akitapar
Google
The Rarotongan Beach Resort is a pretty resort with very much of an island vibe. It's located on a gorgeous beach, Aroa Beach, and it's the only large resort on that part of the island. The resort covers a fairly large area and the different room "wings" are spread out and separated by open spaces. I was a little confused by their room designations and booked a "beachside" connecting room for my family. I thought it was going to be partial ocean view. But "beachside" really means no ocean view. It was fine, though. We overlooked a nice sort of sand courtyard. The Rarotongan has a variety of room types to choose from. In particular, they have a series of connecting rooms you can book in multiples. We had two interconnecting rooms for our family of four. You can get up to five (I think) if you have a large group, though. They also have a few small detached villas within the complex, and a house across the street between the parking areas. The house is so well hidden that I didn't even realize it was there for a couple days, even though I parked the car near it. The resort has wifi free throughout, even though their webpage mentions something about a paid plan. The speed might not be what you're used to at home. But the coverage is very good. It works all the way to the edges of the beach, just in case you absolutely need to connect while you're laying out there. (I just checked the signal out of curiosity. I didn't actually use the wifi on the beach.) There's a restaurant on site with a large menu. However, they don't have wait staff. Instead, after looking at the menu you place your oder at the bar. They give you one of those wireless buzzers to alert you to pick up your oder at the kitchen area near the pool tables. There are trays, silverware, etc., over there too. I agree with other reviews that say the rooms are a bit dated. However, they're perfectly fine in you're not expecting absolute luxury, the air conditioning works well, the resort has UV treated water plumbed throughout (we still drank bottled water though), and the housekeeping staff was very attentive. All the staff are extremely nice and friendly. That seems to be a Cook Islands thing, and it's one of the reasons a vacation there is so relaxing. I would definitely stay at the Rarotongan Beach Resort again. I should mention, though, that in the last 20 years, there's been significant erosion of Aroa Beach. It's still gorgeous. But now, instead of a gently sloping beach, there's a bit of a steep step down at the top. And some of the coconut trees look like they'll be washed away in the next big storm.
