Pension Motu Iti

If Pension Motu Iti’s disorderly lobby doesn’t make you want to turn around and leave, maybe its lack of staff will. During our visit, we walked around the untidy room and the eerily empty property for a good 20 minutes before finding a staff member. The lobby is a long, dark room that’s typically empty. Hodgepodge furniture is scattered throughout, the industrial refrigerator looks out of place, and the faded posters of local fish taped on the walls are the only attempt at decoration. There’s a dusty desk with two computers from 1998, but most guests come to the lobby to use the free Wi-Fi. 

The majority of guests at Pension Motu Iti are backpackers. With cheap, bare-bones accommodations, the pension doesn’t really attract honeymooners or families. Most people use it as a crash pad, and spend their days off property. During the day the atmosphere is quiet, and not much goes on. 

The word “pension” doesn’t have an exact translation in English, but roughly means “guesthouse.” Travelers can find inexpensive pensions all over Polynesia, but quality can vary drastically. Some resemble grimy hostels, with shared bathrooms and sheets that smell like mildew, while others feel like charming bed-and-breakfasts with welcoming hosts and clean, if simple, accommodations. Unfortunately, Pension Motu Iti falls into the former category. Even when staying in the bungalows, the Pension Motu Iti experience feels more like that of a poorly run hostel than a charming guesthouse. 

Pension Motu Iti has an ideal location for travelers looking to explore the island. The property is situated between Cook’s Bay and Opunohu Bay — widely considered the central point of Moorea. Although the location is convenient for touristic purposes, there’s almost nothing within walking distance. Guests will have to rent a car or call a taxi in order to reach the nearest grocery store or restaurant. Pension Motu Iti is about a 25-minute drive from the airport, and about a 35-minute drive from the Moorea ferry terminal. 

Moorea is a mountainous island located 10 nautical miles off the coast of Tahiti. The beautiful, quiet island is popular with honeymooners and families, and has a relaxed, laid-back feel. Travelers headed to Moorea will first need to fly to Papeete, Tahiti, where they can then take a quick 10-minute local flight, or a 45-minute ferry to Moorea. 

There are three room types at Pension Motu Iti: Beach Bungalows, Garden Bungalows, and the dormitory. Beach and Garden Bungalows are the same size, and have the same amenities and features, but have different views. Obviously Beach Bungalows have views of the ocean, and Garden Bungalows have views of the “garden,” aka the back of the beach bungalows. For the price, the bungalows are pretty bare bones, and budget travelers can certainly find nicer accommodations for similar rates. 

Beach and Garden Bungalows have unsealed thatched roofs (hello, bugs), seriously warped wood floors, and mattresses with visible indentations from overuse. Mosquito nets hang limply above the beds, which are covered with faded tapa cloths. Bathrooms are are tiny, but functional, and seemingly pretty clean; all have walk-in showers. All of the bungalows have outdoor decks with a plastic table and chair set. Eccentricities run rampant in these rooms, but some of our favorite "special perks" include the dusty three-year-old guidebooks, ceiling fans without blades, and odor that reminds us of Penn Station. Unfortunately we forgot to ask them what kind of air freshener they use. Jokes aside, if you really must stay here, bungalows seem palatial when compared to the pension’s dormitory. 

Pension Motu Iti’s dormitory has somewhat of a notorious reputation across Moorea. Its dirt cheap prices attract a lot of backpackers, but many leave immediately after seeing the place. Though we weren’t able to take photos of the dorm (it was occupied), we can say that we’d advise staying elsewhere. The dorm is bare bones, with simple cots lined up next to one another like they might be in an army base triage unit. There’s a large, uncovered window at one end, which lets in a lot of unwanted critters. A clothes line hangs in the center of the room, and is often covered with guests’ wet clothes and towels. There’s no lock on the door, nor is there any place for guests to store valuables. And don’t even get us started on the shared bathroom — it’s filthy, and dorm guests have to walk through the restaurant in order to reach it.  

There is a small beach in front of the pension, but it’s pretty rocky and there aren’t any beach chairs. The beach looks more like a sandy deserted lot than a place to relax, and it’s rare to find anyone lying out. Just off the beach is a small pontoon that guests can use to swim off of. Pension Motu Iti also has a few free kayaks for guests to use.  

Besides the beach, the pension’s on-site restaurant is its only other amenity. The restaurant’s ambience is fairly nice — open-air room, unstained wood furniture, ocean view — but the food is mediocre and overpriced, especially considering that this is a budget hotel. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but its menus can be repetitive.  

Pension Motu Iti has free Wi-Fi in the lobby, but the connection tends to be slow when lots of people are trying to use it.