Having been to Galley Bay six or seven times (and we're due to go again this weekend) we read the 2-star review by the TripAdvisor User from Buffalo, NY with interest. What this says to us is this:
5. You must have been unlucky with the food, because we love it. We like to eat in some of the finest restaurants in Europe, but you are looking for a different gatronomic experience here, which we regard as fulfilled. Favourites are the eggs creole (crab cakes) for breakfast, the nacho platter at lunch, and small-leaf spinach salad with dinner...
6. AC? Who the hell wants AC when you can have the sea breeze wafting through the louvres? As for the 'noise' of the surf and the tree frogs then you obviously prefer a triple-glazed, hermetically-sealed room; we want the opposite.
7. don't go to Antigua in October; we've only been there at either Xmas, April or August. In April and August we have had the odd shower which is over quickly. One Xmas the sea was rough at the end of the week and the red flag went up (for five years we didn't realise they even had one).
8. The only bugs and flies we've ever encountered are the no-see-ums as you walk the beach at dusk who have a go at your ankles; a quick squirt of Jungle Formula sorts them!
9. We agree that in a two-storey unit, you're better off upstairs.
10. St John's is OK; if you think Antigua is v.poor you can't have travelled very widely and been to places that REALLY ARE v.poor. In fact the most fun you can have is to go in when a huge cruise ship is in and marvel at the fashions and the enormity of the horde of passengers which triples the population at a stroke. People-watching at its best. Best bargains are the rums, some clothes (esp. swimwear,teeshirts), otherwise we shop at home.
11. don't go expecting loads of activities. There's only one real (composite) activity that we want when we get to GB: sun+sea+sand+paperback+cocktail(non-alcoholic before lunch, rum-based after). In Sailing Week (April) you get hundreds of yachts which makes an interesting distraction from the dive-bombing pelicans. Our special treat is the Roots Steel Band playing while you're eating (ask them nicely and they play our favourites: Guantanamera, Hotel California, Take Five...) "You can only relax for so long"; speak for yourself, obviously WE can relax all week long (this is about the only place on the planet where we can say this).
12. one thing about the staff at GB is that they're not 'in your face'. On a relaxing holiday we do NOT want some flunky at our elbow every 5 minutes with the offer of a drink or a cooling facecloth. At mealtimes we want our wine glass topped up as soon as it gets below half full, and this is the place. As for all the, er, 'luxuries' associated with 5-star resort complexes, you really HAVE chosen the wrong place. If anything, we disapprove of some of the innovations they've implemented since we first went there in 1998; who the hell wants to schlep to the Caribbean to stay in their room and listen to CDs, or watch TV/DVDs?

Your correspondent forgot to mention:
no kids, no powered watersports, loads of space.

We arrived at Galley Bay on 27 August 2004. The setting was amazing. You are taken by a golf buggy across the lake to your room. We stayed in a Premium Beachfront Room, which are either on the ground or first floor. We had a first floor room. Rooms are spacious. Bed very uncomfy but huge. Huge bathroom with double shower and sinks and biggest bath I've ever seen. You don't get any bath bubbles so don't forget to take your own. Bar stocked daily with cans of fizzy pop, beer and bottled water. Balcony with wicker sun loungers. Sunken living area with TV. Large wardrobe.

The beach was lovely but the sea was a bit rocky. There was only one real entry point near the deluxe suites. Beware jellyfish! We were there and got the tropical storms of Ivan and Jeanne which may have explained the heavy seas on a few days.

The staff are very friendly - especially Michael Matthews (the restaurant manager) who always recognises you and greets you by name, Kenny and Levique.

The tee pee bar is a nice place for a drink to watch the sunset. It was a quiet and relaxing elite resort apart from the end of our stay when we found it seemed to be filled with people who would have been better suited to holidays in Ibiza. Food is all a la carte in either the Sea Grape Restaurant, which is overloking the sea, and caters for lunch and dinner or, the Gaugin which has two dinner sittings. The Gaugin is intimate and is located at the far left hand side of the resort near the Premium Beachfront Suites. There were 7 tables there which each had their own parasol - with more been prepared. Book early for dinner at the Gaugin.

Try a massage - the Beautician is wonderful. Have a go at tennis, table tennis or jogging round the purpose built trail if you are wanting to be more active. There are limited non motorised watersports on the beach.

Try the Jolly Charter Premium Charter on Rumaje with Emma and Russell - details from Guest Services. Russell and Emma are from the UK and make your trip memorable.

The Gaugin Cottages were been refurbished when we were there and outside plunge pools were been installed.

Although we were on a normal holiday it is the perfect place for a honeymoon or anniversary!

We stayed at Galley Bay from 6 - 20 November 2004 and had a great holiday. Our room was a Premium Beachfront Suite which was well furnished, very spacious, had a huge bathroom and a patio straight onto the beach. The room benefitted from glass patio doors which kept the sound of the tree frogs and the waves to a minimum!
The resort was relatively quiet (no children) and very relaxing but, the very best thing about it was the staff. All the staff were friendly, welcoming and took the trouble to get to know you. A special mention should go to Natasha, Nola, Najlar, Kenny, Mike and Levique (who's dancing has to be seen to be believed!).
The resort had 2 restaurants which allowed you to choose between quiet, intimate dining or a more lively affair with live music. The food at both restaurants was very good with plenty of variety including local specialities and seafood. Wine was plentiful with the meals and the bars offered a great range of cocktails and other branded drinks.
The only things that were wrong with our stay were things beyond the control of the hotel. The weather was not what we expected with some cloudy, grey days and quite a lot of rain. During the first week there were a lot of flies during the day, due to the weather and throughout the stay mosquito repellant was a must for the evenings. The other thing was that the sea was quite rough and swimming was only possible on a few days, however, the pool provided an acceptable alternative. None of these things really spoilt our holiday.
In summary if you are looking for a quiet, friendly resort where you can chill out, then this is the place to go. We are already planning a return.

We honeymooned @ Galley Bay between 11/9 - 11/16/04 and after the trip we were happy with our choice. I would recommend not going during hurricane season, the weather was OK but we had overcast skies for most of the trip. The mosquitoes were bad and seemed to really nail some of the women. The entire staff’s performance was overall good; there were some that were spectacular (Natasha) and some not so good. The facility was generally well kept, the rooms and common areas were good, but the employee quarters and brush along less traveled paths could have been maintained better. When we initially arrived the drive up to the resort is horrid (bad conditions, high poverty), and we were wondering what was in store at the resort. The reception area is nice, but the pond in the middle is not and is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The food was good, but you will be bored with it by the end of your stay. The wait staff was good; unresponsive/slow at times, but we had no issues at all. The Gaugin restaurant is by far the best feature in the resort. The private huts make for a romantic, private dining and a very pretty view right on the beach. A wonderful breeze comes through and the feel is that of an exotic lunch/dinner. The Sea Grape restaurant is good but the ambiance is that of a cafeteria, not as spectacular. The beach is very pretty and not crowded; solicitors do roam the beach and can be annoying, the resort needs to do better job of keeping them out. I would only recommend the top-notch room, which we stayed in, the others are very small and would not stay cool, no windows just shutters. Ours was very spacious with huge bed huge bathroom, and huge living area. Housekeeping did an excellent job and seemed like they cleaned your room for half the day. We met some great people and had a lot of laughs. Median age of guests was about 45, which initially put us out of place, but even still had a great time. Mostly people from UK and North East US. It is all about what you make it as far as the social scene is concerned. You can keep to yourself, which half of the people did or make friends. Do not waist your time buying internet access, slow and hard to get connection at times

Galley Bay was an overall good resort and worth the money. I would recommend the visit and imagine most will be very happy with it.