NOVEMBER 2014

Hi Carissa

What a gorgeous place Rarotonga is!!! So restful and the people are very warm and friendly. You feel very safe even walking down the road late at night with very little light. The vibe is so different to Fiji - doesn't even compare in my view.

Muri Beach Club Hotel would get a 6.5/10 from me.

Pros - The room was pretty much on the bland side, though it was light, airey, large, clean, very well supplied with toiletries and hot drink options. The beach was just gorgeous with the small islands across the lagoon adding interest and giving a very relaxed tropical feel. There were plenty of paddle boards, kayaks and snorkelling gear available and the water was warm and clear. The staff were so friendly and confident without being arrogant. The hotel is well placed for other eateries nearby as well as a couple of dairys.

Cons - Restaurant floral decorations were looking very tired with some of the elements going yellow and drying off. Some placemats were coming apart. The food was rather gluggy and tasteless (the one night we had dinner at the hotel) The pool was quite nice with a great variety of different types of seating but there weren't enough sun umbrellas, so many of the loungers stayed empty with didn't give a great vibe around the pool. Could do with more large plants too, to give more of the tropical vibe. General hotel gardens were just OK. There was no facility to sit outside to eat breakfast Probably not up to the standard you would expect of a 5 star hotel (especially in Asia). We arrived at 12:30am (ie very early in the morning) and waited on the hotel shuttle bus for at least 40 minutes for people arriving on the next flight and got to bed at 2:30am!

Thanks.
Fiona Reid