Antigua Hotels | The Antiguan

WHERE TO STAY

Photo: Curtain Bluff

FROM OUR INNS TO OUR ALL-INCLUSIVES

Antigua's got everything from world-class resorts with all the modern amenities to traditional inns with their origins in the 18th century. Then there are the family-friendly apartments for those who like to do their own thing and the all-inclusives for those who much prefer everything to be done for them...

Authenticity is what it’s all about here. Most properties have been designed to reflect their tropical setting, and most also overlook one of our famous beaches. Yet international standards can be expected in everything from our restaurants to our kids’ clubs.

You can choose a family-friendly resort with activities galore or an adult-only retreat where the most you’ll have to do is apply your own sunscreen. We’ve got hotels with gourmet restaurants, private cinemas, infinity-edge pools, carefully-curated wine cellars and the kind of spas that win awards. But if all you’re after is a charming inn, some local fare and a 10-year-old rum served by a friendly barman, we can do that too.

Our properties are sprinkled all around our shores, and although a 45-minute drive is all it takes to get from one side of the island to the other, you’ll be surprised at how different each coastline is. Do you choose to stay in bustling Dickenson Bay in the north where the bars and restaurants overlook one of the Caribbean’s finest beaches? Do you go for English Harbour in the south with its historic vibe and wall-to-wall yachts? What about Jolly Harbour in the west where the white sand beaches come with blood-red sunsets? Or do you run away to one of our hideaways? We’ve got a famous one secreted away on its own island, and quite a few others that are so off-the-beaten-track they may as well be...

OUR FAVOURITE ANTIGUA HOTELS...

• SANDALS GRANDE ANTIGUA RESORT & SPA is a couples-only getaway that has it all, and most of it's included in the price. Stand-out facilities include an oversized pool, free watersports including scuba-diving, as well as luxury room options like private pools and butlers. You can even dine in a different restaurant every day of the week, the prime Dickenson Bay setting an added bonus.

• CARLISLE BAY manages to be a style sensation and family-friendly. It’s tucked away between a blissful stretch of sand and a mangrove lagoon popular with the local egrets. The plantation chic that defines the guest rooms is echoed throughout the resort. Other distinguishing features include a cinema, a lagoon-like pool, and a Pan Asian restaurant where the warm towels are infused with white jasmine.

• CURTAIN BLUF is an iconic Caribbean hotel. And not just because of its prime setting on a beach-flanked bluff but because it's the sort of place where people of all age groups can really make themselves at home. A clubby ambience prevails here, the wide range of recreational activities enhanced by fine dining, vintage wines, attentive staff and guest rooms and suites beautifully styled as contemporary beach escapes.

• THE INN AT ENGLISH HARBOUR makes history hip again. Totally appropriate for an upscale boutique hotel across the bay from Nelson’s Dockyard. The 18th-century lobby on the hillside is all oak beams and brasses, the restaurant on the panoramic terrace is all candlelight and linen, while just steps from the sands is a breezy pool, an alfresco restaurant and guest rooms evoking Georgian romance.

• ADMIRAL'S INN is another intriguing slice of Antiguan history. Now a boutique hotel brimming over with 18th-century charm, the reception building once served as Nelson Dockyard’s officers’ quarters. Pillars is the aptly-named waterside dining venue, while just across the bay is Boom restaurant, an infinity-edge pool, and the sort of stylish Gunpower Suites the officers would have loved.

• HERMITAGE BAY is an adult-only bolthole on a white ribbon of secret beach. Everything here is as natural as it gets. Bamboo, rattan and Guyanese hardwoods typify the eco-chic architecture, that’s if the walls are even there at all, of course. Plunge pools await in the hillside suites, while a pool, Siddhartha-influenced spa, alfresco restaurant and organic kitchen garden are all down at beach level.

• JUMBY BAY ISLAND is where everyone gets treated like VIPs, even the kids. A luxurious all-inclusive escape, its accommodations embrace a Mediterranean vibe, while its historic Estate House reflects its plantation origins. Yet it’s the island location that sets it apart, its pristine waters dotted with starfish, its waterfowl sanctuary home to rare birds, and its white beaches the nesting sites of Hawksbill turtles.

• HODGES BAY RESORT & SPA is a contemporary, low-rise getaway looking out over pristine turquoise waters. The varied accommodations, ranging from stylish 1-bedroom suites to expansive 4-bedroom residences, cater for everyone from couples to families. The panoramic sea views, white sand beach, luxury spa, children’s club, and palm-fringed swimming pool, all equally beguiling. The main seaside restaurant is complemented by a unique ‘desert island’ venue just a few minutes offshore.

• TRADE WINDS HOTEL is near all the action, but contentedly set apart from it. It’s perched on a breezy hillside, Dickenson Bay sprawled out far below it, St. John’s a 10-minute drive away. On-site are comfy rooms, the sort of staffers who make a point of learning your name, and The Bay House restaurant where local movers and shakers enjoy breakfast, and guests enjoy everything from tapas to tuna tartar.

• TAMARIND HILLS is where independent island living gets glamorous. These residential-style villas, suites and apartments sit on our west coast. Wow factors include the private pools, the ‘driftwood chic’ décor, and the sort of ocean views that will knock your flip-flops off. Some of the island’s best beaches and restaurants are on the doorstep, including Tamarind Hill’s own new restaurant and bar.

• ANTIGUA VILLAGE is one of the island’s first and most famous self-catering getaways. It’s an aptly-named condominium resort on Dickenson Bay, the individually-appointed studios, suites and villas looking out onto the gardens, the pool or one of Antigua’s finest white sand beaches. Watersports, as well as trendy eateries like Ana’s on the Beach and Salt Plage could hardly be closer.

• BUCCANEER BEACH CLUB is the sort of place where guests check-in, kick their shoes off, and never put them back on again. They can happily cater for themselves in the Caribbean-style suites and cottages, they can chill out on the palm-studded pool terrace, or they can wander along Dickenson Bay where watersports and fashionable restaurants await. Supermarkets are a short drive away.

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