Detailed review by Parsifal610
Parsifal610
HILDENBOROUGH, United Kingdom93%
We used to live in Antigua, 45 years ago!!, and Galley Bay was one of our favourite beaches then.
The beach is still the same...3/4 mile pristine sand not shared by ANYONE else. Unless you count Giorgio Armani when he visits his little multimillion $ shack on the promontory at one end of the beach.
The hotel has expanded dramatically, but sensitively, over the years from 12 rooms in the 60's to over 70 now.
Look at the website if you want pretty pictures and a map but IMHO this place is as close as I will ever get to Paradise.
Accommodation is, almost completely, directly on the beach and varies from comfortable, if a bit rustic, to luxurious depending on what you are prepared to pay.
Food is excellent at all 3 restaurants with none of the tired Buffet and cheap old BBQ's you get at some hotels. Saying that, the BBQ on Thursday nights is to die for e.g. " Suckling Pig anyone?].
Staff are about the best people you could wish for. I have seen some people who apparently did not realise that slavery was abolished on the island in 1834 and expected staff to jump to attention at the snap of their fingers. THAT attitude doesn't work. A friendly open attitude pays huge dividends with big smiles and a non intrusive "what can I do to make your vacation complete" manner from everyone from the gardeners thru' to senior management.
Guests are predominately 40 plus and the fact that visitors at any point in time are likely to be 70% repeaters tells you that the total chill out atmosphere is what brings people back year after year. Honeymooners do not seem to have any problems fitting in, if they want to, but you always find that people will give you your own space when you feel like it.
Summation: If you want highly organised entertainment; swim up bars and 24 hour burger stands; hard partying crowds of people who want to drink themselves into a stupor and shout into their Cell Phones all day and night...STAY AWAY;
This place is for relaxing, meeting like minded people and sitting in the Teepee Bar watching the sunset with a glass of your top of the range beverage in your hand.
When we were there last month they had 97% occupancy ... no other hotel on the island had greater than 70% [ we checked with the Hotel Association] . Even so, we never had any problem with waiting for meals or drinks or considered that we were being crowded at any time.
TWO CAVEATS.
1] It is expensive .
2] Years ago the hotel used to be called the Galley Bay Surf Club for good reason. There is no reef and the waves can come pounding in several feet high. In my experience you can be lucky and have calm waters every day of a 14 day holiday but , March through June , you could find the Red Flag out up to 7 or even 8 times.
I was surprised to find that there was no previous reviews of this wonderful hotel hence the, possibly, verbose description above.
Finally, ENJOY
Galley Bay Resort9
