We have just returned from our honeymoon spent at Galley Bay and it was superb. I loved the Gaugin Cottage we stayed and I'm sure the beach front rooms (all types) are lovely but we found the cottage preferable for privacy and the splash pool. We were treated well as soon as we arrived and found chilled champagne in our room on arrival which was a nice touch. The resort itself was lovely, the staff very welcoming and the food great.

My only problem was that I kept getting bitten but I could put up with that for a little bit of paradise. We found that an excursion helped break up the week so we decided upon the island tour on the Excellence. It was worth every penny as it was a great way to see the whole island.

Unfortunately I found St John's to be a bit busy but then we went the day the local children went back to school but nevertheless it is good to see the capital, however I did start feeling a bit stressed with the cars so we decided to go back to our resort. Galley Bay is a great resort for honeymooners - we'll never forget ours!

Just returned from a wonderful 12 night stay at this excellent hotel and couldn't wait to review it.

The Hotel
The hotel is about a 20-30 minute, very interesting ride from the airport. The entrance is very attractive with a disused sugar mill at reception. When we arrived we were greeted with a delicious rum punch and check in was very polite and swift. We were taken on a tour of the resort on a golf buggy and then shown to our room. The grounds of the hotel are kept beautifully. The resort is not very big, which is an advantage. There is some building work going on which can be a little noisy at times but it in no way spoilt our experience. The facilities at the the resort are very good: a simple gym, spa providing massage and manicures etc, free internet access, library with a large selection of books, well-stocked shop, tennis court, jogging track, ping pong table, bike loan and non-motorised water sports.
Evening entertainment consists of small bands. If you are looking for a rave-up, don't bother, we were delighted to find that the evening was as low-key as we hoped.

Our Room
We had booked a premium beach front suite which is the most expensive selection and is definitely worth the money. We had a large bathroom with 2 sinks, toilet, huge bath and double shower (2 shower heads opposite each other in a walk-in shower). It also had an excellent hairdryer which actually blow out hot air rather than some pathetic puff of warm air which you usually get. The living area consisted of bedroom and a sunken lounge. The bed was huge and very comfortable and the living room had settees, a tv, a fridge with 'free' beers, water and pop, and coffee maker (in which you can heat water for tea). A safe is provided in one of the wardbrobes. Through large French windows we could walk straight out onto a terrace with two loungers and a tap for rinsing off before entering the room, and just beyond that...the beautiful beach and sea. We were on the ground floor which we were very happy about because lying on the beach or swimming in the sea has never been so easy when you can just simply walk straight into your room.
The room is kept spotlessly clean and towels are plentiful.
The a/c in the room works very well and the hotel even provides insect killer and plug-in repellent. Watch out for the 'magic clock' though which seems to race ahead of real time trying to speed up your holiday! (Told you I would mention that guys!)

Eating
Let me put it this way...diet starts today! There have been a few negative comments on this site about the food and I genuinely cannot subscribe to those opinions. My husband and I are not fussy about our food but we like a good meal. We are also realistic about the standard of food we should receive from such an expensive resort. We were not disappointed.
Breakfast is taken in the Seagrape restaurant and consists of a buffet of fruits, cereals, muffins, breads, hams, cheese and yoghurts. As well as that you can order a variety of egg items (omelette, fried eggs, pancakes etc) with bacon and/or sausage and/or creamy potatoes.
Lunch at the Seagrape and the Gaugain is delicious. At the Seagrape there is a 3 course menu to choose from which, whilst the main menu remains the same, the specials change daily. The Gaugain is more nachos/ burger/ chicken wings sort of menu for when you just want some 'junk' (except it isn't 'junk' because it is such good quality).
Afternoon tea is served later but we were so full we couldn't fit it in!
Dinner in the Seagrape is a daily changing menu consisting of three courses. We only had one bad meal when my lamb was over-cooked but that was it, ALL the other meals were delicious. Dinner at the Gaugain is far more private and romantic but the menu doesn't change. Having said that, some of the items are so delicious we found ourselves purposely going back to experience them again.
Drinks are as plentiful as you want them to be and of good, branded quality. I was delighted to find that the white wine wasn't just Chardonnay which is often the case; a perfectly palatable Pinot Blanc was the other option. I know my husband enjoyed the red....! A tip for the men: if you ask for 'beer' you will get an Antiguan Wadadli beer, otherwise ask for Red Stripe directly if you would prefer that.

The Staff
Whilst staying in St Lucia we had a very bad experience with rude staff and so we looked very carefully for a resort with good reviews in this area. The staff at this hotel were very nice. As with all resorts, some were very friendly and personable whilst others were just polite. As a Brit, we don't want people to fall over themselves to be nice, we just want people to be polite which they were, and so we were very pleased. Service was generally excellent with just a couple of blips, particularly at breakfast where it seems to take them as long to cook 2 eggs as it takes me to rustle up a full roast dinner at home. Ha ha, yeh yeh I know, we should be working on 'Antiguan time' but there is surely a limit?!

The Beach
I am very fussy about beaches because, being very fair skinned, I find them quite uncomfortable places to be, however I loved the beach in this resort. The sand is soft with lots of lovely shells, there is plenty of shade and beds, and the sea is lovely, if rather dangerously rocky in places. Please make sure you experience snorkeling; it was my first time and I LOVED it!
There are a few hawkers on the beach who will flatter you whilst suggesting you look at their wares. They then leave you alone for a few days and then come back to see if you want anything. They are non-threatening and will take no for an answer so just be polite but firm.

The Clientele
I know it isn't really the hotel's responsibility but I think your fellow guests can really make or break a holiday. We found the guests at the Galley Bay to be a real mix - old/ young, glamorous/ plain, loud/ quiet which is great because it means you can be who you are. There were lots of British people and then generally Americans, Italians and Germans. Everyone was very pleasant and polite and we met some excellent people (V&P, D&A xxx)

The Birds
OMG! Ornithology has never been so exciting! Beware the sugar-hungry birds and wonder at the pelicans dropping into the sea for fish. Amazing.

All in all this was a superb holiday. The best by far that we have been on for pure relaxation. We would definitely return.

Couldnt wish for a better holiday.the wedding was something we will always remember and was stress free,all we had to decide on was the cake and flowers.Ernestine was fantastic and so were all the other staff.food,room,everything what more can we say.We definatley recommend galley bay and will be returning.

Beautiful hotel and lovely staff particularly Heather who made our stay such fun.The location is perfect, but the Island itself is not as pretty as we had expected and very little to explore on the Island. Our one gripe was the the $5.00 per minute call charge which was imposed to the UK. Had we been advised of this we would have used our mobiles so beware and dont use the land line. We also noticed that when this was raised with the hotel on departure the sunny warm attitudes faded quite quickly and there was little good will shown, which spoilt our departure and possibly our memory of the hotel.