Room Review: Hilton Tahiti King Residence Suite

If you haven’t been following along on this trip report, let me quickly catch you up to speed. On our way to and from Bora Bora, my family ended up spending three total nights in Tahiti and with our loyalty to Hilton, we chose to stay at the Hilton Tahiti Resort. 

While my last article was a more in depth review of the property, service and overall experience (which varied a lot stay-to-stay), and a review of  the standard hotel room, this article is dedicated to exclusively reviewing the King Residence Suite.

While I never anticipated staying in this suite, my mother and brother stayed here on their way to meet us at the Conrad Bora Bora as a free upgrade from a standard room that was booked on points. After seeing their pictures, I ended up booking a one night stay in this room so I could properly review it on our last night in French Polynesia. 

This article is part of my Trip Report: Winter Holidays in French Polynesia that includes:

• Lounge Review: Delta’s New LAX SkyClub
• Inaugural Flight Celebrations on Delta LAX to Tahiti
• Flight Review: Delta Economy LAX-PPT
• Hotel Review: Hilton Tahiti Resort
• Room Review: Hilton Tahiti King Residence Suite
• Flight Review: Air Tahiti PPT-BOB 
• Hotel Review: St Regis Bora Bora Resort
• Hotel Transfer: Chartering a Private Boat in Bora Bora!
• Hotel Review: Conrad Bora Bora Nui Resort
• Room Review: Conrad Bora Bora Nui Deluxe Overwater Villa with Pool
• Day of Departure in Moorea: My Thoughts

The Location

Unlike the first stay, where we had a room on the ground level (the first floor is below the lobby that is located on the second floor), this time we had a room on the fourth floor. 

After making our way up the elevator, our room was down a series of open air hallways. Luckily, unlike the prior room on the first floor, this hallway wasn’t musty nor nearly as far from the elevators.

The location was far better than the first stay and I appreciated being closer to the lobby. 

The Room

The room itself is where this room shines. Not only is it a proper suite, but it has a full kitchen which is perfect for extended stays. This may be the first Hilton Hotel (not Hilton portfolio since Homewood suites have kitchens) I have stayed at that had a true kitchen.

The hotel itself is across the street from a grocery store, meaning that on extended stays, this is a great way to cook for yourself and save money on this otherwise very expensive island.

The kitchen had ample counter space. It even had a small bar area where there were two stools to eat. There was an electric stove, an oven, sink, mini fridge and even a full fridge next to the pantry. I genuinely could have lived in this suite very comfortably. 

Additionally, the kitchen came stocked with all of the dishes and utensils one might need including pots and pans. 

Further into the suite, there was a round table perfect for eating a home cooked meal or take-out. In the back of the room there was a sleeper sofa opposite a large TV. Finally, a small balcony with sliding doors was in the rear of the room.

On the left side was an entrance to the bedroom, bathroom and open closet area. The closet boasted plenty of storage for multiple suitcases, and it was greatly appreciated when traveling with many suitcases and other bags. 

The bedroom itself was not very large, but fit the king size bed as well as two nightstands and a small table below the TV mounted to the wall. Similar to the living room, there was a small balcony. 

Opposite the entrance to the bedroom was a bathroom that was quite spacious compared to the standard hotel room’s bathroom. There was a separate shower and tub in either corner with the single vanity and toilet in the back. I will say that the layout of the bathroom was rather strange but I appreciated having a stand up shower compared to a combo shower.

The amenity products were the typical Crabtree & Evelyn products you would find in most Hilton or DoubleTree hotels, but I found it strange that there were some single-use plastic amenities as well as refillable bottles.

Booking

We stayed in this suite two times collectively as a family. The first time it was obtained via a complimentary upgrade from a standard room that had been booked using 80,000 Hilton points. This was a great deal compared to the going rate for the room hovering in the $800s. 

However, on the second stay, wanting to guarantee this suite we opted to pay $490 since there was no standard award availability left and it only ended up costing $60 more than a more typical hotel room.

Other Thoughts

If I were to ever have an extended stay in Tahiti and either wanted to cook for myself or simply save on dining costs, this suite would be perfect. The cost of a single meal at a restaurant on the island can easily justify a ~$60 or so increase in price for this hotel room, so I would highly recommend it if that same option is available. 

I would say that it comfortably sleeps three individuals although if the kids are small, I would argue four. 

The Last Point

Overall, it is a very comfortable set up and worth pursuing if you are ever staying in Tahiti and especially if ever staying at the Hilton Tahiti. I don’t think that this suite is worth going out of your way to visit as one would for the Conrad Bora Bora overwater bungalows, but it’s a nice place to stay.

Has anyone else gotten a complimentary upgrade to this suite? Let me know in the comments below.