Hotels, Resort

Four Seasons Bora Bora

On a private motu ringed by coral reefs and soaring volcanic peaks, Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora captures the soul of French Polynesia. BAMO’s design honors this extraordinary site through a serene, sensory experience — one that foregrounds nature, celebrates culture, and blurs the line between land and sea. Drawing from local traditions, materials, and motifs, the resort’s architecture and interiors reflect the island’s elemental beauty and enduring spirit of place.

Location
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Owner
Thierry Barbion
Architect
Didier Lefort Architectes Associés and Pierre-Jean Picart
Landscape Architect
Burton Landscapes + Garden Design
Photographer
Barbara Kraft
Lighting Consultant
Bouyea & Associates
Spa Consultant
ESPA
Press
Travel + Leisure
Team Members
Pamela Babey, Anne Wilkinson, Elaine Hwa Smith

Built for Breath

Located at the quiet edge of the property, the Te Mahana Spa is a study in contrast and calm. BAMO’s design flows between light and dark, openness and intimacy — beginning with a teak-wrapped reception and culminating in treatment rooms that overlook a private lagoon.

Materials like marble, glass, and rich wood support the spa’s sense of timeless purity. Details are precise and purposeful, from hidden drawers for hot stones to ambient lighting that enhances, never overpowers.

Here, every element works in quiet concert to restore balance and ease.

“The design team really understood our Four Seasons design philosophy and was able to deliver a comfortable, beautiful, and functional design with a surprising twist — not the predictable hospitality product.” Dana Kalczak Vice President, Design and Construction, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

A Cultural Thread

In Polynesian culture, tattoos are deeply personal and ancestral — symbols of identity, lineage, and belonging. BAMO reinterpreted these motifs into a contemporary design language that honors tradition while inviting serenity. A custom fabric inspired by Bora Bora’s tattoo designs appears throughout the bungalows in soft, natural hues, subtly weaving cultural meaning into the guest experience.

These same patterns informed a sculptural plaster panel inlaid with mother-of-pearl medallions, an art installation that evokes the rhythm of the sea and the islands’ symbolic richness. Local materials like coral stone, teak, and woven water hyacinth shape a tactile, elemental palette, while the bungalows’ indoor-outdoor flow, custom furnishings, and muted tones drawn from sea and sky encourage stillness, reflection, and connection.

“The power of this place lies in its simplicity — the rhythm of the waves, the curve of the wind, the symbolism of the tattoo. We wanted to create something elemental and generous, rooted in the culture and attuned to the senses.” Pamela Babey Principal Emeritus, BAMO

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