Carlisle Bay Antigua

Our first visit to Antigua and a brilliant experience firstly the staff are amazing helpful happy and always willing to help and special mention to our concierge Eric what a guy. The setting is absolutely spectacular we stayed in the Bay Suite with an ocean view the beach is very nice and well looked after with lots of nice sunbeds if there is a very minor issue it is very very expensive but the setting probably comprise we will definitely be back

Carlisle Bay is like a comfortable flannel shirt. There is nothing flashy or ostentatious about it. It is not the land of the influencer or the posed Instagram spread. It is instead a rather timeless Caribbean staple that knows what it is and delivers on that vision consistently and with good cheer and irrepressible friendliness. Unusually for Caribbean resorts these days, everything at Carlisle Bay is arrayed along the beach; there is no effort to soak some more revenue out of oddly placed and undesirable rooms. Everything here faces the beach, everything is steps from the beach and steps from the restaurants. It's a cozy, tight-knit place and it is very pleasant. This isn't a resort for everyone. There isn't all that much to do. The beach is nice but not endless. It's a throwback to Caribbean resorts of old. And it is pretty nice to have it still being true to itself.

The rooms are large and bathrooms good although the hot water takes time to come through. Having forwarded the of my diet, gluten free and veggie we certainly had some teething problems. If one is not super vigilant there could be really unfortunate consequences. This was resolved by management after a day or two. That said the menu was fairly limited. The TV also has a mind of its own and needs re booting. We were supposed to be in the adult only section of the hotel but this did not happen, there were many families with young ones g children so the beach and pool are perhaps not a restful as they might be. It’s has 4 tennis courts but aside from a lesson with a pro, nothing is encouraged which is a shame and waste. On the whole the staff are great and both helpful and attentive which is great.

So pleased we returned back to the hotel post renovations! The service had always been great and no exceptions this time round. The hotel is located in a beautiful bay, a perfect spot between the jungle and the ocean with a great beach for the beach lovers!! In the past, our only hesitation j going back was the rundown suits which have now been extremely well done. Spacious suits with great views. Highly recommend!

Absolutely fabulous!! Our first visit to this gorgeous hotel. On arrival we were so impressed by the welcoming staff and the check in process. We stayed in the beautiful newly decorated bay suites which proved to be without doubt the best room in regards of quality and style that we have found to date in our many trips to the Caribbean. It was evident that a lot of care had gone into the design and finish of these rooms. The bed was so comfortable and the bathroom excellent with brilliant lighting which is always a bonus! From start to finish all the staff were absolutely charming. Warm welcomes from everyone. The beach staff were brilliant and attentive even remembering our drink preferences depending on the time of the day! The watersports guys were both fun and very professional and we thoroughly enjoyed our private trip to Cades Reef to see stingrays and barracuda! Well worth the trip. Nestled in a beautiful bay with the rainforest touching the sea around you this really is a beautiful spot. Watching the acrobatics of diving pelicans was great too. The food throughout our stay was of a good standard eith lots to choose from and the singer and her band at the bbq evening were brilliant. We went just before half term which was a nice chilled time to visit so great for couples. But I can see why this hotel would also appeal to families as the room options can offer every kind of combination. Ooh and there’s a lovely boutique too! Overall we found it such a lovely resort with an exceptionally comfortable room, excellent staff, beautiful location and totally relaxing. What more could you hope for. We are already booking for a return trip next year. Can’t wait!!

We spent 7 nights in this hotel. I had not been to Antigua for 20 yr the island hasn't changed much , still unspoilt and I think it has the best beaches in the Carribean This hotel exceeded expectations. Cannot fault it and the service we received . The staff are all so helpful and friendly. The beach is wonderful , we were moved to an ocean front suite as the air con was not working properly on the first night . The suites are large have been re furbished and the decor is lovely .Tea /coffee and free soft drinks in the room We literally stepped out onto the beautiful beach, it was quite windy during our stay but i managed to paddle board in the stunning horse shoe bay. Breakfast buffet is lovely , lots of choice in the buffet or a la carte -shout out to Leanne and Georgia serving us . The pool is very large and never crowded lots of sunbeds and plenty of sunbeds on the beach too . Each night we had cocktails at the main bar ..Marlon and Merrique made me fabulous Virgin Coladas There are 4 restaurants the main Indigio where we had the carribean buffet the first night . The casual Italien Ottimo by the pool , East ( pan Asian ) and our fav the adult only Jetty on the beach vibe. Food was good in all of them . We ate out twice during our stay at Shere rocks ( pricey but fab views ) and Fox house lovely local vibe I had a fabulous massage in the spa with Michelle. I was going to get a hair blow dry but 120 USD seemed pricey . The gym is well equipped and never busy The rooms were always cleaned and turn down service each evening We had a driver Cordel for a day who took us round the island for the day . He was lovely and very knowledgable ( defo recommend this esp if your first trip to the island ) We will return this hotel exceeded our expectations ! Usually in the Carribean I think the service is slow but not at Carlisle Bay it is very efficient and well run but thing that makes it so special are the lovely friendly staff ! Thank you to everyone we will return to yr beautiful hotel .

We spent five wonderful nights at Carlisle Bay Antigua, and the experience was exceptional from start to finish. From the moment we arrived until our final lunch, the staff made us feel incredibly welcome and relaxed. We stayed in a beautifully designed Ocean Suite, which was spacious, modern, and offered stunning views of the bay. The housekeeping team was attentive, ensuring our suite remained immaculate throughout our stay. The beach is impeccably maintained, with quick and friendly service right to our loungers. We highly recommend the all-inclusive package; the diverse menu constantly offered new and delicious items for us to explore. This was the perfect escape from the cold—a laid-back, sun-drenched sanctuary where we could finally just breathe. Carlisle Bay is truly a perfect island retreat."

One day pass while On ritz Carlton cruise- fantastic. Best massages we have had in years and we live in NYC surrounded by amazing spas. The beach attendants were all awesome and helpful. Clean and beautiful beach. Everyone here knew our names within an hour of our arrival and continued to ask us if we needed or wanted anything during our time. We were so impressed we decided we're coming back for a week in August.

What can I say about Carlisle bay. We had the most amazing experience. My husband and I decided to visit to celebrate our 25yr anniversary. After booking we de used to also renew our Vows whilst there. What a beautiful resort Staff are super helpful and friendly, remembering your name, favourite drinks always try to seat you I. The best seats in the restaurants. Nothing was too big an issue for them. On the day of our renewal, it went like clockwork and they made us feel so special and ensured the setting looking exactly as we requested. Dinner in the beach whilst the sun was setting was just lovely. Our whole stay was relaxing and fab. The all inclusive package is excellent also. Would definitely recommend Carlisle Bay!

So many resorts on the island are built on Hillside into the rock, with multiple levels and a ton of stairs. This was just not an option for my mother, aged 85. The beachfront rooms are a recipe for the most relaxing vacation ever. Service was impeccable and immediate at all times. Housekeeping comes twice daily, and the staff are kind and lovely and gracious. We Loved Rita, who took such good care of us. The four restaurants were all delicious and we ventured out to various restaurants 20 to 45 minutes away in our rental car. As much as my mother loved sitting and admiring the view, I enjoyed swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking and don’t miss water skiing with Dhempsey - he got this 58-year-old up on the first try! The gym was perfect; large and cool with updated machines, cold towels, and apples. The spa looked elegant, but not over the top or grotesque just sort of perfect. My only comment as to a downside? The water clarity on the bay is maybe a two out of five for other swimmers out there… Also, there is a lot of need on the island. I wish high end resorts like this would post a link to wish lists from an orphanage or nonprofit; we could all be reminded to do our part. ❤️

We had a lovely time this year at Carlisle Bay. I got one room for my adult sons and one ocean suite for me. Having first visited in 2012 and been many times it was great to see the new updates,covers for sunbeds and some room refurbs and new chairs in indigo. I think there have also been some general improvements in service. The setting is idyllic with the sounds of the sea and nature and the staff that work here are genuinely friendly people. Too many names to mention all but Tony is such an asset to the hotel, Michael the sommelier is great,I love seeing Georgi every year at indigo she’s a delight and Myrleen was great fun and Irwin and keri-Ann. We also had a great time at the Jetty at lunchtime with Latoya and team and La’ron bringing the boys a bottle of special hot sauce. Shawn and Kevin and all the reception staff were great, Tracey in charge of reservations has always also been super helpful to me. Ariel was the best room fairy keeping all pristine. It was all a fantastic treat and I can’t wait to come back! One suggestion I would have is move the east restaurant outside it would be so much better placed I think. Tennis and Yoga an added bonus too.

This was our 3rd Visit and we’ll be back for our fourth. Currently typing this at VC Bird waiting for a flight back to London. Had a fantastic nine nights in the newly refurbed Ocean Suites. The staff are excellent throughout the resort and Rajiv the GM is highly visible and approachable. There is also a weekly opportunity to have a cocktails with senior management if you want to discuss anything but the reception staff can really resolve 99% of issues. Loved having a sundowner watching the pelicans on the new sofas by the jetty restaurant.

This was the perfect trip for our family five, 3 kids ages 4,2,4 months. We stayed in one of the beach suites that was perfectly situated between the beach and pool. Everyone was so friendly on the property( waitstaff, housecleaning, maintenance, seriously everyone you pass by says hello and wants to interact with kids) . The 4 and 2 year old went to the kids club almost daily for their morning session , they always had fun activities planned for them. Not just a big toy room like some resorts. We went to the adult only restaurant one night, the hotel helped arrange for a baby sitter which was one of the kids clubs teachers which was nice because we had already met her and the kids were comfortable with her. The spa was amazing, both husband and I agreed that it was probably one of the best massages we ever had. Wish I found more time to check out the Pilates/yoga classes but it was hard with the littles but was able to attend a sound bath meditation and it was so relaxing. They helped arrange a half day boat trip for us, they took us to some secluded beaches and fishing around the reef. The only thing I can say that was mediocre was that maybe the food wasn’t Michelin star worthy but still really good. (we didn’t go with the all inclusive option so we went out to the other highly rated restaurants in the area and they weren’t any better than the restaurants on site) maybe one recommendation would be have a daily breakfast special but even then they do have a lot good breakfast menu and plenty of options on the buffet and a new smoothie choice for the morning! Would definitely go back one day and recommend to anyone looking for a laidback but luxury Caribbean experience.

I actually stayed there in January 25 with my mum over my birthday. The grounds are beautiful, the massage was great and they went out of their way for my birthday - I received 3 cakes! The reason for the 4 instead of 5 stars is: it is way too expensive for what it is. Breakfast lacks choice and is mediocre, food on site is very expensive, watersports equipment is from the 20th century and the service overall is slooooow. Beautiful hotel at a beautiful beach, but half price would actually be acurate or offer what other hotels qithin this price range offer.

It’s quite rare to find a hotel the size of Carlisle Bay (nearly 90 suites) that feels big when you’re there but still manages to offer a completely personalised service where everyone remembers your name and breakfast orders daily. The resort is absolutely impeccably presented. It’s not grand and opulent but understated and homely. It’s refreshing to visit a hotel where all the staff are so well trained and everyone seems to care about guests. Particular credit to Jason behind the bar and Leanne in the Indigo restaurant. Both have an infectiously upbeat view on life that completely takes you away from the City mindset. If you can get a newly refurbished room, you should. The fact that water sports are included is also a great perk and we went out on kayaks daily. Quite a few people in our group had specific dietary requirements (kosher) and the hotel were able to bring in kosher meat and adapt menus to reflect their needs. The food in restaurants was good, particularly the bircher muesli at breakfast. It would be nice to see some variety and changes day-to-day at breakfast, and Ottimo restaurant could improve their menu (I found the pizzas a bit tasteless) in my opinion, but otherwise the food is consistently good. Overall, a great stay. There’s quite a few people that regularly go back and it’s easy to see why.

The staff is exceptional. Every staff member we encountered seemed intent on making our stay the best it could be. We were delayed due to snow storm departing NY. Throughout our stay management was attentive and accommodating. My husband and I visited with our daughter and son in law and infant grandson. The resort is very family oriented and the the baby’s room was fully outfitted with essentials to make their stay very easy. We had ocean suites which were recently renovated. They were very comfortable and offered beautiful views and easy access to the beach. We booked through Amex fine hotels. We were afforded late check out but unable to upgrade rooms due to lack of availability of rooms. This was expected during high season. The restaurants offered diverse menus. We opted for the all inclusive which is a must have. Without it, your food and drink bill would be very costly if you are mostly eating onsight. We enjoyed our stay and will definitely be back. Shout out to Leanne @Indigo for her outstanding service and the beach guys working tirelessly to serve us all day in the beach!

My family and I really enjoyed our stay here. We had rooms that were a step away from the beach and were always greeted with a warm smile from the staff there. Sydon stood out as one of the beach staff who went out of his way to make sure we were always taken care of and took time to make sure we had a great trip. We were very fortunate to come across such a beautiful place and welcoming staff.