Earn rewards for every stay
Orbitz.com
eDreams
Priceline
View all 13 deals
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Full view
View all photos (480)480
Traveller (383)
Room & Suite (113)
Pool & Beach (105)
About
#3 of 20 Specialty lodging in Arorangi
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Set in the enchanting western village of Arorangi, Castaway is the favourite farewell point of so many of our islands’ most stunning sunsets. Enjoy peace and relaxation at this lush adults-only oasis, where guests can enjoy the freedom of their self-catering rooms or dine at the on-property beach restaurant & bar. Castaway offers comfortable accommodation with rooms perfect for solo travelers, couples, families and small groups (Minimum age is 16 years and above) And if you’re looking for a little more, Castaway offers accommodation at their Beach House that’s right next door. All rooms are tastefully furnished and guests can enjoy kitchen facilities, air-conditioning, and TV in case of those tropical rainy days. Wilson’s Beach bar & restaurant is Castaway Resorts’ on-property restaurant and is considered one of Rarotonga’s Top 5 Restaurant & Bars (As per Tripadvisor) For good reason! The restaurants gourmet menu is diverse with themed nights every night of the week. From Monday: Pasta, Tuesday: A la carte, Wednesday: Mexican, Thursday: Pizza, Friday: Seafood, and Saturday: Curry. Sunday BBQs are special at Castaway, when live music is played all evening by local musicians Freddy and Pascale, and guitar talent Anania Browne. Specialty dishes like Mr Paul’s Crayfish and Papa D’s Crayfish platter are both very popular amongst the local community. An absolute must try if you want to know what all the local enthusiasm is about! Many returnees rave about the fantastic location, quirky character, relaxed ambience and the friendly, welcoming staff. Guests will enjoy personable service, as staff take the utmost care to remember your name! The resort is also close to many of Rarotonga’s best snorkeling spots, only 20 minutes from the town center, has a bus stop and convenience store across the road. The resort is also home to many unique attributes. Whale watching can be enjoyed right from the restaurant deck. Expect a free bevvy from the bar if you’re first to ring the Whale Bell! Their crayfish dishes are large, fresh and delicious – there’s nothing like it anywhere else on the island. And if that wasn’t enough, Cuban Havana Cigars can also be purchased and pairs well with their signature cocktail “The Big Kahuna” – exclusively available at Castaway. Castaway Resort is the perfect accommodation choice for travelers wanting independence of a self-catered room, or to enjoy a cocktail and delicious dinner without leaving the property.
Read more
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free parking
Wifi
Pool
Free breakfast
Beach
Canoeing
Highchairs available
Airport transportation
Street parking
Paid wifi
Pool / beach towels
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Complimentary Instant Coffee
Complimentary tea
Happy hour
Outdoor dining area
Snack bar
Wine / champagne
Snorkelling
Evening entertainment
Shuttle bus service
Foot massage
Full body massage
Hand massage
Head massage
Massage
Neck massage
Adults only
BBQ facilities
Baggage storage
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun terrace
Sun umbrellas
Laundry service
Show more
Room features
Air conditioning
Private beach
Housekeeping
Safe
Coffee / tea maker
Kitchenette
Cable / satellite TV
Complimentary toiletries
Private bathrooms
Microwave
Refrigerator
Stovetop
Electric kettle
Kitchenware
Hair dryer
Show more
Room types
Ocean view
Pool view
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Great View
Mid-range
Location
58Somewhat walkable
Grade: 58 out of 100
52Restaurantswithin 10 km
24Attractionswithin 10 km
Contact
Ara Tapu, Arorangi Cook Islands
Getting there
Car HireSee all Arorangi car hire
380Reviews6Q+A100Room tips
Reviews
Traveller rating
- 290
- 71
- 8
- 7
- 4
Time of year
Traveller type
Language
More
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Most Recent
+1
Lovely, again team. I travel solo, with photography as a passion. Paul and the lovely staff were very welcoming as always. Thank you. Imagine for a moment..Sitting on the beach in the Cook Islands, at a great restaurant, serving you up at the beach, sand between your toes, if you like..And with that magnificent sunset... My pics attached give just a small glimpse...
Read more
Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Castaway Resort, General Manager at Castaway Resort
Responded 3 days ago
Kia Orana Andy, Thank you so much for taking your time in writing us a review. We are very glad to know that you enjoyed your dining and stay with us and we can't wait to see you again next time! Best Regards: Castaway Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Castaway Resort has felt like a home to myself and my family. We stayed in a 5 person room, with a balcony overlooking the pool. The accommodation was exactly what we expected and the pool was a highlight. We spent most of our evenings in the pool. Air conditioning was good - the main living area and one bedroom had air conditioning, one just had a fan (which was ample for our purposes). 16 and overs was also nice. Towels were replaced daily, and the room was serviced. The real gem of this place is how friendly and inviting the staff are. The staff at the restaurant/beach bar were exceptional - super friendly, quick to bring out your orders and are meticulous at clearing your table quickly. Almost all the staff recognised us, and some even knew us all by name, by the end of our stay! Special shout-out to Mene and Vani - they really made our dining experiences at Castaways memorable. Food at the restaurant was always clean and delicious. We found it reasonably priced and it was nice to have a different menu every night for variety. A minor detail was that the happy hour cocktails didn’t change throughout the week - however there was plenty of variety on the rest of the drinks menu to supplement this. There’s a bus stop right outside reception on the main road which is nice. We would stay here again if we came back to Rarotonga!…
Read more
Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Castaway Resort, General Manager at Castaway Resort
Responded 17 Jan 2023
Kia Orana Eden, Thank you so much for taking your time in writing us an amazing review. We are very glad to know that you enjoyed your dining and stay with us. Our staffs in the restaurant are highly appreciative of your kind words. We are looking forward to welcoming you back in the future. Meitaki Ma'ata and Best Regards, Castaway Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
A great place to stay Staff are very friendly and attentive Facilaties are very good Office staff are easy to talk too Great food good accomodation Castaways is situated on west coast for the sunsets an west is best Handy to all island attractions and has own bus stop A great place
Read more
Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Castaway Resort, General Manager at Castaway Resort
Responded 24 Nov 2022
Kia Orana Wanderer, Thank you for taking your time in writing us a wonderful review. We are very glad to know that you enjoyed your stay with us and we can't wait to welcome you back in the future. Meitaki and best regards, Castaway Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hidden gem. I was welcomed like family. Staying here meant I could take my breakfast on the beach, or the same for any other meal. And these guys are fantastic with the food. Sit out on the beach at either morning or night. This place is not too small, and not too big. As a solo travellor, I met so many people with special thanks to Michelle and Paul for their hospitality. The staff here are a great assset - and I can't thank them all enough. Eat here, and/or stay here (as I recommend), you will enjoy.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Castaway Resort, General Manager at Castaway Resort
Responded 1 Nov 2022
Kia Orana Andrew, Thank you so much for taking your time in writing us a wonderful review. We are very glad to know that you had a great time staying with us and had a positive experience at the restaurant. We really appreciate your kind words towards the staff, it's been our pleasure having you at the resort. We look forward to welcome you back in the future! Meitaki ma'ata and Best regards from the Castaway Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The reason they have red light bulbs in the restaurant is so you cannot see the food. I ordered a seafood chowder and failed to recognise any component as it looked like it had been blitzed in a blender. Consequently spent the next 24 hours in our hotel room with a dose of food poisoning. On a positive note, my wife had fish of the day and survived without incident.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Castaway Resort, General Manager at Castaway Resort
Responded 29 Nov 2022
Kia Orana John, Thank you for taking the time to do a review for Castaway Resort. Just to let you know, you posted the review on our accommodation site, you should have posted your review on our Restaurant and Bar site. In response to your review. The red lighting is for a number of reasons. Research shows that red is incredibly effective in luring customers in, and it also conjures emotions of energy, strength, power, passion and love. This is the effect we wanted to create at Wilson's Beach Bar. To imply that we used red lighting to hide and disguise our food is insulting. You state that you got food poisoning because you believed that the seafood chowder had been blitzed "put through a blender", was a bit confusing. By this we can confirm that our seafood chowder hasn't been put through a blender and if it had been, how could you get food poisoning from a blender? In ten years of owning Castaway, our seafood chowder has been on the menu since then and not once did we receive a complaint, in an actual fact we have received nothing but purely positive feedback. Meitaki.
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We visited this place as suggested by a family member. We went here for lunch and again for dinner. Cocktails were great - they don't stinge on the alcohol. The staff members were absolutely lovely. My 5 year old was asleep when we arrived for dinner and the staff suggested for the chairs to become a makeshift bed to make him comfortable. We definitely appreciated this lovely gesture. The staff were knowledgeable of the the menu. We ordered the seafood platter. When we visited, the lobster/crayfish wasn't available. Those were for my family. I have crustacean allergy - the staff and the chef did their best to cater for my allergy. My husband and I ordered the yakitori skewers platter. We had our reservations as there were only 10 pieces of skewers. We were unsure if this was enough or if we needed to order more food. However, the skewers were of generous sizes. The platter also came with a side of rice and salad. It was definitely more than enough. There is an option of eating by the beach or indoors. We ate on both occasions with our feet on the sand - definition of tropical dining. They had a Wilson ball from the movie Castaway which my 5 year old was obsessed with. We ended up watching Castaway when we returned to NZ due to my son's curiosity. A must go for dining in Rarotonga. Ambiance was great, alcohol was great and the staff were excellent.…
Read more
Date of stay: October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Castaway Resort, General Manager at Castaway Resort
Responded 25 Oct 2022
Kia Orana Chie, Thank you so much for taking your time in writing us a wonderful review. We are very glad to know that you enjoyed your dining experience with us. It was our pleasure helping you in any way we can. Our team are highly appreciative of your kind words. We look forward to serving you again in the future. Meitaki Ma'ata and Best regards, Castaway Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We love Castaway as a relaxing holiday resort with great staff, food and facilities and would have to be the best 3 star property on the island. Different types of rooms, a beach house, restaurant and bar on the beach. Make sure you book a table as it is very popular. We have been going to Castaway for 8 years, am just back and we have booked again for May. On the right side of the island for sunsets and whale watching
Read more
Date of stay: September 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: There are new ones and cosy units, such a variation
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Castaway Resort, General Manager at Castaway Resort
Responded 6 Oct 2022
Kia Orana Hunter, Thank you so much for your review and we are so glad to hear that you enjoyed the food, service and your stay with us. We’re always looking for ways to improve the experience at our resort and restaurant, and it’s great to know that we are on the right track. Thank you again for taking the time to share your feedback with us – it’s always appreciated. Best regards from the whole Castaway Team :)
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This was our 4th time here, once you find a place that ticks the boxes why go somewhere else? It isn't the cheapest and far from the dearest so think value for money, we haven't been disappointed in 4 trips. The rooms are tidy and clean. We have always stayed in the 'poolside rooms' and find them nice and quiet (they all have aircon). They don't have a sea view but not many do. If we want to see the sea we go to the beach. The staff are efficient and friendly and will help you with anything. Get a scooter or car (many seem to get an e-bike ) and the entire island is yours. There is, of course, a good bar and restaurant on site as well as a few others within walking distance (do your research here). We find the continental breakfast fine and generally have a snack (coffee and cake) later somewhere (Beluga is just up the road) then dinner. The pool is small but nicely wet and the beach out front has a good sandy swimming area (beach towels provided). We've lived it here 4 times, we hope that you do too.…
Read more
Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Relax
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Castaway Resort, General Manager at Castaway Resort
Responded 6 Oct 2022
Kia Orana Wayne, Thank you for taking your time in writing us a wonderful review. We are very glad that you always choose Castaway Resort as your accommodation and are very happy to know that you always enjoy your stay with us ! We can't wait to welcome you back on your 5th time :D Meitaki Ma'ata and Best regards, Castaway Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
The room was very nice, clean and a view over the roof tops of the bar and bungalows below. The staff are fabulous and doing their best! We felt the 'resort' is very tired, there is no nice deck chairs on the beach and no shade, we perched under the bar tables umbrellas to try and get shade. This is more a rustic motel, than resort. We were disappointed with breakfast- we paid over $300 a Night and got literally cornflakes, rices, muslei, toast, yogurt, oranges, pawpaw and full apples. We decided to buy some tomatoes and cheese and make our own breakfast in our room.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Castaway Resort, General Manager at Castaway Resort
Responded 24 Sep 2022
Kia Orana, Thank you for taking your time in writing us a review. We are sorry that you were disappointed with your stay with us. Could we suggest next time you visit the Cook Islands you book a 4 star resort that costs between $500 - $600 or even a 5 star that costs $900 - $1,000 per night. Kind Regards, Castaway Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This place has the nicest staff and beautiful sunsets to watch during happy hour. Saw whales at breakfast most mornings. The food and the cocktails at the bar are great, with a different menu every day. Couldn’t have asked for more.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Castaway Resort, General Manager at Castaway Resort
Responded 24 Aug 2022
Kia Orana Baeley, We very much appreciate you making the time to leave us such kind words and are thrilled you enjoyed your stay, dining experience. and the hospitality service from our Castaway team. We cannot wait to have you return next year! Meitaki ma'ata and Best regards, Castaway Team
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PRICE RANGE
US$157 - US$199 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
castaway beach villas hotel rarotonga
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Castaway Beach Villas
LOCATION
Cook IslandsSouthern Cook IslandsRarotongaArorangi
NUMBER OF ROOMS
18
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your ListingCASTAWAY RESORT: UPDATED 2023 Hotel Reviews, Price Comparison and 480 Photos (Arorangi, Cook Islands) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Castaway Resort
Which popular attractions are close to Castaway Resort?
Nearby attractions include Tik-e Tours (1.4 km), Aroa Marine Reserve (2.8 km), and Cook Island Christian Church (CICC) (0.2 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Castaway Resort?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at Castaway Resort?
Top room amenities include a kitchenette, air conditioning, and a refrigerator.
What food & drink options are available at Castaway Resort?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Castaway Resort?
Yes, free parking and street parking are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Castaway Resort?
Conveniently located restaurants include Beluga, Tuoro Tapas Bar, and The Waffle Shack.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Castaway Resort?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Castaway Resort have an airport shuttle?
Yes, Castaway Resort offers an airport shuttle for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Does Castaway Resort have airport transportation?
Yes, Castaway Resort offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Are there any historical sites close to Castaway Resort?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Wreck of the Matai (6.2 km).
Does Castaway Resort have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.