Well what can i say...absolute heaven!

From the minute you arrive (and the taxi driver calls to let them know you are nearly there so everything is ready) you feel like royalty. You get personally greated by the manager and freshly mixed virgin mojitos are waiting for you! You have your tour of the hotel then your 'room ambasador' takes to up to your room. Pure beauty! I would still be there if i hadnt been dragged out of my room...was going to claim squatters rights but didnt fancy an Antiguan jail!!

The rooms are beautiful and the ipod surround sound a wonderful idea.
The service is second to none you will never be without a drink in your hand. The food is first class...and you can eat it wherever you want they will set a table up for you.

If you can, try and have a chat with Keith the manager lots of hints and tips about the island.

Its true that it is not quite finished yet, they have all 8 beach cottages completed but are still working on the hillsides...we had room 32 half way up the hillside so not too far to walk (although we were lazy a few times and asked for a lift back in the golf buggy!)

The main pool area is lovely very clean and very quiet...you wont have any trouble finding towels as soon as they see you they dash over and ask if you would like a towel. Thats the thing about this place the service is just perfect.

If you fancy doing a few trips the helicopter ride to Monserrat is a must! We also did the boat trip to Cades reef which was lovely...and the circum trip...lovely if you like the 8ft waves of the Atlantic!! If you are a thrill seeker and have a iron stomach then i would recommend it...i however have not and didnt really love it! The french restaurant Le Bistro is lovely as is Cocos restaurant, a beautiful romantic atmosphere! Car hire is also fun! But get a 4x4 or you will get lost in the pot holes!

If you are going to stay here firstly you will have an amazing relaxing holiday...and secondly can i come with you! I would go back tomorrow if i could!

Have fun and relax in beautiful Hermitage Bay in the beautiful sunshine of Antigua!! [walks away from computer depressed she isnt still there]

My wife and I stayed at Hermitage Bay between the 6th and 21st April 2007 as a belated honeymoon. Upon arrival we were met with breath taking views of the caribbean and a warm welcome from all the staff, who are absolutely fantastic. We had a hillside villa complete with plunge pool and the rooms surpassed our expectations.

Every guest is assigned a room ambassador, who, if they were anything like ours, Ruthlyn, will make your stay memorable. The rooms are immaculately kept with fresh flowers replaced daily and the mini bar is always topped up for use. The restaurant served the highest quality of food, and the chef was more than willing to remove ingredients, or add them to dishes, if something didn't quite take your fancy.

The bar and pool area were extremely comfortable areas to while away the days, while soaking up the sun and the beach had a healthy supply of loungers and a great drinks service.

We did find the energy on a couple of days to partake in some water sports and found that Devon and Janice the instructors were only too happy to take us out on the hobbie cats or let us loose on the kayaks. The caribbean is a perfect place to do the activities, calm and warm with great cooling winds to combat the sun. if you are prone to burning ensure that no matter how short your stay in the sun is wear sun protection. The cricket world cup was in Antigua during our stay and we went to watch the England v Australia game. Only a ten minute walk from the shuttle bus to a fully covered stand and my wife got burnt by the incredibly strong sun.

The only small down side to our stay was the fact that minor building work was being done on a couple of days. A pool shower was being fitted which, if we were honest, we would have expected to have been completed before the hotel opened. Also various hand rails were being built, work starting at 8.15am. No lie in on those days! The hotel keeps the biting insect problems under control, however this didn't stop me getting bitten 15 times in one night while asleep. Ensure you take plenty of repelent and bite relief, just in case they find you tasty.

Overall, a fantastic holiday and we would definitely return....already started saving up!

Hermitage Bay offers everything we're normally looking for:
- great bungalows with excellent design/ furniture
- magic view
- great beach and sea
- excellent food/ drinks and service
It's an absolutely fantastic place for couples and honeymooners.
The only thing that could be added: some gym machines...

As background, my wife and I are 29 years old and went to Antigua to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary. We were looking for a place to totally relax and get away from everything for a week.

We absolutely loved Hermitage Bay. After being torn between the Hillside Cottage for its plunge pool and the Beach Cottage for the proximity to the beach, we chose the Beach Cottage. You can't go wrong with either of these choices. I would say select the Hillside Cottage if the plunge pool is important to you and the Beach Cottage if you like to be steps away from everything and enjoy hearing the ocean at night. If choosing a Beach Cottage, I do recommend requesting the first row. There is a second row that did not seem as desirable.

The cottages are amazing with wood throughout. While they have an excellent flatscreen TV, we had it on for maybe 10 minutes during our entire vacation. We did utilize the Ipod dock each day, especially in the evening as the sun set. The large bathtub and outdoor shower were excellent as well.

The food was very good. The breakfast and lunch menus are the same each day while the dinner menu changes each night. The food was all high quality while I agree with the previous posting that more spices could have been used to add flavor.

The sunsets at Hermitage Bay are amazing and never get old. Our favorite activity was sitting on the front porch of our cottage with a glass of champagne and watching the sunset behind the sailboats.

There are certainly still issues as this resort gets up and running but none that should prevent anyone from visiting. While the road is rough getting out to the resort, it only makes you feel more secluded when you arrive. We took the water taxi over to Jolly Harbor and I would not recommend this unless you need items from the supermarket, etc. The mosquitos are certainly but did not create a major issue for us.

I could write on forever about the wonderful time we had visiting. It was amazing and we hope to return some day.