Since 1979, the Bloody Mary's name has been woven into the everyday life of Bora Bora – a vibrant hub where dreams emerged, conversations sparked imagination, and people from all walks of life came together naturally.
No dress code. No pretense.
Just long tables, shared meals, music and good laughs.
What mattered at Bloody Mary's Bora Bora wasn't where you came from – only that you were there.
Bloody Mary's began the way many island legends do – with a bold idea and someone adventurous enough to try it.
In the late 1970s, a flamboyant and charismatic Polish nobleman known locally as Baron George von Dangel arrived in Bora Bora carrying stories of a life that had taken him around the world – from aviation to cinema sets, from Australia to Tahiti.
Drawn by the island's beauty and spirit, he built a rustic restaurant from local materials – bamboo, coconut wood, pandanus thatch – and opened its doors in 1979.
And so Bloody Mary's was born.
The concept was simple: fresh fish, cooked over coral stone grills, served in a place where travelers, artists, and locals could sit together at the same tables.
Stories flowed as easily as the drinks.
And for those who found themselves wanting to stay longer, a few simple lagoon-side bungalows soon appeared nearby – an early sign that Bloody Mary's was always meant to be more than a place to eat.
Word traveled quickly, and before long Bloody Mary's had become part of Bora Bora's rhythm – growing alongside the island's only luxury address at the time, Hotel Bora Bora.
Hotel Bora Bora attracted well-known guests seeking privacy. But in the evening, many chose to step beyond the hotel…
For a change of scene.
For a more relaxed setting.
And to be closer to the island and its people.
Flashlights in hand, they would walk to Bloody Mary's Restaurant.
That's how the legend began.
Like many bold ventures, the early success came with challenges.
When Baron George's early venture ran into financial trouble, the future of Bloody Mary's seemed uncertain.
That is when Dexter Hewett, a Los Angeles entrepreneur who had fallen in love with Bora Bora, stepped in.
Dexter recognized something rare in Bloody Mary's – a place with a soul worth protecting.
In 1985, he took the helm. Under his leadership, Bloody Mary's Restaurant grew into one of the most recognizable gathering places in Bora Bora.
Travelers arriving in Bora Bora were told there was one place they had to visit: a restaurant where the floor was sand, chairs were tree trunks, and lantern light flickered under a thatched roof.
Word traveled far beyond Bora Bora's reef.
Celebrities, sailors, movie crews, and musicians all found their way there. Names like Jimmy Buffett, Motley Crue, Chicago, Julio Iglesias, Marlon Brando, Quincy Jones, Pierce Brosnan, Harrison Ford, Jane Fonda were among the many who walked across that sandy floor.
Over the years, Bloody Mary's Bora Bora continued to evolve with the island.
A dock extended over the lagoon, welcoming visiting yachts and expanding the restaurant's connection to the water.
The team grew, the reputation spread, and Bloody Mary's became the unmissable meeting point – social, unpretentious, deeply woven into the cultural life of Bora Bora.
Generations of staff, artists, and travelers left their mark on the place.
What began as a small, rustic restaurant became a landmark of island hospitality.
That spirit never left.
Bloody Mary's Hotel is not a random new project.
It is the continuation of a story rooted in Bora Bora and built over decades of connection with the island and its people.
Under local ownership carefully chosen by Dexter Hewett for their shared values and vision, the hotel carries the Bloody Mary's spirit forward while remaining true to its origins.
Openness, warmth, and a genuine sense of belonging now take shape in a new form – one that extends the experience beyond a single evening.
The same lagoon.
The same view of iconic Mount Otemanu.
The same restaurant.
The same easy spirit of hospitality, now extended through the Bloody Mary's Hotel.
A new chapter built on a simple idea:
That luxury isn't about distance or display, but about genuine connection, the rhythm of the island, and the freedom to simply be.
Bloody Mary's has been defined by the people who brought it to life, and the generations of travelers who shared its stories across oceans.
And like the lagoon beside it, the story keeps moving forward.
Bloody Mary's Hotel opens in Summer 2026, carrying a legacy forward while leaving room for what comes next – shared moments, familiar faces, those discovering Bloody Mary's Bora Bora for the first time…
And the endless possibilities for dreams and new stories to unfold amidst the tides and winds of Bora Bora.
