1. Could you explain the role of Island Hotels Ltd. in shaping the tourism and hospitality landscape of the Cook Islands?
“Kia Orana, it’s the first thing you hear when you arrive in the Cook Islands, and it means so much more than hello. It’s an expression of life, of welcome, and of genuine human connection. That spirit is at the heart of everything Island Hotels Limited does.
We operate two properties on Rarotonga, Edgewater Resort and Spa and Club Raro Resort, and together they represent a significant share of the island’s quality accommodation. But our role in the destination goes well beyond room nights.
We invest in the physical product, we participate actively in the broader tourism conversation through our engagement with Cook Islands Tourism and the wider industry, and we take our responsibility to the destination seriously.
What makes IHL distinctive is that we’re not an offshore chain parachuting a standardized product into a beautiful location. We’re embedded here.
The health of the Cook Islands as a tourism destination and the health of our business are genuinely inseparable.
Kia Orana isn’t a marketing line for us. It’s the standard we hold ourselves to every day, in how we treat our guests, how we look after our people, and how we engage with the community and environment around us.”
2. Your flagship properties, the Edgewater Resort and Spa and the Club Raro Resort, serve different traveler segments. How do you position each property within the market?
“Our two properties are deliberately distinct, and that’s exactly how we planned it.
Edgewater Resort and Spa is our full-service flagship. It’s a large, well-appointed resort sitting on one of Rarotonga’s most beautiful lagoon frontages, and it serves a genuinely broad market.
At its heart it’s a family resort, and when I say family, I mean that in the fullest sense. We see grandparents, parents and children holidaying together, creating memories across generations in a setting that is safe, warm and authentically Cook Islands.
But Edgewater’s scale and facilities also make it a natural home for corporate groups, conferences and weddings.
Club Raro Resort is a different proposition entirely, and intentionally so.
It’s an adults-only retreat designed for guests who want to switch off. It attracts couples, honeymooners, and independent travelers who are looking for a simple, quality escape by the water.
Together, the two properties give us coverage across the full spectrum of travelers visiting Rarotonga.”
3. How have you seen tourism demand evolve in the recent years in terms of international arrivals, guest profiles, and changing expectations?
“Travel has changed profoundly over the last few years, and honestly, in ways that play to the Cook Islands’ natural strengths.
The guest we’re seeing today is more intentional. They’re not ticking destinations off a list, they’re making deliberate choices about where to invest their time and money.
Trips may be fewer but they’re more considered, often longer in duration, and the expectation of a meaningful experience has never been higher.
That shift has accelerated the rise of experiential travel, the desire to feel something real, to connect with a place and its people, not just pass through it.
That’s where the Cook Islands is genuinely well positioned.
This is not a mass tourism destination and it never will be.
Guests today want to feel seen, welcomed, and connected. The Cook Islands offers that naturally.”
4. Experiential travel is increasingly important. How are your resorts adapting to travelers seeking authentic, immersive island experiences?
“This is exactly where our destination excels.
When a guest joins our Island Night at Edgewater and watches performers who grew up on this island share their traditions, or when they spend time on the lagoon with locals whose families have known these waters for generations, that’s experiential travel in its purest form.
You can’t replicate that in a larger, more commercialized destination.
Our role is to facilitate these moments without over-curating them.
Guests are increasingly looking for authenticity rather than packaged experiences, and that aligns perfectly with what the Cook Islands naturally offers.”
5. How important is the American market, especially visitors from California and the US West Coast for your growth strategy?
“The American market, and particularly the West Coast, represents one of the most exciting growth opportunities for the Cook Islands, and for IHL specifically.
When you look at the California traveller profile, the alignment is striking.
They’re experienced, internationally minded, and increasingly looking for authentic and experiential travel beyond the familiar.
The Cook Islands offers everything Hawaii offers in terms of natural beauty and warmth, the lagoon, the culture, the welcome, but with an intimacy and authenticity that a more developed destination simply cannot replicate.
For a Californian traveller who has done Hawaii and wants something that goes deeper, culturally, emotionally, experientially, this is the answer.”
6. What initiatives are you implementing to attract more American travelers and strengthen your presence in the market?
“We work very closely with Cook Islands Tourism, because market development, especially in the United States, is something that must be done collaboratively.
Our job is to support the destination story and ensure the product lives up to the promise.
The product sells itself once people get here.
Getting them here is the work.”
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7. Guest experience remains central to hospitality success. How do you balance authenticity, Polynesian warmth, and service with the international standards expected by global travelers?
“Authentic Polynesian hospitality and international service standards are not in conflict, in fact they reinforce one another.
International standards give us the framework: consistency, professionalism and attention to detail.
But what creates memorable hospitality is the human moment inside the standard.
That’s where Kia Orana comes back.
It’s not just a greeting, it’s a disposition.
We invest significantly in making sure our people embody that culture before they are asked to deliver it.
You cannot train warmth from a manual.
You create the conditions for it through leadership, culture and how you treat your own team.”
8. Looking ahead, sustainability is critical in island tourism. What measures are in place to protect beaches, lagoons, and local ecosystems while managing large hospitality assets?
“This one is simple for us, the lagoon, the reef, and the natural environment of Rarotonga aren’t just the backdrop to our business.
They are the business.
Protecting that is enlightened self-interest as much as it is conscience.
We are fully aligned with the Cook Islands’ broader stewardship framework and in practical terms that shapes how we approach waste, energy, procurement and community engagement.
Sustainability is not a trend for us. It’s fundamental to long-term viability.”
9. Looking ahead, what is your vision for Islands Hotel Limited in terms of property upgrades, growth strategy, and the future of hospitality in the Cook Islands?
“The outlook is positive and we’re investing accordingly.
We are committed to continuously improving the quality of our physical product across both properties.
But the bigger long-term lever for us is people and capability.
You can renovate a room relatively quickly.
Building a team that consistently delivers exceptional experiences takes years of intentional effort.
This isn’t a short-term play for us.
We’re building something that lasts, for our guests, our people, and the Cook Islands.”
10. To finish, what message would you like to share with Los Angeles Times readers about why the Cook Islands remains one of the Pacific’s most compelling destinations?
“If I could leave your readers with one thing it would be this, come with an open heart.
The Cook Islands will not overwhelm you with spectacle or compete for your attention with flashing lights and manufactured experiences.
What it will do is slow you down, draw you in, and remind you what it feels like to be genuinely welcomed somewhere.
Kia Orana.
It means may you live, may you be well.
It is the first thing you will hear when you arrive and the feeling you will carry home when you leave.
In a world that rarely stops moving, that is a rare and precious gift.
We will be here, ready to welcome you.”
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