Westin Bora Bora Resort & Spa

Set on Motu Tape in Bora Bora, the Westin Bora Bora Resort & Spa is built around the things that make this island work: overwater bungalows, beach accommodation, lagoon views and enough on-site food and drink to keep you from having to organise your evening in a damp T-shirt. The resort has 145 rooms, with private beach access and the lagoon close at hand.

The mood is polished rather than rustic. You can choose the classic Bora Bora arrangement over the water, stay on the beach, or move up to a villa with more room for a couple, a family or simply the luggage that divers somehow acquire. A spa, an infinity pool, watersports and several places to eat give the day a clear rhythm without requiring much travel.

You are on Motu Tape, in Bora Bora, French Polynesia, with the resort directly on a private beach. Sun loungers and parasols are set up for the straightforward business of doing very little between swims. The lagoon is part of the property, so snorkelling and several watersports start on site rather than after a long transfer.

Mount Otemanu is about 2 miles away, giving you the island's most recognisable landmark within the wider view. If you want to change beaches, Taurere Point Beach is about 3 miles away, Maitai Polynesia Bora Bora Beach about 3.5 miles, and Matira Beach about 4 miles. The airport is roughly 4 miles away, with the journey handled through the resort's transfer arrangements.

The useful choice here is not simply between room names. It is between waking above the lagoon, stepping straight onto the beach, or taking more indoor and outdoor space for a longer stay. The overwater bungalows suit couples who want the familiar Bora Bora arrangement and a view over the water; beach bungalows make the sand easier to reach without negotiating a jetty in bare feet.

Several categories add a private plunge pool, while the Otemanu-view accommodation puts the mountain into the daily routine rather than leaving it to the occasional excursion. For three or four guests, the larger beach and overwater villas offer the extra room that a compact couple's bungalow cannot. That matters when everyone has wet bags, day clothes and the usual collection of things that were supposedly packed neatly.

Air conditioning takes care of the return from a hot, salty day. Rooms also include a minibar, coffee machine, electric kettle, bath, bathrobes, slippers, a wardrobe and outdoor furniture, with sea views available across the accommodation range. A terrace or outdoor sitting area gives you somewhere to sit with a drink while the light goes down, and free Wi-Fi covers the practical end of the evening.

Six restaurants give you room to vary the evening without turning dinner into a daily expedition. Maere handles dinner with international cuisine and a sea view, which is a sensible combination when you have spent the afternoon looking at the lagoon anyway. Breakfast is American and buffet-style, useful when the first proper meal of the day needs to be taken seriously.

For the shorter version of dinner, there is a snack bar, room breakfast and room service. Special-diet menus are available on request. A minibar and tea and coffee-making facilities in the accommodation cover the gap between getting back from the water and deciding whether you are ready to put on a proper shirt.

The Bar lounge is the place for a slower drink rather than a hurried nightcap. Live music, happy hour and themed dinner evenings are also part of the on-site programme, giving you options when the best available plan is to stay put and let the island do the scenery.

The infinity pool gives you a second way to be in the water, this time with the horizon doing the heavy lifting. The private beach has loungers and parasols, while the resort's lagoon access opens the door to snorkelling, kayaking and paddleboarding without making a separate outing of it. Sailing and windsurfing are also available, as are fishing trips and boat excursions.

For a drier afternoon, bicycle hire, walking tours, bike tours and local-culture tours offer a change of pace. Live performances and themed evenings can carry the day into the night, although there is no obligation to attend. A terrace, a beach chair and a cold drink remain perfectly respectable choices.

The spa covers massage, facials, body scrubs, body treatments, manicures, pedicures and waxing. Couples' massages are available, alongside a spa relaxation area and wellness packages. There is also a fitness centre and yoga classes, so you can stretch out properly before deciding that the rest of the day belongs to the sun.

Bora Bora Airport is about 4 miles from the resort, and the hotel offers airport transfers by boat, including a 24-hour service from Motu Mute Airport. Arrange the transfer with the hotel and pass on your flight details in advance; arriving on a motu is not the moment to improvise your own maritime logistics. Shuttle services are also available, and car hire can be arranged.

Check-in starts at 16:00 and check-out runs until 12:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and the resort asks you to give your expected arrival time beforehand. Cash is not accepted. A 24-hour front desk, luggage storage, lockers, currency exchange, concierge service and a tour desk deal with the useful edges of island travel, while free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property.

Children of any age are welcome. Cots can be requested for very young children, depending on the accommodation selected, and there are no extra beds. Family rooms, babysitting and children's meals are available, making the larger villa categories the more practical choice when the room has to absorb more than two people's belongings.