We visited Secret Bay for three nights on our honeymoon and we wish we could have stayed for much longer! Everything was truly exceptional. We stayed in Ylang Ylang II which was a gorgeous villa with a stunning view of the ocean and a private pool. Upon arrival, you are given an iPhone to allow you to communicate with the concierge and your villa host - this proved very useful during our stay as we used it to book spa treatments, breakfast times etc. Our villa host was Materina and she was fabulous in every way. The breakfasts she cooked for us in our villa were delicious, especially the traditional breakfast of saltfish, salad, eggs and Jonny cakes. On our final night she asked us to leave the villa for an hour and we came back to candles, rose petals, fairy lights and towel swans everywhere for our in-villa dinner - just beautiful! The villa hosts work really hard as not only are they your personal ‘butler’ and your breakfast chef, but they also do all of your housekeeping, all while giving you your privacy. Having Materina as our villa host was the icing on the cake to a fabulous stay. The food was the best we have experienced at a hotel. The lunches at Zing Zing and down by the pool were very good - especially the ceviche and the surf and turf burger. A little more work could be done on the pizzas and our only other comment would be to serve the burgers with fries rather than crisps, but that isn’t a big point at all! The dinners at Zing Zing were truly exceptional - we loved the ‘off menu’ concept of eating what you’re given and we enjoyed everything we had - even the bread and dip was amazing! We asked our servers to pair wines with each of our courses which was a nice touch. We were on the ‘all embracing’ (all inclusive) package and basically everything was included, including Moët and Veuve! Finally, the water sports on offer were brilliant. Jonny took us kayaking around to the private beach and then led us into a secret bat cave. It was a bit of a tricky and dark crawl into the cave (at low tide) and there were bugs everywhere so Jonny was constantly checking if we were ok. He then took us snorkelling and found us a lobster and a friendly sea egg! We also had a couples massage and a facial each at the spa - the spa’s setting is completely unrivalled and it is very special to hear the waves crashing against the sand while you’re having your treatment! All in all, a magnificent stay and truly worthy of a honeymoon. We would recommend Secret Bay to anyone wanting a slice of relaxation and pure luxury.…
Where do I start?! I was told of Secret Bay in 2016 during a cruise ship stop in Dominica. In 2022, I got to make that dream come true. We were supposed to visit in October 2021 but an illness prevented our trip. Secret Bay accommodated our change. It was the longest 6 month wait!! But was it worth it. From the driver (Nilbert) who patiently waited for us at the airport after our 5+ hour flight delay, to Natalia finally greeting us at Secret Bay upon arrival, everything was perfect. That first step inside our villa took our breaths away. The outside kitchen is dreamy. The view of the bay and the sea is enchanting. The sounds of the waves crashing and the birds and bugs put us into a magical trance for 10 perfect days. The next morning we met our villa host (Jamescia) who pampered us every moment of every day. Her attention to detail was impeccable. She was always thinking of us and how she could make our visit even more perfect. She made our last night extra magical with the beautifully decorated Sunset Deck. Johnny and Julian at Zamann Water Sports added fun and excitement with their top notch service for snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, providing towels, and exploring the Sea Cave. Charles and Mohid provided our daily dose of cocktails at the pool bar and at the lounge in the evenings. You cannot miss a river trip with Fire, or a snorkel or sail with Captain Don (and Donna). Everyone is so knowledgeable, friendly, helpful, and pleasant. Ryan gave us an amazing tour trip to Middleham Falls & Titou Gorge. I HIGHLY recommend you not miss this part of the island. Gillet drove us night after night to delicious local restaurants in Portsmouth (Keepin’ It Real, Madiba & Infinity). Check out the market on Saturday morning if you have the chance and buy local produce! And the Zing Zing staff and chef…WOW WOW WOW. Every bite of food we had was divine. The restaurant team is extremely talented and each night delivered a truly unique experience that is unmatched. The girls at Gommier Spa provided me the perfect massages and facials to relax me into heavenly bliss while listening to the waves roll onto Tibay Beach. I would say plan your trip. But I would say even more, don’t miss this trip in your lifetime. You won’t regret a second of it. Thank you to everyone who touched our lives and made our 10 days at Secret Bay the most magical, beautiful, fun, and relaxing trip ever! We cannot wait to return!…
We were in dire need of a relaxing beach trip to the Caribbean and came across Secret Bay in our research on TripAdvisor. The reviews were compelling, so we booked our trip. When we arrived at our hillside villa, we headed straight to our private, heated, infinity pool. We felt the stress melt away as we listened to the wind rustling through the leaves and the hummingbirds chirping above our heads. After relaxing, we dined at Zing Zing for an exceptional culinary experience. I lean vegetarian and was delighted to know they had fantastic vegetarian options for me. The care the chefs took in preparing each course was obvious and the wait staff were attentive and professional. Each night at Zing Zing was a pleasure. In our villa, the coffee maker and provisions made our stay very comfortable, but the best part of our stay was our host, Materina. She was like a fairy that came in while we were away and took care of all of our needs. She was insightful and replenished our coffee, drinks, and bagels before we ran out. She coordinated our meals and made suggestions on how to make our stay more enjoyable. Materina made our vacation the best possible! Every employee we encountered at Secret Bay was friendly, helpful, and professional. They helped us plan our excursions and sent us an itinerary each day to keep us informed. The guys at the beach hut were always quick to set up our chairs and offer assistance in snorkeling. Our favorite excursions were with Dr. Birdy and Fire. Dr. Birdy took us to the waterfall in Syndicate park and we saw all 4 types of hummingbirds that live on Dominica along the way. We saw parrots as well as a myriad of plants, flowers, and trees. Fire took us up the Indian River for more bird watching and plant identification. We learned so much from both of these guys. The people of Dominica love their unspoiled, paradise of an island and are happy to share it with others. Our experience in Dominica and Secret Bay was relaxing and fabulous. A one of a kind trip, for sure.…
My fiancée and I took a weeklong trip to Secret Bay for our honeymoon and couldn't have been happier with our stay. We will definitely be returning for future trips! The service was uncomparable. All of the team members were incredibly helpful and work hard to make your trip one of a kind. The restaurant and food was absolutely delicious with the food locally sourced on a daily basis. The amenities are fantastic. With the amazing and secluded shared beach, villa private plunge pools, and shared pool and bar, you can easily spend your whole trip on the property for a relaxing getaway. The activities should not be missed! We were able to go lionfish hunting followed by a cooking class with the fish that we caught, we did a sunset cruise where we were lucky enough to find a pack of dolphins who swam alongside the boat, and finally we took the nature hike with Dr. Birdie which was a highlight of our trip. We couldn't recommend Secret Bay more to anyone considering the resort for their stay in Dominica. It completely surpassed all of our expectations and it can't be beat! It was easily one of the best vacations we have ever taken.…
From the moment we arrived in Dominica, everyone we encountered at Secret bay was lovely, warm and helpful. In addition to amazing accommodations, delicious food and stand out staff, what makes SB especially charming is the way they anticipate your needs, adapt to your rhythms and go above and beyond to create special moments. After a couple days, our villa Host, Keldon, began to bring us little treats after paying attention to our likes, and then surprised us with flower petals, a bath and a cake for my husband's birthday. Keldon - you are truly a gem. Johnny brought our daughter a coconut, opened it poolside and stuck in a straw. She is a city kid and it blew her away. There were examples like these every day, on our excursions as well. This resort is simply perfect. Thank you Secret Bay - we will be back.…
This was our first stay at Secret Bay and it certainly won’t be our last. From the moment we pulled up at the gate, we knew we were entering someplace special. We were in the Zabuco II villa up on the hill. On our first golf cart ride up to the villa, we thought oh, this is steep. Then we turned into the first switchback and thought oh my this is even steeper. Then we hit the next switchback and had to hold on tight as it got even steeper. Then we made the turn into our “driveway” and it felt like we were holding on for dear life. It was a beautiful ride the whole way and the adventure of getting up that cliff was just part of the magic of the visit. Our villa host, Jamescia was absolutely wonderful. We never had to wait for a response from her. It was like she could read our minds. And she gave the impression of truly being happy and excited to help us. I miss her already. The concierge was also very helpful. We arrived just before dinner our first day, so we didn’t meet with anyone until the next morning, during which we planned our activities for the week. She was very helpful in guiding us through our choices based on what we described as our desired experiences. Throughout the week if we had any inquiries, their responses were timely and helpful. They would also remind us of upcoming activities. On to the villa itself. It was absolutely wonderful. The hammock on the first level was so comfortable that I fell asleep within minutes without planning to. The plunge pool temperature can be adjusted and ours got very comfortably warm. We got in almost every night after dinner to relax. We spent most of the week on the chairs on the deck, reading, with a nice view of the sea. The only downside of the entire week was that there was a lot of vegetation blocking our view, but the island is focused on nature, so the landscaping is minimal. The view was still very nice. We had a couple of meals at the dining table on our deck. Jamescia cooked breakfast for us twice and we had a full meal there one night. We ate at the Zing Zing restaurant a few times for dinner and it was a unique experience. There is no menu. The chef prepares a multi-course meal and you eat it. I’ve never had that experience and as a somewhat picky eater, I was a tad nervous about it, but everything was excellent, even the dishes I wasn’t sure about. We had Jamescia send us the menu in the afternoon so we could choose to eat off the in villa menu instead if we wanted. I believe we only did that once, and it was because there were two courses with ingredients we really didn’t like. We often had cheese and crackers and drinks in the villa before dinner while listening to our own music on the sound system. I had requested beer, red, and white wines be stocked and I had a couple of extras brought in after we got there. One of the highlights of the trip was the last day when sous chef Charles came to the villa and cooked us lunch. He was very friendly and informative. He talked us through what he was preparing and emphasized how much the resort focuses on using almost entirely local ingredients for all meals. It’s quite impressive. That afternoon we took a kayak over to secret beach. The sea was rough that day, but the water in the bay was still blue and clear. It was beautiful although there’s not much of a beach. They are currently in the process of building several residences on property with plans to increase the size of the restaurant. (It currently seats about 20-24.) I hope it doesn’t change the quietude of the property. The million dollar question: would we go back? Absolutely. We’re fairly well traveled in the Caribbean and this is the best resort we’ve stayed at on the most beautiful island. We’re even considering returning next year, something we’ve never we done before. It was simply that great of an experience. I’m sure I’ve left some information out, but those are the highlights. If you get the opportunity to go to Secret Bay, don’t even hesitate. Just do it.…
Our visit to Secret Bay surpassed all of our expectations. The staff is incredibly friendly and go out of their way to make you feel like you are the only guest here. The property and accommodations are amazing and the food is the best we have ever enjoyed.
that was amazing moments that i had in secret bay hotel this place add many amazing things to dominica and help you feel reality of dominica and culture of this country. every thing was great and i recommend this to everyone
Secret Bay is a destination that will not disappoint. Built into nature, complementing it so that it blends in and utilizes the beauty of the natural surroundings, it was breathtaking from every angle. The all villa concept allows you to feel like you are immersed in nature, with a dedicated villa host and concierge team that support and provide you with a level of service that we have not experienced at very many places. The team at Secret Bay is truly the greatest asset the resort has ( aside from the natural lush surroundings of course ). Akima, our villa host took wonderful care of us during our stay. Without a doubt, she was one of the main reasons we had such a positive experience. She cooked us breakfast ( oftentimes with last minute food requests from me ), made dining reservations, brought us treats every night from the wonderful pastry chef, and made sure our living quarters were clean and tidy. We so appreciate her service. Fabio and the culinary team at Zing Zing were phenomenal, making each dining experience unique and delicious ( Valentines Day was over the top spectacular ). Moheid took wonderful care of us at the beach side pool each day, and Minasa provided great service at the spa ( I had three treatments during our stay ). To Gregor and Sandra, thank you for sharing this wonderful spot, we are so glad we were able to come and stay. Wishing Secret Bay a very bright future ! Warmest regards Michael and Noelle Podoba New York USA …
Honeymoon in the Caribbean, post-pandemic – how do you do it? You come to Secret Bay. For our 2021 honeymoon, I did hours and hours of research, checking resorts on every island in the Caribbean from the Bahamas to Grenada. Dominica is the GEM to go to for anyone who absolutely loves natural beauty. First off, get the direct flight from Miami on American Airlines. We saved ourselves the headache of connecting in the Caribbean by flying to Miami, staying in a nice hotel near the airport (Thesis) overnight and then flying out from Miami to Dominica in the morning. We actually stayed our first night at Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski Dominica. But, we knew that a villa awaited us at Secret Bay. We were picked up by a very warm and accommodating driver from Kempinski who took us to Secret Bay. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by Bianca – our concierge, who took us up to our villa, our new home for the next several days. Ylang Ylang 1 was nothing short of magical. Tucked away in a lush, garden-of-eden forest, the views are absolutely stunning, and the treehouse itself is modern and stylish. Bianca helped us plan out our itinerary for the week. But, it was in a very relaxed and easy-going style – we sipped lemongrass ice cold tea on our patio while we discussed all the activities that the resort would help us try out during the week. It was like a best-selling adventure novel – everything from a sunset sail, to snorkeling, to dinners at the restaurant could be set up with a text message from their in-room iPhone. Wow. Finally, we learned that our daily host, Keldon, would be taking care of our accommodations throughout the trip. Each day, she made sure that our place was incredibly spotless and also brought a basket of fruit. She stocked our fridge and even turned over our rooms while we were away. The communication was easy, stress-free and fluid. Our experience was private and with the concierge on call, we never had any issues getting gourmet food, a cigar, rum, or an activity scheduled. Let me stop here – this place is ONE OF A KIND. A gem. Worth every cent. One recommendation – bring your own bug spray. They provide it, but you'll probably need stronger stuff because if you're new to the island, the mosquitos will know it. We can't say enough about the incredible experience we had here at Secret Bay. Even the owner greeted us at some point – and he was so humble that we didn't even realize he was the owner. All I can say is, look no further – if you're opting in for a trip of a lifetime (not just to the Caribbean, but anywhere), this is where you'll write your best seller.…
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