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The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa – reviews, photos

4.0 of 5
Aroa Beach, Aroa Beach, Cook Islands
Hotel amenities
The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa
The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa
The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa
The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa
The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa
The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa
Ranked #2 of 2 hotels in Aroa Beach
3.5 of 5 stars 354 Reviews
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354 reviews from our community

What travellers say about this hotel
  • Kid Club(15)
  • Activities hut(13)
  • Great Place(7)
  • Island time(7)
  • Tropical breakfast(5)
  • Single bed(5)
  • Good value(5)
  • White sand(5)
  • Staff were friendly(4)
  • Marine reserve(4)
Traveller rating
    106
    115
    51
    37
    45
Only show reviews for Family (147) | Couples (140) | Business (4)
Date Rating
London, United Kingdom
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
“Terrible service for a hefty price!”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 February 2012 via mobile
7
people found this review helpful

The room was dark and damp and not particularly inviting (we were in rm 500ish)

No towels were provided and was a delay getting these. The food in the restaurant was bland not a lot of taste.
Their cash machine on site charges you extra to use (none of the other resorts I stayed at do this I.e edge water) also if you pay by credit card they add a surcharge why is this when other resorts do not?

Never seem to be any staff on the front desk took like 20mins to checkout only to find they forgot to order our taxi for the airport which we had ordered earlier. No apology, nothing we couldn't wait to leave.

It's a shame as it is set on one of the most beautiful beaches on the island.

  • Stayed January 2012
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask uk_dazz about The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Melissa Gosselin, Director of Sales at The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa, responded to this review
26 February 2012
Kia Orana “uk_dazz”

Thank you for your feedback in regards to your recent stay with us at The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa.

We have a comprehensive maintenance and renovations schedule currently underway at our resorts. We also have further upgrades scheduled for our guest rooms and public areas.

Complimentary beach towels are provided to our in-house guests through the Activities Hut open daily between 8.30am and 6pm.

The ANZ ATM located in our lobby is maintained by the ANZ Bank staff, we would recommend you contact the ANZ Bank directly for clarification on the fees applied to transactions made during your stay.

A 4% Credit Card Service Fee applies to all credit card transactions at our Resorts as is common practice throughout the world however, guests are able to choose to pay either by cash or credit card when settling charges.

Thank you once again for your feedback.

Kia Manuia & Kind Regards
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Auckland Central, New Zealand
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Friendly environment, great property”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 February 2012
4
people found this review helpful

Staff are very friendly and helpful thoughout our stay.
I recommend doing the orientation on the first day you are there as they suggest are we felt a little lost the first few hours we were there. Anything you want to do, the staff went out of their way to help.
Stayed in a beachfront room which i recommend as it is close to the beach and all the facilities whereas the garden suites seem too far set back.
Went in their low season so a lot of the scheduled activities were cancelled due to not having enough numbers joining in but thats not the resorts fault, although it was a little dissapointing as they plan some intersting things.

Room Tip: 'Beachside' rooms are very close to beach, 'beachside dexlue' are at the end of the...
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  • Stayed February 2012, travelled with friends
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask Chr1ssy_w about The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Melissa Gosselin, Director of Sales at The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa, responded to this review
26 February 2012
Kia Orana “Chr1ssy_w”

Thank you for your feedback in regards to your recent stay with us at The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa.

We appreciate your kind comments regarding the service our staff provided during your stay.

We certainly agree that it is highly recommended that guests participate in the daily orientation tour offered by our Activities staff at the beginning of their stay to enjoy that you are able to get the best out of your holiday experience with us. In this orientation tour, guests can learn about the facilities, services and products offered by our resorts. Guests can also discover valuable information from our Activities staff who have a wealth of knowledge on the best places to visit, shop or activities to join in on while in the Cook Islands.

Our Beachfront Rooms are definitely a popular accommodation option for guests seeking close proximity and access to the beach. Not only are these Beachfront Rooms only a few steps from the stunning Aroa Lagoon Marine Reserve, but these (and our Garden Rooms) are all available as interconnecting, making them perfect options for families.

We do apologise that due to minimum numbers not being met, some activities were not available during your stay.

Thank you once again for your feedback, we hope to be able to welcome you back to our resorts in the near future. Please do contact us for your special return guest package.

Kia Manuia & Kind Regards
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Nowra, Australia
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“relaxing & clean”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 February 2012
1
person found this review helpful

We had a great time at the resort, the kids were in the pool all afternoon. We joined them between cocktails and yummy meals. Most of the staff were very friendly and helpful. There were some renovations happening, but thankfully this didn't seem to be bothering anyone. The meals from the restaurants are all delicious, the varitey at breakfast is fine. Our kids loved the kids club, we didn't love the lady working in there, but the children were looked after and safe. There is a budget hire car shop right across the road, very handy! The buildings are a little run down but clean and fresh. I just wish they swept or hosed the pool area each morning. We'll be back for sure!

Room Tip: We have 3 children so chose a connecting room, it was right on the beach. The 2 bathrooms was very h...
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  • Stayed January 2012, travelled with family
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask NatalieHarrison about The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Melissa Gosselin, Director of Sales at The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa, responded to this review
14 February 2012
Kia Orana “NatalieHarrison”

Thank you for your TripAdvisor review in regards to your recent stay with us at The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa.

We are so pleased that you and your family enjoyed the excellent facilities and services we have to offer at The Rarotongan including Moko’s Kids Club for 4-11yr olds. At Moko’s Kids Club children are able to participate in a number of interactive and fun activities such as Coconut Painting, Dancing Lessons, Ei Making, Cook Islands Maori Language lessons and much, much more.

All our Kids Club staff are mothers themselves and are very popular with our little guests and their parents. If you are able to provide more details about your concerns with a particular staff member we will definitely address these with them. Our duty managers who are on duty from 7am to midnight each day would have addressed any concerns immediately.

We are also happy to hear that you enjoyed the daily tropical breakfast buffets available at our TE VAKA Restaurant directly overlooking the spectacular Aroa Lagoon and Marine Reserve :) It is a popular location for daily fish feeding, snorkeling, kayaking as well as viewing the stunning sunsets.

We have also addressed your concerns with the pool side being swept and hosed down daily and hope to be able to welcome you and your family back to The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa for your return visit in the near future.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for your special return guest package offer :)

Kia Manuia & Kind Regards
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Rotorua, New Zealand
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
“Great stay”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 31 January 2012
4
people found this review helpful

We would recommend the resort but if its adults only, the Sanctury is even better. The Sanctury was fabulous.The Activities hut and staff arranging these really made the stay special. It was worth being involved in some of the great range of activities on offer. The only one I would not recommend was the night snorkelling, however the snorkelling available during the day was really good and the equipment available from the activities shed was easy to access and there was plenty of it.
The staff, accommodation, swimming pools, beach and facilities were of a good to excellent standard. The restaurants at the resort were OK but there is better to be had for the evening meals off-site.
We will all choose this resort again on our next trip to Rarotonga.

Room Tip: Beach front rooms are worth the view however the noise of the waves could keep some people awake if...
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  • Stayed January 2012, travelled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask birchwoodfarm about The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Melissa Gosselin, Director of Sales at The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa, responded to this review
14 February 2012
Kia Orana “birchwoodfarm”

Thank you for your TripAdvisor review in regards to your recent stay with us at The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa.

For adults 16yrs and over, we would most certainly recommend our adult’s only boutique resort, Sanctuary Rarotonga-on the beach, located directly adjacent to The Rarotongan. The Sanctuary Rarotonga offers guests a tranquil and relaxing holiday experience with all the facilities and services available to guests at The Rarotongan as well:)

We are pleased to read that you enjoyed the comprehensive (and complimentary) daily changing Activities Program and equipment available to our in-house guests and the team of friendly staff located at the hut. And with our resorts located directly on the Aroa Marine Reserve, the snorkelling available almost at the doorstep of your room is stunning.
Night snorkeling is one of our most popular activities as the fish at night is a totally different group of fish from the “day shift” making for a unique experience.

Our A La Carte menus in our three restaurants currently offer almost 100 different meal selections and are competitively priced with other restaurants in the Cook Islands and the South Pacific. We also regularly review our menus to ensure our guests have a great variety of dishes to select from to suit their needs.

Finally, we are excited to hear that you are definitely looking at returning to stay with us at The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa – do not hesitate to contact us for your special return guest offer.

Kia Manuia & Kind Regards
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Perth
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“Family friendly”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 31 January 2012
5
people found this review helpful

Our garden room had a leaking a/c unit, so was moved to another, near the office. Staff were very courteous and friendly and activities are offered every day. We were fortunate to have paid only a fraction of the price for our accommodation, so were very pleased with the resort. It is a bit "tired" but once you settle into "island mode" those things don't really bother you. Special mention to Sarah at the activities hut and the young guy who sings and entertains you in the evenings! Also, one lovely lady at reception, Rita??? They made an extra effort to greet us and make our stay even more memorable.
We hired scooters (so great not having to drive in a car everywhere) Muri Lagoon and the guys at Koka Lagoon Cruises and Te Vara Nui Culture Show were highlights. Had amazing Ika Mata (raw fish) at Kai Moana (Punganui Markets area) and the pawpaw salad at Koka's Cruises and Te Vara Nui was delicious! Miss the fresh fruits and temperate weather. Lord willing, we will be back sooner, rather than later!!!

  • Stayed January 2012, travelled with friends
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask flossy2you about The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Melissa Gosselin, Director of Sales at The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa, responded to this review
14 February 2012
Kia Orana “flossy2you”

Thank you for your TripAdvisor review in regards to your recent stay with us at The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa.

We are pleased to read that you enjoyed the wonderful service provided by our Activities and Front Desk staff – we have passed your comments on and they are absolutely delighted that they were able to help you enjoy your stay in Rarotonga and at The Rarotongan.

We are also happy that your air conditioning problem was able to be resolved quickly and efficiently by our staff to allow you to continue with enjoying your holiday  For the air conditioning to work effectively all windows and doors need to be closed otherwise the unit will condensate i.e. leak.
We have an ongoing, comprehensive maintenance schedule as well as a program of upgrades to our guest rooms and public areas.

The Cook Islands do a have a wide variety of tours and activities that appeal to all age groups and we are pleased that you were able to sample many of these activities during your stay. For our in-house guests, our Best of the Islands Tour Desk is able to organize a large number of activities and tours to keep guests occupied from fishing safari’s to cultural village tours and 4WD Safari Tours.

Thank you once again for your review and we hope to be able to welcome you back to The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa in the very near future.

Kia Manuia & Kind Regards
Report response as inappropriate
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Additional Information about The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa

  • The Rarotongan Beach Hotel
  • Rarotongan Beach Resort
  • Rarotongan
  • Rarotongan Beach Resort Spa
  • The Rarotongan
  • Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa
Address: Aroa Beach, Aroa Beach, Cook Islands
Price range (per night):* INR9,242 - 28,453

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