Cook Islands Accommodation
Cook Islands Hotel Reviews
Beautiful South Pacific Holidays

Finding Accommodation in the Cook islands

Where to Stay in the Cook Islands

Deciding where to go and what Cook Islands accommodation to choose is fairly straight forward. Essentially, there are only three islands to visit: 80% of holiday-makers spend their entire time on Rarotonga and although this is the biggest island in the group, it is still small enough that wherever you choose to stay you can easily reach all the sites - the island takes less than an hour to travel all the way around the coastal road and all accommodation is spread out along this coastal road. Aitutaki is the second most popular destination and appeals more to couples and honeymooners looking to explore the exquisite lagoon. Adventurous travellers will be curious about Atiu, the eco-destination, with its impressive caves and traditional lifestyle.

I do not recommend using booking engines like Booking.com or Kayak to book your holiday accommodation in the Cook Islands. These global booking platforms have terrible customer service when things go wrong (and they do) and their rating structure is based mostly on which hotels pay them higher commissions to be better placed in their recommendations over those trying not to bow to this corporate pressure. We would always recommend sending an enquiry direct to the hotel via its website and go from there. There should be no difference in price, you'll get to converse with a real person and you'll be assisting the hotel that you've chosen for your holiday.

The following directory represents my favourite accommodations in the Cook Islands over a range of price categories, locations and for both couples, families and travellers. Our directory features both the popular large beach hotels sold by most travel agents, as well as highlighting the smaller, lesser-known boutique style resorts around the islands for those looking for a little more peace and quiet.

Accommodation Styles

There's and excellent selection of accommodation in the Cook Islands but you won’t find any high rise hotels or massive resorts here, just quaint little seaside bungalows, tidy guesthouses, small couples-only boutique resorts, luxury villas and a couple of 200- room large hotels aimed at families. It is also a popular choice for long stays with excellent amenities, a good selection of holiday homes and good restaurants and shops.