Outdoor pool, pool umbrellas, pool loungers

Reviews of Nautilus Resort

4.5 out of 5
Nautilus Resort
Muri Beach, Ara Tapu, Ngatangiia District, Rarotonga

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 69 out of 86 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 12 out of 86 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 86 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 86 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 86 reviews" "

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

9.0/10

Amenities

9.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Cheryl, hana

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Wonderful staff. On site food options and availability limited and not very good.
Stayed 8 nights in Feb 2024

6/10 Okay

David

Travelled with family and small children, Business traveller
the Cook Islands has a staff shortage at the moment, but it was most notable at the Nautilus. we were told on three separate occasions that the bar was closed for the afternoon as they didn't have a bar tender. there was also no room service available for the duration of our stay. what staff they had were friendly enough, but very busy trying to keep up. we did note that some of other resorts we went to looked to have plenty of staff, so not sure what the issue was. the room was nice, although a bit tired and could do with a freshen up to bring it up to the photos on the website. for $900 a night, we were left underwhelmed.
Stayed 6 nights in Oct 2023

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent accomodation and location, close all facilities and ideal beach with Lagoon area. This resort deserves 5 star rating however the restaurant lets the resort down and the owners need to invest in improving this. There are plenty of examples (OTB) of where they need to be when it comes to food quality and variety. Being closed two days a week is just not acceptable when pay this price to stay there,
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great property, large size villas, very clean and tidy, great pool and restaurant, very friendly staff, well recommended.
Stayed 5 nights in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Braden, Victoria

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Well presented, very clean, great friendly helpful staff.
Stayed 8 nights in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Ideal position right on the beach with great restaurant over-looking pool and beach.Accommodation superb with large 'ares' Only disappointments were that night lighting very poor for reading , need a kindle and lagoon too shallow for swimming,the resort pool needs to be heated ?solar, at this time of year.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Rdtrips

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had the 2 bedroom villa which was perfect for us with kids. Spacious and beautiful. Great location, easy to walk to market and restaurants. Lagoon is beautiful but no fish, just full of sea cucumbers so it’s not fun to walk in. Walk further down or drive to a different area for tons of fish right at your doorstep.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2019
Response from resort Manager on 25 June 2019
Kia Orana, thank you for choosing to stay with us. We are pleased you enjoyed your time here and hope to see you again. Meitaki

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
What a beautiful place! Staff are very friendly and accomodating, rooms are awesome. If you really want an experience try to get a room with an Ocean view, WOW.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2019
Response from Resort Manager on 25 June 2019
Meitaki, thank you for choosing to stay with us. We are pleased you enjoyed your time with us and hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Karen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Top quality stay
Stunning boutique property on the lagoon in Muri. Very spacious rooms, beautifully furnished and a very good restaurant. Very friendly, welcoming staff
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2019
Response from Resort Manager on 25 June 2019
thank you for choosing to stay with us. We are pleased you enjoyed your time here and hope to see you again.

10/10 Excellent

Louise, Christchurch, NZ

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved the individual plunge pools at each bure but could have done with thicker fencing around the room for added privacy. Great venue and service
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 6 nights in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The resort is beautiful, but it's the staff that really make the stay special.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Tony

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Rarotonga luxury holiday
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Nautilus, the staff were friendly and engaging and the infinity pool a delight. The rooms were clean and comfortable but would need a kindle to read at night as the lighting is minimal. Lots of water activity gear available kayaks, sups and snorkeling gear. The location is great being right on the beach and plenty of eateries within walking distance. We would definitely stay here again.
Stayed 8 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff very accommodating and knowledgable about local amenities
Stayed 8 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Bin

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Best resort on Rarotonga. Nice beach to snorkel from out and around island. Food 5 star. Location can walk from. Suggest hiring a car though. Room on beach with own pool very luxurious. Great wet edge pool overlooking lagoon.
Stayed 8 nights in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful but could use improvement
We were welcomed to a beautiful room set up with fruit and champagne. We booked last minute and they were not aware we were coming so we waited a bit in the bar. The staff were nice. We saw a cockroach in our room and another couple stated the same. It’s an island we were told and it happens. We were asked to switch rooms for our last night on part of our 5 night stay. We noticed another family switched rooms too during our stay. We said we were not comfortable moving but Tatiana ended up coming to our room asking again if they provided a late check out. She looked up our flights. We felt she made their error our problem. When we arrived, we stated we were looking forward to a stress free stay. We ended up switching from room 7 to 17 but felt the room was not as nice and was near the road area. We also booked a tour with Tatiana that was 10 minutes away walking but transfers were included. I stated if it’s the last stop there and first stop back, we would like transfers given that it’s summer and going to be more dressed up. We did not want to walk in the dark as it ended late. She did not ask and booked it with no transfer. We asked when we arrived and were annoyed to find out that we would have been picked up last and dropped off first. I left my hat at the hotel and the man working the evening dropped it off at the airport. This was amazing and I was very thankful. Overall, it was a nice stay but needs more attention to be a 4.5 star hotel.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Teri

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
What a beautiful property! The staff is fantastic, very kind and always helpful. I loved how they always remembered my name. The views are amazing, the pool is fantastic, and the food at the restaurant is tasty. Loved the local options. I splurged on a beachfront room and it was worth every penny! Private. Nice way to relax. Highly recommend.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely location. Not on sunset side. Had our wedding there and it was beautiful. We drew their attention to what needed to be polished up on in order to retain their star rating.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We loved the villa room and plunge pool. Enjoyed the infinity pool area. Breakfast buffet was appreciated and food, in general, was very good. Lovely staff.
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Our family of 4 stayed at the Nautilus for 5 nights this summer. The staff were all friendly and helpful. The manager Craig in particular could not have done more to make our stay comfortable. The rooms are beautifully furnished, really comfortable and spacious. The restaurant was excellent and our (9 and 11yo) children loved our stay as much as us grown ups did. A fantastic hotel; I can't think of anything Nautilus could have improved upon. We definitely plan to return in a few years.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2018

10/10 Excellent

Helen, Sydney

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We cannot fault Nautilus Resort facilities or staff. We were extended generous hospitality, comfortable room and pleasant surroundings. Location close to Muri village and right on the lagoon was a great bonus along with the coffee machine in our room and the complimentary sumptuous breakfast. Thank you for a wonderful holiday.
Stayed 6 nights in Oct 2018

8/10 Good

Eb, Victoria Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice resort, on the beach, family friendly so be prepared to have kids about.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful Resort in Muri
We stayed at Nautilus for three nights. Great location in beautiful Muri. Close to night food markets and beach. Awesome rooms, spacious, clean and lovely amenities. The food was also great. Plenty of choices for breakfast and dinner. Staff lovely too. Would definitely stay here again!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2018
Response from Craig-Resort Operations Manager on 12 Sept 2018
Kia Orana Happy Guest Thank you for giving us a perfect rating and for recommending our resort to other travelers. I'm glad that you found our location convenient. Were you able to explore the area? If not, you can visit us again and we are happy to share with you the must-visit attractions as well as some hidden treasures in the area. I will be sure to let our staff know how much of an impact they made on your experience We hope to welcome you back to Nautilus resort on your next travels to the beautiful Cook Islands. Kia manuia

8/10 Good

Vicky, Auckland NZ

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely but one disappointing issue.
Beautifully presented resort in a lovely setting, each and every staff member so attentive and welcoming, cannot fault the main points at all. The room was awesome and they seemed to have thought of every detail, there's even water sports gear to use for free...although heads up if you're looking for a snorkelling with fish type experience then head further around the lagoon to The Rarotongan. Our one big disappointment with the resort however was that in the short weekend stay that we were there, they closed off their main core facilities ie: restaurant and bar for a private function (a wedding). Now obviously I appreciate the need for this but I do think that a resort of this calibre should have better options for their paying guests than just being sent to the resort next door to use their facilities. They need to put in a smaller bar/restaurant to service their guests during these times which according to staff is twice a week in peak season so actually quite often.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2018
Response from Craig-Resort Operations Manager on 5 Sept 2018
Kia Orana Vicky Thank you for taking the time to send your review of your stay at The Nautilus Resort. We are very pleased that you enjoyed the facilities in our resort and the surrounding areas. Your point about the restaurant being closed for a special event, we are currently discussing what we can do for future events that require the booking of the whole restaurant. As much as we appreciate your dining at our Aqua Restaurant we also encourage our guests to try the local restaurants. We hope you will have an opportunity to return and enjoy The Nautilus Resort again in the future. Meitaki Maata

10/10 Excellent

Spencer, Sydney, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nautilus Resort & Spa
Superb boutique resort. Staff genuinely went above & beyond to help make the stay memorable. Sizzling Parrot Fish for dinner is beyond awesome! If I had a magic wand I would speed up the internet and have more tv channels in the room.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2018
Response from Craig on 25 Aug 2018
Kia Orana Spencer My sincere apologies for delayed response to your wonderful review about Nautilus Resort. The sizzling parrot fish is one of our signature and most popular dishes, I will pass on to the kitchen your comments and how much you enjoyed the dish. Unfortunately internet can be a little slow on the island and we are looking into more tv channels in the future. We look forward to see you again if your travels brings you to the beautiful Cook Islands Best wishes Craig Champion Resort Operations Manager

8/10 Good

Marjolein, Sydney

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Room cleaningness could be much better, it felt like it was just a quick wipe through the room, don’t think our bed linen got changed as felt sand in the bed daily. No milk for coffee, sugar you could not get it out of the little sleeves as was dissolved. Very dusty above the bathroom, toilet was not cleaned daily. Breakfast in restaurant was average, no consistency.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2018

2/10 Terrible

Sandra, Australia

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A small resort trying to carter for weddings without enough facilities to make everybodies stay enjoyable. The only restaurant and bar closed for weddings and other functions. No security on site to control drunken and out of control behaviour. Hotel management not taking sufficient action to prevent this type of behaviour. Would not recommend to anyone looking for a quiet, relaxing enjoyable time. We certainly wont be coming back to this resort.
Stayed 5 nights in May 2018

10/10 Excellent

Leslie, Monterey Park, CA, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Probably the best resort on Rarotonga. Excellent beach, very quiet and romantic. Wonderful snorkeling. Beautiful and comfortable ares (bungalows). Great restaurant. Tremendous menu, great beers, great wine list. The staff is very dedicated and professional, especially the manager, Warwick, and the bartender, Oscar. All the girls are fantastic! What more can I say? The place is fabulous! It's also very close to the Muri night market, which is a jewel! We loved it!
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2018

10/10 Excellent

Rex, Napa, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel on the beach, close to cafes etc, friendly staff, excellent views.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent and friendly staff, very attentive. Location and view from the pool was spectacular. With each room having a plunge pool there was opportunity to enjoy the venue privately. The restaurant food was wonderful and the room was awesome, even with seomone right next door you felt very secluded. The spa treatments were great and it was easy to walk along the beach or further into Muri. Everything was close by and the local very friendly dogs would adopt a human or two every time you were walking the beach. Take your reef shoes, take your camera and chill, fabulous place to unwind and destress. Loved it and would definitely stay here again.
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2018

10/10 Excellent

Rebekah, New Zealand

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay
Nice staff, great hotel. Good location right on the beach. Will stay here again
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2018

8/10 Good

Maria, Queenstown, NZ

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful looking boutique hotel on Muri Lagoon
Nautilus provided very attractive accommodation and was well appointed including an excellent bed. Quiet and private. Couple of problems in the room however - the movie channel would not work (which we reported without resolution) and given the limited TV in the Cook Islands that was disappointing. We had several problems with our safe which ultimately had to be replaced and the air con which seemed to switch itself off in the middle of the night. Food at the resort was only very average (this seemed be a problem right across Rarotonga) and continental breakfasts especially were not great. In the tropics one would have expected a reasonable variety of tropical fruit but very basic. The staff were a mixed bag - many of the Rarotongans didn't seem very motivated or even that friendly, whereas other nationalities were much more attentive and friendlier. The lovely girl on reception was a delight. The pool was fabulous which was fortunate as the swimming on the beach was nigh on impossible due to rocks everywhere and the tide goes out for miles. Other hotels further down the beach were better situated to avoid the rocks and you can walk down there. You certainly need to wear reef shoes which are available at the hotel. Although at high tide the lagoon looks gorgeous. In summary, Nautilus is probably one of the most luxurious hotels in Rarotonga but we probably won't go back to the Cooks - not that much there although a pleasant place to just relax and chill out.
Stayed 8 nights in Jan 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent Hotel
This place lived up to our expectations and more. Highly recommended.
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2017

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic Honeymoon Stay
We had a fabulous stay at Nautilus for our Honeymoon. The rooms were modern and gorgeous. I loved the chandeliers. The staff did everything with a smile, including delivering complimentary fudge in the evening. Our personal pool was well needed in the heat and when we wanted privacy. I thought we’d want the ocean view room but was so thankful for the privacy of our patio in the garden view room. The complimentary breakfast was delicious and had great menu variety as well. Kris hosted most mornings and it was so lovely checking in with her about our day. Mary kept the space clean and ready for every guest. The happy hour was nice and the New Zealand wines were perfect. They offer a shuttle for $25/ person to and from the airport. Margaret was a safe and pleasant driver. Those at the front desk (Nat, Flaura, Saresh, and Josh) were extremely helpful with making sure we had our tours booked with ease.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Just a great experience - others will enjoy it Im sure
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2017

10/10 Excellent

JJ , Alberta

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Poor Wifi
For a hotel of this level and to have no wifi at the room is poor. Wifi only available at Reception and reliability is bad.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2017

10/10 Excellent

an, sydney

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We stayed here for our final nights at the cook islands and we absolutely saved the best for last. Our room was so spacious, clean and had everything we needed. The staff there service, friendliness was more than we could ask for. Also the options during breakfast were great. And at the beach they had SUP and kayak material for us to use. We loved it!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2017

10/10 Excellent

Simon, NZ

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent resort. Great facilities. Helpful staff. Clean and comfortable rooms. Will be back.
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2017

10/10 Excellent

Marcia, Miami

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Rooms are very big and beautiful
Rooms are big and beautiful and it is located in amazing Muri Beach.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017

10/10 Excellent

Kate, Christchurch

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Superb location, slice of paradise
This is a true gem - we didn't expect such luxury! From the moment we walked into our room I knew our stay would be magical. The size of the room was fabulous, and the bathroom was great, so spacious and well appointed. The capsule coffee machine was a bonus too. Then our outdoor deck with the splash pool and waterproof cabana was divine .. such a lovely way to spend an afternoon reading by our own pool. You can use their SUP's, kayaks and snorkelling gear all free of charge which we made the most of. Location was perfect, close to Muri without being right in the heart of it but being walkers when we are on holiday it was exactly what we wanted. The night markets for food were great, the onsite restaurant cannot be faulted though - they catered so well for GF/DF food allergies which I was worried about - no need here, they make their own coconut yoghurt and have coconut custards for breakfast, heaven!!! The staff were all fantastic, Josh, Josie and Nat on reception and Nikhil and Maricris in the restaurant. All the staff attended to every need and were so pleasant and approachable. Oh and I can't forget the spa - a must to unwind and relax. Best facial I have ever had!!! All in all a truly magical holiday in a truly magical spot. You won't be disappointed!!!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2017

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very pretty, clean and attentive... would go again
very clean rooms, good service, nothing negative from this experience. only downside is the beach isn't as good as its sooo shallow, even at high tide so little swimming. Great hotel and facilities though. If you go to the cook islands, make sure you go to aitutaki!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017

10/10 Excellent

Marsha, Auckland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely location on Muri Beach
Had a wonderful very short break on Rarotonga at Nautilis. Our room on the beach was wonderful - waking up looking at the crystal clear water was spectacular. The amenities - pool, equipment for water activities, day spa - were all great. Our Are was huge, with a comfy bed and a fabulous bathroom with a bath and shower. Our private balcony had a couple of very comfy lounge chairs and a delightful plunge pool. The restaurant and breakfast menu were both varied and delicious. Cocktails by the beach and the pool made this a perfect relaxing short break from Auckland.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2017

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location. Great people. Great holiday!!!
Having suffered an injury on my journey there the staff went out of their way to accommodate my needs including searching the island for a walking cane. Cannot fault the team and the feeling we had on departure was like leaving home. Best holiday EVER!!!
an Are away from home
just as advertised
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2017

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect!
We stayed at Nautilus for 7 nights. It was amazing! The friendly staff were all fantastic, room and view was awesome and food was delicious. They supply kayaks and snorkel gear so we spent plenty of time exploring the beautiful lagoon. We will definitely be coming back! Thanks so much for an amazing week in paradise!
Stayed 8 nights in Jun 2017

10/10 Excellent

Karen, New Zealand

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location relaxing resort
We had a 7night stay at Nautilus and it was fantastic relaxing, easy to get around, great service and amenities. Staff went out of there way to help. Rooms were excellent and the cleaning staff delightful. We would definitely stay there again

10/10 Excellent

Mitchell

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stay here
A wonderful place to stay in peaceful Muri. Nautilus had wonderful rooms, beautiful beach and friendly staff. This looks to be the nicest on the island.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing! Great to our kids. Room was stunning. Expensive...but worth it
Thank you for staying with us. We hope to welcome you back again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Sam , Auckland, New Zealand

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Luxury Villa's on the beach, excellent facilities
This resort is beautifully presented, we stayed in a 2 bedroom beach front ARE. The resort has great facilities and would fully recommend it is must stay.

6/10 Okay

Leonie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice at the Nautilus
We stayed early February, after school holidays had ended, so was nice & relaxed, and had only one noisy kid staying there. Only one large pool and then a private plunge pool is attached to each ave. As this property caters for families/weddings etc we would not stay during school holidays or the wedding season. We ate at the restaurant for breakfast & a drink at the bar in the evening, which was fine. Ave is a good size, but bed is situated in a strange position in the room, so when entering the room from main door, looks straight onto the bed, so no privacy. Could easily moved on to the opposite wall and so retain a personal space. The entry door has a glass panel, so light shines in all night. We placed a large spare throw over the door to stop the light shining through. Staff really nice and always courteous and helpful.

10/10 Excellent

Kristie, Auckland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic
Had a wonderful 3 night stay. Beautiful resort. Great pool and facilities. Very friendly staff. A very good breakfast. If you can afford it, I would highly recommend this place. The plunge pool outside each room is a real treat!