Edgewater Resort & Spa review – Cook Islands family accommodation
A fun Rarotonga beach resort perfect for families
This Cook Islands waterfront resort is the perfect holiday getaway in paradise
Edgewater Spa and Resort in Rarotonga
Edgewater Resort and Spa
In Rarotonga we stayed at the Edgewater Resort and Spa – a large, family-friendly beach resort.
With a resort pool, onsite restaurants and absolute beachfront rooms and villas, this is a great family accommodation choice for your Jetstar Cook Island holiday!
Check for the best Edgewater Resort rates on Tripadvisor here
This page may contain affiliate links. If you book a stay or an attraction through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!
Our Edgewater Resort balcony view
When we first arrived in Rarotonga International Airport we picked up our hire car and headed off down the road with our Rarotonga map in hand. Even with it clearly marked on my map, I almost missed the Edgewater Spa and Resort’s sign and unassuming driveway. I did a quick U-turn, and headed back to turn in.
Set back off the road next to the ocean, the Edgewater Resort is actually massive. Set over 6 acres, the driveway opens out into the courtyard and a large, modern complex of apartments and villas. None are too tall though – there is a clever Cook Island law stating that no building can be higher than the tallest coconut tree!
There are all kinds of apartments and rooms at the Edgewater Resort and Spa
As I entered the open-sided reception area to check in I was met with a warm island welcome from hotel staff. I learned that even though we were early, our accommodation had already been prepared for us.
We were shown to our room and I followed in our hire car, parking straight across from our ground floor room. Set within lush tropical gardens, a gardener was tending the blooms, picking fresh Hibiscus to decorate rooms in time for new guests checking in.
Our Beachfront Deluxe Room
During our stay at the Edgewater Spa and Resort we stayed in a Beachfront Deluxe Room – and again when we returned for an extra couple of nights before we flew back to Sydney.
Our Edgewater Spa and Resort Beachfront Deluxe Room
Upon entering our room we were delighted to find a Cook Island Tourism welcome package to celebrate the first Jetstar Australia flight that we had arrived on that morning. There was also a large platter of delicious fresh fruit that lasted us our entire first stay at the Edgewater Resort. We were loving our Cook Island stay already!
A modern ensuite bathroom
Our ensuite featured a luxurious spa bath
The bathroom ensuite was spacious and featured a shower and luxurious spa bath – just the thing to bath the kids at the end of the day – or for mum or dad to relax in! There was also a hairdryer and selection of complementary amenities.
The complementary bathroom amenities in our ensuite
My family was very comfortable during our stay in our Beachfront Deluxe Room. Our room’s features included climate control air conditioning, a large flatscreen TV, refrigerator and tea and coffee making facilities. It was a generous size, which meant we had plenty of room to spread out.
Our Edgewater Resort room balcony overlooked the beach
It was lovely going to sleep at night with the gentle sounds of the South Pacific just outside, and the table and chairs setting on the balcony was the perfect place to enjoy a morning coffee overlooking the beach.
Edgewater Resort guest facilities
Being a major resort, the Edgewater has ample guest facilities and amenities, including two restaurants, a bar, a large resort swimming pool, a beauty spa, a gift shop, a full-size tennis court, a kids club, a guest lounge with a drinking water dispenser and an ATM. There is also a convenient coin-operated laundry on site, which as we all know is so useful for families staying more than a few days on holiday.
Free snorkel hire
Edgewater Resort holiday entertainment
The Edgewater Resort’s Coconut Kid’s Club will keep even the youngest resort guests entertained! An Activities Hut located next to the resort pool is the hub of some really fun daily holiday activities, including dance lessons, palm leaf weaving and even crab races!
Don’t miss the International Crab Race at the Activity Hut!
Swimming and snorkeling in gentle waters of the lagoon is a wonderful Cook Islands holiday activity. As the Edgewater Resort is situated right on the beautiful Rarotonga Lagoon, snorkeling and swimming are great activities for resort guests to try, but you don’t need to buy or bring any gear along with you. We took advantage of the free snorkel and reef shoe hire available at the pool-side Activities Hut.
Snorkel gear and reef shoes are free to use at the Edgewater Spa and Resort
You can see a lot of beautiful coral and tropical fish, and as there is a large shallow area alongside the resort it’s very family friendly – even for small children.
The Edgewater Resort beach is perfect for family fun, and lined with beautiful palm trees
The resort beach is a beautiful place to relax on a lounge chair under the palm trees. This is the island life! In the evenings after dinner at the Brasserie you can ajourn to Mal’s Bar by the beach.
A large beachfront restaurant
The outdoor tables at the resort restaurant
The Edgewater Resort has two on-site restaurants – an Italian restaurant and a large beachside restaurant, The Brasserie.
We loved having breakfast by the beach at the Brasserie
The Brasserie acts as the resorts main restaurant and features an all day menu. There is both indoor and outdoor dining areas. In the outdoor area guests are seated under thatch-roofed tables alongside the beach and swimming pool.
Roaming chickens are a common sight in the Cook Islands!
We loved having our tropical breakfast at the Brasserie each morning, sitting out near the beach and giggling at the odd local rooster or chicken darting about! There were some really delicious meals on offer for lunch and dinner at the Edgewater Resort.
A delicious steak lunch at the Edgewater Resort beach front restaurant
If you feel like venturing out to explore some of the nearby local restaurants, there is a huge range to choose from – over 100 cafes and restaurants on Rarotonga alone, in fact. Several of which you can walk to from the Edgewater Resort, or are just a quick five or ten minute drive down the road.
Edgewater Resort and Spa, Rarotonga
What is there to do in Rarotonga?
A souvenir shop in Avarua, the town centre of Rarotonga
There is so much to do in Rarotonga! From swimming and snorkeling in the beautiful lagoon to shopping for local crafts to restaurant hopping to relaxing by your resort pool, the Cook Islands are all about a holiday that will make every family member happy! Read more about Cook Islands holiday planning in our feature article here.
In Rarotonga, our main activity was a Turtle Safari with Ariki Adventures.
Ariki Adventures Sea Scooter Turtle Safari
Whilst we were in Rarotonga, we went swimming with turtles using sea scooters. This is a really amazing activity you can enjoy in the Cook Islands – we saw too many turtles to count!
You can read all about our Ariki Adventures Sea Scooter Turtle Safari here.
Which airline flies to the Cook Islands?
Jetstar Australia offer cheap fares to the Cook Islands three times a week – check their website for their low Cook Island fares and frequent sales.
See Jetstar Australia’s cheap Cook Island flights here
Edgewater Resort & Spa important info
Resort name: The Edgewater Resort & Spa
Address: 1 Puaikura Drive, Ruaau, Arorangi, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Phone no.: +682 25 435
Email address: stay@edgewater.co.ck
For bookings: Check for the best Edgewater Resort rates on Tripadvisor here
Map to show how to get to the Edgewater Resort from Rarotonga Airport
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The Let’s Go Mum family partnered with Jetstar Australia for our flights and hosted us for a week in the Cook Islands, including at the Edgewater Resort and Spa. As always, all opinions remain firmly our own.
This page may contain affiliate links. If you book a stay or an attraction through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!
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