Your private piece of paradise, Aretai Beach Villas provides top quality accommodation on a magnificent stretch of white, sandy, beach, on the sunset side of the island. Guests have easy access to a wonderful safe lagoon and local restaurants. Three, attractive, generously sized, stand alone two bedroom units, are self catering. Each unit has a separate modern kitchen with full cooking facilities, and is well appointed with all you need. Lounge area with quality cane furniture.
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HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Mid-range
Location
Cook Islands
Aretai Beach Villas
64 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
What a fantastic time we had, the weather was superb, every day was fine and hot, Aitutaki is the most amazing place we have been too, the Lagoon cruise would have to rate as one of the best things we have ever done, and must be one of the worlds must do things - We went on the Bishops criuse on the large boat with lunch included $ 55.00 for the whole day !!, Aretai Beach Villas were a great place to stay-right on the beach, almost couldn't get any closer with gorgeous sunsets from the large deck area. Very comfortable, large with two separate bedrooms, the manager was just great and very helpful ...we enjoyed the use of the free kayaks and pushbikes.
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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.
My wife and I just returned from 9 nights at Aretai and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. We are frequent travelers who do extensive homework before deciding on a place to stay and our experiences have confirmed the positive T-advisor reviews for Aretai. Huge deck, rooms, closets and wonderful location. If a quiet, large place to stay without the hassles of crowds is your style then you won't find a better value than Aretai.. period. One look at the other value accomodations on the island and you'll see what I mean. We talked to a handful of couples and groups that came and went during our stay and everyone said that they'd have planned more time at Aretai if they'd known how peaceful it is.
Here are some tips not only for Aretai but for Aitutaki: - just forget everything. sit on the deck of the villa and read while listening to the palms rustle in the wind. There are leftover books in the closet in unit 2. - if you want a glass of wine to go with that, the Heineken store has easily the best prices on wine and beer...at least it did last week. - down the beach 100yrds to the swimming hole at sunset. - mosquito repellent for when the wind dies down. This goes for the whole island but what's great is that they go away with the breeze. - Rino rentals for scooters. Ask Mama to call them and have them drop one off or go next door to Puffy's and ask him to call. This goes for any booking on the island. - the gas station in the AM for bread and lettuce or Heineken store for bread all day. the big store by the wharf at 6am for produce and if you're lucky.. donuts(!). - we brought meat and sausages from Prime Meats on Raro. Glad we did because finding raw fish-chickn-beef on Aitu is a hassle. Fired up the Aretai BBQ and grilled out on multiple nights. This is a huge bonus. If the grill is crusty.. use the brush! - we brought pasta and a can of sauce from Raro which was a good call too. Bringing aged dutch cheese with us from the mainland was brilliant. - Pacific Resorts for postcards and stamps. their beach is also open to anyone. best food presentation on the island but Tavana (?) is a close second. Atmosphere and price make PR second to T in my opinion. - there is great snorkeling and kayaking right out front of the villas in the lagoon but it's best to wait until high tide to let the water fill in. - TeKing lagoon tours (snorkeling) is the small group way to go. Bishop for big tours. - Mona's water taxi (PaPa) to get dropped off at a remote motu for 3-4 hours. you won't regret this one. bring water sandals for the coral and snorkel gear. his sign is on the road by the Heini store. - The cultural tour is fantastic. A great meal and island experience by a local anthropologist at a working site. This was a great surprise. - Blackjack for deep sea fishing. He'll prob let you keep a fish or two unlike the other outfits. - Puffy's for island night on Wednesdays. Call ahead to make sure that it's on. - Ootu beach to chill out and have a super tasty sandwich from Samade at the same time. This is really the best beer on the island. - Happy hour cocktails at the Aitutaki Resort restaurant: 5:30-6:30pm. Amazing location and would be a great place to stay here if money were no object.
Hope this info is helpful. It's true that Aretai isn't for everyone. Folks craving a high maintenance visit should stick to resorts where they can be catered to. If that isn't enough then they should probably just stay on another island altogether.
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Date of stay: July 2013Trip 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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from SueJtravels, Family at Aretai Beach Villas
Responded 23 Jul 2013
Thanks for the nice review. Glad you loved Aitutaki and Mama and the tips for other guests are fantastic!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed here for 7 days during our honeymoon in February 07. There is nothing bad to say about this place, we were even driven down to the petrol station to hire a scooter on the very first evening we arrived thanks to our lovely hostess.
The rooms are great, very clean and sturdy. There was no air conditioning when we were there but having a room, right on the beach well and truly made up for that and you get used to the heat quite fast.
The beach was wonderful however we found the snorkeling better on Rarotonga.
We were the only people staying there most of the time and you must go for a scooter drive around the island at night to see the coconut crabs!! They are crazy :P
Aitutaki is a fantastic non-commercialized island, it really is worth it.
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Date of stay: February 2007
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Trip 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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WE PAID TOO MUCH FOR WHAT WE GOT! My family and I stayed here at Aretai for 5 nights. First of all, they clean the rooms every 3 days! I didn't come on vacation to make beds, clean bathrooms and sweep floors. (A place down the rode that charges $94.00 per night cleans daily) I was so upset my husband decides to open up a bottle of wine for me but their wine opener was broken. So he sent our kids to the main house to get a another one. They come back with a can opener. They told my boys to use that. REALLY?? Let's continue.... The towels were cheap and old. I would dry myself with it and I was still wet. The bed sheets and bedspread were ancient. Zero bathroom amenities. For $300 a night plus $50 per per additional person . there was 5 of us.($450) (that's $2250 I paid) they should at least clean the rooms daily, buy new quality towels, sheets, bedspread and at the very least have little shampoo/conditioner bottles in the bathroom. There was no AC. I need AC. At the very least they should install a multi-split air conditioner in the living room. For $450.00 a night I believe they can afford it. There are 4 cats roaming the property that belong to the manager, her name is Mama. Kids love playing with them. The problem is that when I picked up the kitten and saw his belly, 8 fleas scattered! They offer no activities on the premises. Down the rode at another property they have bonfires at night and have a potluck night where all vacationers make a dish from their country. The managers of the property set up two tables on the beach and everyone eats together while they get to know each other. At least it's an option. They have 1 portable BBQ that was filthy! For $450 a night they should at least clean it. The beach in front of the property isn't the best by far. We went in the first day we arrived and never again. The best is near the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort. That beach/water is amazing. Great for families. I did see some rental beach villas that are privately owned on that side. I plan on looking into those the next time I go to Aitutaki. Even though Aretai was bad, Aitutaki is beautiful. We tried to spend every waking moment far away from Aretai. Unfortunately it rained the first two days we arrived. In regards to the fruit. We did receive fruit one day and that came from the lady that runs the transportation vehicle, not from Aretai. The owners of this property live in New Zealand and our making a lot of money from us vacationers. They should either lower their prices or put some money into the property and upgrade it. In the immediate future they should hire an additional housekeeper and clean daily. If I would have paid around $150.00usd per night I would not complain. I would have gotten what I paid for. But to paid $450.00 per night doesn't sit well with me. We work hard for our money. This was our family vacation and I felt we got ripped off. You are probably saying to yourself why did you book it in the first place. Well, we didn't. After staying at the Pacific Resorts in Rarotonga last year and loving it, we again contacted the Pacific Resorts Rep in the USA to book the Aitutaki PR for us. They came back and said they do not allow 5 people in a room. Max 4. However, there are villas called Aretai that they send their guests to if Pacific Resort is full and they will take 5 people. Since this was about 1 1/2 weeks before, we said yes blindly. Why would I think that Pacific Resorts being a 4/5 star property would recommend a 1 to 2 star property. We complained to them as well. All in all, unless you are ready for that, stay somewhere else.
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Date of stay: June 2013
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â The beach/water is not the best. It's not even pretty in color.
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 SueJtravels, Family at Aretai Beach Villas
Responded 7 Jul 2013
I am sorry to read that you didn't enjoy your time at Aretai Beach Villas. Perhaps your booking agent didn't give you the correct information when you booked. We have never worked with Pacific Resort for bookings. Next door at Are Matatui, which is more luxurious and more expensive than Aretai, used to take families from Pacific Resort but no longer offer that service either. It is difficult to find accommodation for families in Aitutaki and we prefer to only take 4 people per villa, but realise this disadvantages families with 3 children, hence we will accept bookings for 5. Our villas are advertised as self catering and are geared for travelers who generally prefer not to be disturbed daily. We also advertise that the villas are serviced every three days however fresh towels are available on request. This would be consistent with properties of this type. Your points about bottle opener, linen etc are noted and we are in the process of upgrading some of our furnishings and some bathroom fittings. The normal owner/manager was away for three weeks having some medical treatment and we are aware that perhaps things didn't run as smoothly while she was off the island. So again we are sorry that your experience spoilt your holiday in the Aitutaki.
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We had selected Aretai Beach Villas as the highlight of our visit to the Cook Islands. Up on arrival we discoverd a nice and spacious property with large bungalows right on the beach. Unfortunatly the bungalows are quite worn out and ours was not properly cleaned. There was sand all over the place not only on the floor but also on the little sofa and armchairs in the living area. We also had to clean all the dishes before we could use them for cooking. All in all we had expected more based on the price you pay for the accomodation. After having everything cleaned, we had a good time though. The beach is great for enjoying the sun or the shade of the palm trees an there is a swimming whole just a few meters down the beach to cool off. When you're planning on going on a lagoon cruse make sure you go with Teking. They have smaller groups and stay away from the other tour operators.
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Date of stay: November 2013
Value
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Trip 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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I spent a week here with a group of friends in January. We were made to feel welcome from the moment we arrived at Aretai as we were picked up from the airport by Mama Nicholas. There are 5 villas, with 2 being more luxurious in their standard, and the other 3 simple but with plenty of space and all the facilities you would expect in a beach side villa. Admitedly, there are better places for swiming and snorkelling on the island, but really this is just nit picking on what is itself a beautiful spot. When you come to Aretai, expect the best standard of hospitality from Mama Nicholas who will adopt you like you were a grandchild of her own for the duration of your stay. Mama was able to organise everything we wanted to do on the island, including the delivery of transport, day trips on the lagoon and a deep sea fishing trip outside the reef. Mama's kind nature and grace alone made staying at this place a delight. The island itself is not big, so Aretai is within a few minutes scooter ride of any place you might wish to visit. There is a fully equipped kitchen in every villa which we used almost every day, but I would recommend you travel around and visit some of the local cafe's and restaurants dotted around the island and in the resorts. After a long day travelling around the island and swimming in the lagoon, there is no better way to spend an evening than lounging on one of the large villa balconies, or walking the 10 metres to the beach to wade in the warm water and watch the sun go down. This isand is a beautiful place, and unlike any other place I had been to before. Its warmth and character are captured perfectly by Aretai and Mama Nicholas. Overwall, this was a wonderful stay.
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Date of stay: January 2013
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
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.
We spent 2 nights here and while the bungalow was very basic it was a good base to explore the rest of the island. Our bungalow view was blocked by palm trees and the cleanliness of the bungalow was of an adequate standard. The beach and swimming area out front is pretty ordinary compared to other places around the island, yet the gardens are lovely and well kept. The lovely host/owner of the property Mama (85 years young) certainly made up for our disappointment in the bungalow with her wonderful hospitality and friendliness. Mama organised our car, day trip out in the lagoon with Aitutaki Adventures which was a magnificent day out and real must for anyone visiting the Island. The snorkelling was fantastic and the lunch provided beautiful. We enjoyed a daily supply of bananas and passion fruit from Mama and wonderful chats. We had a lovely meal at the Pacific Resort which I highly recommend.
I was unsure on how to rate our stay, as the bungalow was average yet Mama was such a delightful character - sometimes your trip is not always about your accommodation or the places you go but the people you meet along the way!
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Date of stay: January 2013
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Trip type: Travelled on business
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.
My husband, 3 year old daughter, and mother traveled from Texas to Aitutaki and stayed at the Aretai from late December 2008 to January 2009. It was a wonderful experience. We booked the room through a real estate agent in Rarotonga ($300NZ a night). He took 25% up front and then the balance two weeks prior to the trip. We arrived to the Aitutaki airport, where the sounds and voice of a local musician greet you. The Aretai had arranged for transport and she was right on time. We were taken to our villa, which was a beachfront villa. The pictures posted by another vistor are still up to date. The villa is right on the beach. Ours had a large deck with several tables and chairs. Inside is the living area and large kitchen. The kitchen does have utensils and dishes (though only enough for 4 guests). There is a french press, a toaster, good sized refrigerator and freezer, a microwave, and a stove/oven. We went to Aitutaki as part of a wedding party of 26, and we hosted several meals/events at the Aretai. Mama was more than happy to let us host the parties, including a big party for the whole wedding group on New Years Eve. We celebrated with a big bonfire on the beach. The villa also has a bedroom with a queen-sized bed and a second bedroom with two full-sized beds. Only thing lacking was dressers to store clothing (we were there 2 weeks). The bathroom was nice, has lots of shelving and always a supply of clean bath and beach towels. There is a hairdryer (though the outlet in our bathroom did not work). The villa also has a small washer. There was a constant supply of fresh fruit, including coconuts, bananas, papaya, passionfruit, and star fruit. Kayaks lay in wait on the shore for the next adventure. Only cautionary note is that the mosquitos are really bad outside the villa, but we solved that by having mosquito coils constantly burning on the deck. Also, if you want a scooter, you might want to make arrangements in advance because they can be hard to come by (we were there for the holidays when they were in high demand). Mama and her staff were so friendly and helpful and offered many great suggestions. Also, there is a journal in the room chock full of helpful tips and suggestions by other guests that was a blast to read. We saw many of our other friends accomodations while in Aitutaki (Paradise, Etu Moana, Samade and Paradise) but our accomodations at the Aretai offered us the best fit and we would absolutely stay there again!
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Date of stay: December 2008
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Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
The villas are only steps from the beach, via a grove of shady coconut palms.
They offer comfortable spacious self catering living, with all mod cons. The large covered decks are a great design feature - just made for family gatherings or a quiet read and snooze.
This is really a little slice of warm, peaceful tropical heaven...providing a memorable holiday.
As an experienced paddle boarder , I much enjoyed some long runs upwind - yep, dodging the odd coral head - not for SUP learners. Instead, grab one of the modern sit-on plastic kayaks the villas provide. There is also safe swimming in a 'swimming hole' a short way along the beach.
If you can nail down an island tour with villas minder Lawton, don't hesitate. He serves up lots of fascinating info on everything from flora and fauna to island history.
If you get sick of preping your own food, Puffy's restaurant next door offers very acceptable fare. Koru cafe past the airport is also worth a visit - and serves a good strong coffee. But DONT go to Black Rock Cafe at Pacific Resort - but that's another story ....
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Date of stay: June 2016Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
Aretai Beach Villas are perfectly situated in every way. A perfect tropical island, a perfect climate, a perfect beach front location, and perfectly central to everything a visitor might need. The villas were spacious, quite modern and well equipped. Ceiling fans, insect screens, fantastic breeze flow - all made for a comfortable climate during warmer days. Beds were comfortable (very important) and the bathroom amenities good (also important!). Mama and her son Rob were warm and welcoming hosts and eager to help in any way. And the view from the deck...wow. We had a little problem with ants in the villa but a can of insect spray worked a treat. The hot water was not very hot after a few overcast days (solar hot water) however these things are a part of island life and to be expected. We do recommend Aretai Beach Villas.
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Date of stay: May 2016
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Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â 'Absolute Beachfront' and 'Beachfront' are side by side on the beach...both...
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.
There are more places to choose from in the Aitutaki area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
aretai beach villas hotel aitutaki
LOCATION
Cook IslandsSouthern Cook IslandsAitutaki
NUMBER OF ROOMS
3
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