BORA BORA, French Polynesia, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa, which catapulted French Polynesia luxury to new heights with its 2002 debut, will fete its visionary "firsts" with a month-long tribute to the arts this October. The 120-room Nui features lavish, thatched-roof villa bungalows up to 1,500 square feet and a picture-perfect hillside setting perched above a sacred cove.

The trailblazing Nui has announced a Fifth Anniversary Calendar of Events, with special presentations by local artists along with world-renowned musicians, authors, photographers and entertainers ranging from Academy Award-nominated actress Angela Bassett to iconic writer Erica Jong; from veteran National Geographic photographer, Karen Kasmauski to jazz notables Hubert & Ronnie Laws. Please visit http://www.boraboranui.com/anniversaryevents for the complete event calendar.

Though the Nui's Celebration of the Arts is a first for French Polynesia, the award-winning resort is no stranger to setting benchmarks in the region. Its featured firsts include:

-- Opening as French Polynesia's first all-suite resort. The average size of a bungalow went from 400 to 1,000 square feet, changing the name of the rooms to villa bungalows. -- The first half-mile white sand beach at a resort. -- The first floating lobby & overwater check-in. -- Opening the first full-service spa on Bora Bora. -- The first resort to combine over-the-top luxury with hand-crafted design materials like: carved kahia & coconut wood, roof thatching woven on the island, tapa cloths pounded from the breadfruit tree and chandeliers made from Tahitian black pearl shells. -- The largest infinity pool in French Polynesia -- at 1,000 square feet. -- In 2007 -- The first resort to offer a Third Generation Family Package where grandparents have a complimentary bungalow when two others are booked. -- In 2008 -- The first resort on Bora Bora to offer a two-story, three-bedroom Family Villa Bungalow.

Whether traveling with children or away on a romantic adventure, visitors to the Bora Bora Nui in October will be welcomed by a smorgasbord of cultural and artistic offerings in honor of the resort's Fifth Anniversary. Highlights of the Polynesian and location-inspired offerings include:

-- Fine art exhibits by local Tahitian artists. -- Polynesian Olympic contests such as: boulder tossing, spear throwing, outrigger canoe races, etc. -- Pareo painting, wood carving, a Tahitian quilt exhibit and award-winning Tahitian dance troupe presentations. -- Traditional Tahitian tattoo parlor offering permanent and non-permanent Polynesian tattoos. -- Island-themed movie screenings on the beach & under the stars, including South Pacific, Castaway and Mutiny on the Bounty. -- Special menu presentations by Chef Stephane LeGrand. -- Opening and Closing night galas.

In honor of the resort's Fifth Anniversary, travel agents can offer guests the Fifth Night Free with Daily Breakfast through 2007. For more information contact your preferred travel professional, call 800-782-9488, or visit us on the Web at http://www.starwoodtahiti.com/.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 890 properties in more than 100 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood(R) Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis(R), The Luxury Collection(R), W(R), Westin(R), Le Meridien(R), Sheraton(R), Four Points(R) by Sheraton, Aloft(SM), and Element(SM). Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit http://www.starwoodhotels.com/.

CONTACT: Kim Marshall of The Marshall Plan, +1-310-452-1234,
kim@themarshallplan.com, for Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa

Web site: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/
http://www.starwoodtahiti.com/
http://www.boraboranui.com/anniversaryevents