The Gorgeous Resort Where Couples Retreat Was Filmed
The 2009 romantic comedy "Couples Retreat" wasn't a critical success when it first opened in cinemas — it has an abysmal 10% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes — but it proved to be a juggernaut at the box office grossing over $170 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Since its release, the romantic comedy has found a home on streaming services and cable, and while it's not the greatest comedy you'll ever lay eyes on, it's a perfectly enjoyable watch to escape to island life for a while.
Written by co-stars Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, as well as romantic comedy legend Dana Fox, "Couples Retreat" is a pretty apt title for a movie about, well, couples going on a retreat. The film starts with Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell's characters announcing to their three couple friends that their marriage is at risk of ending and in the hopes of salvaging it, they are going to a couples therapy retreat at Eden Resort. If they can wrangle their friends to come along, each couple receives a hefty discount with the group rate. The breathtaking resort proves to be a dream come true — until the other couples realize they must participate in mandatory couples therapy as well every morning.
While Eden Resort and its unorthodox methods are fiction, the resort seen in the romantic comedy is very much real and features all the amazing amenities seen in the "Couple Retreat" — minus the couples therapy.
Check into the real Eden in Bora Bora
The Eden Resort wasn't filmed on a soundstage or conjured up using VFX, meaning you can visit it in real life. The resort used in "Couples Retreat" is actually the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort in French Polynesia. The Marriott-owned resort boasts the same gorgeous views and accommodations as seen in the film.
Despite not featuring the film's key therapeutic plot device, the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort does feature plenty of amenities and activities from the film, like couples massages at the Iridium Spa and a relaxing lagoon filled with aquatic creatures that guests can interact with.
The Bora Bora resort also has fully decked-out, luxurious villas, as seen in the film. There are a variety of overnight options to choose from, making the resort perfect for couples, large families, and even solo travelers. In the film, the resort is divided into "Eden West" and "Eden East", with our four couples heading to the former as "Eden East" is only for singles. The real-life resort in Bora Bora is open to all.
While the resort is on the pricier side of things, it's a must-visit for fans of the Vince Vaughn film and those looking to splurge on the ultimate island vacation.