A lovely warm welcome from Steve and Geraldine who treat guests as family. Steve's arrival briefing including things to do and see was outstanding- we have been to Raro three times now and this was the best orientation we have had by far! Rooms are spacious and clean- the fitting of air conditioning would be good. The bar meals were well priced and delicious. Thanks so much guys- you have two advocates in us :-)

In short, it's great! We plan to return to Rarotonga and will not waste any time looking to compare another place. My wife and I stayed there for almost a week, and it was clear we hadn't planned enough time there. It's a very laid back place. No hype, no crowds, nothing but beautiful vistas onto the ocean. Another thing I like is that it's on the leeward side of the island, and when the wind blows or it rains you are perfectly sheltered on your patio. The Shipwreck Bar is right on the beach, and is where your breakfast is served, and where you can buy food from a limited menu starting at 1700 hours (5pm). The staff are uniformly friendly - you can easily chat with them - and they are very helpful in making reservations for excursions, dinner, or cultural events. You have to buy vouchers for internet service, but as it's relatively expensive, slow, and flaky, we didn't buy any vouchers. That comment on internet service is not a comment on Aro'a Beachside Inn, but rather a comment on a fact of life on Rarotonga. The Inn offers free use of snorkels, masks, reef shoes, and kayaks. The snorkeling is wonderful, with many colorful fish just steps off the beach. The lagoon is crystal clear and calm even with waves raging on the reef offshore. The Inn uses fruit for the morning breakfast, as available, right off the property. We had a self catering unit (don't know if all are), but it was good to have full kitchen facilities. NB however, there are wild chickens all over Rarotonga, including at Aro'a Beachside Inn, and the roosters start crowing loudly well before sunrise! I was amused to understand what the roosters say - they say "Get the heck uuuuup!". Over and over. You can even learn to recognize their individual voices. Hey, I'm tired of writing. Unless you require a lot of flash and pzazz, this place is wonderful. Watch for falling coconuts :-).

Amazing, friendly place . Most beautiful people I met . Big thank you to a General Manager Lisa who help My Daughter to share her own house for to finish Law online exam .( we can’t find any good place to do so ) we met her first time and she was so lovely to help us . Thank you very much 🤗

Had some drinks at the bar on the beach, great location and beautiful sunset. Krissy the entertainer and singer was also great and gave the bar a great vibe.

Great hospitality, shipwreck bar entertainment fantastic. A good mixture of live entertainment. A great place to meet other travellers and locals. Weather wise, situated on the protected side of the island, great for swimming.

Comfy rooms, great service, the shipwreck bar has great food and friendly welcoming staff. The musician set the ambience of the beach setting

Appreciated the warm welcome with airport pickup. This is a nice small resort with great beachfront bar and restaurant. Rooms are spacious, clean and comfortable. Lovely beach for walking and swimming. Would certainly come again.

I’m not gonna lie, the beds are a little hard and the rooms a little run down along with having to sometimes follow up for beach towels or toilet paper… but enough of the things Al, Lisa and the awesome team are already working on. This is not a homogenised and soulless resort that could be a room anywhere in the world. It’s a nice size with 12 rooms, right on the beach (I mean RIGHT on the beach), best snorkelling we found in Raro right in the marine reserve that’s at your front door, whales multiple times daily, super accommodating staff and great fun. There were 12 of us and we felt so at home. We will be back!

Stayed at this gorgeous place 2012 my first ever visit to Raro. Returning June this year was even better.. our 2 adjoining units were spotless..well equipped and fantastically situated to enjoy the amazing onsite "Shipwreck bar" with its 5 star food and entertainment. Snorkelling is magical directly in front. Aroa beachside inn is pretty special in that you feel like whanau from day 1. Probably my most relaxing holiday ever. Thank you Al, Lisa and the whole team

There is so much that could be said, so many simple tips to staying at Aro’a,, but so little space. The simple fact is that it is a great place to stay. Possibly the best part is that the staff are so helpful. If this is your first trip to Raro, they will assist you in activities, reservations and scheduling. This includes question before booking. Talk with them often. The site is small - compact and welcoming. This is not a big hotel site but a friendly accommodation. The rooms are great; simple and clean but functional with all of the needed amenities. The on-site restaurant has good and plentiful food and also hosts music several nights a week. It is important to note that the island is very different on its different sides. I really liked the “vibe” at Aro’a but it is not the same as, say, Muri. Hints - most of which came from casually talking with Aro’a staff or just being there a week You get a code to the Aro’a wi-fi hot spot. It works great. I found I did not need to get and phone sim and lived with the wi-fi. There are one and two person kayaks available for use onsite. There are also two paddle boards but the reef is really shallow for them. The market just down the road from Aro’a to the right has everything you might need, within easy walking distance, AND has great ice cream. The public busses stop right out front. From Aro’a, the clockwise bus gets to Avarua quicker while the counterclockwise bus gets to Muri quicker. If you are not a fan of music and appreciative of beer fueled audiences you might want to ask for a room further from the deck. I was right next to it but I like the music. Walking the beach in either direction is great in the morning before breakfast. Note that if you are in the correct season, we saw more whale sitting on the deck than several boat tours saw. Money exchange is best done at the Western Union in Avarua. The Island Hotel is directly across from the airport and will store any amount of your luggage for $5. Their big food service and bar are actually open Sunday. Everything - EVERYTHING - on the island is closed on Sundays. Get over it. Take a great walk on the inner roads. Lots to see. If walking, watch ahead for trees bearing fruit which might fall on your head. Go wide. Highland Paradise - the best tour - recommended Specifically for Americans - meet up with some New Zealanders. They are universally fun, open and welcoming, quite refreshing. Your name will be ‘mate”. Oh, yes, the dogs. There are free range dogs everywhere. They will bark. They are all friendly. Love them!

Alan (owner) and Lisa (manager) along with all their staff looked after our group of 12 extremely well. Much nicer experience than staying in an impersonal hotel. Beautiful beach on your doorstep, great food, great music 🎶, great atmosphere at Aro'a.

A great little place to stay. The owners and staff really make you feel at home. The breakfast each morning is toast, a plate of fruit, and muffins, just right to start the day. Then if you want to stay the evening there is dinner available. Also solid snorkeling by just going out on the beach straight from the hotel. Really enjoyed our stay

Rooms are big and all have views of the lagoon/sea. We stayed in the on closest to the Shipwreck Bar and we're pleasantly surprised that there was little noise from patrons. Snorkelling off the beach is some of the best on the island. Light breakfast of fruits, coconut, muffin and tea/coffee is tasty and the owner is there and keen on chatting with guests. Overall, the vibe is a whole lot more relaxed and peaceful than that of larger resorts and we lived the "no kids" policy. If we return to Raro, Aro'a Beachside Inn is where we'll stay!

We had the most relaxing enjoyable holiday at Aroas Beachside Inn. This is the second visit here - we chose to come back. Fantastic cocktails on the beach at their beachside bar. Great entertainment during meals One of the best beaches and all day swimming , regardless of the tides. Sheltered from the prevailing wind. Awesome sunsets. Lovely rooms - great views and very comfortable. Friendly staff. A perfect holiday place in Rarotonga.

We had a great time at Aro'a Beachside. Amazing snorkelling at the beach just metres away, breakfasts with tasty fresh fruit, and the staff were really helpful with advice and arranging activities around the island. Highly recommended for a relaxing holiday.

Amazing beach side resort with great Owners and lovely staff. The setting is spectacular with the sea on your doorstep and friendly service. Will definitely come back

Called in to this place for a meal. The cocktails were disgusting as was the food. Two of us left and promptly threw up. The other six people felt sick also. The food tasted cheap and microwaved. The cocktails tasted like warmed up rotten milk. They also put very little alchohol in them. Sorry but the bar deserves zero stars. Can't comment on the accommodation.

You know the TV show Cheers? The reason why that bar was so popular is it is such a homey place where everyone knows your name. Well, that's exactly what Aro'a Beachside Inn feels like We had such a fantastic time staying here. Steve and Geraldine are great hosts and their whole team, especially Alone, are such characters. Such hilarious and lovely people. Their live music nights are not to be missed!