Carlisle Bay

There’s always a slight worry about booking the same hotel for a second year in a row. Would it live up to our memories? I am delighted to say that not only did Carlisle Bay live up to them, it actually exceeded them.

From the moment we arrived, the resort airport transfer was seamless and welcoming, the perfect start to a relaxing holiday.

Carlisle Bay is the definition of understated luxury. Nothing ever feels forced or over the top; everything is simply done exceptionally well. The resort is immaculate, beautifully maintained and there’s a genuine feeling that nothing is ever too much trouble.

What really makes Carlisle Bay special, though, is the people. Seeing some familiar faces from last year genuinely made us smile and every member of the team made us feel so welcome. Their warmth and kindness are what turn a beautiful hotel into somewhere that feels like home.

There were so many highlights: feeding the resident tortoises, laughing through Crazy Couch, listening to the steel band at Jetty Grill and taking the fascinating garden tour to learn about the incredible horticulture around the resort. But perhaps my favourite moment each day was simply stepping straight from our suite onto the beach each morning – the most peaceful and relaxing way to start the day.

The dining was excellent throughout. East remains absolutely spectacular and is a must visit, while the pizzas at Ottimo were as delicious as ever.

We also chartered a boat for the day with Barefoot Antigua, which was another fantastic experience and the perfect way to explore the island from the water.

Will we be back next year? I sincerely hope so. Carlisle Bay has become one of those rare places that feels like a second home and we are genuinely sad to leave. Thank you to everyone for another unforgettable stay. special mentions have to go to:

Hilma at the beach, Michael, Georgier and Kate at Indigo, Jason at Indigo bar, LaToya at Ottimo, Sylvester & Elliot in the garden, Jay-ciee and my biggest shout out has to be to Vida In housekeeping.

We can’t wait to return.

Carlisle Bay sits on one of the most stunning stretches of coastline in the Caribbean, and there is a lot to love here including the architecture, the bay views, the warmth of many of the staff, and a loyal guest base that clearly returns year after year. If you’re considering a stay, go in with the right expectations: this was once a true five-star resort, and while the bones are still there, it isn’t operating at that level today. In fairness to guests booking, I don’t think it should currently be marketed as one.

To the GM’s (Brian) credit, he met with me a few times during my 12-day stay, listened genuinely, and was sincerely apologetic about the areas that fell short. That kind of engagement matters and is a big reason I’m writing this as encouragement rather than criticism.

A few honest notes for fellow travelers:

• In-room A/C — the most serious issue of our stay (see photos): Our mini-split unit was in rough shape…heavy dust buildup and visible mold well beyond what you’d expect from normal condensation in a humid climate. My wife, who is pregnant, got quite sick the first few nights of our stay, and I believe the air quality in the room was a direct factor. Some minor moisture in a mini-split is normal; what we experienced was not, and it should never come close to happening at a resort marketed at this tier. I’d strongly encourage anyone booking to inspect the unit at check-in and request a room change immediately if anything looks off.

• Grounds & internal property: The biggest visual disappointment. Walking paths from the library to the spa had weeds and tired landscaping.

• Tennis: If tennis is part of why you’re booking, adjust expectations. Courts are cracked and dated, and although the resort advertises two tennis pros, I did not see one on property across 12 days.

• Spa: The setting is “ok” but openings were limited — I was told this was due to short staffing. Worth booking well in advance. Bathrooms are way outdated and small. Not the spa experience we were hoping for but the massage itself was 5 stars.

• Pool area: Great footprint and one of the property’s real assets, but finishes and surroundings feel tired and are due for a refresh.

• Waterfront: The round float to the right of the Ocean restaurant is broken, with torn fabric and algae growing on the lay-on surface

• In-room & public restrooms: Public bathrooms are due for updating, and the in-room toilet paper feels closer to sandpaper than luxury.

• Service: Many team members are lovely, though responsiveness to requests can be inconsistent.

• Kids’ Zone: Reads more like a dated daycare than a curated luxury family space.. worth knowing if you’re traveling with children.

• Wi-Fi: Spotty throughout the property and if you’re an executive needing to take online meetings, this hurt a few times.

None of this is meant as a knock. With a focused HVAC and room-air-quality audit, finer attention to detail on the grounds, a step back up to true Leading Hotels of the World standards, and Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons-caliber service consistency, Carlisle Bay could easily reclaim its place as one of the Caribbean’s hidden gems. The setting is already there — the experience just needs to catch up to it.

I would genuinely love to return once these pieces are dialed in, and I hope future guests get to see the version of this resort I know it can be.

We have given this hotel 5 stars, as we had a fantastic two week holiday here, with teens. The main plus points of this hotel is the stunning location and the fantastic beach. We snorkelled right off the beach to see sea turtles and star fish just a few metres from the shore. The waters are calm in the bay, the sand soft and we didn’t use the pool once, with such a fantastic beach on the doorstep.

There are several restaurants to choose from on the half board option, which meant a good variety over the fortnight. (We also ate at a couple of restaurants locally, which were not nearly as good as the hotel.) It was good to have several options for dinner over the fortnight, with special mention to the fabulous East and the buffet on the beach at the Jetty Bar. Also, a special mention to the wonderful staff, in particular the beach staff, J and Hilma, and Shanita and Georgier in the restaurant, who were incredibly friendly, welcoming, and offering great hospitality. The staff are attentive and can’t do enough for you. The setting of Indigo on the beach for breakfast and dinner is just stunning!

There is a small gym and a good library room, if like me, you need to borrow some extra beach reading! We found the beach service to be attentive, with staff constantly checking if you need anything and arranging lunch or drinks to us on the beach loungers. The fast track airport service, bypassing long queues, was also greatly appreciated and is a big positive to the hotel experience here. We also found the concierge to be very helpful and we booked day trips to Stingray City and Nelson’s Dockyard with ease.

The only things that I’d mention are that although the setting is outstanding, it is a little tired with some of the decor and landscaping in parts. It is a laid back luxury hotel, but don’t expect the level of polish that you find in Indian Ocean hotels, for example, in all parts of the resort. This is also true for the little touches, such as the beach towels not being topped up on the loungers throughout the day, so you’d have to find someone to ask for towels if you arrived in the afternoon. Our mini bar in the room was not restocked each day as promised and the room service was hit and miss. Some days the turn down service would arrive early whilst we were all getting ready for dinner around 6.30pm/7pm, so would simply hand over some water bottles, rather than come back later, as is the usual practice in high end hotels. These are the little touches that you would expect to be perfect in a hotel of this calibre and price point.

It is also worth mentioning that although the hotel is described as having a spa, it is really more of a hotel with treatment rooms. The staff and treatments themselves are excellent, however the relaxation area, which is the same before and after your treatment, is really just an area of the long corridor, reception area, rather than an actual room. It is at the bottom of the staircase for the treatment rooms and the gym, with several beds against the back wall, separated by a sheer curtain. There is a small sauna and plunge pool, however these are in a small corner of the changing room, next to the lockers, so not an area that you could relax in, with no loungers, before and after treatments. As I say, the treatments themselves are good, but I would normally expect to spend a couple of hours at a spa of a five star resort, with separate, private relaxation areas before and after treatments. This is why I say that the spa here is more like a hotel with treatment rooms, rather than a spa facility. So, if spending half a day at the hotel spa, using its facilities is something that you look for in a stay, it might be worth adjusting expectations here.

Overall this hotel is fantastic and we would definitely return again, for the beautiful setting, the beach, the spacious beach front suites, excellent food and friendly staff, who cannot do enough for you. A truly wonderful stay, thank you to all at Carlisle Bay.