InterContinental Resorts French Polynesia Receive 2012 World Travel Awards

The awards were presented during a red-carpet ceremony for leading travel brands in Asia, Australasia, and the Indian Ocean, at the World Travel Awards (WTA) which took place at the InterContinental Singapore on October 18, 2012.

Established in 1993, the WTA serves to acknowledge, reward, and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. Today, WTA’S annual program is renowned as the most prestigious and comprehensive in the travel and tourism industry with votes cast by travel professionals and consumers in 171 countries. Each year, WTA covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies that recognize and celebrate winners and are attended by the industry’s key decision makers, chief figure heads, and the leading trade and consumer media.

WTA's Asia, Australasia, and Indian Ocean Ceremony 2012 marks the final regional leg of WTA's Grand Tour, a global search for the world's leading travel brands, which includes regional heats in Dubai, Singapore, Turks & Caicos, and Portugal, with winners going head-to-head in WTA's Grand Final on December 12, 2012, in New Delhi, India. For more information about WTA, please visit www.worldtravelawards.com.

The InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa

The InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa is situated on one of the most spectacular tropical islands of French Polynesia and provides a magnificent setting for a memorable South Seas vacation. The resort’s 27 acres of lush gardens feature beautiful trees and flowers, more than 200 different plant species, and 143 lanai rooms and garden, beach, and overwater bungalows. The resort recently completed a massive, multimillion dollar renovation which included substantial terrace extensions of all bungalows, the addition of private plunge pools to all garden bungalows, a new poolside restaurant and bar, and two new infinity pools.

Fare Nui and Fare Hana are two restaurants located at the resort and offer French, Tahitian, and international cuisine. A program of special Polynesian dinner shows are scheduled three times a week including “Marvelous Evening” featuring a seafood lovers buffet and Polynesian performance complete with fire dancing.

The resort’s renowned Hélène Spa, which was named one of the “Top 25 Spas in the World” by Condé Nast Traveller in 2011, is unique in design and was created to blend into its lush, tropical surroundings and provide a truly comfortable and relaxing setting for spa guests. The spa is housed in traditional Polynesian fare, thatched with palm fronds, and uses natural materials such as precious woods, volcanic stone, and bamboo, along with natural indigenous treatments.

A highlight of the resort is its Moorea Dolphin Center which offers interactive programs with bottlenose dolphins, educating both tourists and locals, and is also home to the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center. Sanctioned by the Ministry of the Environment, this facility serves as a hospital to ill and injured turtles from all the islands in French Polynesia. The resort also houses Bathys Diving Moorea which caters to all levels of diving, from novices to experienced divers, and provides all necessary training and equipment.

The InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa was recently honored by Celebrated Living, American Airlines’ luxury publication for first class passengers, achieving a top spot on its Platinum List of hotels, ranking third in the category of “Top 5 Australia/New Zealand/South Pacific Hotels.” The resort also received the prestigious “2012 Certificate of Excellence Award” from TripAdvisor.

The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa

The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa is located along a virgin beach on the Motu Piti Aau (meaning “two hearts” in Tahitian) with breathtaking views of majestic Mount Otemanu. Not only does the resort provide exemplary service to its guests, it features a number of unique attributes, including: 80 luxurious overwater villas each with a split-level terrace and sundeck for easy access to the turquoise waters of the lagoon; one of the finest culinary experiences in French Polynesia at its restaurant Reef; and the first overwater wedding chapel with glass bottom floor in French Polynesia.

The resort’s acclaimed Deep Ocean Spa by Algotherm is the first spa in the world to use mineral-rich deep seawater extracted from 3,000 feet below sea level in its signature treatments. The 13,200 square-foot spa complex houses 14 treatment facilities for deep-sea water hydrotherapy, beauty treatments and gentle energy therapy. The spa offers glass-floored overwater Spa Suites where guests can admire maritime flora and fauna during treatment sessions.

The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa was also the very first resort in the world to successfully implement a “Sea-Water Air-Conditioning System” (SWAC). The SWAC system draws on an inexhaustible supply of non-fossil and completely renewable clean energy. It has zero impact on the environment, is quiet, produces no carbon dioxide or other green house gasses, and saves 90 percent of the electricity consumed by a conventional cooling system of similar capacity. This translates to a reduction of CO2 emissions that is the equivalent of approximately 2.5 million liters of fuel oil imports per year to French Polynesia.

Earlier this year, the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa was honored on Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best Service” list for 2012, garnering the top spot for service in French Polynesia and ranking second in service among top lodges and resorts in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific.

For information and rates for the InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa or the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa, call 1-888 IC HOTELS (1-888-424-6835) or visit www.tahiti.intercontinental.com.