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HOTEL STYLE
Trendy
Romantic
Property amenities
Free parking
Parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Pool
Room features
Blackout curtains
Air conditioning
Safe
Kitchenette
Dishwasher
Kitchenware
Room types
Suites
Location
2 Ariki Road Atupa, Avarua 0000 Cook Islands
Kia Orana Villas & Spa
4.7 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
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We booked through an agent and were very happy with his choice as this was our first trip to Rarotonga (for my husband and I).
The location suited us, because it was close to the airport and Avarua town and not too far to The Needle walk.
The room (a 1 bedroom luxury villa) was very comfortable with a full kitchen incl. coffee maker, washing machine & dryer.
The bed was super comfortable, and the bathroom had a luxurious bath tub. Tip, if wanting a bath start filling this up early because the bath water pressure is slow although the shower pressure was great.
The TV reception was not so great however there was an enormous supply of older movies free of charge.
The continental breakfast with the freshly picked fruit, home-made yoghurt, Sane's freshly baked banana loaf and muffins were delicious and Jo's freshly made coffee was the icing on the cake for the husband.
There are bikes for hire at a great price.
I had a deep tissue massage onsite (bliss) at a reasonably price which was a nice treat.
What made our holiday extra memorable was how all the staff shared their stories about their culture and “Island Life” and went the extra mile to ensure we had an enjoyable stay. Nothing was too much effort.
Thank you Sane, Joseph, Tevita and Nancy.
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Date of stay: September 2022
Value
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.
We looked at a lot of properties before choosing Kia Orana Villas, but we are so glad we stayed here.
The villas are well equipped with full kitchens and a washing machine. Our double room also had 2 sinks in the bathroom. The bath and shower are outside, but we got used to that.
Great continental breakfast selection and Sane always encouraged us to take baking and fruit with us. Sane was incredibly helpful throughout, from adjusting our booking, right up until we left.
The pool and spas were great to come back to after a long day of exploring the island. You can still enjoy a spa when it is 26 degrees outside!
The WIFI is fine for checking emails or social media but often randomly stops working. There is a huge library of DVDs to keen you entertained, as the TV channels are basically unwatchable.
A couple of minor points: Some of the pool furniture material needs to be cleaned or replaced. The glass door between the bathroom and the outdoor shower lets in bugs, slugs and wasps.
We really enjoyed our stay and will recommend to anyone who wants to get away from the resorts.
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Date of stay: June 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
Just checked out We had a great time and loved stayingbat kia orana villas and spa. Sane and Joseph were friendly and helpful had some great chats. Tge rooms were clean tidy and comfortable the other staff were always friendly. We loved our breakfast fresh fruit and we especially loved the fry bread yummy We didn't want to leave and are looking forward to going back and will definitely be staying again You guys rock Joseph made us lovley flat whites and they were so welcoming you guys rock see you next time sharmane and barry xx
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Date of stay: November 2022
Value
Location
Service
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.
Wonderfully appointed apartment with everything you need clean and comfortable, the place needs some maintenance with outdoor furniture falling apart (ratan), fly screens etc but overall great place to stay. I staff nice when you see them which is not often which is nice. This is not our first time to the island and love it we try and stay with local operators rather than the big resort styes. The biggest disappointment was the packs of roaming dogs 6/9 at times running through property and having fights outside our room and on balcony setting off sensor lights etc, quite imitating along with nonstop barking all night long, we stayed 11 nights only got a good sleep 3 times the rest constantly woken up with dogs. if you're a light sleeper like me this is not a good place to stay but would be if the dogs were addressed. if you go out for a walk you need to be alert to the packs of dogs that bark and run towards you so intimidating.
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Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
Villa has everything you need in a house. I have stayed at other accomadations in Raro and this villa is my best stay so far. Tidy and super clean! The staff are amazing!! Breakfast was included every morning in the cafe so that was a bonus. Swimming pool and spas were also a bonus! Kid friendly, spacious and private. Close to airport and town centre. I cant think of anything negative about my stay at Kia Orana Villas. Highly recommend.
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Date of stay: January 2020
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.
We stayed in one of the luxury villas for a week and it was amazing. The room is very comfortable, spacious, clean and has everything that one can need for their stay. Pool was great to cool down on a hot day . Sane and the team were absolutely amazing . All of our needs were catered to. We had a wonderful stay here at the Kia orana villas and would stay with them again in a heartbeat :)
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip 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.
Please kindly indicate if you found this review to be helpful, as it will help me better focus my future review efforts.
Kia Orana Villas is a boutique resort located a few minutes from Rarotonga International Airport in the Avarua district. The villas are modern, unique, spacious and very well-appointed with quality furnishings throughout, fairly well stocked kitchenettes for use, include a clothes washer, microwave ovens, stovetop, traditional oven, dishwasher, hoodfan and good utensils. Living room areas are modern and have quality furniture. The bathroom has a shower stall with three styles of output (faucet, standard shower, and rainfall shower). The bed wash quite cushy (we prefer firm mattresses) but comfortable nonetheless. In addition, there was a nice touch of a bathtub outside. It truly was a home away from home, but with the added benefit of light housekeeping (bed made, towel change, tidy up) being done throughout the week, which was a bonus. Everything was thoughtfully considered and it seemed that no expense was spared. Touches like motion activated lighting, custom designed pens, compendium and so forth were appreciated. Villa 1 is nice because it is off to the side, and has its own deck furniture for a bit more privacy. We did not try the pool, but we did lay in the loungers as well as try the hot tubs which were again, great touches to the property. Additionally, all staff we interacted with were friendly, courteous, non-intrusive and exemplified the Kia Orana spirit.
A few things to consider: As of this writing (September 2018), Villa 1’s safe is still under repair and a piece of outside glass was awaiting replacement. We found the sliding shades in the honeymoon studio Villa 1 to be neat in architectural design but a bit limiting on privacy (the newer villas have curtains). Note the property is inland inside one of the island’s communities, thus you will have to contend with the noise of roosters and dogs throughout the day and night. This is a stark contrast to our first visit to the Cook Islands when we stayed in a rental property by the ocean with less noise at night. Moreover, while most commercial amenities and restaurants are close by, a number of the more popular establishments and beaches require some driving to get to, so having a rental/hired car or scooter is a definite must. Parking is on site and instructions on how to park were appreciated, but we still had a guest park the other way (perpendicular to the wall) - hence, some basic signs to indicate specific spots may help. As of this writing in September 2018, there is still construction being done on site to expand the property further, which brings some added noise. We were aware of most these considerations prior to arrival and were largely not bothered by them, as we felt the amenities and value proposition outweighed the factors (especially those largely beyond the resort’s control).
In summary, we felt the current online ratings on various sites are largely indicative and accurate of the experience you will receive at Kia Orana Villas. We perceive this property to be a bit above 4.5 circles on Tripadvisor, but we are rounding up to 5 circles due to whole number ratings. The considerations mentioned, the slight difficulty we had checking in and items still being repaired bring the rating down a notch. However, the strong showing of the property, modern furnishings, allowance for early check-in, good pricing when we booked and its well-appointed amenities are the property’s strong points, especially when comparing this modern accommodation to other resorts on the island that appear somewhat dated. Provided the resort remains competitive price-wise to maintain its value proposition and you have access to a rental vehicle to visit the rest of the island, Kia Orana Villas is an excellent option to consider for your future stay in the Cook Islands.
Please kindly indicate if you found this review to be helpful, as it will help me focus on my future review efforts! Safe travels!!
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Date of stay: September 2018
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:every villa appeared to be spacious and well-appointed as ours (Villa 1)
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.
Stayed in Villa 13 for a week and found it very well appointed. They are all pretty new, there is every cutlery and cooking utensil you could need. A fancy coffee machine,hair dryer and every cleaning agent needed. Nothing appears to be spared or left out. The finishing however to me was a little rough, but don’t let that put you off as it’s a work in progress and didn’t affect our stay.
The location on the inner road was easy enough to find, but we know Raro. If you are coming here for the first time and driving yourself, take note of the advice they give you on finding the place.
Good pool, quiet spot, handy to town. Fantastic having your own Weber Baby Q on the deck.
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Date of stay: February 2019
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 RossJanNZ, Manager at Kia Orana Villas & Spa
Responded 21 Nov 2019
Kia orana Thank you for your review. We have had a fulltime maintenance manager since August 2019 who is ensuring that finishing is completed properly, and all Villas are maintained. Our cafe and spa and now operating and our staff are excellent.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This is decent and recently built establishment (still being constructed until end of 2018). It is near the airport, so walking to Kia Orana Villas is possible (at least I did). Rooms are large and include a kitchen so one can prepare your own meals.
The staff was very helpfull upon arrival, serving coffee and kindly answering a million questions regarding life in the Cook Islands (and even taking me on a scooter ride to the city center). Also worth mentioning is that the owner, Ross Holmes, is an expert on Cook Island history, having written a thorough scientific study hereof, which is easily readable and available in a large three volume bookcase in the villas. Highly recommendable.
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Date of stay: August 2018Trip type: Travelled solo
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.
Great place to stay! Would highly recommend! Friendly staff who you barley see as your in your own private villa. Very well equipped! Coffee machine,washing machine, dishwasher etc etc cleaners do a great Job! Pool area great! This place is a lil out of the way and the bus doesn’t go past here which can be a pain if having to walk but it’s prob only a 20min walk from town. Once get a scooter it’s easy to get around. Couldn’t work the tv but had hotspot so could use phones. Would stay again! And is great price for what you get and what’s provided!!! Felt very spoilt and didn’t realise how good we had it til went to our next accom choice which was no way near as good as this place for the price.
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Date of stay: April 2019Trip 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 RossJanNZ, Owner at Kia Orana Villas & Spa
Responded 20 Nov 2019
I am glad that you enjoyed your stay and hope that you can visit us again soon.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
There are more places to choose from in the Avarua area.
PRICE RANGE
$215 - $298 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
Cook IslandsSouthern Cook IslandsRarotongaAvarua
NUMBER OF ROOMS
13
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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