IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with Pacific Beachcomber to turn InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa into Regent Bora Bora. The deal was announced on September 16, 2026. The resort closed on June 1 for renovations and is expected to reopen in late 2027. It will be the first Regent property in French Polynesia.

Resorts Features

The resort sits on a private motu on the eastern edge of Bora Bora’s lagoon. It has 84 villas, all built over the water, with direct lagoon access. Guests can see Mount Otemanu and the open Pacific from the property. IHG said the renovation will introduce Regent’s style of upper luxury while keeping the resort’s Polynesian character and sense of place.

Regent’s standard features will be part of the offering. These include:

• Personal Havens, which are small spaces set aside for retreat
• Regent Experience Agents, who act as one point of contact from before arrival through departure
• With Compliments, the brand’s program of included extras

Partnership, Strategy, and Sustainability

Pacific Beachcomber has worked with IHG for more than two decades, and the two companies are continuing that relationship with this project. Rajit Sukumaran, IHG’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director for East Asia and Pacific, said the partnership matters more than the brand change itself. He also said IHG is selective about where it grows Regent, choosing destinations where the brand can offer something distinctive. Richard Bailey, Founder and Chairman of Pacific Beachcomber, said Bora Bora calls for a style of luxury that respects the environment and stays tied to Polynesian culture.

The resort was the first hotel in the world to use a seawater air-conditioning system. The system draws cold water from deep in the Pacific Ocean to cool the buildings. According to the release, it cuts the electricity needed for air conditioning and refrigeration by about 90 percent. It will stay in operation after the conversion, so the resort will keep one of its most established environmental features. Sustainability will remain part of how the property presents itself under the Regent name.

Regent Bora Bora will join a portfolio that includes hotels and resorts in Hong Kong, Santa Monica, Phu Quoc, Cannes, Shanghai, and Bali. The resort’s move to the Regent brand adds French Polynesia to that list. IHG operates 21 hotel brands and more than one million rooms across 7,000 hotels worldwide. Its development pipeline includes another 2,400 properties.