We stayed in one of the superior sea view rooms overlooking the bay, and were a little apprehensive after reading some of the comments here. However, the room was clean, large and airy, the beds were comfortable, the bathroom facilities were all in good working order, if a little dated (but so what?). You fell asleep to the sound of the sea and bird noises. Bliss.

The setting of the hotel is absolutely lovely; the whole bay and four beaches are used by the Hawksbill alone, so there was never any problem getting a shady spot and sun-lounger. Large fluffy beach towels are provided fresh on request (we changed ours sometimes twice a day with no problem). We sailed around the island and got a good look at some other resorts, and they were crowded in comparison (Dickenson Bay being an example).

The gardens are pleasant - there is an informative garden tour if you wish - and we loved the little piglets and goats running around at odd times.

The food was excellent, lots of choice, well-cooked and presented at all meal times. There was no excuse for being hungry I can assure you!

Drinks were mixed and presented very quickly; we never waited more than 3-4 minutes to be served.

The staff may not fawn all over you, but they are efficient, which is what we like. I really could not fault the service in any way.

Our only concern was the cost of taxis (beyond the control of the hotel I know, but be aware that you are isolated at the resort and rely on taxis to get around. They were the most expensive of anywhere we have been in the world, and that includes Japan. I just don't know how the high fares are justified.)

This was our second time at Hawksbill this year, having been there in January, and it just keeps getting better and better. Will definitely be back again next year!

It was great to meet people who we had met on our previous visits to Hawksbill as well as making some new friends. One of the great pluses is that almost every guest is happy to engage in conversation whatever their nationality. During our time at Hawksbill we have made friends with Americans, Canadians and other Brits, many of whom we have stayed in contact with.

As for the staff they are always genuinely pleased to see us return, so once again to Millie, Latoya, Christobel, Julia, Gillian, Jermaine, Sylvia, Aidrian, David, William, Alex and the rest of the staff a big thank you for helping to make our holiday perfect.

During our stay, our daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren, who were staying at Jolly Harbour, visited us at the Hawksbill for the day and had a wonderful time. My daughter and son-in-law both said they could understand why we loved the place.

I have read reports where guests have complained that the towels were not changed daily. Well, if you leave them on the floor and not hung on the rail, then I am sure that you will find they get changed! As for some of the staff being offhand, chill out, give them a smile and a friendly word, don't expect immediate service, after all what's your hurry, do you have a train or bus to catch to work? Just remember your on vacation but they are working!

Hawksbill Antigua was really lovely and very secluded. If you are looking to hide away on an island for a week...this is a place to do just that! Here were a couple of things that my husband and I hope will be helpful if you go to Hawksbill...

1. The views and the smells were fantastic. The water and the beaches clean and very welcoming with lounge chairs and the ability to bring beverages from the bar out with you. They had smaller pool which was a nice switch off on days you were recovering from too much sun from the day before. You could see the sea from almost anywhere you were including the pool. There was a lot of easy and fun water sports to do with an instructor available for questions. Also,it was a real treat because they have gardens with the trees and plants labeled so you know what is what. They also provide a garden tour 3 times a week. My husband's only recommendation was a tour on the wild life as well. The birds, lizards and the vocal tree frogs were incredible to watch. We even got to see a hummingbird from about 3 feet away as we stood on our back deck. There were mosquitoes and other biting insects so we invested in OFF and Benedryl anti-itch cream.

2. Our room was very comfortable. It had a King bed and a separate sitting area with a nice sized bathroom attached. The best part was the deck off the back from which we could use to walk right to the beach less than 50 yards away. It also allowed us easy access to the two restaurants...one up a flight of steps and the other down a path they was right on the beach. We would likely get an air conditioned room the next time but our room did have two ceiling fans which did the trick especially at night. If you have people that are bad with heat and humidity then I would recommend they upgrade to an air-conditioned room because you are only 17 degrees north of the equator and on some days you could feel it.

3. It is important to add that there is a farm nearby...right next to the resort. So, some days you would see escapee goats grazing on the beach or an escapee little pig run down the back lane. From time to time you would hear the goats and sheep bahhing. We even heard about a mongoose though we hadn't seen it ourselves...we wanted to though...how cool would that have been. Oh...and then there was Manny. Manny is the name that my husband came up with for the farm's time challenged resident rooster. We are not sure what would set Manny off but he would start crowing at about 4:00AM until round 8:00AM and then again around 4:00PM to 8:00PM. Our first introduction to Manny was on our first morning waking up. As I turned to my husband to find out why he was awake, he said to me 'Didn't you here Manny?' (I had not because I had wax ear plugs in my ears.) I asked why he was calling him Manny. My husband said he wasn't sure if he had dreamed that was his name or if it was because since 4:00AM he was saying things to himself like, 'Man, I want to pluck that bird and stuff the feathers in his mouth' OR 'Man, when is he gonna knock that off!' All of this was fun/funny and different and definitely interesting. I would recommend, however, the wax ear plugs to anyone who may have a hard time sleeping with the sounds of nature around them.

4. The food was great and diverse. It covered every pallet possible every day. Every morning was a buffet breakfast in the main dining area. I am a lover of breakfast so this always started my day off right. Every afternoon, there was a grill open at the restaurant on the beach along with the bar. All the great beach foods...hamburgers, cheese burgers, hot dogs and then there was a different grilled fish every day and BBQ chicken as well as sides and salads. The restaurant on the beach would allow you to order from the grill or to receive sit down service that came off of a pretty extensive lunch menu. Really fantastic! Then there was tea time served at 4:00PM with tea sandwiches and cakes...and tea...or the bar. (I have to admit that I got used to a couple of glasses of wine with lunch and then a nap! Now that is luxury!) On alternating evenings, the dinner would be sit down with service or a buffet and the variety was wonderful. Wine (good wine!) was served with dinner and the bar was open until about 11 or 12AM. Everything was on 'ish' time (Seven-ish, Four-ish) but for the most part is was around the time it was promised...hey it's an island. On certain nights they brought in bands to play and on Wednesdays they had a open grill BBQ.

5. The staff were nice, helpful and professional. In many ways they are extrememly efficient which some may see as brusque but in reality they are very willing to help you and answer your questions. It was wonderful being greeted with a glass of Champagne when we first arrived...my husband had a Mimosa!

6. In conversations we had with a Canadian and British couples who were there during the same week, we have come to the conclusion that Hawksbill was a pleasant, unpretentious throw back to the 60s and 70s. The James Bond genre...Sean Connery era specifically...where you had to go to the front desk to place a phone call and were told to receive the call in a booth nearby. That kind of elegant simplicity really doesn't exist in too many places any longer. We had no TV, no radio (except for the pumped in music at the bar and dining areas), no computer, no phone or cell phones. We read all week and talked and got to relax and reconnect in a way we would not have been able to in a loud, go, go, go resort with all the bells and whistles. It was a pleasure which we will repeat happily!

7. We did go to St. John's for a few hours in the middle of the trip. There you can find the cruise ships and the ATMs. We had a snack and drink at Hemmingway's Cafe which I would recommend to anyone and everyone. Super nice staff and the food is very good...conch fritters with curry...AWESOME! The Public Market area was interesting but my husband and I like exploring areas where the locals are gathering for real life stuff so this may not be for everyone. Be prepared if you are an American that you will be driving on the opposite side of the road which for us was a little disconcerting...but you get over it!

8. Hawksbill is not handicap accessible as far as I could see though I am sure that the staff would be very willing to help anyone.

We would highly recommend this resort to people who are looking to vacate for a week. It is a place where for a few days you forget the outside world and you just are!

We just returned from a 7-day stay at Hawksbill. We have travelled extensively throughout the Caribbean and Mexico, but had never stayed at an all-inclusive resort. Overall, our stay at Hawksbill was superb. Everything about it was outstanding--the food and bar offerings were fabulous, beaches and grounds were lovely, our room was large and clean (adequate, but next time we will upgrade to a cottage), great company (love the Brits!), and most of the staff were very accommodating. We did have a few negative encounters with staff, but attributed it to us being American--we presumed they'd seen the ugly side of of our culture. The coastline of Antigua is spectacular, and English Harbor is a "must-see." Most of the shopping is concentrated in St. Johns. If you don't like competing with crowds of tourists, schedule your shopping for a day when there are no cruise ships in port.

I had read some scathing reviews of Hawksbil, but we decided to take our chances. We were sure glad we did--my husband and I both agreed it was our best vacation ever. If you decide to stay at Hawksbill, you won't be disappointed. Enjoy!!