If you found this review to be informative and helpful, please kindly note as it will help us better focus our future review efforts! We stayed at the Moana Sands Beachfront Hotel in late January on our visit to Rarotonga. This was our fourth trip to the Cook Islands and we’ve tried various accommodations to date, including two rental properties and another resort villas property within the island. Note Moana Sands Group has three properties on the island thus is the source of confusion for many reviews on TripAdvisor. We selected the Beachfront Hotel (believe it was the oldest property of the bunch) due to its ideal location beachfront on the reef for snorkelling. Upon booking the resort, it is important to note that those who have rental vehicles with flights arriving after-hours are still required to pay for a one-way shuttle for one person so the attendee can let you into your rooms. After further discussing with the property manager, you can elect to follow the transport or have one person join the shuttle. The driver from Kai Mani transport was efficient, friendly, greeted us with beautiful leis upon arrival, and waited on us while we sorted out our rental – they are an excellent transport provider. All hotel staff we interacted with during our stay were helpful and friendly. We elected for the deluxe suites on the third floor. The room itself is spacious and includes basic amenities in a mini-kitchenette of sorts (basic small appliances, utensils, mini-fridge). The room did show its age however, and during our stay we noticed the first- and second- floor rooms albeit smaller appeared to have recent renovations. We also found the air conditioner had serious challenges keeping up pace with the warm summer weather. We booked the property with the AC feature as a need to keep us cool, but the vaulted ceiling created more room volume/space to cool. Be aware as with any property in the tropics, that bugs/insects are abundant anywhere and some basic tips help keep them away from your room (keep food in fridge not on counter, clean up crumbs after eating, etc.) The option for a breakfast is a convenient way to start the day, but do note that there were few changes to selection during the course of our visit. Breakfast is continental variety, including fruits, teas/coffee/juices, breads, ham/cheese/veg, yogurt and cereals. During the last few days, we discovered a great way to make a toasted grilled sandwich – two slices of bread, buttered on the outside, with ham, cheese, tomato and onion, on the little George Foreman grill until golden brown. It really elevated the breakfast experience and is highly recommended. There is the option for grill breakfast items at extra cost should guests desire. The beachfront area was not busy during our stay, staff did their best to keep the area and sand nicely kept, and the property offers sports equipment for use. As avid snorkelers, we brought our own equipment and really enjoyed snorkelling the reef. In
Booked a Luxury Escapes 7 night package and upgraded to the Beachfront Villa. So glad that we did. Our first floor villa was SPECTACULAR. Beautiful sun-rise view, great spot for afternoon drinks and most nights we slept with the doors and curtains opened so we could hear the ocean gently lapping onto the beach below. The bed was super-king sized and very comfortable. The bathroom recently renovated, so very modern and beautiful. Unfortunately for us, we arrived very early in the morning on Jetstar. We therefore got to the Resort very early, but the staff accommodated us with our WiFi access and we went to the Barefoot Bar/Sandals Restaurant, where we were able to purchase a delicious breakfast. The staff did their very best and we were able to check into our room around noon. We were so tired we slept the afternoon away but we had booked into Sandals for dinner. Our package included 3 x 2 course dinners each. The menu was not overly extensive, but we tried most on the menu and all was delicious. My other half discovered the Prawn Linguine on night 2, so that was it for him - DELICIOUS. I tried the lamb rack, chicken pasta and eye fillet - with the beef being as good as we get in AUS. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and well maintained. EVERY staff member greats you with Kia Orana EVERY time you pass. Every staff member we interacted with were just incredible, and although I hate to name just a few, I would be remiss in not thanking Aunty Mona, Joel, and Ashleigh in being assets to the organization. We also booked a couples massage at the sister resort, which was great. The only negative would be, when paying so much for a room, surely full breakfast could be included. And it really is a family resort, so can be quite loud at breakfast, and wow, those kids can devour the pastries as soon as they hit the basket. We did not use the pool once (was very noisy when we walked past “Marco” “Polo”) but when you have the Muri Lagoon in the front yard, who needs a pool !
We had an absolutely wonderful stay at Muri Beach Club Hotel! Everything was perfect from start to finish. The location is truly the best in Rarotonga, especially if you're a fan of Muri Lagoon. It's an ideal spot for snorkeling, paddle boarding, and kayaking, and the fact that these activities are complimentary is a fantastic bonus. One of the highlights for us was the pleasantly uncrowded atmosphere, allowing for a peaceful and relaxing experience. The pool area is fantastic, providing a refreshing retreat after a day of island adventures. The staff truly went above and beyond to ensure our stay was memorable, with special thanks to Michael and Jhen for their exceptional service. We can't wait to return to Muri Beach Club Hotel for another unforgettable vacation!
we stayed for 6 nights booking a ground floor beach view room. At the airport they check you in to the hotel so all you need to do is pick up your room key on arrival at the hotel. we stayed in the adults only hotel which seemed fairly quiet when we arrived. we were told we could go to the sister hotel next door to share facilities. In each room there is an A - Z compendium about the hotel which is about 60 pages long. In the compendium it states each room has a microwave but we didnt have one. The room seemed as decribed although in places the ratten effect wall coverings looked dirty and simply dated. There were holes where previous cupboards had been removed. The one bedside table looked dirty and mouldy and the table lamp plug looked singed! we just didnt use it. Large king size bed which I found too hard. There was a settee which had a broken leg, a table and two chairs. There was a lot of funriture for the size of the room which made it cramped and difficult to manouevre. The bathroom had louvre doors whch opened abov ethe bed head(?). The inbuilt single wardrobe housed iron and ironing board, broom, dustpan, safe, 3 drawers and can of ant spray. These were the only drawers in the room, which needed another set really. You got dressing gowns but if you were larger than size 12 they didnt fit. wifi was 20 usd for 10 days for 1 device only, so it was expensive if you were staying only for a few days adn it was intermittent. However, you could save money by not having your room cleaned so got a 10dollar credit for each day which you could use at the bar or on wifi etc. aircon worked well if a bit noisy. Mini bar fridge (payable) was barely cold, small kettle with instant coffee and creamer. There was an ice bucket which you could take to the bar and take back to your room. The house keeping staff were wonderful, very friendly and helpful. The gardens are beautifully kept and the entire complex is very clean. overall all staff were helpful and friendly.There was a decent pool with swim up bar and it was warm too, much warmer than the lagoon. Breakfast was complimentary for us, even though everyday we had to sign a slip for 48 dollars. Breakfast comprised cereal, toast, small croissants, cheese slices, tinned fruit pancakes, plain yoghurt, tea and coffee. we went to the sister restaurant as the tables in adult side were set on sand, and were often crawling with ants. we found other meals were pricey compared to outside restaurants and ate out every day after the first day where food was better. Outside the villa, the sand is gritty not soft but there are fantastic views of the lagoon, with sunbeds for each villa. sadly there was a problem with ants over the sunbeds, and patio, no wonder they gave you a tin of ant spray . snorkelling in the lagoon was fantastic with multiple species of fish, stunning royal blue star fish etc. there was free to use snorkel equipment in each room although we had taken our own. you do need to use wa