Motel Vanille

I have to say that I was disappointed with the Motel Vanille, however it is an OK place to stay on the budget end of accommodation. Not a place I’d choose to stay again. We were warmly greeted at the airport by Frederick, the motel owner, who promptly drove us the short distance to the motel. He gave us a good orientation and showed us to our bungalow – quite a nice guy. The motel grounds are nice enough, well-tended gardens, and a beautiful swimming pool. Our first impression of the room was it was old, dark, and past its use-by date. Not to mention it was infested with mosquitos, as was most of the property. The room was very basic and spartan with a floor fan as the only cooling system. Big gaps in the floor boards allowed mosquitos to enter unhindered – fortunately we had a good mosquito net over the bed! The hot water shower worked well however there was nowhere on the shower wall to hook the shower head, so you just had to hold it yourself or set it on the floor. The room was not that comfortable and we endeavored to spend as little time there as possible. We made use of the pool quite often which was nice and bathwater warm with a nice refreshing outdoor shower next to it. The location was not great, although it was handy to the airport – just a couple of minute’s drive. It was about 2km into the town, which would be a pain if you had to walk it several times a day to get food, meals, etc. We rented a couple of bicycles at the local Eurocar which allowed us to get around more efficiently. Overall, I can’t say we really enjoyed our stay at the motel and would definitely look at other options if we ever visited Huahine again. For a budget motel it wasn’t too bad, just make sure you have some kind of transport.

The setting is lush with vibrant colors and tropical foliage. The pool is blue and refreshing. Frederic, our host, did not know what flight we were on, but without us knowing, he called the airport, learned the flight, and met us there with transportation! We love luxurious resorts where we feel pampered and spoiled. We also love connecting with a local experience. The bungalows gave us exactly that! Gary, the lizard greeted us, before skittering away. The mosquitos stayed away from my husband as they usually do, and they loved me despite repellant. Thank god for the mosquito netting and incense provided. Bring your own soap and shampoo. Single speed bicycles are provided and we felt like kids again peddling around the island breathing in the spectacular beauty. We were close enough to the town to walk and get our exercise without it being too long. We weren't so far away that we had to rent a car. Finally, when our flight was late, Frederic let us have an extremely late check-out --- like 6:00 p.m. We loved our Huahine experience.