Gina's garden lodges are off the beaten path, so if you are expecting a beach view, this isn't for you. The easy availability of motorscooters made that not a problem for us and encouraged us to explore the islands a bit more. The owner, Tutai (aka Gina, aka The Queen) was willing to drop us off and pick us at the motor scooter rental place during the airport transfers.

There is a problem with bugs, however. We never had cockroaches crawling on us, as one reviewer asserted, but we saw enough inside the two different lodges that we stayed in that the claim is certainly credible. We also arrived to find three wasps inside the lodge and scores just outside the front door. If a person stayed inside the house and entered quickly, the mosquitos weren't too bad - maybe 5 to 10 per evening. The screens need work in some places.

Gina herself was quite a nice lady and the help (Pani) was also quite good. They have most of the basic equipment to allow you to cook for yourself, although some of the implements like hand-crank can-openers no longer work.

There are four lodges; they all seem built to the same plan. The "hot" water comes from solar, so if you have a cloudy day, the best you can expect is water that, well, isn't frigid. In the evening after sunny days, it is quite toasty.

My fiance and I (both British) recently spent two weeks at Gina's Garden Lodges, and loved every minute.
The owner, Tutai "The Queen", and her partner Des, were both very welcoming, and did all they could to accommodate our needs during our stay (including airport transfers, motor-scooter hire etc).
It was our first time on Aitutaki, and we left our hearts there - hopefully to re-claim next year!
We were therefore a bit surprised to read some of the negative posts about the Lodges on this forum; some are just unfair, while others seem a trifle malicious.
Several complaints stem from bugs and creepy crawlies. Let's be clear here: this is the Tropics - home to millions bugs and creepy crawlies.
No amount of precautions can prevent some contact with these - completely harmless - critters.
In fact, friends staying at a posh 'boutique' hotel nearby had more creatures than we ever did at Gina's.
Our advice: life's too short to be precious about trivialities - enjoy Gina's and enjoy Aitutaki!

Well, my partner and I have just returned from 25 days on Aitutaki.
We stayed at Ginas Garden Lodges and at the owners other accomodation called Ginas Beach Lodges on the motu called Akaiami. We had fabulous weather for the whole stay (temps from 22c at night to 38c at night). The Garden Lodges are inland (as per the description on the web site) which added to the peace and quietness of the location.

We found the rooms to be cockroach free but with a few geckos running around at night to keep us amused. The rooms were clean and tidy and have adequate cooking facilities or you could go down the road to a restaurant if you didnt want to cook.
The owner, Tutai (or The Queen as she is sometimes called) is a delight to deal with and full of local knowledge and information. A lovely lady!

Part of our stay was on their other accomodation called Ginas Beach Lodges on a small island twenty minutes away from the mainland. This WAS located on the beach and we would have to say that this spot would have to be THE BEST!! We had the whole island to ourselves!! The facilities here are just like home,with all the kitchen facilities, showers and beds to handle a group of 8 or so.
We spent 10 days here,snorkelling, fishing(I had a rod with me),sunbathing and generally chilling out.

This spot has to be the most beautiful place we have ever been to. If you want a romantic getaway, this is it!!!
Highly recommended and at very reasonable rates.

We ,as a family, have just stayed for 5 nights at the garden lodges and for 2 on the motu. . We found the accommodation to be clean, well equipped and cockroach free. Tutai is a wonderful and attentive host. The location is quiet and beautiful. The island is easy and fun to explore on mopeds. As for gecko's; they keep flying insects in check and provide for much entertainment at night when having a drink on the balcony. Frankly, in the tropics, if I didn't see them hanging around by the lights at night then I would be disappointed!