Trek11151915595
February 7, 2024
We have traveled to 120 countries and stayed at hundreds of hotels, guest houses, and Airbnbs, and this was easily one of the best. The place is beautiful and just 15 minutes north of downtown Papeete, just far enough to be away from the morning traffic. Laurent and Valerie are amazing hosts, getting everyone to tell their wonderful stories. And the meal prepared by Tom, which costs about $50, is truly Michelin-star quality. The place has a beautiful view, and you should get one of the rooms that has a balcony if you can afford it. It's a little hard to find: When Google Maps says, "You have Arrived", back up a bit, and you'll see three driveways to the right. The middle driveway goes up to Maison Taina. Be sure to get a bit of a running start. I almost burned out the clutch of our Peugeot 108 trying to get up the last few feet of the driveway. The home has a beautiful pool and hot tub (which we never used as Valerie gave us many great suggestions on things to do during our 3-day stay). The room was beautiful, with a large bathroom, a strong shower, and great AC. Valerie and Laurent moved from France four years ago and finished remodeling their spotless guest house only a year ago, so everything is new. Breakfast has eggs cooked to order, and bread is as good as any patisserie in France. There is covered parking on-site, and a rental car (not expensive - we paid about $60/day, including gas and miles from Hertz right at the airport) is a good idea. Great AC was a plus as it was 84 degrees and 100% humidity every day in summer, but three are cool breezes, as you are 1/3 the way up the mountain at this place. There are almost no negatives. It would have been nice to have shampoo and conditioner, more hooks, more drawers, a desk, and some towel bars, but these are minor quibbles in this otherwise perfect hotel. 10/10. Not to be missed.