Mr and Mrs My Vacation Lady had the pleasure of spending our anniversary vacation at Hermitage Bay in Antigua in late August 2019.  In order to be fully transparent, we were offered a travel agent promotional rate that we couldn’t pass up.

Travel Agent Review of Hermitage Bay

Hermitage Bay is a boutique, family owned adult only all inclusive property in Antigua.  It is hard to imagine how wonderful this resort is unless you actually stay there.

First impressions:  

When we arrived at the airport, there was a representative holding a sign to welcome us and to provide us with VIP access through immigration.  We didn’t notice a sign for any other resort, but in all honesty, many of the 5+ star luxury resorts had closed for the season already.  The most popular adult only all inclusive didn’t offer this service to the passengers on our flight.

Once we zipped through immigration and collected our luggage, the same representative escorted us to our private transfer (included in all reservations).

The road to the actual resort is bumpy and if you weren’t looking for the property, you wouldn’t know that it was there.

5 star rustic luxury –  what does that mean?

This property deserves every drop of the 5 star star rating it gets.  The staff is beyond fabulous.  The food is the BEST we have ever had at an all inclusive.  I compared the service and food to be on par with the St Regis Bora Bora and that is a huge compliment.

Rustic-  you aren’t getting the South Beach chic here.  No gray or ivory decor.  This resort is full of dark hard wood in the bedroom and the bathrooms.  The showers in all 30 of the suites are outdoor.  The rooms have shutters with screens (no glass windows) for tons of natural light.  There is mosquito netting around the bed because, honestly, mosquitoes can sneak in when you open the doors.  If the outdoor shower and the mosquito netting freaks you out or if you have issues walking, stick with one of the other adult only all inclusive resorts on Antigua but you’ll be passing up a fabulous experience.

The Suites  

I would call the rooms bungalows since each of the 30 rooms are individual little bungalows.  The sea/garden view and the beachfront are exactly alike but the sea/garden view suite are further away from the beach.  We were in Suite # 14- Beachfront and then moved to Hillside suite #38 for the most sensational views imaginable.

The Bedroom of the Beachfront Suites are larger than the Hillside Suites, with good storage space.  The bathroom is a bit open concept- meaning no door between the bedroom and bathroom.  It could use a bit more lighting and the air conditioner didn’t really cool off the bathroom, although the bedroom was very comfortable.    There is a deck overlooking the beach with a nice chaise lounger and 2 chairs and a table.

view from Hillside suite #38

The Hillside Suite- OK, now we are talking views to die for.  #38 was the 2nd to the highest bungalow and had 40 steps up and down to the actual front door.  When you open the door, you are greeted with a deck with 2 loungers, your own private pool and fabulous views.  Even the views from the outdoor shower were great!

The bathrooms of all the suites were similar.  Double vanity with a huge free standing tub (with hand held shower) and toilet.  There were ceiling fans in the Hillside suites bathrooms, which was a nice way to circulate the air from the bedroom.

Outdoor shower Hillside Suite #38

The outdoor showers really are private!  With both a rain shower head and hand held, it was actually cool and comfortable, even when the weather was hot and humid.  And the views!

The Food 

I might have mentioned that Hermitage Bay has the BEST food of any all inclusive resort we have been to.  There is only 1 open air restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The dinner menu changes daily.  You can get a light meal at the bar or room service ($15 tray delivery charge).

Every single thing we ordered was fabulous and we might have tried almost everything on the menu.  Fresh fish changes for lunch and dinner daily based on what the chef purchases.  This resort is great for foodies!  We had a cooking class (we watched) with the chef and were amazed at how easy he makes it look.

In the evening, before dinner, when we stopped off for a drink we were presented with plantain chips (and other varieties) as well as small and beautifully presented hors d’ourves.

The Service

The staff greets you by name.  They are all truly wonderful and they make Hermitage Bay the resort that it is.

Activities and Entertainment

This is not going to be a hard rocking resort so if are looking for a lot of noise and activities, this is not for you.  Included in the all inclusive are complimentary morning yoga or pilates classes, a weekly cooking class, daily snorkeling tour.  Every evening there was a live music.  We did hear that in the busier times of year, you can stay up dancing and drinking every night.  We also heard that the Assistant General Manager has been known to join the guest dancing!

In conclusion

Hermitage Bay is not for everyone  Many of the guests were honeymooners or celebrating a special occasion.  It was quiet- no games at the pool and no loud music.

There are other larger resorts if you want loud and lots of activities but if you are looking for a fabulous resort with authentic Antiguan charm, Hermitage Bay might be a great fit.

Hermitage Bay is pricey.  Even in low season, prices start at about $1000 per night.  If you are looking for a bargain, consider going in the summer or fall.

Contact My Vacation Lady for more information and to book your reservation.