Construction continues on a new Aitutaki resort which opened more than a month early to accommodate the Pacific Islands Forum.

Resort Tava'e manager Charles Muriwai said work is underway on a restaurant and three two-bedroom villas for Aitutaki's newest resort on the beach in Amuri, adding to the five beachfront rooms and 16 poolside rooms which have been open for bookings since October.

Muriwai, who manages the resort alongside Ange Doherty, anticipates the extension will be finished in the first quarter of 2024.

"We are looking at the possibilities for going bigger and better as well. We want to stay ahead of the game."

Muriwai said they were "actively" exploring options to enhance accessibility at the resort, including possibly making some of the existing units wheelchair-accessible.

"We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and welcoming environment for all our guests, as we are a family-friendly resort."

Resort Tava'e manager Charles Muriwai says a new restaurant and three two-bedroom villas are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024. 23121040 Photo: Supplied

The resort employed 19 staff, with numbers to increase when construction was complete.

"We don't advertise job openings. We don't want other businesses to think we are taking staff off them, and we're constantly getting applications."

Muriwai said despite the Cook Islands' tourism industry being in the midst of its slow season, bookings were "steady".

"We're getting bookings from Hawaii, Tahiti, Canada. We have a Norway tour group coming. We're getting some extremely large bookings for large, lengthy stays," he said.

"I was expecting it to be quieter – but because of Aitutaki needing the extra accommodation, we're not doing too bad."

Muriwai said the resort opened on October 22, in time for the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting hosted by the Cook Islands last month. 

The week-long gathering included an overnight retreat to Aitutaki.

"We were originally looking at opening in December or January, but we ended up opening a little earlier to help with the Forum," Muriwai said.

"We were approached by Prime Minister Mark Brown himself.

"We had the majority of the delegation, while the leaders were at Tamanu [Beach Resort]. We had a full house."

Muriwai said the resort boasted two pools, a 24-hour concierge service, snorkelling and paddling gear, free Wi-Fi, and every room was equipped with a kitchenette.

He said visitors would be able to rent vehicles at the resort from next year, and they were working with other tourism providers such as Air Rarotonga to put together package deals which would include a stay at the resort.

The resort was "self-sufficient" with solar panels as well as rainwater collected from every room, run through a dissemination process, and treated with ultraviolet light so "you can actually drink from the taps", Muriwai said. 

"Because of the water shortages [on Aitutaki], we wanted to make sure we don't disrupt the public," he said.

"Our tank hasn't been empty. We doubt we will get to that stage."

Muriwai said the resort would be running a promotion to book three nights for the price of two, and five nights for the price of three. The deal will run until March.

"We are thrilled to witness consistent bookings from diverse locations, eagerly anticipating the arrival of guests from across the globe. We are eager to share our enchanting piece of paradise in Aitutaki with visitors worldwide.

"The resort's opening in October for the Pacific Islands Forum delegates was a significant milestone, and we're pleased to have exceeded our initial timeline."