Sunset Resort
Ara Tapu Nikao, Avarua Cook Islands
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About
#1 of 6 hotels in Avarua
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Sunset Resort is a 3.5 star property and is idyllically situated on the sheltered western side of the island only minutes from Avarua township. The secluded beachfront location provides guests with an unspoilt view of Rarotonga's crystal clear aqua blue lagoon and breathtaking sunsets. This personally managed, privately owned resort has an intimate atmosphere that will make every guest feel welcome and ensure they experience the magic of Rarotonga and its people.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Wifi
Pool
Free breakfast
Beach
Bicycle rental
Airport transportation
Baggage storage
Paid wifi
Pool / beach towels
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast buffet
Complimentary Instant Coffee
Complimentary tea
Poolside bar
Diving
Snorkeling
Fishing
Non-smoking hotel
Outdoor furniture
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun terrace
Sun umbrellas
First aid kit
Clothes dryer
Laundry service
Self-serve laundry
Washing machine
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Room features
Air conditioning
Dining area
Private balcony
Safe
Kitchenette
Microwave
Flatscreen TV
Walk-in shower
Private bathrooms
Tile / marble floor
Refrigerator
Stovetop
Electric kettle
Hair dryer
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Room types
Ocean view
Pool view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Lagoon View
Great View
Location
52Somewhat walkable
Grade: 52 out of 100
48Restaurantswithin 10 km
23Attractionswithin 10 km
807Reviews30Q+A100Room tips
Reviews
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+1
Very nicely appointed rooms. Staff couldn’t have been nicer, extremely helpful and made you feel very welcome. Restaurant meals could improve but service 10:10 great snorkelling/swimming straight from motel, even at low tide. Good parking
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip 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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Sunset Resort, General Manager at Sunset Resort
Responded Aug 13, 2023
Kia Orana Sandie J Great to read your review and see that you enjoyed your time at Sunset Resort, thank you for taking the time to post. We will pass your comments along to our team and also to the Anchorage Restaurant team who are working on employing an additional chef. Really pleased that you enjoyed the wonderful snorkeling off our beachfront and we do hope that you managed to see some of the whales that have been swimming past the resort over the last couple of weeks. Take care and have a wonderful year ahead. Kind regards Kev Cathy and the Sunset Resort team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
This is our 2nd visit to the resort. This time we had a beach front studio which was perfect. Thank you to the amazing staff from the office ladies to the restaurant, bar and cleaning,garden staff. Lovely to chat to the manager each morning when he had been out walking his dog. Great breakfast. Evening meals were fantastic. We will never get tired of the view. We will see you again. 🍹🌞🐠
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip 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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Sunset Resort, General Manager at Sunset Resort
Responded Aug 13, 2023
Kia Orana Nicola141 Great to hear that you enjoyed staying in one of our beachfront studios at Sunset Resort. Thank you for taking the time to write your review and we will pass your comments along to our staff. We do hope that you also got to see some of the whales that have been swimming by for the past couple of weeks. Have a fantastic year ahead and should you ever return to Rarotonga we will love to host you here at Sunset Resort again. Kev Cathy and the Sunset Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We have just got home from 7 nights beach front. The view is incredible, sunsets and whales passing by the reef were a treasure. A peaceful, friendly sanctuary to retreat to after a day of exploring, snorkelling and eating. The gardens are stunning and tended to daily. The cleaners did a fabulous job, big shout out to them! The Anchorage Restaurant staff Wise, Isaiah, Judy and the whole team were lovely & the food reasonably priced and delicious. We checked out some of the other resorts and were really pleased with our decision. Thanks team, we’ll be back.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip 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.
Helpful
Response from Sunset Resort, General Manager at Sunset Resort
Responded Aug 13, 2023
Kia Orana Amanda R - thank-you for taking the time to write your lovely review. We will pass a copy onto both our staff and the restaurant team. Great to hear that you were happy with your decision to stay at the Sunset Resort and we will look forward to hosting you when you return to our lovely paradise here in the Pacific. Have a lovely year ahead Kind Regards Kev Cathy & the Sunset team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
Amazing experience. Beautiful accomodation great for our family. Two pools (one with a bar) beautiful clean rooms. The restaurant and bar staff (shout out to Wise and his restaurant crew) were awesome and made our stay even cooler. So much attention to detail and great to chat to while you order cocktails. The beach is like a movie set you have to see it to believe it. However we chose to do our snorkelling on the other side of the island as a bit choppy….. maybe tomorrow!
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
Value
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.
Helpful
Response from Sunset Resort, General Manager at Sunset Resort
Responded Jul 10, 2023
Kia Orana Kyliel384 Thank you for taking the time and posting your review - we really appreciate it. We are always happy to know that guests have enjoyed their stay at Sunset Resort. We will pass your review onto the team. Yes, the lagoon out front has been quite choppy for the last week - however this morning it had settled down nicely. Take care and have a fantastic week ahead and if you decide to come back to Raro we would love to have you stay with us again. Kind regards Kev Cathy and the Sunset Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had never stayed here before. It was fantastic. We had two bedroom apartments beachside, very private. The staff were super helpful especially Kai, her daughter and her niece. Family connections! So lovely. The gardens were spotlessly tidy and attractive. Food and drinks reasonable in price. There was just a good feeling throughout the resort. Thanks you we had a wonderful family holiday. Love Raro! ❤️
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip: Nothing to avoid. Just enjoy!
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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.
Helpful
Response from Sunset Resort, General Manager at Sunset Resort
Responded Jul 6, 2023
Kia Orana SarahM thank you for taking the time to post your review - we really appreciate it. We are so pleased to read that you loved your stay with us at Sunset Resort - yes our team have a number of family connections which is fantastic - the team is more like family. We will pass on your review. Have a wonderful year ahead and we look forward to hosting you again if you ever come back to Raro. Kind regards Kev Cathy and the Sunset R team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
Stayed 7 nights at Sunset Resort at the recommendation of a Cook Islands Tourism rep at the 2020 NY Travel Show. This trip was postponed from 2020 because of youknowwhat... Sunset Resort...staff excellent! Extremely pleasant, fun, friendly everyday from airport pickup by Kimmie to my farewell at the front desk Hayley. Jo and Evelyn at the Birdcage Bar were aces. Always smiling, laughing with the guests. Anchorage Restaurant staff Judy, Wise, Isais, Tui and the rest, wonderful service everyday. Manager Kevin and his dog....always checking up on the guests. Housekeeping staff were great as well. I stayed at 2 other accommodations while on Raro and none beat these folks! Facilities were good. Room spotless, and well appointed with full fridge, fresh water, all kitchen needs. Aircon,no issues. There was more than enough room for a solo traveller. Did not use either of the 2 pools but they looked refreshing. Beach was good for snorkeling and sunsets. Anchorage Restaurant was very good for breakfast and dinner (did not eat lunch). I ate the continental breakfast (enough variety for me) so cannot comment on cooked meals. Used the laundry facilities once, free washer, dryer paid and inexpensive. Paid wifi vouchers available at the front desk. When it ran out I opted to get a data plan from Vodaphone in town which lasted me the remainder of my CI and NZ trip. All in all a great stay at Sunset Resort and look forward to returning! …
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Date of stay: May 2023Trip type: Traveled 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.
Helpful
Response from Sunset Resort, General Manager at Sunset Resort
Responded Jun 30, 2023
Kia Orana No1Ma Thank you for taking the time to post your review - we really appreciate it. Lovely to read this detailed review and we have passed copies to our staff and also to the staff at the Anchorage. We do hope that you will return one day to our little piece of paradise here in the Cook Islands and we will ensure that your experience staying with us is as good as this time. Take care and have a wonderful year ahead. Kind Regards Kev Cathy and the Sunset team - not forgetting our lovely dog Leilo
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This is the second time to this resort and it has improved which is normally hard as it was pretty good the first time. First off no kids under 12, bonus. On the beach over looking the reef. Two pools which welcome one with cool water on the warmest of days. Restaurant and separate bar. Comfortable beds. Rooms with cooking facilities but who wants to cook whilst on holiday. Wi-fi if a bit patchy in the room. Really friendly staff, again we are in the Cook Islands where everyone has a smile. Only problem to recommending this property is there are only 35 rooms so if everyone jumps to book we may not be able to get in next time. We will definitely be back.
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Traveled 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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Sunset Resort, General Manager at Sunset Resort
Responded Jun 30, 2023
Dear 137alanc thank you for taking the time to post your review - we appreciate it and take this opportunity to apologise for not responding sooner. Great to hear that you had a wonderful time with us and also enjoyed the Cook Islands. Our Wifi was and remains a bit of an issue, but we have recently installed some new access points so hopefully this has improved things. We would love to have you come back to stay with us some time in the future. In the mean have a lovely year ahead. All the best - Kev Cathy and the Sunset Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The rooms were very clean and spacious, the beds very comfortable, the gardens well cared for and lovely, and all of the staff so friendly and helpful. We had a great time in Rarotonga exploring all it had to offer but loved coming 'home' to this gorgeous peaceful resort, have some cocktails in the Birdcage Bar and enjoy watching changes in light as the sun set at the end of the day. Snorkels and goggles and beach-feet were available to us to borrow. If you want to swim here, the snorkeling gear helps navigate the corals and enjoy watching the array of fish species below the surface. The Anchorage restaurant was also a contagiously friendly place with wonderful staff. We bussed everywhere for the first couple of days (bus stop right outside), and then decided to hire a car for a few days (the rental car site was handy, next door at the Edgewater). Our whole holiday experience was wonderful and really the friendliness of our hosts played a big part in that. I do hope I have the opportunity to return to stay again one day. …
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
Value
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.
Helpful
Response from Sunset Resort, General Manager at Sunset Resort
Responded Jun 30, 2023
Kia Orana 661Leanep Thank you for taking the time to post your review. Really sorry we have taken so long to respond. We have passed your feedback onto our staff and to the team at the Anchorage - as a team we are really happy to know that you enjoyed your time in Rarotonga and also loved staying at Sunset Resort. We also hope that one day you will return and enjoy our little piece of paradise in this wonderful place. Kind regards Kev Cathy and the Sunset & Anchorage Teams
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kevin and the team are just amazing, they could not help/assist us more than they did. Beautiful place, amazing location. An absolute must to stay/relax. Just Epic!!! Would not stay any where else……..
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Traveled 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.
Helpful
Response from Sunset Resort, General Manager at Sunset Resort
Responded Feb 26, 2023
Kia Orana Sharonc We are really thrilled to hear that you had a great stay with us at the Sunset Resort. We trust that you have returned home safely and if you ever plan to return to Rarotonga be sure to look us up. thank you for posting your review. Kind regards Kev Cathy & the Sunset team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Our travel agent recommended the Sunset Resort on the island of Rarotonga, Cook Islands and it truly exceeded all of our expectations. I wanted to visit somewhere special to celebrate my 60th birthday and we selected the perfect spot. From the warm and inviting welcome of the receptionists including Robyn, Tina and Haley along with the management, they couldn’t have made our stay any nicer. They were always smiling and helpful, answering all our questions. And on my actual birthday, which Robyn shared with me, they presented me with a lovely card and a bottle of sparkling wine in order to celebrate. What a lovely touch. We stayed in one of the wonderful beachfront suites, which is steps away from the palm tree lined white sandy beach and crystal clear turquoise waters. The whole island has a protective reef around it and coral in abundance. The snorkeling was excellent, as was the swimming. They are two pools on the property and a bar beside one of them, which has a great happy hour. The Anchorage restaurant beside the entrance where breakfast is enjoyed, also has wonderful meals at lunch and dinner. And their staff were also extremely friendly and great at their jobs. The location is great being only about a 10 minute drive from the capital Avarua and on Saturday we enjoyed the open market there. At the end of the road of our resort, there’s a fabulous little bakery serving homemade sweet and savoury items. One highlight was daily watching the manager’s dog Lilo (sp?) come running down the side road and rushing into the water with such joy pouncing around. It’s a birthday and vacation we will always hold dear to our hearts and thank everyone at Sunset Resort for making it so special and memorable.…
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Date of stay: November 2022
Cleanliness
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.
Helpful
Response from Sunset Resort, General Manager at Sunset Resort
Responded Feb 3, 2023
Kia Orana FandFFandF We are so pleased to hear that you had a fabulous 60th Birthday - it is really important to us here at Sunset Resort that people have a very special and memorable experience when staying with us. Thank you for sharing this. We will pass this onto our team. Have a great year ahead - and welcome to the special over 60s club. Kind regards Kev Cathy Leilo and all the team here at Sunset Resort
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PRICE RANGE
$173 - $224 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
the sunset hotel arorangi, sunset hotel arorangi, sunset resort rarotonga
LOCATION
Cook IslandsSouthern Cook IslandsRarotongaAvarua
NUMBER OF ROOMS
35
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Claim Your ListingSUNSET RESORT - UPDATED 2023 Reviews & Price Comparison (Avarua, Cook Islands) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Sunset Resort
Which popular attractions are close to Sunset Resort?
Nearby attractions include Tik-e Tours (0.9 km), Aroa Marine Reserve (5.0 km), and Cook Island Christian Church (CICC) (2.1 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Sunset Resort?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at Sunset Resort?
Top room amenities include a kitchenette, air conditioning, and a flat screen TV.
What food & drink options are available at Sunset Resort?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Sunset Resort?
Conveniently located restaurants include Beluga, The Waffle Shack, and Wilson's Beach Bar & Restaurant - Castaway Resort.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Sunset Resort?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Sunset Resort have airport transportation?
Yes, Sunset Resort offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Are any cleaning services offered at Sunset Resort?
Yes, laundry service and self serve laundry are offered to guests.
Are there any historical sites close to Sunset Resort?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Wreck of the Matai (5.4 km).
Does Sunset Resort have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.