Having just returned from a week long stay in Long Bay hotel I have to say we loved it! We had friends staying in the Grand Pineapple Resort and having spent a day up there for their wedding we were happy to retreat back to the gentle confines of the undoubtably more tranquil Long Bay Hotel.

On arrival we were met by Sam (who makes a mean Rum Punch!) who greeted us with a warm friendly smile and showed us up to our room. The rooms are not the height of luxury but are ample, have fantastic beds, and plenty of storage space. The balcony is a wonderful place to sit early in the morning and the views of the cove are stunning. The bathroom was a bit tired and had holes in the mosquito panel but the water pressure was good and the towels were big and plentiful. We liked the traditional feel of the place and the fact that the room had original paintings and wall hangings of the local area.
(When we left the hotel was closing for two months to re-roof the beach bar and do some room refurbishments.)
In August we did struggle from the heat and humidity and at nights even with the fan, it was incredibly hot in the rooms. I got bitten really badly from mosquitos, while my husband seemed to escape the bites, although I think this was from walking to Devils Bridge at dusk, not from the rooms themselves. Mosquito repellent was supplied in the rooms and we used plenty of it!

The beach is absolutely stunning and the water is crystal clear so you can see the tropical fish even if you can't swim or snorkel. We got snorkeling equipment from the Boathouse which also does other watersports, and kept it for the week we were there which was great. On recommendation from another guest, we went out on a Kayak to Lovers Bay which was a secluded beach 15 minutes away. The kayaks were easy to use and we had complete freedom to help ourselves to the equipment once we knew how to use it.

Food was great. We enjoyed the breakfasts although I think because it was the last week of the season, the selection of food was more limited than it would be normally. Lunches in the Beach hut were relaxed and tasty with the staff friendly and often anticipating our need for a drink. The evening meals were mostly wonderful but with the odd overambitious dish which didn't quite work, although overall we really enjoyed the nights we ate in the hotel.

The one big thing about this hotel was the staff. We have never been anywhere where the staff have been so friendly, helpful and generally felt like one of the family. Everyone introduced themselves and so we were often sat in the bar in the evenings chatting to Sam or Gary, or Stacey in the morning at breakfast time.
I can't remember the names of the other staff who we saw less frequently but (apart from one grumpy sullen lady who served us our last two breakfasts) we couldn't fault any of the staff who were a pleasure to be around. Dave, the manager was really helpful and went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed to have as relaxing and good a time as possible.

All in all we enjoyed our holiday here because it was comfortable and personal. If you are a person who likes conformity and 5 star corporate luxury this place will not suit you, but for a laid back holiday with friendly service in a stunning setting, this is a top choice.

It has been a few years since our visit to Long Bay Hotel and we still think it is a gem. This time we came at the end of the season, just before they close for a few months. It was warmer in August but the trade winds continued to blow. It rained a few nights and a few brief showers on two days. The general pace was a bit slower. There were a few other guests who had been there before and by the end of the stay we all could not decide if we preferred in-season or end of season. The guests were interesting as in our last visit. If you ask an Antiguan for their favorite beach, they very well would name Long Bay. The waters were just as I remembered. The beach house bar was moved to the other side and part of the roof was opened up in the hotel lobby. It looks like a patio will be going in next to the restaurant and the rooms will be udated. The waitresses are new but the rest of the staff is the same, still wonderful. We enjoyed kayaking in the bay (a first) and Dave, the manager, took us on a lovely sailboat ride. The food was still great. We did take a day for beach hopping and checking out other hotels. We were glad it was Long Bay that we were returning to at day’s end. The charm is still there and it has not turned into a corporate all-inclusive type hotel. It is still safe to drive around the island. At the end of our stay, a pulled back kept me bed-ridden for one entire day. Leona and Violet checked in on me often and helped with ice packs. In my misery, I was glad, at least, to be in paradise with two living angels watching over me. Priceless. A ride from the airport with Kenneth, the taxi owner, brought back fond memories. The anticipated break from t.v., phones and computer was as expected…lots of reading and gazing at the soothing waters. Our next trip to Long Bay I will find a way to bottle: the evening sound of the tree frogs, the ocean view, the bay view, the smells walking around the hotel, coming to our quarters each night with the bed mysteriously prepared for us, the meals, the hamburger & fries at lunch, a good night’s sleep, lounging in the water for hours, the staff, the sound of the trade winds during the night, the clear waters, the barbeque and music, waking up to the sun and actually wanting to get out of bed….

Our family of nine (varying ages between 4-58 years) stayed at Long Bay Hotel for two weeks this August. The location - beach, view, sea are all great. In most areas, even at a basic level, the hotel needs updating and maintenance. The beds/room were comfortable and spacious - although the lack of aircon/mosquito free ventilation is a considerable problem. The most significant downside which really affected our holiday was the appalling attitude and behaviour of two or three of the restaurant staff. This resulted in most meal times being an upsetting ordeal - a real problem when on half board! The food, in general, was ok - sometimes good, sometimes not. All credit to Dave, the hotel manager, who made every effort to help us have a successful holiday; he appeared to carry the weight of the hotel on his shoulders and it made us feel quite uncomfortable to see one person go all out while many other staff found the concept of 'taking care of customers' hard to grasp and achieve. When reading the other reviews on this site we wondered if we just stayed at the wrong time of year! It would have been nice to have left Long Bay Hotel saying we'd return, or even recommend the hotel to friends and family .... but sadly we won't.

We stayed in the Long Bay for three nights (definitely too short a stay!) and loved it.

It took a full day to unwind and get into the pace of Antigua; when we first arrived we weren't sure what we'd do there for three days, but by the end we were dying to stay longer. The views of the beach on one side and the dock on the other are absolutely outstanding; they really do look exactly like a postcard.

As commented on by others, the cocktails by the beach are great and the bar staff are fantastic. In fact, all the staff were cool and took the time to stop and chat with us (although never in an intrusive way).

Food was tasty, fresh and substantial, especially the breakfast. There's lots of fish, which is to be expected for Antigua, and it all seemed absolutely fresh (and delicious). I seem to recall some vegi options too. Snacks by the beach were great too.

If you're into watersports, Long Bay is a good choice; they have a wide range of things available in the hotel (sailing, snorkel equipment, boat trips etc). Unfortunately we were only there for a few days so didn't get a chance to try anything but snorkeling, but that was amazing; the beach is reef-protected and has lots of fish in knee-deep water. On the other side of the hotel, the dock area is great for swimming since it's a little deeper.

In high season they apparently have a scuba instructor onsite who operates from their own dock; since we were there at the last week of the low season he wasn't available. However, the staff organised a local dive for me and even drove me to the dive centre (thanks Dave!).

A couple of caveats: at the time of year we were there (very end of August) we found the room hot without AC. We were however provided with an additional fan which cooled the room enough to make it comfortable. Apparently this isn't a problem for most of the year since it's cooler.

Also, keep in mind that the rooms are not 5-star luxury; they're really comfortable but in a local style, so expect tiled floors and the occasional gecko on the wall. Many people will see this as a good thing, but not everyone.

Overall, this is a great place to go and unwind. There is no way you could be stressed after a few days in Long Bay, although you may gain a couple of pounds. We'll definitely be back if we can make it to Antigua again.