The five-star luxury of Nayara Hangaroa awaits adventure travelers willing to journey to Rapa Nui (Easter Island), one of the world's most remote islands. Visiting the enigmatic island with 1,000 hand-carved moai statues had long been a bucket-list trip for Kel and me.
There were some concessions to make the trip affordable. We flew Economy for five of our six flights (the exception being LATAM Business Class from Santiago to Easter Island). And we spent the first four of six nights on Easter Island in a cozy studio apartment within earshot of crashing waves.
To round out our South Pacific adventure, we spent the last two nights at the luxurious Nayara Hangaroa, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. This hotel review is based on our 48-hour stay, during which we balanced enjoyment of the property with our desire to continue exploring Easter Island.
Table of Contents
Nayara Hangaroa Hotel
Location
Nayara Hangaroa is on a small peninsula on the southwest coast of Easter Island, at the south end of Hanga Roa, the island's only town. The hotel's westward orientation is ideal for catching sunsets from its spacious patios and outdoor pool.
The luxury hotel is less than one mile from Mataveri International Airport (IPC), and complimentary transfers are included with all stays.
More importantly, it offers convenient access to attractions and restaurants in Hanga Roa. It's an easy 10 to 15-minute walk along the coastal road to the town center and 30 minutes to Ahu Tahai, an archaeological site with moai that's popular at sunset. A town shuttle is also available.
History and Design
Nayara Resorts, known for its luxury properties in Costa Rica, Panama, and the Atacama Desert, expanded to Easter Island in 2022 with the opening of Nayara Hangaroa. The 18-acre, 75-room hotel debuted as the island gradually reopened to tourists after the pandemic.
Before this, from 2012-2020, it was known as the Hangaroa Eco Village & Spa and was operated by Tanica Hotels, a Chilean company. The architect's website dates the project, initially named Hotel Hangaroa, to 2005.
Inspiration
Chilean architect Tomas Bunster's design was inspired by the 17th-century ceremonial village of Orongo, on the southwestern edge of the Rano Kau crater. Orongo was home to the Birdman cult, successors to the moai culture, and known for their annual death-defying race to the nearby islet of Motu Nui. The winner became the cult's next leader. The race is depicted in Rapa Nui, a Kevin Costner-produced movie from the 1990s.
The 53 low, round stone buildings were constructed along the volcano's grassy outer slopes above 1,000-foot coastal cliffs. The structures are windowless, with sod roofs. The grass-covered roofs helped insulate the structures. Satellite images today reveal how seamlessly the buildings blend into and camouflage with their natural surroundings.
A few days before checking into Nayara Hangaroa, we took a tour of Rano Kau and Orongo. The connection between the two is obvious.
Attention to detail extends to the hotel interiors, designed by Paula Gutierrez. Most notably, hundreds of beautiful cypress trunks were obtained from Southern Chile to serve as support pillars in all of the buildings. Juan Grimm, a Chilean landscape architect, also worked on the property.
The design of Nayara Hangaroa was a big draw for me as I researched places to stay on Easter Island. This property, more than 2,000 miles off the coast of Chile, is one of the world's most unique and remote luxury hotels.
Cost
The prices at Nayara Hangaroa reflect luxury standards and the cost of running such a hotel so far from South America. The nightly rates reflect the room type and experience level you choose and the month you visit. Below is an overview.
Room Types
- Kainga (Earth) rooms range from 484 to 527 square feet and are available with king, queen, or twin beds. Each has an outdoor terrace with an ocean view.
- Maunga (Mountain) rooms are 796 square feet and have a king bed, higher ceilings, and a living room. These rooms also include a private terrace and ocean view.
Experience Levels
- Dream Program includes your room, buffet breakfast, a daily cocktail at sunset, airport transfers, gym, pool, and Wi-Fi access. Any additional drinks, meals, or tours the hotel provides will be added to your bill.
- Discover Program includes your room, breakfast, lunch or dinner, a half-day tour for each night you stay, a Rapa Nui National Park pass, a daily cocktail at sunset, airport transfers, and gym, pool, and Wi-Fi access.
- Full Experience includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner, two half-day tours for each night you stay, a Rapa Nui National Park pass, a daily cocktail at sunset, airport transfers, and gym, pool, and Wi-Fi access.
High / Low Seasons
Easter Island is a year-round destination. However, due to weather, it has a high and a low season, which can dramatically impact room rates.
For work schedule-related reasons, we visited in May 2024, the wettest month of the year and squarely in the low season (winter, April to September). The room rate was about half the cost of staying in the high season (summer, October to March).
We chose the Kainga room with a king bed and the Dream Program for maximum flexibility. The price per night was $471.20, or $942.40 total for our two-night stay (not including gratuity).
As of September 2024, Nayara Hangaroa shows the following nightly rates (subject to change):
| Kainga (L) | Kainga (H) | Maunga (L) | Maunga (H) | |
| Dream | $589 | $1,102 | $749 | $1,402 |
| Discover | $888 | $1,338 | $1,056 | $1,637 |
| Full Board Plan | $1,157 | $1,594 | $1,326 | $1,894 |
Rates have increased about 20% since our stay earlier this year, and given the lack of competition, I wouldn't be surprised to see them creep up further in the years ahead.
You can read guest reviews on Booking.com and reserve the room there (possibly with a discount if you're in their loyalty program) or through the hotel's website.
Note: Easter Island's only other luxury hotel, the all-inclusive Explora Rapa Nui, is six miles east of Hanga Roa. It's more expensive than Nayara Hangaroa and requires a car, shuttle, or bicycle to reach town.
Check-In
After departing our first accommodation on Easter Island at 11 a.m., we used our rental car to take our luggage to Nayara Hangaroa for storage until we could check in at 3 p.m.
We were given fresh flower necklaces, welcome drinks, and a packet about our stay. We then took a brief tour of the property. The buildings were even more captivating in person, not to mention the lush setting. I couldn't wait to return and settle in.
We drove to the island's north end for lunch at Anakena Beach, where I had one of the best meals of the trip (Polynesian ceviche). We also stopped at the tiny Ovahe Beach for photos, though the high tide had covered much of it.
After hanging out at Easter Island's beaches, we returned to Nayara Hangaroa at 3 p.m. to collect our room keys and be shown to our room. Our luggage had already been taken there. Hotel guests with rental cars enjoy free parking.
Kainga Room
Interior
The door swung open to a luxurious room with polished concrete floors, cypress logs as support pillars, and central air conditioning. A large floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door at the room's far end flooded the space with natural light.
Immediately to our left was the open bathroom, with a handmade clay bathtub (standard in all rooms) and a sink carved from black volcanic rock. The shower was lined with mosaic tiles in earth tones, and a towel rack leaned against the wall. The private toilet was accessible via a door behind the shower.
Rounded edges were everywhere, from the shape of the sink, tub, and shower to the bed frame and sofa. A gorgeous dark wood sculpture hung above the seating area.
View
Outside were two seats on a small covered terrace offering 180-degree views of the hotel property and Easter Island. Looking north, we could see Terevaka, the largest, tallest, and youngest of the island's three volcanos. We had hoped to walk up it during our stay, but that adventure would be rained out.
It was challenging to gauge the views from the rooms at Nayara Hangaroa based on their website and the photos on Booking.com, so I've included several in this story.
The property features two rows of buildings with guest rooms. The longer row curves along the outer perimeter, offering better ocean and island views. The shorter row is situated behind the longer row at a higher elevation. You can see what I mean in the photo below—with the outer row of guest rooms between ours and the ocean.
That said, it wasn't unexpected. We booked the less costly room. A small upside was that being on the property's interior meant we didn't see the coastal road that encircles the hotel or any of the cars driving on it.
Despite its diminutive size, the guesthouse we stayed in before switching to Nayara Hangaroa offered spectacular ocean views that satisfied my needs for the trip.
Restaurants and Bar
The culinary offerings at Nayara Hangaroa were another draw for me, especially after spending a few days eating at restaurants around Easter Island. I was curious to see what the luxury hotel offered.
Poerava
The breakfast buffet is served in Poerava, the larger of Nayara Hangaroa's two in-house restaurants. Thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, diners can eat indoors and still enjoy the ocean view or al fresco on a partially covered patio.
On our first morning, we entered Poerava at 8 a.m. The place was so packed that we had to wait for an indoor table. This makes sense since many guests have probably booked morning tours and are on the same schedule to eat and get going.
The breakfast buffet had an omelet station, fresh-baked bread, pastries, waffles with various toppings, cereals, meats and cheeses, fruit (watermelon, papaya, pineapple), juices, and coffee. Espresso drinks could be ordered from your server.
Lunch Buffet
After spending the morning sightseeing, we returned to Nayara Hangaroa for lunch. I'd previously inquired about the cost of the lunch buffet at the front desk and the bar but hadn't received an answer. As we were rushing to eat before joining an afternoon tour, we headed straight to the lunch buffet at Poerava.
It wasn't until we returned to our table with plates full of food that a server told us the cost was 70,000 pesos per person (about $75). I couldn't hide my surprise that we were about to pay $150 for a buffet lunch we had to scarf down in 20 minutes. The staff member quickly added that it was all-you-can-eat, including wine and beer, but we didn't have time for a leisurely lunch.
I enjoyed the food I received, including soup, meat, fish, potatoes, and bread. I also tried three small desserts. But this was turning out to be our most expensive meal on the island by a large margin, and I can't say it was anything special. Once I understood it was included, the number of guests drinking wine in the dining room made much more sense.
While we waited for our tour guide to pick us up in the lobby, I shared my frustration with the woman at the front desk. I told her I'd asked staff several times before about the cost of lunch and that we weren't told until we had filled our plates.
I believe a supervisor heard my complaint because when we checked out, the price of our lunch had been reduced by 30% (to about $100). This still made it the most expensive meal of our week on Easter Island, but at least it was closer to what we paid for dinner at other restaurants.
Kaloa Lounge
If you want to switch up your dining environment, the Kaloa restaurant opens for dinner every evening. This stylish space is more modern and intimate than Poerava, perfect for a romantic dinner. Guests order from an a la carte menu, primarily surf and turf, incorporating native ingredients.
Starters include shrimp, yellowfin tuna tataki, roasted octopus, beef tartare, empanadas, and carpaccio of locally farmed vegetables. Prices ranged from 8,000 to 21,5000 pesos (about $8 to $23) per appetizer.
The main dishes ranged from tuna-filled pasta and tuna with banana gnocchi to grilled fish, braised beef, and Tahitian curry with chicken or shrimp. I was pleased with the beer-battered fish tempura with creamy island corn that I ordered. Entrees cost 13,500 to 20,500 pesos (about $14 to $22).
The dessert menu featured eight options, including a pineapple tarte tatin with homemade coconut ice cream (our pick), a Tahitian-inspired banana poe, lemongrass namelaka, and sweet potato Catalan cream.
The European options included a chocolate volcano cake (most appropriate considering the location) and a creme brulee trio. Desserts cost 6,500 to 8,000 pesos (about $7 to $8.50).
Before our dinner at Kaloa, I was a little nervous. I couldn't find the cost of food in advance, so I was bracing myself for a big surprise. As it turned out, the dinner menu was very much in line with what we paid at other restaurants in Hanga Roa, including the fantastic Restaurante Taha Tai and Kanahau.
Note: The food menu PDF accessible from the hotel website has prices but only for Poerava and Vaikoa Bar. The Kaloa menu is different.
The Vaikoa Bar
All guests are invited to enjoy a complimentary cocktail at the bar around sunset, anytime between 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. On our first night, we sipped Chilean pisco sours under an overcast sky, which reminded us of a similar sunset cocktail at the InterContinental in Hanoi. On the second night, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, and we were treated to a pair of Tom Collins.
Nayara Hangaroa's spa is its own little world. The reception, gym, and treatment rooms are organized around an inner courtyard that evokes a Japanese rock garden.
Encircling the Orongo-style buildings and courtyard is a stone wall inspired by manavai, circular structures the Rapa Nui people built from volcanic rocks to protect small plots of land for farming. A boardwalk gently leads guests from the reception office to the gym and treatment areas, showcasing this purposeful design.
When we dropped by the spa to make massage appointments for our final morning, we took a brief tour of the operation. In addition to seeing the small gym and treatment rooms, we got a peek at the private sauna area that guests can book.
The self-contained space includes a sandy floor, seating, a dry sauna, and an outdoor shower. If we had more time, I would've enjoyed hanging out there. The price is 35,000 pesos (about $38) per person for 40 minutes.
Alas, even our decision to get massages would be cutting it close. After dropping off our rental car in town, we walked back to Nayara Hangaroa and got breakfast at Poerava. Afterward, we walked to the spa and parted ways for one hour.
I got a Swedish massage for 60,000 pesos ($65), and Kel did deep tissue for 70,000 ($75). The prices were surprisingly low to me, given our location in the middle of the South Pacific. You can find a complete list of spa treatments and prices on the Nayara Resorts website.
Gym
The tiny gym, which neither of us used, has a treadmill and a universal weight machine. We both preferred to spend as much time as possible exploring the island. Still, it's good that Nayara Hangaroa has at least a small fitness space available for guests.
Pool
The hotel's main swimming pool, Vaitea, is behind the reception building. It has ocean views, and you can see the town and Terevaka volcano to the north. Loungers line the angular-shaped pool on a property otherwise obsessed with curves. It's unheated, and since the weather was constantly shifting from sunny and warm to cool and wet, we never felt inspired to take a dip.
While walking around the pool area, I noticed a small, well-defined moai on a concrete foundation. The accompanying sign gives a little background on the moai in Rapa Nui culture. I never asked the staff how old it is, but it's a nice touch.
Tours
Guests at Nayara Hangaroa can sign up for a wide range of guided tours and activities, including:
- Cultural tours include visiting moai and Orongo atop the Rano Kau volcano.
- Trekking and adventure sports include hiking any of the three volcanoes, 4x4 experiences, mountain biking, horseback riding, and caving.
- Water activities, including boat rides and beach transfers (to Anakena).
- Contemplation like sunrise at Ahu Tongariki or sunset at Ahu Tahai.
- Bespoke tours (at an additional cost) such as scuba diving, surfing, and stargazing.
You can access the entire tour book through the Nayara Resorts website; if you want a rate sheet, email Nayara Hangaroa directly.
As we'd already been on the island for four days before checking into Nayara Hangaroa, we'd already seen the major moai sites.
The only tour we booked through Nayara Hangaroa was a half-day guided hike up Terevaka volcano, the island's highest point ($60). Unfortunately, when we arrived at the reception before our 9:30 a.m. pick-up time, we were informed the activity was canceled due to rain.
We were told the Rapa Nui National Park staff had closed the hiking path entrance for safety reasons. It's unclear how far in advance the guide notified the hotel that the tour would be canceled. Still, we felt there was room for the hotel staff to be more proactive in passing the message to us so we could make alternate plans.
Final Thoughts
The highlights of our stay at Nayara Hangaroa were spending time on the beautifully landscaped and thoughtfully designed property, indulging in massages at the spa, the breakfast buffets, and easy access to the Kaloa Lounge for a more private dinner.
Given its luxury credentials, we both felt there were opportunities for improved communication between Nayara Hangaroa's staff and guests. We should've been told the buffet lunch cost in advance (such as at check-in since they knew our plan only included breakfast). Also, more advance notice on our tour canceled due to rain would've been appreciated.
Overall, we had a wonderful stay, and visiting during the low season made it an excellent value. For travelers wanting to splurge on Easter Island, Nayara Hangaroa is a perfect choice.
