The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Lagoonarium

Cook Islands , Rarotonga
RAROTONGA, Aroa Beach & Lagoon Marine Reserve , PO Box 103, 1
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100 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

12 Mar 2026

Margot

What a wonderful resort. The Rarotongan resort has so much to offer, I suggest everyone comes to experience it for themselves. 10 stars

Friends

6/10

Pleasant

06 Mar 2026

raymond

Guests should be made aware that the resort is totally cashless including payment on departure. The menu is not always what you think it will be. All staff are very friendly and co-operative. Not a lot of coral in the lagoon, probably due to snorkelers standing on it. You definitely need transport either by bus or hire vehicles as there isn't any restaurants nearby. It may not be for everyone, but we still enjoyed our stay.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

04 Mar 2026

Katrina Jakoba

Wifi unreliable. Tv channels advertised not available. Bar staff service lacking.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Mar 2026

Marianne

The property is nice & very family friendly. The real treat is the snorkeling in front of the property. It’s incredible. You can just walk out of your room, jump in the water and swim with turtles.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

02 Mar 2026

Geronimo

Great location, and nice staff. This place is located in a prime location and recommend you get a beach front room. Breakfast was excellent, but lunch and dinner fair to average,. We ate other places near hotel. They provide good Wifi, and room safe. Great place for family with kids, and the ocean is protected by a coral reef which prevents shark, and other bad stuff from eating or hurting you. We recommend you consider renting a car for 1-3 days, which rental place is located across hotel. The hotel was renovated in 2015 but has that charm. Feels like Hawaii 50 years ago there. The property is cash free and does not take cash. Only credit cards or you can charge to your room. Activities are many. Highly recommended. My only negative is food which I discussed with the hotel. If you have a big family may consider getting Beach Front suite rooms, which are nice and more room. Also, note you will need air conditioning which was great there. Enjoy your trip.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

28 Feb 2026

John

Staff was very nice but the location is the star. Wonderful snorkeling right off the beach along three tracks in the reef. Spectacular!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2026

Staci

Yes

Business_and_leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2026

Consuelo

We just came back from paradise. We spent 10 days at the Rarotongan and we enjoyed every single minute. The rooms are a bit dated, however they have all the comforts that people require on holiday. Staff friendly and always made us feel welcomed. What can I say about the location? Best location! We enjoyed every single activity and minute at the beach. Thank you so much for making our holiday so special 💕. We will see you again 😊

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Feb 2026

Thuy Trang

Beach front location with great snorkeling and great buffet breakfast. Need more people to support water activities like the Vaka where you have to pull it back up from the beach. Also if providing Vaka lessons, I would recommend having an experience person on board when taking it out first time.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jan 2026

Philip

The staff are friendly, rooms are tidy and a fit for purpose, we fit a family of four into a room, kids 11 and 9 on bunk beds, bit of coordination too

8/10

Excellent

28 Jan 2026

KIM-ANH

courteous staff

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jan 2026

Krista

Phenomenal staff phenomenal resort!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jan 2026

Rimal Rajvi

The housekeeping staff at Tema provided excellent service. Great work is done every day. The food was excellent. I can’t complain.”

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

18 Jan 2026

Nicolai

Very small room, and could not walk between bed and wall to get to wardrobe unless you crab walk, probably just 40 cm gap.
Not the cleanest. Lower than average ceiling so felt smaller. But great snorkeling outside.

Restaurant is convenient and OK food but we didn't find it too exciting.
Has a pool.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jan 2026

Per

Great getaway in paradise

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jan 2026

Shelley

Only disappointment was the rubbish, on the beach and area around the pool. Not the staff’s fault but rubbish bins need to be dotted around the place. It’s such a beautiful island only to wasted by others rubbish. No good for the marine life. Other than that awesome place

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

29 Dec 2025

Aleksandr

Stuff was pretty unfriendly

8/10

Excellent

16 Dec 2025

Susan Elliot

Lovely staff, great location and amazing snorkeling

6/10

Pleasant

10 Dec 2025

Georgina

The cleaners were fantastic but some of the resort staff were abit unhelpful. The breakfast was amazing, and the bar was great the staff there were very good.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Dec 2025

Tania

We stayed here to celebrate my Dad's 70th birthday. Our second time staying at The Rarotongan Beach Resort and Lagoonarium.
Absolutely impressed with the full buffet breakfast, this is a complete upgrade from when we last stayed.
The staff from front desk, the bar, dining and service staff were so accommodating and friendly. We honestly didn't want to leave.
The free wifi was also a bonus.
The location is just spectacular and my family thought so too! Hopefully the rooms will be updated and modernised (not that we spent much time in the rooms) as we spent most of our time at the beach.
Thanks to all the friendly staff who made our trip worthwhile, we have some fantastic memories to hold on to, can't wait to stay again :)

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

30 Nov 2025

Fay

Staff so friendly and helpful in particular Sue who was housekeeping our room. She was absolutely wonderful and very helpful

10/10

Exceptional

27 Nov 2025

Johan Reece

Staff were friendly and the breakfast was really good

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

27 Nov 2025

Marama

Staff are amazing, property and service high quality.
Meitaki

6/10

Pleasant

22 Nov 2025

Kahutoi

The variety of food was great, but the toasters at times didn’t work. Service was very friendly. Great that they are eco friendly and you get rewarded for this from missing a day of changing bed linen and towels.
Unfortunately my fridge leaked the first night and slipped, avoiding a possible injury. The fridge was fixed the next day. Wifi access great.

Self

2/10

Poor

21 Nov 2025

Paul

Breakfast was not good greasy food looked like is was left over from dinner
How hard is it to make a omlette thats eatable

Partner

4/10

Poor

21 Nov 2025

Carol

Paid for accommodation from 3pm before day of arrival. Arrived on Jetstar 7am flight and had arranged own transport to hotel to find room not ready on arrival as we were unexpected and very fast transfer from airport. The room was clearly being cleaned from a guest just departed that morning even though it should have been ready for us from the previous day. It seems like they double sell rooms based on flight times.
More concerningly I was charged twice on credit card for room booking and 2 weeks later still waiting for refund of 2nd charge. About to commence proceedings with my bank given the extraordinary amount of time to process refund of overcharge. I had to tell them this happened and wonder if I’d not noticed would they have admitted the double charge.
These are just two of the many, many reasons I won’t stay here again.
There are so many great options for accommodations on Raro - this one is not recommended.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Nov 2025

Jessica

Food was amazing, staff are wonderfull. The property needs some maintenance but staff where working away on it. It was clean and everything you need is there.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Nov 2025

Danny

The resort as a whole is fantastic! Staff were all great! Very friendly and helpful. The room was very nice and clean. Lots to do and lots not to do!!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Nov 2025

SEAN

Hotel and staff were amazing especially our wonderful waiter Norman. Would definitely stay here again. Snorkelling just off the beach was awesome.

8/10

Excellent

10 Nov 2025

Chloe

Room was spotless, very friendly staff, love the facilities. Breakfast was incredible every morning.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

07 Nov 2025

Bevan

Room was excellent, beach facing with good views.
We had good entertainment while at the resort and a buffet meal while attending the island drum show.
Staff are friendly and helpful.
Breakfasts were excellent, good buffet style and you can get good cooked omelettes from the chef’s.
Downside is the food from the grill bar during day and evenings is average.
I will be back to the Rarotongan Resort

10/10

Exceptional

29 Oct 2025

Elisha

Staff were great facilities and ameneties good
Would return

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

28 Oct 2025

Gene Clifford

3rd time here. Always a pleasure. We spent a bit more this time and went with a premium beach front which wasn’t worth it, our friends went beach view at $800 cheaper and had better views. Rooms are becoming dated now. The food was amazing, snorkelling is one of the best on the island, cocktails and drinks are cheap and boozy. Beach hut and daily events a plenty. Had a great time!!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Oct 2025

Mark Andrew

Amazing food, rooms, entertainment and snorkelling

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

28 Oct 2025

Kevin Colin

First time here. Amazing place, great food, beach hut and amenities are free. Beach and lagoon is awesome. Each night had an event. Lots of things to do during the day at the resort. Now the reason why I dropped a star. Rooms are a little dated but that’s the same as any resort in Tonga and Samoa as well. The bread toasters were regularly tripping the breakers and need repair or replacement. One coffee machine was down causing big lines. Garden room best value for money.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

28 Oct 2025

Bradley

Beautiful reef and comfortable room

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

10 Oct 2025

Rose

Family friendly. Amazing lagoon filled with so much sea life. Staff were absolutely phenomenal. Rooms are a little outdated and small, but we were only in them to sleep.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Sep 2025

Philip

Stunning location.
Friendly staff.

8/10

Excellent

27 Sep 2025

Mark

The snorkeling was incredible and there are all the facilities that you need as a family, although some facilities are for 18+ only. The rooms are a little dated.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

26 Sep 2025

Suzanne

Easy family holiday
Good facilities and easy to catch the bus to exllore the island

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

23 Sep 2025

Timothy Samuel

Great holiday for couples or with the whole family.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Sep 2025

Gavin

The lagoon is stunning. The resort could do with a makeover. Rooms very tired.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Sep 2025

Kerry

Great snorkeling on the resort beach, probably the best on the island. Nice relaxed atmosphere , lovely staff. Handy having an outdoor shower in our room to wash off the sand and snorkeling gear. Our favourite place to stay

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

30 Aug 2025

John

Dated and over priced would not recommend staying here at all.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 Aug 2025

Peter

Staff were very helpful as I have mobility problems. The outlook over the lagoon from Captain Andy's was excellent as was the regular entertainment.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Aug 2025

Mary

The staff.

Meli, Sava, Daphne, Tutai, Nga, just the names I remember. The Kids Club staff.
ALL THE FRONT OFFICE, RESTAURANT/BAR STAFF, KIDS HUT!!!!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It was a stay to remember - kids loved the pool and everything about the swimming pool.

Snorkeling, Paddle boarding, Kayaks... The games around the hotel 5stars!!!!

The food, breakfast choices ❤️

A trip to always remember!!

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

12 Aug 2025

Brenda Rochele

Customer service was not good. Staff were unapproachable.

8/10

Excellent

09 Aug 2025

Danielle Varie

Worth it for the amazing snorkeling. Super friendly staff. Not flashy but has everything you need.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

09 Aug 2025

Muna

Good room service.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Aug 2025

Terry Raymond

Most staff were friendly and courteous. With others it was obvious that they may have been bored or tired. The “flooding” of our room on the last night was very difficult

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

28 Jul 2025

Philip

3 restaurants but all had the same menu. Overall a bit tired compared to some of the other resorts

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Jul 2025

Kevin

Good for family stay, excellent lagoon area.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jul 2025

Natalie

we loved our 12 night stay. the resort is situated in the best reef in rarotonga and the snorkelling is unbelievable. a resident turtle also resides in the lagoon

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2025

Marilyn

Luxury on the lagoon.

We stayed in the beautiful villa across the road from the main resort. The facilities were exceptional. We very much enjoyed our daily private spa and the privacy provided by staying in the villa.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

13 Jul 2025

Kerri

The Rarotongan was a great family retreat with lots of entertaining activities and attractions. However, we felt compelled to use the facilities due to the small size (which isn't reflected in the images online) of our room and the bugs (cockroaches) that were in our room throughout our stay. It actually made it hard to sleep after seeing the first one. Then we saw them through facilities, in bathrooms and other areas around the resort. The bathrooms and pool area had a lingering sewage smell, and the details about the gym where just as misleading as the room size.
The restaurant was fantastic, staff were incredibly friendly and their attention to detail was amazing! The kayaks and other boards were limited due to other families monopolizing them. The pool was small but fairly safe for children under 5. The Moko Club had great activities for smaller children and the staff management drinks were a great personal touch to making us feel welcome.
The Rarotongan was a good experience for us, however the conditions of the resort are showing signs of wear and tear that don't reflect the cost of the rooms.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

06 Jul 2025

Lisa Leanne

The Rarotongan is gorgeous- beautiful food, beautiful beach and fantastic snorkeling. It is clean with good room servicing, and most staff are great.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jul 2025

Wanda

Everything was right there in the resort beach , snorkeling, restaurant, They had kayaks,paddle boards , snorkeling gear. Lots of activities for all ages. One thing I wish they had was a kitchen area in rooms. Other wise had a amazing time..

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

01 Jul 2025

DAISY Yao

I’ve travelled a lot, and honestly, this place felt way overpriced for what it offers. $650 a night! I understand it’s school holiday season, but we stayed at a resort expecting decent service — and didn’t get it.

Breakfast was pretty poor — by 9am most of the food was already gone, and they barely refilled anything. Our room felt old and not properly cleaned, with sticky furniture surfaces. We stayed for 4 nights and only got proper housekeeping once. One day they made the bed but didn’t change towels, refill soaps, or even clean the mugs. When we asked a staff member directly for supplies, they told us housekeeping only comes once — like we were asking for too much.

Another frustrating part — the TV in the room had a Netflix screen, but we couldn’t connect it to WiFi. We called three times, waited over 5 hours, only to finally be told “it’s not a smart TV.” Super confusing and a waste of time.

Beach towels were “limited” because apparently a group had reserved them — which is just odd for a resort. The only positive part of the stay was one really lovely security guy from Fiji. He was genuinely kind and helpful — and honestly, he’s the reason this place gets 2 stars instead of 1.

Kayaks and paddleboards were free, which helped a little, but overall it just didn’t feel worth it. Definitely won’t be back.

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

24 Jun 2025

Katene

Not the worst place in the world, but for what you pay for it’s pretty bad. Rooms are over priced and old, the staff look like they don’t even want to be there, the food is absolutely horrible. Better off staying

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jun 2025

Edward

Beautiful place great stay. Loved it

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

12 Jun 2025

Olga

The snorkeling was amazing, the nature was beautiful, the staff was nice and helpful, kayaks and snorkeling gear could be rented for free. Really great vacation. . the only thing we didn't like was the breakfast. The chef should learn how to properly prepare eggs and bacon.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

12 Jun 2025

Verified traveler

Dirty, dated, and workers will not lift a finger to help you. Go elsewhere.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

05 Jun 2025

Maureen

Check in was a breeze. The lady allowed us to check in early as our room was ready. Thanking you. You made us enjoy more time of our holiday.
The beach view is amazing.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

26 May 2025

Linda

On arrival at the Rarotongan, we were greeted by an older grumpy lady on reception, no help offered with suitcases or showing us to our rooms - 5 suitcases, backpacks, pushchair and two tired children, we eventually found our rooms, located on the first floor.
Took several days to get maintenance issues resolved.
Dogs on the beach, very annoying, one dog even came up and peed on the sandcastle our grandson had built. And the barking dogs at night waking you up.
Beach towels were tatty,
Where the tiled floor by the restaurant/bar area finished the edges were sharp/broken and a trip hazard.
We again encountered the grumpy older receptionist when we enquired about a late check-out. Her response was, best I can do is 10:30, you can use the guest lounge until your airport transfers arrive\".
Departure day: it was pouring with rain, we went to reception to check-out, no secure luggage room, suitcases just abandoned in reception.
Guest lounge - curtains drawn and almost every sofa had a person sleeping on it.
Games room - Being used for screen printing, lots of wet paint and rollers. Neither room child friendly.
Eventually we find a dry place to wait for 3 hours down by the bar area.
The staff in the bar, restaurant and beach activities were all nice and helpful, reception not so much.
Overall, the resort looks tired and in need of some TLC and probably relies on the fact that it has a good position on the beach, good snorkelling and beautiful sunsets, to attract holiday makers.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

26 May 2025

Richard

Staff was very friendly and helpful. Grounds and beach were fabulous. Breakfast was very good.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 May 2025

Chris

Everything you needed for a memorable holiday

8/10

Excellent

24 May 2025

Sophia

We enjoyed it. Not over crowded with people. A little old but can see they are trying to improve it. Snorkelling was amazing right out the front of the accomodation. Cocktails were delicious. Worst part was the last half an hour of our time there, the transfer bus organised through the Rarotongan resort forgot to get us even though was reconfirmed the day before, so they had to chase them up and it put pressure on us getting to the airport for our flight out.

Leisure Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

15 May 2025

Hasantha

OK but designed for families with kids

The Rarotongan side of the hotel is very much a child-focussed establishment. There is an adult only section on the left side from reception with a small pool. The Beach Deluxe rooms are actually not right at the water (unless you are at that end of the line!) but run inland, but have sand on the backdoor so you can walk to the beach. The rooms are OK but the resort is very run down. Breakfast was greasy fried hot options and packeted pastries, however, they did have soy milk and a large variety. The best thing is reasonable snorkelling right off the beach. I didnt see turtles here (4 on the Muri Lagoon tour) but others saw them regularly, but you need to swim out to the reef side (which I did but unlucky I guess!). Kayaks and standing boards available for free.

Self

8/10

Excellent

09 May 2025

Glen

Definitely skewd towards young families and retired couples.
The resort is very much the same as it was when I first stayed there 20 years ago so perhaps could benefit from a refresh.
Some staff were outstanding and some only good.
Only criticism is the room cleaning staff start very early and as our room was located near the cleaning supply room, we were woken several times very early in the morning (5.30am - 6.00am). The cleaning team were cheerful, so were laughing and such, however the rooms are not very sound proof.
We loved the lagoon and snorkelled there a lot. We even saw 3 different turtles just off the beach right in front of the resort. A magical spot!

8/10

Excellent

06 May 2025

Angela Asha

We had a great room, spacious, comfy bed, big bathroom & lounge area & private outdoor deck.
The lagoon is great for a relaxing vacation. You can sunbathe, snorkel. kayak, swim and hang out with the friendly resort dogs.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

05 May 2025

Timothy

Always enjoy our stay. Kids love it too especially the buffet and swimming gear. Super friendly staff. See you next time!

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

25 Apr 2025

Laura Ellyn

We enjoyed the interconnected rooms as a family of 4. Staff are always friendly and accommodating. Breakfast selection of hot and continental was great. Pool area always clean, amazing beach for swimming and snorkeling

10/10

Exceptional

12 Apr 2025

joyce

Everything was wonderful staff were so friendly and warm. I felt cared for and every need was met. Food was awesome at yhe breakfast. Resort activities wrre great, kids were catered for well. Will definately be going back.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

06 Apr 2025

Ross

Excellent family stay. Brilliant for snorkelling and the staff were all fantastic

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

04 Mar 2025

Kaatje

The Raratongan Resort was amazing! The snorkeling was some of the best anywhere-hundreds of fish (including so many nurseries with babies), lots of coral, many, many eels, and turtles; the beach was beautiful; the staff and activities were terrific; the room was wonderful; and the breakfast buffet was the best I've ever had anywhere! What a paradise!

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

02 Mar 2025

William

Nice resort, a bit dated, friendly staff, good menu. Sister resort is adults only with nice pool area and good restaurant.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Feb 2025

Ron

Spectacular!

8/10

Excellent

14 Feb 2025

ALI

The hotel is nice, the staff are hospitable, and the resort activities, such as kayaking and snorkeling, are really fun. However, there is no hairbrush, toothbrush, or slippers in the room, and you have to buy them, which is inconvenient.

10/10

Exceptional

02 Feb 2025

Shawn

The Rarotonga Beach Resort is the place to be on the island. We enjoyed 8 days at this lovely destination. The staff were like family to us. Definitely we would return to this resort. The resort is older, but the staff were quick to fix anything that came up. The grounds were well kept and the rooms were above expectations. We are sad to leave and hope to be back as soon as possible.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Jan 2025

Alberto

Amazing beach full of amazing corals

Perfect location. The corals are stunning and the ammount of fish all sizes and colours...perfect to relax. However the hotel is outdated...very old.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jan 2025

All the staff were unique, hard working, kind and friendly. The complex seemed to have a shortage of staff but they were my best excellent part of my whole trip.Laundry facilities needs updating and needs more washing machines and dryers as waiting time for a machine was terrible. I will come back to that Resort.

Leisure Friends

4/10

Poor

15 Jan 2025

Rebecca

On arrival no welcome or warm service . No activities keep blaming weather even though they could have organised some indoor activities no music no vibe . Internet so expensive and doesn’t work half the time . Very disappointed imma single mum and saved up all year for this

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

13 Jan 2025

Lara

The beach and lagoon are the best and most important aspect for this place. They are really good and safe, definitely would recommend. The resort has potential, but is tired and not really looked after. It needs a spruce up and in-depth cleaning. Our room was frankly never wiped down in terms of surfaces and bathroom for a 12days stay. Only made the beds, swept and gave fresh towels. The breakfast selection is average at best, there was a hair in one of the juice dispensers that stayed there for the whole duration of our stay!! The pool and toilets are simply dirty. The food at the restaurant is just not good, sorry! The staff is just unbothered and unhelpful, with some exceptions for sure. If it weren't for how good the beach is by the resort, I would have been quite disappointed overall.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jan 2025

Wonsik

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jan 2025

Gert Christoffe

Great stay and exemplary staff!

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

27 Dec 2024

Anna

Don’t stay long enough to see

8/10

Excellent

09 Dec 2024

Careene

Love the Onemaru Villa although it needs a bit of a slight upgrade and collection of rubbish would be nice. Great villa though for large families. Sadly did not enjoy the restaurant meal at all.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

05 Dec 2024

Angie

The resort was welcoming and had a great family vibe to it. Everyone was friendly only negative the wifi is not very good but that's very minor. Every thing else was great!

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

05 Dec 2024

Sara

Beautiful beach and snorkelling

Beautiful beach and snorkelling. Only negative thing is that there is no free wifi considering the cost. And the $20 only lasts 2 days even when only on WhatsApp.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Dec 2024

Emma Louise

Staff are lovely and the apartment we stayed in was just a few steps from the beach

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Nov 2024

Manuel

Beautiful resort to stay, all staff very friendly and helpful. Recommend this resort to all

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

22 Nov 2024

Jordan

We stayed in a beachfront room at the Rarotonga Resort, paying $320–$400 a night. We were excited for a beachfront experience but quickly realised it was more “beach side” (our mistake for not double-checking the wording). The room was quite small, and for the price, we couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Still, we thought, “Let’s see how things unfold,” and tried to make the most of it.

The TV was a big letdown. At first, we thought it didn’t work because Netflix wouldn’t load, and we assumed maybe Wi-Fi was needed. Turns out, Netflix just doesn’t work—and neither did much else on the TV (you need to pay for the Wi-Fi, but it’s only for your phone). It was essentially useless. Adding to that, the bedside light didn’t work for most of our stay (until it randomly turned on during the last night), and the sink plug was loose, meaning things constantly fell down the drain. Small issues, but they added up and made the room feel run-down.

Now for the pros:
•The staff were incredible—friendly, helpful, and easily the highlight of the resort. They made a real effort to make the stay enjoyable, and we’d recommend tipping them for their amazing service.
•There’s plenty to do, and the separate adults-only and family areas are a nice touch.

But the cons:
•The price doesn’t match the quality. We’ve stayed at cheaper places that were better maintained and offered more value.
•The food was average at best. Breakfast felt like something you’d have at a mate’s house—not bad, but

10/10

Exceptional

20 Nov 2024

Jason

Friendly staff great service

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

13 Nov 2024

Sheree

Overall a clean resort, plenty of room in our inter-connected room for our family of 2 adults and 3 children.

Friendly staff. We did have to wait for several hours for our room to be ready, even though we arrived after 3pm.

Would recommend to resort loving families. Good breakfast, great swimming and snorkelling spot on the island.

8/10

Excellent

09 Nov 2024

Robert

The buildings are old but okay and very clean. Gardens and seaview were brilliant. Saw whales nearly every day. Magic.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2024

Robert

Had entertainment for adults n kids

6/10

Pleasant

28 Oct 2024

MATTHEW

Photos can lie

This property is old and VERY tired. I wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for a fancy resort-style holiday. Its location is amazing, but the facilities are very dated and in urgent need of refreshing to be able to claim to be a resort. I would honestly look at other smaller properties for a better experience.

The Staff are generally rude and not interested in their roles.

Don't let the photos fool you, it's not as nice as it looks. But the Beach and swimming are. Glad we only stayed 1 night

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Oct 2024

Helen Louise

A truly fabulous location for families. Incredible staff. We loved our stay at the Rarotongan!

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

12 Oct 2024

Vaughan

Nice place. Good for family.