The Edgewater Resort and Spa is located on six acres of lush tropical beachside, sheltered on the western coast of Rarotonga. The Edgewater Resort and Spa is a short 5-minute drive from Rarotonga International Airport, and a 10-minute drive from Avarua Town Centre. At The Edgewater Resort and Spa, we pride ourselves in offering a wide range of comfortable accommodation options to suit all holiday makers. We are sure that we will have the right space for you to unwind and relax. We offer an authentic Cook Islands experience that will be made memorable by the services we provide. Our team are here to take care of you and look forward to being able to share our Rarodise with you.
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HOTEL STYLE
Family
Family Resort
Languages Spoken
English
Location
1 Puaikura Drive, Arorangi Cook Islands
The Edgewater Resort & Spa
2,140 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Edgewater Resort & Spa garners appreciation for its diligent housekeeping and the array of activities available, including complimentary snorkeling gear. While the resort's location is frequently lauded for its scenic views and accessibility, guests have called out the dated decor and maintenance issues in rooms. The atmosphere varies, with some guests enjoying lively performances, while others are put off by chemical odors.
The service receives mixed reviews, with commendations for staff friendliness countered by frustrations over sluggish service. Critiques often center on the value, pointing to costly, mediocre dining and additional charges for basic amenities.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Dated
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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The Edgewater Resort has the potential to be a great destination, but is sadly let down by a couple of disadvantages.
The accommodation is basically good (we stayed in a spacious sea front room), but the bathroom needs modernising – old fittings and wonky taps. The shower worked fine with plenty of hot water. There was a jaccuzzi bath which we didn’t use.
The room decor was basic but fine, furniture (and the bed) comfortable and with an excellent large patio with table and two chairs. The room is provided with a small safe (not big enough for a laptop computer), a fridge, kettle, tea and coffee supplies, wine and water glasses, 2 plates, knives, spoons and forks. Umbrellas were available from reception.
All linens are provided including a face flannel. Beach towels are available close to the pool (one per person). WiFi is available at extra cost unless included in your package deal. Our package included a “Tropical” breakfast – actually a well presented selection of cereals, fresh fruit, breads (for toasting if you wish), muffins and donuts. Coffee, tea and fruit juices were also provided. Breakfast can be upgraded to full cooked breakfast at a cost.
We were fortunate in being in the accommodation block closest to the main building and the restaurant. In rainy weather or very hot sunshine, there is no covered walkway connecting the accommodation to the main building. We happened to have a big storm during our visit in mid February – this had little impact on the operation of the resort, but did emphasise to us the disadvantage of staying on this side of the island.
The resort has a shop selling clothes and souvenirs, also a guest laundrette ($6) and a beauty and massage service.
The pool is just OK – small and crowded at busy times – just a leisure pool rather than one used for swimming. This is a shame, because the beach is very stony and unstable underfoot – OK if you are a confident swimmer, but not ideal for those (or small children) who prefer to play in the waves on a sandy beach. At times the waves were quite big with an undertow, making the unstable footing more dangerous. One experience of this and we did not choose to go in the sea again here. There is a building project underway at the moment (February 2020), to protect the resort from storms. This is necessary, I am sure, but no warning was given in advance about these works which severely intrude on the relaxing area by the pool and are visually unsightly.
Without exception staff were friendly and helpful. Their attitude goes a long way to make a stay here enjoyable.
We ate in the restaurant a few times (in addition to breakfast) and the food was very good. We enjoyed the Saturday night “Island Night” entertainment and the buffet on that occasion was exceptional.
We enjoyed our visit, but would probably choose a more protected side of the island with better beaches if we return.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Sea view room is essential
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Edgewater Resort and Spa, Marketing at The Edgewater Resort & Spa
Responded Mar 26, 2020
Kia Orana Chris H, Thank you very much for your candid review of your recent stay at our resort. Your feedback is extremely valuable to us, as we strive to improve with each and every stay. We greatly appreciate your comments about aspects of the room that need updating. Let it be known that we value your honest feedback, it is feedback like this we try to improve each and every stay. In taking great care of our charming hotel, our main priority is to be able to offer a very well-maintained and comfortable atmosphere. It would be such a pleasure to personally welcome you back to our new and improved hotel! With much appreciation, Meitaki Maata, The Edgewater Team
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We had a three bedroom garden View Villa and stayed for six nights. The bedrooms were very spacious with the master having a full bathroom. The kitchen well equiped with a four element cooktop full oven, large fridge freezer and dishwasher. Crockery and cutlery catered for 8 guesses. Rooms are only fully serviced every three days. Rubbish is removed daily and fresh towels changed daily. Bonus was having a washing machine and tub on the back veranda. You may need to pack some clothes pegs. Satellite TV is a bit patchy. TVNZ news is played each night around 8.30pm Happy Hour is at 5pm each day with basic cocktails being $10. We only ate once in the main restaurant for dinner. Food was okay and prices you would expect for a resort. Beach towels, goggles, masks and flippers are available free of charge from the activity hut by the pool. We were very lucky with Humpback whales making daily appearances in front of the resort just past the reef. Mind you this was in August during their migration period. The local bus clockwise and anticlockwise pulls into the resort to pick up and drop off guesses. Fares are a flat $5 one way. It is 20 minutes by bus to the township. Staff are very friendly and helpful. We had a problem with the fridge on the first day and the replaced it within an hour of reporting it. This is a great family friendly resort, but just remember it is “Island Time” so service is not as fast as you might be use to.
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
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Response from Edgewater Resort and Spa, Marketing at The Edgewater Resort & Spa
Responded Sep 3, 2021
Kia Orana John C We are happy to hear your holiday was very enjoyable and that our 3 bedroom villas were adequate for your holiday, families and groups enjoy the space and comforts of a home away from home with the amenities and space. Edgewater Resort have front row seats when it is Whale season and this always excites both our guests and staff. Thank you for your great feedback and we hope to see you very soon. Meitaki Maata The Edgewater Team
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Firstly, the garden view rooms do not look like the photos on the Edgewater website. I found this very misleading as the photo shows a modern room with fresh looking linen and a nice picture on the wall. I have to say I was disappointed. Our garden view room was large but tired. The blankets were brown, cream walls, showers had very bad grouting and holes in some tiles. The rooms were large and had tea and coffee and a fridge. There was a double and single bed in each room with adjoining rooms available on request. About half way through our stay, a guest upstairs was very noisy early morning and in the evening and we found this annoying.
The tropical breakfast was good and had plenty to keep you fed for a week, such as a variety of fruits, coconut, bircher muesli, cereals, yoghurt, toast, muffins and buns.
The outside terrace restaurant was large and pleasant and we saw whales off shore. Happy hour is 5-6pm and cocktails were $10. You can snorkel off the beach but it is rocky and beach shoes are recommended. Great sunsets from here too.
It seemed to appeal to older people and families but is a good all round option for anyone. It is located near the airport and town and I would recommend a rental car to get around. Muri night markets and restaurants are a 20 min drive from the Edgewater. Parking onsite.
We did ask for an upgrade and a late checkout but the hotel was too full. They have a courtesy room available for a $10 deposit where you can repack your bags and have a shower. This was really handy.
The staff were polite enough but not overly friendly in our experience. Perhaps this was due to the fact that they had 100% occupancy.
If the price is right, then go for it. Most people seem happy with staying here but shop around and compare prices. Muri hotels and Muri lagoon seemed a bit more lively and are worth looking at as well.
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Date of stay: July 2022
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Find a room that has been upgraded
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Edgewater Resort and Spa, Marketing at The Edgewater Resort & Spa
Responded Aug 15, 2022
Kia Orana AucklandFlyer We thank you for posting your reveiw and we are happy to hear that you enjoyed our services while staying with us. Edgewater have a variety of rooms to choose from for all budgets, including garden rooms, beachfront rooms and villas that cater for all. Our cocktail hour is a great time to sit back relax and enjoy the sunset while sipping on your cocktail and maybe see a whale jumping up in the background. Our proximity of the resort is close to town and the airport and have many restaurant within walking distance. We do hope to welcome you back to our shores in the near future. Meitaki Maata The Edgewater Team
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Our Air Nz flight was cancelled and we were given a free accommodation in the Edgewater Resorts until they sort out the issue. First thought when I opened the double bedroom was it looks dated and the floors were dirty. Found a dead tick lying on the floor and a yellow stain on the bed when I removed the covers (photos attached). I seriously felt so disgusted that I didn't get a good night's sleep thinking that our room was not cleaned or disinfected before we moved in. I couldn't comprehend why there was a yellow stain on the bed if they changed the covers!! The next morning we got a call that our flight will resume that day, which made me really happy. Had breakfast (c/o Air Nz) and was disappointed that you only get a selection of bread, muffins, cereals and fruits for $23! Other hotels offer a lot of varieties including meat and pastry selection for $21. Even their wifi was more expensive and super slow. I don't think I'll book Edgewater whenever I'm in Rarotonga. I'm happy that other people are finding the place suited for their needs but for me, one terrible night is enough.
P.S. I already feel bad giving a negative review but I have to be honest about the overall experience. Hope the management keeps an eye on this especially the cleanliness and wifi issues. Giving it 2 stars now because their ika mata and steak were delicious.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Te_Pae_Tai_Nui, Public Relations Manager at The Edgewater Resort & Spa
Responded Feb 5, 2020
Kia Orana orientaldoll, Thank you very much for your candid review of your recent stay at our resort. Your feedback is extremely valuable to us, as we strive to improve with each and every stay. We greatly appreciate your comments about aspects of the room that need updating. Let it be known that we will follow this up with Housekeeping and investigate further. In taking great care of our charming hotel, our main priority is to be able to offer a very well-maintained and comfortable atmosphere. I hope that I can convince you to change your mind about another visit to our property. Please reach out to me directly at dede.mingi@edgewater.co.ck, if you would be willing to give us a chance to turn your experience around. It would be such a pleasure to personally welcome you back to our new and improved hotel! With much appreciation, Meitaki Maata, The Edgewater Team
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I stayed here for 4 nights last week whilst over on holiday. Check-in/out were quick & easy. I stayed in the cheapest room (garden view) and was pleasantly surprised. Looked like it hah had a recent tidy-up with a more modern bathroom. Room was spacious. TV channels & reception is very limited (but who's there to watch tv?). Restaurant & bars are large & have plenty of room. Island night was great (although I didn't have a meal), parking for rental car within the resort, access to beach is good but note that the beach is a mixture of sand & coral so wear thongs/jandals. The swimming pool is a decent size. The included tropical breakfast was average, but filled a spot to keep you full enough until you try one of the many other eateries on the Island for lunch. The dinner menu is vast and the pasta type dishes are great tasting & hearty at a good price too. Cocktails are very good, but a little bit expensive. Beers a cheap & there's a good variety. Overall, it's pretty good.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Edgewater Resort and Spa, Marketing at The Edgewater Resort & Spa
Responded Feb 21, 2020
Kia Orana stevetsreviews, Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your stay! We are am glad that we were able to accommodate for you. Also, thank you for the kind words regarding your room as well as the rest of the resort facilities. As for breakfast, we are continually trying to improve the variety and quality of food items that we offer. Thank you for staying at The Edgewater Resort & Spa. we hope that you will consider us for your next trip! Meitaki Maata, The Edgewater Team.
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We had to stay overnight in Rarotonga to catch our flight back home. We had stayed at Pacific Resort in Aitutaki and then we had to spend a night at this place. It is a glorified multi-story motel and the rooms and the grounds are quite outdated. Many motels have better and often more spacious interior. Initially the receptionist tried to put us in a downgraded smaller room and only upon questioning him were we given close to the room that was booked. There was construction noise ALL DAY right in front of us and we were not informed about it. The interior of the room is quite outdated with just the basic bed and a small bathroom. The restaurant was adequate for dinner and breakfast but the band was too noisy and there was nowhere you could escape to, especially as it was raining rather heavy. The beach in front of the hotel was closed off so the swimming pool was very busy and numerous noisy kids around. All in all not a good experience.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Look for another place.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Edgewater Resort and Spa, Marketing at The Edgewater Resort & Spa
Responded Feb 21, 2020
Kia Orana Eaa1947, Thank you very much for your candid review of your recent stay at our resort. Your feedback is extremely valuable to us, as we strive to improve with each and every stay. We greatly appreciate your comments about aspects of the room and grounds that are in need of updating. Let it be known that we are in the process of going through some renovations and giving our resort a fresh new feel during the course of time. In taking great care of our charming hotel, our main priority is to be able to offer a very well-maintained and comfortable atmosphere. I hope that I can convince you to change your mind about another visit to our property. We are happy to read that you found our Restaurant Menu adequate. We do sincerely apologise for any inconvenience during your stay, if you would be willing to give us a chance to turn your experience around. It would be such a pleasure to personally welcome you back to our new and improved resort! With much appreciation, Meitaki Maata, The Edgewater Team
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The resort is really well maintained, staff are very friendly and will go the extra mile for you. Everything is available that you would want; parking, pool towels, reef shoes, activities, themed dinners. It's a great place to relax and unwind. We were fortunate enough to catch tuna out on a fishing trip and the chef was kind enough to cook it for us, for a charge. The kitchen did a wonderful job and the tuna was cooked perfectly!!
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Date of stay: November 2019
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Te_Pae_Tai_Nui, Public Relations Manager at The Edgewater Resort & Spa
Responded Feb 4, 2020
Kia Orana The-active-relaxer, Thank you for taking the time to share your recent experience at our hotel. We are so glad you found our hotel a good place to stay, and that you enjoyed the menu and food at Mal's Bar. Very lucky to have caught a tuna out at sez and have our very own chef cook it for you on-site. We are pleased that you enjoyed so much of our establishment, and we would be honored to have you return to our resort in the future. Meitaki Maata, The Edgewater Team
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This was our 3d stay at Edgewater. It is near to town and meets our family requirements. It isn't a fancy 5 star resort but the room charge reflects that. Some of the rooms are a bit dated but they are in the process of renovating some of the units. There are a variety of room choices with garden or ocean view. There is a small freshwater pool that is great for kids or to cool off if you get too hot sitting in the sun. There is an ocean view bar and restaurant. The restaurant menu repeats on a weekly basis but there are a number of restaurants within walking distance if you want a change. Tropical fruit breakfast is included with your room. Unfortunately, storms have removed a big chunk of the beach in front of the bar and they have had to place boulders in front to protect the restaurant/bar area. There is large beach area in front of some of the oceanview rooms at the north end of the property.This is the place to stay if you like snorkelling. The reef is close to shore and stops most of the waves except at high tide when it can get choppy. Great variety of fish. Lots of different butterfly fish, parrot fish, sergeant majors, blue starfish etc. Also eels, flounders, sea cucumbers, pipefish, urchins and the list goes on. The one down side is the Picasso triggerfish that do bite if you get too close to their nest area. Bring an underwater camera if you can. You won't be sorry. Also, great sunsets if you're lucky.
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Date of stay: January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Edgewater Resort and Spa, Marketing at The Edgewater Resort & Spa
Responded Mar 19, 2020
Kia Orana ccalta, Thank you for patronizing The Edgewater Resort & Spa, Rarotonga; and taking time out to share your experience on this social platform. All of us are delighted that we could ensure a comfortable stay during your visit. Thank you once again for your stay and your feedback and look forward to welcoming you back to The Edgewater Resort & Spa. Meitaki Maata, The Edgewater Team
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We stayed only one night before our flight out. Just wanted to mention that the resort allowed us to use the facilities until our late afternoon flight. We especailly appreciated the use of the hospitality room where we could shower and change into our travelling clothes. A great service that was very much appreciated.
The bus pulls right in to the resort and was great to be able to use this to get to the ariport.
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Date of stay: April 2022
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Edgewater Resort and Spa, Marketing at The Edgewater Resort & Spa
Responded May 5, 2022
Kia Orana AnnieFairlie Thank you for your review. We appreciate your feedback. Our hospitality room is a complimentary facility for all our guest to use, and we are glad you enjoyed this service. The convenience of the bus coming through our main lobby is a highlight for our guest with the easy accessibility to get on and off the local bus, right at your doorstep. We hope to see you on your return to our beautiful island in the very near future. Meitaki Maata The Edgewater Team
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A large resort that had lots of people. We were staying at the Crown Beach and went to the Edgewater for a massage ... had a couples massage (done in 2 rooms) and both had a similar experience. Lots of large long massage strokes but zero addressing particular areas. I think the massage therapist I had had no idea about how muscles work as she only massaged the central parts of limbs. There was no concept of following connections in muscles or varying pressure.
I think there should be an environmental warning for the massage - may cause oil slick!! Had to go and have a shower immediately afterwards ... would have loved to swim in the ocean but I didn't want to kill any marine life!
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Date of stay: June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Edgewater Resort and Spa, Marketing at The Edgewater Resort & Spa
Responded Aug 3, 2022
Kia Orana LucyInAust Thank you for sharing your experience at our spa facilities. We will be sure to address these issues with our spa as we do take all feedback seriously. We hope you enjoyed your stay on Rarotonga and do look forward to welcoming you back to our shores in the near future. Meitaki Maata The Edgewater Team
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A continental breakfast is always included. On the buffet, you have an assortment of fruit, cereals, toast and spreads, yoghurt, bircher, pastries, juices, tea, and coffee.
There are more places to choose from in the Arorangi area.
PRICE RANGE
$118 - $173 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
the edgewater hotel arorangi, the edgewater resort and spa, edgewater hotel arorangi, edgewater resort arorangi, edgewater rarotonga, edgewater resort rarotonga
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