I wanted to write a review for this place and give it a plug. My wife and I had our honeymoon here during the middle of August 08 and we both loved it. It is a great place for a couple’s getaway. We stayed in the second from the top suite for 7 nights and the views were absolutely breath taking. The stairs up and down were not as bad as some people have said. Besides, they have a shuttle service for people not wanting to walk. We only took that once. The walk up and down was part of the experience and we enjoyed it. I believe my other feelings are the same as everyone else’s on here and will spare you the repeating of other comments. I will try to provide a few things I haven’t seen anyone talk about though. First, I did want to say hello to Carlton at the bar. He is a great person and will go out of his way to make you feel 100% relaxed and happy.

This wonderful resort sits on the western side of the island and is located right near the front of a good sized bay. This location makes for a small wave height (below knee level waves) so the water is very clear since not much current kicks up sand from the floor. The beach is a mix of shells and sand which is nice for shell hunting. A small sized reef sits about ten feet out from the beach and runs the length of the beach front, which is a nice place for snorkeling. There’s a dirt road that runs out past the main lodge and water sports hut out on the hilly peninsula located next to HB, and if you take a ten minute walk on it you’ll find a very fine sand beach sitting all alone and waiting for someone to stumble upon it. And if that one has someone on it then just keep walking about another five or so minutes because that road has a few hidden beaches off of it for you to explore if you choose to do so. The bumpy road leading into the resort is not that bumpy. It’s like any other dirt road in a developed country. If you’ve been down one in the US or the UK then this is no different. The meals were fine for both of us. My wife is a bit picky with her food selection and she was almost able to eat something different everyday. So they do have a good variety of foods. And if eating on an allotted time table is troublesome for you all with a huge time zone change in your travel then you can always get food from the bar’s menu during the day.
They do have cigars on site, which are good cigars, but I’d suggest taking the shopping trip into St John’s and buying some from one of the cigar shops there for the variety they can offer.

To answer the ultimate question: Yes, we will return to Hermitage Bay sometime down the road. There are a lot of other places in the world that we want to see so it might be awhile, but we will go back there someday. I have no doubt in my mind that anyone looking for the laid back vacation will enjoy your visit to Hermitage Bay.

SWEET 36!!!

My wife and I vacationed at Hermitage Bay from July 10 thru July 20, 2008 and we must preface our review by saying words can not describe our experience, but we will give it a try just the same.

Hermitage Bay is a resort that makes you forget about the stresses of your job and everyday life. The grounds of the resort, your suite, the spa, the gourmet dining, the beach, and the pool, are all designed to relax you and put you at perfect peace. Along with the physical beauty of the resort, the amazing staff made this vacation one to remember.

As the days dwindled away, we enjoyed pure serenity while in our private plunge pool, napping on our day bed, listening to the soft tunes coming from the surround sound, taking quiet walks on the beach, and not to mention watching awesome sunsets from our verandah. This was definitely a vacation we will remember and treasure for the rest of our lives!

We would be remiss if we failed to recognize the man responsible for making our stay at Hermitage, perfect in everyway. Michael, the resident manager, is top notch! Not only does he work endless hours to ensure your satisfaction, he personally goes out of his way to ensure every visitor is treated like a VIP. His demand for attention to detail and prompt service makes all the difference in this small boutique resort. If you incur a problem, which we did not, he is definitely your go-to man. Michael has truly taken a 25 bungalow resort and turned it into a world class destination.

We would also like to recognize our Hermitage Bay family starting with Indie and Latitia! Thank you so much for your conversations, laughter and hugs. Your desire to provide top quality service coupled with world class dining made this trip one of a kind. To the rest of our family members who also welcomed us with open arms and made us feel at home: Fred, Charmaine, Debra, Denise, Rozlyn, Johann, Jessica, Annette, Stephen, Jean, Victoria, Yoshika, Latoya, Marian, and Kempton; thank you for your smiles and outstanding service. All of you made the term “All Inclusive” a reality. To Tajah, the best bartender on Antigua…thank you for all the delicious mango drinks you fixed my wife and CONGRATULATIONS on winning the 2008 Mango contest, you really are the best! To Devon and Michael, thank you for the Hobie Cat lessons, the harbor tour, and most of all your personalized service with the water sports. A special thank you goes to Althea, a wonderful woman who made sure our suite was always clean, and stocked with what we wanted. Your kind words and sweet notes made us feel like we were home. To Jennifer, Judith, and Maryann; thank you for your warm greetings, phone calls ensuring we didn’t need anything, and for ensuring we received several messages from our teenaged daughter. Last, but certainly not least, a special “thank you” to Horayne for being such a blessing to us.

We will close by saying, if you ever get the opportunity to stay at our home-away-from home, don’t hesitate, you will not be disappointed. You may even gain an extended family by the time you leave!

Yancey and Serita Taylor
Las Vegas, NV.

We have just returned from a 7 night stay at Hermitage Bay and loved it so much we just had to write a review straight away! We booked our trip in May after reading the reviews online and were certainly not disappointed! How anyone can moan about this place is beyond me!

Location - Hermitage Bay is set in a very secluded part of the Island. On the last part of the journey there is a ten minute drive down a dirt track that is yes a but bumpy but there is so much to look at we hardly noticed. The hotel is not by any main roads or busy hotels, nor is it overlooked.

Arrival - On arrival we were given a very friendly welcome with two cocktails (non alcoholic) and cool towels. The manager then sat us down and explained about the extra security they had employed in light of the awful shooting earliler on inthe month. He made us feel completley relaxed and safe. The hotel reception itself is utterly beautiful very open almost like a safari lodge and the views are incredible.

Our Suite - we had a beach cottage suite which was HUGE! The pictures on the website and on here really do not do it justice. It was beautifully decorated, had gorgeous bath products, a massive bath, lovely big bed e.t.c. We were upgraded on the last day to a HILLSIDE suite which was alot smaller but of course had the plunge pool and the most amazing views. If you want complete seclusion and are not bothered about the size of the room then the Hillside will be for you. For us our suite was perfect, we were right by the beach and had a two minute walk to the pool and bar.

Food - There is about half an hour a day where they do not serve food! We have never eaten so well as we did at Hermitage Bay. The food is really fantastic and all freshly prepared, no buffet style in sight! You can really have whatever you want, I am allergic to Milk and so they even bought in Soya for me. The Kobe beef burger is a definate must along with the beek skeewers and jerk chicken burger at lunch and the lobster and fish in the evening. Also the cocktail menu is incredible Hermitage Gold is a definate favourite and again they will make anything you want. Even the house champagne is very good.

Staff - the staff really made our trip special. Janice and Devan at the watersports are lovely. Janice kindly took us on a boat trip and Devan helped with snorkeling. Micheal the manager is lovely and all the staff were so friendly and funny the whole time.

Ambience - Hermitage Bay is really understated luxury. If you want lots going on in the evening, loud music and lots of acitivites this place is not for you! As soon as we arrived we felt so relaxed. In the evening they have light music such as a small jazz band or solo guitarist. The sofas in the bar are stylish but comfy. The lighting in the evening is romantic and not invasive. With only 25 suites there are not many guests and so it's never noisy.

I cannot praise this place enough. If you have booked to go here you will NOT be disappointed. This is a beautiful hotel, a rare piece of paradise and we had an unforgettable honeymoon.

We came here on our Honeymoon last year...and loved it! So we returned this year and stayed 7 nights. My sister and her husband joined us for part of the week, and we all agreed that this will be the resort that all others will be compared to!

I will try to highlight the unique aspects of Hermitage that perhaps we overlooked (or took for granted) the first time. The entire ambience of Hermitage is exotic and beautiful, peaceful and serene. It is hard to put into words...tranquil and yet refreshing and reviving. I truly thought it was paradise.

This has a lot do with the size of the resort. There are only 25 or so cottages...at the most 50-60 guests at a time. The beach was never crowded...nor the pool...nor the bar or restaurant. The absence of children helps to make it a more romantic and intimate environment . .. very secluded and private. The perfect place for a romantic get-away.

How anyone could complain about this place is beyond me! I have read reviews about the sand being coarse and shell-y. Yes, this is true... but we walked barefoot without a problem. And, the advantage of this is that the ocean water is even more clear...the waves don't pick up the sand. It is extraordinarily clear all the way to the bottom.
Speaking of the beach, I found myself more intrigued by this beach on the second visit. It is unusual...there are a few reefs right by the shoreline that are home to many beautiful fish. We snorkelled around the reef several times. There were some jellyfish, but we were never stung (and we did a lot of swimming)...there are fewer jellyfish in front of the reefs. (I think August is jellyfish season.)
The cottages are amazing...understated luxury at your fingertips. Dark wood with white linen. Magnificent views from the deck. We stayed in one of the hillside cottages at the top of the hill...and the view was well worth the short hike up there. It is the perfect mixture of living with the natural environment and living in luxury. The staff were all great...willing to help with a smile. We changed our mind repeatedly about what activities we wanted to do...canopy tour, then no canopy tour...horseback riding on this day, no, on this day...
etc...they happily fixed our schedules without question. We asked for packed lunches an hour before we needed them (you're supposed to give 24 hr notice)...and they did it to perfection, with salads, sandwiches, drinks...all in a picnic basket with silverware, plates and blankets.

Contemplating whether it's worth it to do all-inclusive? IT IS!! This is the way to go...drink all you want, eat all you want! The bar drinks are awesome, and hats off to the chef! Excellent food, everyday at every meal! and an excellent selection.

And take my advice...stay at the resort. We were disappointed with our horseback ride, and wished we had just stayed at Hermitage. If you are looking for a bit of adventure, hike around the green hill to the left of the resort. It took us 2-3 hrs to this one morning, and we found 6 secret beaches! It was amazing! beautiful! I went swimming at two of the beaches...there is soft white sand, clear blue-green water...and no one else around!

Needless to say, we didn't want to leave! I highly recommend this place...you will not be disappointed if you go here!