Leeward Islands, so much so that specialized agencies have multiplied these last years. To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is better to use their services rather than to go directly to them; Tahiti Homes and Enjoy Villas in particular, are among the most serious. Their websites being complete and well supplied with photos, you will easily find the house of your dreams in just a few clicks.
Above 30 000 CFP per night per person (250 €), you can comfortably stay in a luxury hotel with bungalows on stilts; the suites of these establishments can exceed thousands of euros per night.
Since 2018 and the opening of the skies to new airlines, tourism is starting up again and is accompanied by the boom in "Air BnB" type rentals. While this option may be interesting, keep in mind that it acts as unfair competition to official pensions, which are subject to numerous taxes and fixed charges. On the other hand, as the slightest accommodation available on the territory is more and more dedicated to these seasonal rentals between private individuals, it becomes very difficult and very expensive for the Polynesians themselves to find a roof over their heads under reasonable conditions. Not always so clever in short.
Please note that the prices indicated do not always include all taxes: so remember to ask before booking, otherwise you may be in for an unpleasant surprise when you pay. VAT on accommodation is 5%, whatever it is. Classified hotels add a 5% government tax, known as the tourist promotion tax. To this must be added a 4% service tax. Some municipalities on the most touristic islands add a tourist tax of 50 CFP (pensions) to 150 CFP (hotels) per night per person over 12 years old. As for cruise passengers, they will be charged a tax on the cruise activity of 500 CFP per day and per person.
What's very local
The guesthouse is the Polynesian accommodation par excellence. These small structures are indeed very appreciated for their welcome and their authenticity. Most often, they also offer the opportunity to share family life. The guesthouses sometimes offer several formulas: dormitories or even camping for small budgets; rooms, bungalows and cottages for medium budgets. Some of them are almost like real small hotels, and depending on the setting and services, they can be very expensive. Be careful, however, some disappointed travellers deplore the lack of contact with the hosts in certain addresses. Under the term "boarding house", there is indeed a rather multiple reality: we sometimes eat all together with the hosts, sometimes between travellers, sometimes each one in his own corner... Follow the guide to find the atmosphere that suits you best.
For food lovers
Most of the time, breakfast (as well as dinner, by the way) is included in the guesthouses. But this is not necessarily the case for campsites and hotels. If a few fruits are enough, you will find enough to eat in the markets (especially in Papeete), provided you get up very early: count between 600 and 1,000 CFP (5 to 8.50 €). In a small restaurant or guesthouse, breakfast is roughly charged between 1,000 and 2,000 CFP (about €8.50 to €17). With a little luck on Sundays, you will be entitled to the traditional and no less delicious coconut bread. Less copious than those of the big hotels, they are however clearly enough to start a good day. Hotels, on the other hand, charge between 2,000 and 4,000 CFP (about 17 to 34 €), or even more. In this price range, you're entitled to an abundance of good things, usually in the form of a buffet: pastries, cold cuts, cheese, eggs, fruit and a myriad of sweet and savoury dishes. Drinks are usually coffee, tea or chocolate, as well as freshly squeezed fruit juices.
To be booked
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