The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort

A resort for divers who want the evening to be about comfort rather than logistics. The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort combines beachfront villas, overwater accommodation, several restaurants, two bars and the Iridium Spa, so you can move from saltwater to supper without turning the night into an expedition.

The tone is polished and unhurried, with air-conditioned villas, Polynesian woodwork, hand-carved sculptures and marble bathrooms with both a rain shower and a bath. Butler service adds another layer of attention, while a 24-hour front desk, concierge and room service keep practical matters from taking over your day.

You stay on Motu Piti A, Motu Ome'E, in Bora Bora, French Polynesia, directly on the beachfront with a private beach area, gardens, terraces and outdoor dining spaces. The lagoon and surrounding islands are built into the accommodation itself: every villa has a balcony with a wide view, whether you choose land or water.

Bora Bora Airport is about 4 miles away by the mapped route, but the useful detail is that the journey is by boat and takes around 15 minutes. Vaitape Village requires a boat and car journey of roughly 20 minutes. Mount Otemanu is about 2.5 miles away, while Matira Beach is about 4.5 miles away by the mapped distance; this is a resort on its own motu, not a hotel from which you casually stroll into town.

You can reach other places to eat and drink, but they are not next door. Sunset Bar and Fare Hoa Beach Bar are about 1 mile away, while restaurants including La Villa Mahana and Le Panda d'Or are several miles away. The resort's own table therefore matters, particularly on a dive-heavy itinerary when a second boat journey is not anyone's idea of a restorative evening.

The choice here is less about finding a basic room and more about deciding which piece of Bora Bora you want outside the door. Overwater villas suit couples who want direct lagoon surroundings and a private outlook, with options facing the island or Mount Otemanu. Beachside accommodation keeps the sand close, while the reefside garden villas offer more room around the villa and a private pool in selected categories.

For three guests, the overwater and beachside options keep the arrangement straightforward, while the larger two-bedroom royal villas are the practical choice for up to five people travelling together. The point of those larger villas is not merely extra bragging rights: two bedrooms and two bathrooms make a noticeable difference when several people are drying off, changing and trying to leave for dinner at the same time.

Inside, the villas are air-conditioned and finished with exotic wood, Polynesian carving and Italian marble. Baths, rain showers, dressing areas, seating spaces and desks give you room to recover properly rather than perch on the edge of the bed with wet hair and a camera full of reef photographs. Outdoor furniture, terraces and dining areas extend the living space, and selected villas add a private pool, whirlpool or outdoor shower.

Breakfast is served as a buffet, which is useful when your appetite has returned before your conversation has. Room service and breakfast in the room give you another way to start the day, while a snack bar and all-day light dishes cover the gap between a late return and a proper dinner.

The dining line-up moves from Asia to Europe. The Lagoon Restaurant brings together Asian and French influences with views towards Mount Otemanu; Bam Boo works around sushi, teppanyaki and fragrant woks; Far Niente takes the Italian route. Blossom adds Pan-Asian cooking across breakfast, lunch and dinner. Aparima Bar serves international dishes and light snacks throughout the day.

There are two bars in the resort, including Aparima Bar, and the set-up is designed for both a drink and something more substantial. The food offer is broad enough to keep you on site when the boat transfer has already taken its share of the day. Special-diet menus are available on request, with children's meals also part of the dining service.

Two swimming pools, a beachfront setting and sun loungers under umbrellas give you the easiest possible afternoon plan: move very little. The private beach area adds space by the lagoon, while beachside cabanas offer shade when the tropical sun has stopped being charming. Snorkelling and windsurfing equipment are available for guests, with canoeing and other water-sport facilities on site.

If your legs want a job, there is a tennis court with tennis equipment, a 24-hour fitness centre, fitness classes and yoga classes. Bicycle rental, a games room, billiards and local-culture tours provide alternatives for the days when a full day in the water is not on the programme. Cooking classes, themed dinner nights, live music and temporary art galleries add a little structure to the evening without turning the resort into an entertainment factory.

The Iridium Spa is the slower option, with massages, couples massage, sauna, hammam, steam room, a relaxation area and beauty treatments. Body scrubs, wraps, facials, manicures and pedicures are available alongside the massage menu. For a couple, that makes the afternoon easy to picture: lagoon, shaded lounger, treatment, then dinner without having to find another address.

Arrival is by boat from Bora Bora Airport, with the resort's airport shuttle service arranged as a boat transfer. You need to contact the hotel before travelling to organise it, and the expected arrival time should also be shared in advance. Once you arrive, concierge service, luggage storage, currency exchange and a 24-hour front desk cover the useful bits around the edges of the holiday.

Check-in runs from 3 pm to midnight and check-out from midnight to midday. You need photo identification and a payment card at check-in. The resort accepts cash, and daily housekeeping, laundry, ironing, packed lunches, room service and a minimarket are available for the practical jobs that tend to appear between dives.

Children of all ages are welcome, with cots and extra beds available according to the accommodation selected. Babysitting and child services can be arranged, and there is a kids' club, indoor play area, outdoor play equipment and board games. Wi-Fi covers the resort, while car hire, a tour desk and a business centre are also available if your itinerary extends beyond the lagoon.