Motu Tianoa sits within the Tuamotu Archipelago, one of the most remote coral atoll systems on earth, and the design of Le Tikehau by Pearl Resorts takes that isolation seriously. The resort, which reopened in October 2024 as the only Relais & Châteaux property in the Tuamotus, comprises 29 units in total — 21 overwater suites and bungalows and 8 beach bungalows — each built with steeply pitched pandanus roofs that echo the traditional Polynesian fare in both form and material. From the air, the overwater structures read as a loose constellation of octagonal pavilions connected by weathered hardwood walkways, their thatched crowns rising above a lagoon so transparently turquoise it barely registers as water. Inside, the interiors manage the distance between crafted local tradition and contemporary comfort with precision. Woven pandanus ceilings, backlit to warm amber at night, curve over rooms furnished with rope-and-timber armchairs, hand-turned wooden bowls, and vivid Polynesian paintings whose saturated reds and blues provide the only chromatic punctuation in an otherwise sandy, neutral palette. Glass floor panels set into the overwater suites frame living coral formations below, making the lagoon as much a part of the room as the bed itself. The main restaurant is the most architecturally ambitious interior on the property: a great thatched hall where exposed timber trusses rise above walls decorated with bold tiki-derived graphic friezes, raw coral formations standing as sculpture on a pale sand floor.

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Considered to be one of the most beautiful atolls in French Polynesia, Tikehau is a graceful oval crown of small islets with an interior lagoon 16 miles across and a pass for small boats through the coral reef. Le Tikehau by Pearl Resorts, a proud member of Relais & Châteaux, is a Pearl to discover in the Tuamotu islands. The resort welcomes guests to this 4-hectare tropical paradise. Located on a secluded pink sandy beach fringed with coconut trees, Le Tikehau by Pearl Resorts offers beach bungalows with air conditioning, as well as overwater bungalows and suites. All bungalows, designed in true Polynesian style, are very spacious (55m²) and are equipped with air-conditioning, a fan, mini bar, coffee/tea making facilities, direct dial phone, safe, television and private veranda. The overwater suites include a glass section of the floor from which you can enjoy the spectacular underwater life of the lagoon.