Hotel Bora Bora, French Polynesia 1974
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If paradise had an address, it would be Bora Bora. This old saying perfectly sums up this small volcanic island in the South Pacific Ocean located within the Leeward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia.
Lying roughly 140 to 160 miles northwest of Tahiti and known for its massive turquoise lagoon, protected by a coral reef, this magical and mystical island also has the dormant volcano Mount Otemanu (rising to 2,385ft) as its jagged, emerald-green centerpiece.
This 1974 menu for the Hotel Bora Bora, the island’s first luxury resort and an early pioneer of overwater bungalows, cleverly reflects the island’s dramatic spectrum of colors, notably called its ‘fifty shades of blue.’
In daytime, as sunlight hits the shallow, sandy-bottomed lagoons and coral beds, visitors see dazzling shades of aquamarine, cyan, cerulean and turquoise. In deeper channels and in the Pacific Ocean, the water darkens into sapphire, cobalt, navy and dark indigo.
As night falls, Bora Bora colors transition from oranges, pinks and purples into an inky star-studded sky while the darkness of the night sky offers clear and unpolluted views of the Milky Way and constellations.
The Hotel Bora Bora opened in 1961 and was designed by the prominent mid-century design firm Hammarberg and Herman, based in San Francisco.
The iconic hotel had 18 simple thatched roof huts and over-the-water bungalows (invented by three Californian expats known as the Bali Hai Boys and running a hotel on the neighboring island of Ra'iatea.) were added in the 1970s.
The bungalows on the water provided resort guests with a 270-degree view of the surrounding islands of Tahaa, Ra’iatea, Maupiti, Mootu, and Toopua, as well as a view of the barrier reef.
In its heyday, notable guests at Hotel Bora Bora included Robert De Niro, Robert Redford, Martin Sheen, Raquel Welch, Sharon Stone, Keanu Reeves, Pierce Brosnan and Eddie Murphy. And, of course, hundreds of honeymooners.
The hotel was purchased by Aman resorts and closed in 2008 for complete reconstruction. The project stalled because of infrastructure disputes and remains closed indefinitely, with some of the bungalows being salvaged for other projects.
Each order includes a print of the interior menu.
All printed in USA.
