The first thing I would like to say is that everyone is entitled their opinion about this resort, however, I must stress that anyone who has done even the slightest bit of research before booking should not have anything negative to say as there are NO suprises.

I have included pictures with this review to show you exactly what the accomadation looks like so you can make your own minds up.

Having booked to stay at cocobay for 10 days on our honeymoon (through virgin holidays) I was very excited by the photos of the hotel and reviews I had read on this website. However as time went on, reviews on this website became worse and worse and I actually looked into changing our hotel but could not do so without huge expense.
However if you have booked this hotel please, please do not be put off by negative people. If you have done your homework before booking this will be exactly what you are looking for. This hotel is amazing.

Accomadation: We has booked a sea view not a sea front cottage and so did not have a plunge pool. We knew this before we went. The only point I will make with regard to plunge pools is that ALOT of people had payed/were expecting to have a plunge pool and didn't for all or the majority of their stay. HOWEVER from talking to people this seemed to be the fault of the travel agents and not the hotel. I would recommend booking with a larger company as we did because you know it will be right.
Our cottage as you can see was exactly as the hotel describes and shows on its website. Yes it was basic but exactly as described, no surprises. We had a fridge to keep drinks cold and a fabulous balcony with the best views on the island. A huge comfy bed with a mosquito net (no holes). The only thing I would say is that perhaps te bathroom could do with a face lift, but to be fair for what they charge I think it pretty good.

Food: I know there has been big debate about this. Personally I think the food is amazing for the money. Breakfast and lunch you just eat as much as you like. The food was fresh and there was a brilliant variety. A word of warning though I would go earlier to breakfast as although there is lots of food left later, not so much variety. Afternoon tea - didn't think much of it but to be honest I was never hungry anyway having stuffed myself at breakfast and lunch! Dinner- you will have to eat late if you get to breakfast late as you need to book for dinner and the earlier slots will be gone. Yes dinner is very small food on very big plates but to be honest it is very well done. You do get four courses and although small are stunning and delicious. My husband eats for England at 6ft 6" but even he never went hungry during our stay.

Entertainment is very limited but this resort isn't about being loud, its about chilling out. You spend quality time with your partner/family or make friends. There are a good variety of ages, we made friends with several young couples also on their honeymoons and had endless fun at the bar!

Drinks are free flowing including lots of delicious (although very strong!) cocktails, local beer really is fine as are local spirits. In the restraunt we never emptied a glass before it was re-filled in the bar area you do have to go up and get another drink but to be honest I think its because they don't want to be presumptious and give you the same drink. (Many guests were working their way through the cocktail list!)

A note about the wellness cottage. YOU HAVE TO GO! I think alot of people didn't know about it. A list of treatments is available from reception and the views whie having a massage are amazing. Karen who is the beauty therapist is fabulous best pedicure ever!

A note on staff. There are obviously staffing issues at the hotel. However there were only about two members of staff who worked there who were not wonderful everyone else really is fab - little rays of sunshine! O'neal the manager greeted us personally with rum punch and cold towels. From day one him and Monique know everyones name. You really do feel welcome.

Due to the unfortunate event at nearby cocos during our stay we did decide to cut our time at cocobay short and move to somewhere more secure as we did not feel safe in the cottages, however, this was te ONLY reason we left. I felt so guilty I explained it to O'neal himself who gave us a hug!

Overall I feel this hotel is brilliant value for money and a very chilled out resort. A must if you visit Antigua.

Final point - we heard lots of people whinging about stuff and it was obvious they had done no research that is where negative reviews come from, people who can't be bothered to do a bit of research.

i do hope that this hotel is not suffering on the back of the awful events at its sister resort recently. This really was the best holiday that I have had and I cannot recommend this resort highly enough.
Prior to going I had read several reviews on this site which were negative about food, rooms or service. My girlfriend and I stayed for two weeks and we found everything to be fantastic. Service was excellent and the standard of food and drink were much better than you would expect from an all inclusive resort. Shear restaurant was excellent and is worth a visit as a special treat (actually not all that expensive)
We found the service excellent and the rooms amazing. we had no big problems with bugs in rooms (one cockroach found) but we did get bitten a bit by sandflies on some days on the beach.
My only minor complaint was that on some days the room did get a bit hot and humid (but mostly ok) and if I visited again I would pay extra to have one of the few rooms with aircon.
Overall, brilliant and highly recommended.

This hotel is a great spot to relax and spend a few vacation days in the carribeans. It's not a typical luxury hotel with a lot of activities, but a cute, rustic and friendly resort with excellent food (again simple and homemade) and a free bar. Overall, I had a very good time at this hotel. I would recomment this hotel for couples, but not for families with young kids.

If , like me, you look at the reviews on trip advisor to help make your mind up or give you some peace of mind on a choice already made, let me reaasure you on Cocobay. What you see is what you get with this hotel. If you are looking for a rustic, chilled out, quiet and relaxed experience in the Carribean, then this is a good choice for you.

Location: The location is fabulous - in a great part of the island with beautiful sandy beaches, stunning blue seas and panoramic views. The resort in itself is picture postcard pretty with the little plantation cottages cutting a fine figure on the bluff.

Rooms: The rooms are basic but very comfortable. The bed is nice and big which is bonus and the mosquito nets are invaluable. The balcony is a good place to laze of an afternoon and the hammocks are extremely comfortable. The bathroom has doors which open onto the balcony and you can have an open air shower if you so please, which is lovely! We found that the water pressure was just fine in the shower.

Food and Drink: This seems to be where a lot of the negative reviews on this web site come from and let me reassure you on this right away. The food is absolutely fine, much better than average, and of excellent quality for an all inclusive. My husband and I had never been on an all inclusive holiday before and after the reviews we were expecting a fairly bog standard buffet type service but we were pleasantly surprised. The service was buffet at breakfast although fresh eggs were prepared any way you wanted them by the ladies on the stove in the buffet area. There was plenty of choice and tea and coffee served to your table. Lunch was another buffet affair with at least 3 main dishes available, soup, salad and dessert if you wanted it. Afternoon tea with cake and sandwiches was available from 4pm although we didn't really take advantage of this so I can't comment too much. Dinner was a la carte 5 nights and buffet for 2 nights. Several choices were availble on the menu and they were all prepared to a high standard with a good range of produce. Admittedly, your plate was not piled sky high with food, but my husband and I both agreed that the portions were perfect, as you had at least 4 courses so there was more than enough food to fill you up. To be blunt, how people can write that they go hungry in this resort is unfair criticism. How much do people want to eat?!

The drinks were all good. The local beer (Wadadli) was lovely and the range of cocktails on offer was great. The drinks are only served in plastic cups if you are taking them away from the bar area over to the pool or down to the beach. If you are staying around the bar, they serve them in normal glasses. The beers are not served in pint glasses but rather half pint sized glasses so all you do is finish the one you have and then ask for another one when you're ready. It's absolutely not a problem!

Entertainement: Apart from a couple of musicians and a steel band while we were there, the entertainement was rather thin on the ground but we weren't disappointed by that. The resort is meant to be calm and tranquil and we didn't go there to party til all hours every night so we were more than happy. I can understand why some people may find it a bit too quiet for them, but it really all depends on what you're looking for.

Mosquitoes: There are plenty of them around and we saw some nasty looking bites on people. I am usually the first person bitten and tend to be allergic to bites, however we treated our mosquito net with some permethrin spray, I used 100% DEET mosquito repellent in the evenings and we were both absolutely fine. I didn't get any bites. Just take a bit of care and it's fine.

Trips: We went to St Johns which was a nice half day outing, on the Landrover and Kayaking trip (not bad although perhaps a bit expensive) and up to Shirley Heights for the BBQ (good fun, nice BBQ and great music.)

To sum up, if you're looking for all singing all dancing, shiny bathrooms, wifi access and fluffy bathrobes, this isn't the place for you. This resort is rustic, good value for money and a resful place to go for a relaxed Carribbean break. When we left we had an "extras" bill of 7$US so it is true to its all inclusive name and holds no nasty surprises in store at the end of your stay.