Rumours Luxury Villas and Spa: Inside Rarotonga's top adults-only escape

I’ve never seen a room quite like this. I have to cross a bridge into the space because it’s encased by a tiny moat. That’s just the start of a series of surprises.

Rumours Luxury Villas and Spa is Rarotonga’s top adults-only hideaway. It’s won numerous awards and for good reason. Not only are the villas palatial, but the staff treat everyone as VIPs - and that’s because they’ve had plenty of practice, with a slew of famous faces unwinding in the giant suites.

So, let’s take you inside the island’s most opulent villas.

Rumours sits on the pristine Muri Lagoon, known for its crystal-clear turquoise waters and white sand beaches. The lagoon is about a kilometre wide, with four small uninhabited motus (islands) dotted around. Its calm shallow waters make it excellent for swimming, snorkelling and water sports.

The experience starts well before you get to the resort: you’ll meet Jone at the airport - who is one of those people who treat you like family. He’ll have you feeling at home in the car, well before you settle into your villa.

As the door opened to reveal a waterfall cascading down into a pool, we assumed we were being led through the main entrance to the resort. But, Jone soon shattered our illusion. “Welcome to your villa” he exclaimed with a broad smile.

We stood there for a second in a little shock. It’s hard to know where to look, there is so much competition for your attention – and we’ve only reached the rear deck.

The pool has a large spa next to it, and the deck is framed by a water feature that leads your eye to the villa itself. The place has been so well designed, that your anticipation rises as you reach the front door, wondering what’s behind it.

Jone leads us inside the villa, where another water feature in the floor leads to each bedroom and frames them like a moat. There is a small bridge to cross to reach your luxurious four-poster super king bed.

Each room has a magnificent marble ensuite, one with a shower encased in rounded glass overlooking its own tropical garden. The attention to detail is astonishing, with the bathrooms featuring hand-carved mirrors and Italian fittings.

The pièce de résistance comes when you get time to walk onto the front deck, with Muri Lagoon mere steps away.

The resort has seven luxury villas – across three different categories – each offering unrivalled luxury.

Our room came with everything we needed, including a kitchen with coffee machine, washing machine, lots of snacks and drinks, kayak and snorkel gear and 450 movies for those days when you just want to unwind indoors.

One of the highlights is having two large decks to choose from - either out front at the lagoon, or beside your private pool at the rear of the villa with absolute privacy.

With such exceptional suites, the first challenge is finding the motivation to leave your villa - it’s the kind of place you could easily spend your entire holiday.

But if you do feel like venturing out, Rarotonga has no shortage of activities such as boat trips, hiking and cultural experiences.

The Muri Night Markets are just a short walk away, and on a Saturday morning you’ll want to visit the Punanga Nui Markets, which are the island’s largest.

Don’t miss a trip to the resort’s spa, which offers world-class treatments including a Vichy shower massage with seven jets that give the sensation of floating on water. The spa is well worth a visit even if you aren’t a guest of the resort.

If you’re after a luxurious tropical holiday, there is only one decision you need to make - how long should you stay at Rumours? Because there is no other destination you should consider.

Rumours Luxury Villas and Spa starts from $1000 per couple per night. The villa featured in this article is the two-bedroom Rumours Beachfront Villa, and starts from $1500 per couple. Additional adults are $200 per person.

The resort has a popular honeymoon package that’s $10,500 for seven nights in a Beachfront Villa with extensive inclusions such as breakfast, activities, two one-hour massages, transfers and snacks - plus much more. See:

Air New Zealand has daily flights to Rarotonga from Auckland with connections across the domestic network. Jetstar flies three times a week from Auckland. See:

Flying generates carbon emissions. To reduce your impact, consider other ways of travelling, amalgamate your trips, and when you need to fly, consider offsetting emissions.