Manuia Beach Resort

This resort turned out to be a perfect choice for us. We loved the relaxed atmosphere and the central location. While the area fronting the resort is a bit rocky, only a short stroll down the beach you'll find sandy snorkeling spots or take a quick drive to premium snorkeling areas a few minutes away. Across the street is a local store & Island Car and Bike Rental. Because our flight from Hawaii landed at 10:30pm we used the hotel's free airport pickup service to get there and then just grabbed our car the next day. Victor (Night Manager) made a great first impression with his friendly welcome. He also dropped us off for our late-night flight on departure day. Anna at the Front Desk was exceptionally cheery and helpful. We booked a premium garden suite and found it perfectly peaceful as it was tucked in the corner of the resort so there weren't people walking by our room, though the wifi was a bit spotty there. Housekeeper Litia was awesome. GM Ross does NOT sit in his office all day - he's always walking around the property, hosted a manager's cocktail reception, drove our van on a "mystery tour". We were impressed by his "hands on" style and it's apparent why all of the employees are equally hospitable. Resort offers other activities such as ukulele lessons and drop off/pickup for Sunday church service which was a wonderful experience. The resort was extremely accommodating to the fact that our Hawaiian Air flight did not depart until 11:30pm. After checking out of our room, they stored our luggage while we enjoyed the island on our last day. We returned our car at 2:30pm just before Island Car closed and then simply walked back to the resort. We were offered use of the guest lounge to shower and get ready for our flight. You have several nearby options for dinner before a late flight: The fire dance dinner/show at the resort; walking to Waterline down the beach; or nearby Kikau Hut that offers pickup service. We enjoyed dinner at Kikau Hut, returned to the hotel in time for their complimentary 9:00pm shuttle to the airport. We felt extremely cared for during the week we spent at Manuia Beach Resort and can't wait to return. Though I'm a bit late in posting this review - we are still basking in the wonderful memories of our time in Rarotonga and thank the staff at Manuia for a fantastic stay!