Ara Tapu, Akaoa, Arorangi, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
#26 of 123 hotels in Rarotonga
Guests' ChoiceBased on 61 hotel reviews
9.4Cleanliness
9.6
Comfort
9.3
Location
9.7
Facilities
9.4
Staff
9.7
Value for money
9.5
Free WiFi
10.0
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Showing 1 – 25
Reviewed: 25 June 2024
Mikayla
New ZealandNothing
Right on the beach, had nice privacy, handy washing machine facilities
Stayed in June 2024
Reviewed: 22 June 2024
Roberto
New ZealandI liked everything!
The location!! Close to restaurants and right on the beach
Stayed in June 2024
Reviewed: 18 June 2024
Andrea
New ZealandHard to find late at night. A sign would of been good.
Sunset side of the island. Beach front access. Everything we needed for our stay. The host was great, very helpful
Stayed in June 2024
Reviewed: 17 June 2024
Mike
New ZealandThe noisy fridge and couple of cockroches.
The privacy and location.
Stayed in June 2024
Reviewed: 11 June 2024
Nathan
United StatesThis villa was a perfect spot to enjoy the beauty of Rarotonga. We never got our amazing sunset due to it being overcast, but I know they must be magical. This is a quiet beach house, but still only a short drive to town if you need more nightlife. The host is very accommodating and the villa is spotless. We will be back.
Stayed in May 2024
Reviewed: 8 June 2024
Patricia
New ZealandNothing, this place suited me very well.
The peace and quiet. Closeness to the shore. Only one other couple were on the property.
Stayed in June 2024
Reviewed: 26 May 2024
Charles
AustraliaWe couldn't open our windows, since there were no mosquito screens. It got a little hot in the space.
The location was fantastic with a garden full of palm trees and 20m from the beach front. The sunsets were beautiful.
Stayed in May 2024
Reviewed: 14 May 2024
Mandy
AustraliaThere are many local dogs around who look scary but they’re only nasty to each other - walking in the afternoon can be interesting however the dogs ignore you if you show no interest and they ignore you completely if you’re on a bicycle. Getting fresh fruit and vegetables is a challenge on Rarotonga and the local shops stock what is available. Roosters can be noisy 24/7 on Rarotonga but we slept with the doors and windows closed and the fans on and were very comfortable and not disturbed by the roosters or mosquitoes.
Idyllic setting with the lovely outlook of the beach from the front balcony, and the mountains from the back balcony, so there is a perfect choice of where to sit. Both balconies are covered so they’re lovely to sit on even if it rains. We stayed for a week and it was helpful to have the washing machine with the clothesline under cover so things can dry no matter the weather. We cycled to the local supermarkets and Aroa beach where the snorkelling is fantastic and safe with masses of fish and sea life, and we even saw a turtle there. The local fish and chips shop is fantastic, the best we’ve been to and reasonably priced.
Stayed in May 2024
Reviewed: 6 May 2024
Penny
New ZealandNothing
Location, walk through garden straight onto the beach Clean, great accommodation
Stayed in May 2024
Reviewed: 28 April 2024
Janelle
AustraliaThe location was amazing, the view from the sun lounges just perfect. we hired bikes from the crystal shop across the road and explore right down the coast.
Stayed in April 2024
Reviewed: 23 April 2024
Marian
Australiathe sand flies My husband was fine but they liked me
Stayed in April 2024
Reviewed: 17 April 2024
Tracy
New ZealandLuckily we had lovely neighbours in the adjourning unit. If they weren't user friendly it could create issues being so close but luckily they were great.... So really no complaints at all.
Great location. Comfortable. Host was very easy to contact and was lovely. Attended very quickly to requests/questions. Close to the sea with a good deck as well as private backyard with washing machine. We had brought our own snorkels and masks but there were actually some we could have used at the property which is great. New BBQ arrived while we were there. Unit was clean and tidy so thank you.
Stayed in April 2024
Reviewed: 6 April 2024
Andrew
United KingdomNothing
An amazing beach side retreat ideal for us as a couple. We came to Rarotonga to celebrate my wife’s birthday and could never have dreamed of such an idyllic setting. The property has everything you need for an amazing break. The owners communication is wonderful and they were in hand at all times to assist if needed but without intrusion.
Stayed in April 2024
Reviewed: 22 March 2024
Marilyn
New ZealandA hairdryer would have been very useful
beachfront location, privacy, lots of amenities, proximity to restaurants, good snorkelling off beach, friendly neighbours
Stayed in March 2024
Reviewed: 15 March 2024
Cara
New ZealandMaybe investing in an air-conditioner, it was very hot at night with the fans. It took us awhile to initially find the property. Maybe a sign on the side of the hedge.
The property was beautiful, clean and tidy. Oceanview, sitting on the deck. Everything we needed in it. Very short walk to the castaway restaurant for dinner.
Stayed in February 2024
Reviewed: 7 March 2024
Holger
GermanyMosquitos, a lot of insect bites, some mosquito shields in the windows and doors really would have helped
Great location, at the beach, very friendly and helpful host Additional shower in the garden, ice cream parlour very nearby
Stayed in March 2024
Reviewed: 17 February 2024
Catalina
New ZealandPerfect location and a private beach right outside the door. Coconuts and sunsets everyday!
Stayed in February 2024
Reviewed: 3 February 2024
Zhou
New ZealandMy wife actually saw a used cotton bud on the bed when we got there. I took care of it but it did give her a less than perfect impression. My biggest regret was not talking to Diana more because I was under a lot of pressure to work out what to do in Rarotonga to make the most of it and to keep my wife entertained, but I probably should have just said hi to Diana and asked her to show us around and everything would have been far more exciting for my wife. She was somewhat frustrated about waiting for the bus to show up. The trip was good for developing my very limited leadership skills, so I didn't mind it one bit. But my wife expressed dissatisfaction with how much we got done in a day. I guess most couples want their honeymoon to be enjoyable, but I just see our honeymoon as a learning opportunity where lots of the things which can go wrong did go wrong, but we learnt how to keep going and our smile might have paused and frozen in a moment of concern, but kept going right from where it left off!
The host was wonderful. Diana really made the stay exceptional. She went above and beyond, even sending her daughter to pick us up from the place the confused bus driver dropped us off: about 25 minutes walk from the place. I think the bus driver doesn't know Shoreline Escape, Rarotonga yet, because the closest sign is Moana Sunset, and we started to use that as a proxy for our getting off place. We're also right next door to the ice-cream shop, which can also be used as a proxy/landmark. Thankfully, Diana said she's going to put up a sign, and I think it'll help a lot! Diana was SO forgiving too! I was really clumsy and in attempting to switch off the light in the darkness of the night, I accidentally knocked her bedside lamp over and shattered the ceramic. I swept it up and threw it away and confessed the accident to Diana the very next day. But she kindly refused to charge us a single cent for the damages. She really, really wanted us to have a pleasant stay, have nothing to worry about, and just enjoy ourselves. My wife also learnt that bad things happen when she tries to microwave food in plastic bowls. I confessed that damage to Diana also before we left, and she didn't even consider it worth mentioning. My wife also tried to do a very difficult thing: to cook rice 🍚 without a rice cooker. In her first attempt, the rice 🍚 got burnt, and it actually damaged the pot with a layer of carbon on the bottom I tried to remove by soaking it in dishwasher liquid filled hot water, but alas, it was to no avail. I also confessed that to Diana before we left, but it was like water off a duck 🦆's back to her. I'm very impressed by the deep Christian values infused into her flesh and bones that she expresses unconsciously. And the guests she invites to live on the other side were also very wonderful.
Stayed in February 2024
Reviewed: 17 December 2023
Steph
New ZealandSome of the furniture was a bit dodgy
The beach! The place had everything we needed, clean and a great location
Stayed in December 2023
Reviewed: 14 December 2023
Cameron
New ZealandBeautiful location, super spacious and comfortable unit with everything you need.
Stayed in December 2023
Reviewed: 30 November 2023
Kristal
New ZealandEverything was perfect - location was amazing, very private and on a beautiful beach.
Stayed in November 2023
Reviewed: 9 September 2023
Peter
Australiait was very good we liked everything
absolutely beautiful location. The house was very clean and tidy and had everything you needed. Diana was lovely to deal with and very helpful. I will definitely be wanting to return. Would highly recommend this place loved it. Thanks Dianna.
Stayed in September 2023
Reviewed: 8 September 2023
Birte
GermanyThere’s absolutely nothing to complain about
This place is and absolute dream and the host is awesome. The pictures don’t do it justice.
Stayed in July 2023
Reviewed: 8 September 2023
Jon
New ZealandExactly what we wanted,,it was great
Stayed in September 2023
Showing 1 – 25
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