IHG Signs Regent Bora Bora for French Polynesia
IHG Hotels & Resorts signed an agreement with Pacific Beachcomber to convert InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa into Regent Bora Bora. The company published the release on 16 September 2026 with a Sydney dateline.
The signing brings Regent Hotels & Resorts into French Polynesia for the first time. IHG calls the property the brand's debut in the destination.
The Resort Closed on 1 June 2026
InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa closed on 1 June 2026 for renovations. IHG states that the property will reopen as Regent Bora Bora in late 2027. The release carries no investment figure and no date inside the reopening window.
84 Villas, All Overwater
The resort sits on a private motu on the eastern edge of Bora Bora's lagoon. It holds 84 villas. IHG states that the property will offer an exclusively overwater experience, with direct lagoon access and views towards Mount Otemanu and the open Pacific.
Three brand features are named for the resort. Personal Havens are intimate spaces for retreat. Regent Experience Agents give guests a single point of contact from pre-arrival through departure. With Compliments covers inclusions within the guest experience.
The Seawater Cooling System Stays
IHG describes the property as the first hotel in the world to run a seawater air-conditioning system. The system draws cold water from the depths of the Pacific Ocean to cool the resort.
The release states that the system has reduced the electricity otherwise required for air conditioning and refrigeration by around 90%. It will continue to operate under the Regent flag.
Two Decades of Pacific Beachcomber Partnership
Rajit Sukumaran, Senior Vice President and Managing Director for East Asia and Pacific at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said the signing rests on the continued confidence and partnership between Pacific Beachcomber and IHG. He said the group grows Regent in destinations where the brand can develop its own position, and that the private motu setting and the overwater accommodation strengthen the resort's long-term position in the South Pacific.
Richard Bailey, Founder and Chairman of Pacific Beachcomber, said the partnership with IHG spans more than two decades. He said Regent's approach aligns with the property's setting and its tie to Polynesian culture.
Pacific Beachcomber owns and operates resorts in French Polynesia. The release lists Tahiti, Bora Bora, Tetiaroa, Huahine and Rangiroa among its destinations, and names The Brando, InterContinental and Maitai properties alongside the future Regent Bora Bora.
The Wider Regent Portfolio
IHG lists six destinations for Regent: Hong Kong, Santa Monica, Phu Quoc, Cannes, Shanghai and Bali. The release photographs Sukumaran and Bailey marking the signing at Regent Hong Kong.
IHG describes itself in the release as a company with 21 hotel brands and more than one million rooms across 7,000 hotels in over 100 countries, with a development pipeline of a further 2,400 properties.