Sofitel Marara Bora Bora Announces Reopening Schedule
After undergoing extensive renovations, the Sofitel Marara Bora Bora will begin the first phase of its reopening on May 4. On that date, all garden and beach bungalows will open, along with the infinity swimming pool, the “Latitude 16°” restaurant, the “Hurricane Bar,” a massage and beauty treatment center, and a temporary boutique. The process continues on June 8, when the lagoon and overwater bungalows reopen, and the Japanese restaurant “Sakura Bora Bora” debuts. The reopening will be complete in July, when the spa and boutique open. Guests that have reservations before June 8 in bungalows that are not yet open will be accommodated at the Sofitel Motu Bora or at a hotel of equal standing with the Sofitel Marara Bora Bora.

InterContinental Resort and Thalasso Spa Bora Bora Set for Opening
If there’s one thing the new InterContinental Resort and Thalasso Spa Bora Bora will be, it’s unique. The all-overwater bungalow property will be the first resort in the world to use deep sea water to provide air conditioning, and will have the first thalasso spa built in the Southern Hemisphere. On May 1, the doors open for business, with limited occupancy for the first two months. Most of the facilities will be ready for the opening, while the wedding chapel, heliport, and Deep Ocean Spa will all open in September.

Other news from InterContinental Resorts: This summer will be a busy time for InterContinental in Bora Bora. The InterContinental Le Moana Resort Bora Bora reopens on June 1, 8 months after sustaining damage from storm swells. The beach bungalows, swimming pool, restaurant and bar, and most of the overwater bungalows will be renovated and ready by June 1. Work will continue on ten of the overwater bungalows, located in the most remote part of the lagoon, through June. To compensate for the construction noise, the hotel is offering discounted rates and free meal plans to guests with reservations in June.

Sheraton Hotel Tahiti Finishes Extensive Renovation
The Sheraton Hotel Tahiti is putting the finishing touches on its $10 million, year-long renovation, highlighted by the remodeling of all 200 guestrooms and suites. The rooms have been redesigned in distinctly island style, with coconut wood floors, marble bathrooms, and mahogany and cane furnishings. The lobby has also been redone with new floors and a reception desk made from South Pacific teak. And you can check your e-mail poolside, with wireless Internet access available throughout the resort. With the largest air-conditioned banquet rooms in Tahiti, the Sheraton Hotel Tahiti has always been a popular spot for group meetings. The facilities have been further upgraded, with simultaneous translation, LCD/Power Point Projection capabilities, wireless Internet connection, and sound and light enhancements now available.

Paul Gauguin Back in the Water
Regent Seven Seas’ luxury cruise vessel, the Paul Gauguin, returned to Tahiti recently for the 2006 sailing season after getting a $6 million facelift in Brisbane, Australia. While on dry dock, the ship added five staterooms, a new piano bar, and a new casino, in addition to updated carpeting and upholstery in public areas. The Paul Gauguin will also continue to offer the “Ambassadors of the Environment” program, an educational series that teaches kids ages 9-15 about traditional Tahitian culture and the importance of marine and terrestrial environments in Tahiti.

Air Tahiti Nui Launches New Flight
Air Tahiti Nui continues to link its major hubs, adding a nonstop flight between New York’s JFK airport and Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport on April 16. The seven-hour, 15-minute flight departs New York on Sundays at 5:15 pm, and leaves Paris on Mondays at 12:25 pm, allowing for weeklong stays in either destination. For those traveling between April 16 and May 15, Air Tahiti Nui is offering a special introductory fare of $298 roundtrip.

Haumana Hosts Premier Surf Event
Tahiti Cruises’ flagship, the Haumana, will host a new surf event May 27-June 3 in Tahiti. After successful ventures with other surf companies, O’Neill has chartered the Haumana for their inaugural Tahiti event, called “The O’Neill Mission.” The voyage will bring four surfers from the O’Neill Highland Open in Scotland together with four surfers handpicked by O’Neill to compete in Tahiti’s toughest surf breaks for $50,000 of prize money.

Islands in the Sun Names New Team Leader
Preferred Tour Operator Islands in the Sun recently named Lauren Street its Team Manager. The Tasmania, Australia native spent the previous three years selling Tahiti for Jetabout Island Vacations, working her way up from Reservations Agent to Preferred Agent to Reservations Supervisor, and now to Team Leader. She is charge of overseeing the entire Islands in the Sun reservations department.

Pleasant Holidays Partners with TheBigDay
Preferred Tour Operator Pleasant Holidays recently announced an exclusive partnership with the honeymoon registry company TheBigDay.com. TheBigDay allows couples to create a gift registry consisting of elements of their honeymoon, such as hotel nights, spa treatments, and excursions. The two companies will share Internet and phone leads, with The BigDay naming Pleasant Holidays as its exclusive provider of honeymoon travel to Hawaii, Mexico, the South Pacifc, and Asia.

2006 Spring Workshop Series
It’s that time of year again…the birds are singing, the days are longer, and workshops are upon us! Every spring for the past several years, TTNA has organized a multi-city tour of North America to conduct training sessions for travel agents. This year, we hit the road to visit 19 cities in three weeks in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. The list of cities is provided below. If you know of any agents who may be interested in learning about Tahiti or who need a refresher on the destination, please direct them to http://www.Tahiti-Tourisme.com/workshop. Participation in the workshops satisfies the first requirement towards Tiare Agent certification.

Tuesday May 2 St. Louis, MO Irvine, CA	Wednesday May 3 Chicago, IL Pleasanton, CA	Thursday May 4 Minneapolis, MN Seattle, WA
Tuesday May 9 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Houston, TX	Wednesday May 10 Detroit, MI Phoenix, AZ	Thursday May 11 Bridgeport, CT San Diego, CA New York, NY
Tuesday May 16 Montreal, Canada	Wednesday May 17 Toronto, Canada	Thursday May 18 Vancouver, Canada
Tuesday May 23 Monterrey, Mexico	Wednesday May 24 Guadalajara, Mexico	Thursday May 25 Mexico City, Mexico