Galley Bay

Antigua

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They have the nicest staff, and great food and ambiance. Visited: July 2008 Posted by seemagupta We have been all over the Carribbean, and Galley Bay is the best all over, resort to spend your vacation. The rooms are huge with soaring ceilings, and all ocean view. The all-inclusive food is pretty good, and the staff is the kindest, most courteous in the Caribbean. I can't find a single thing to complain about. Our stay was worth every penny. Thanks Galley Bay! 5 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Galley Bay is outstanding! Visited: May 2006 Posted by iam I loved the nature, especially the lagoons. The beach was perfect, and the food was great. They also had friendly staff, who were very attentive to our needs. Galley Bay made for a low-key, quiet, and wonderful getaway. It was pricy, but worth it. 17 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This is relaxation at its best. Visited: October 2005 Posted by njcb We stayed at this wonderful resort and enjoyed every moment. We stayed in a beachfront room, with the ocean lapping at our door. It was heaven. This was our eighth trip to the Caribbean, and this was the nicest resort we have stayed in. The food, staff, and resort were all wonderful. 12 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was just too noisy for me. Visited: June 2005 Posted by sm_jeffery If you are looking for a quiet holiday resort to catch up on your sleep, this is not it. The deluxe room, although directly on the beach, had no windows or curtains - just mosquito netting. The sound of the tree frogs on one side, and the people either side of us meant we needed ear plugs and eye shades. That was not what we wanted on holiday. The staff was very pleasant, though. And the food was good and plentiful. I would recommend you only come here if you are deaf. 5 users found this review helpful. 8 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was overpriced - but nice! Visited: March 2005 Posted by tamsy79 My (now) husband and I returned from Galley Bay after spending 14 nights here (including our wedding). We paid £6900 for a Superior Beach Front room with Haynes and Jarvis, and we were not upgraded on arrival. Our room (number 8) was positioned perfect, in the middle of the beach. And from our back door, we counted 11 steps to the sea. The sea in our area was calm, although those people staying in the Deluxe and Premier were unable to use the sea near their rooms due to the rocks and roughness of the water. I thought the beach was the best part of Galley Bay. The room was lovely, but basic. There was no bath, and unfortunately, we did not find any refreshments in our room (except water) on our arrival. We were both hungry after traveling nine hours, but we were too tired to get ready for dinner that evening. So went to bed hungry. It would have been a nice touch to have fruit or sandwiches in the rooms upon arrival. The food at the resort was lovely, although the second week became repetitive. The goat curry was nice, but more of a stew. The Guagan restaurant was great for snacking at lunch, they did a basic menu like tortillas and cheese, hotdogs, burgers – it was a nice change. The staff was very friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. Our wedding day was perfect, hassle free and very relaxed. The pictures were stunning, although they did not include the steel band we had paid £150 for. It was disappointing as they only stayed for about three songs! Also, the video (£250) was more of a promotional one for Galley Bay and something we would not recommend. If you are getting married here, insist that Ernestine is your co-ordinator. Unfortunately, we had another member of staff who was too busy enjoying herself to ensure that we were. Galley Bay is perfect as long as you don’t expect too much of it. It is not a five-star resort. And, in our opinion, is overpriced. It is a perfect hoilday if all you want to do (like us) is sit in the sun all day. 5 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Deluxe beachfront is the way to go! Visited: June 2004 Posted by carlaferg We just returned from Galley Bay and had a relaxing, wonderful time! We decided to spend a little more and book the Deluxe Beachfront room. The furnishings were okay, and the room small, but when we opened up our back door we were in awe! I counted the steps - about 45 from our door to the water! You must request a ground floor room for this experience alone! The beach was nice, but there weren't that many places to swim because of rocks and reef. Try to get a room towards the center of the beach and you will be okay. The food was excellent and the service was impeccable. The food portions seemed small (compared to Super Size America!) but our stomachs ended up appreciating the sizes as it left room for dessert! And, you can always ask for more! The wait staff knew our names by the second day and were very attentive to our needs. (You have to love a mini-fridge filled with your favorite drinks!) The Gauguin Restaurant was very romantic for dinner and we were glad to see that they were expanding the seating as it only had about six tables and the reservations went quickly! Enjoy your stay at Galley Bay, oh, but bring your bug spray! 7 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Galley Bay was outstanding. Visited: March 2004 Posted by fstewart3 My wife and I have recently returned from a one-week stay at this outstanding resort. We have traveled extensively and have not had the quality and high level of consistant service as we experienced at Galley Bay. We truly felt special throughout our stay. Due to the smaller size of this resort, it was not uncommon to hear the staff refer to us by name after a couple of days, or have a favorite drink being made for us without asking. This was even more impressive since we stayed during Spring Break. And even with all 70 suites occupied, we always felt like the beach was peaceful and serene. A great place to relax and unwind. This property was the exact image of the screensaver that we all keep on our computers. We can't wait to return. 6 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had great food, service, and accommodations. Visited: February 2004 Posted by maureen My husband and I were with a group of six and have stayed at a lot of high-end resorts. This resort was wonderful for the food, service and accommodation. The staff was exemplary! We stayed in the deluxe beachfront rooms which were very spacious and clean. The balconies were a really nice size especially since we were a group of six and liked to get together for a drink before dinner. The only complaint we had was that the resort was too quiet (no music at the sunset bar). We actually borrowed the CD player from the exercise room to liven up a rather rainy afternoon. They also really need more than one treadmill. There was an early morning lineup! If you enjoy more organized sports activities, I would pass. 2 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This place is amazing! Visited: October 2003 Posted by kwalsham We have just returned from 11 nights at Galley Bay and the best word to describe it is ‘fabulous’! My partner and I love taking exotic holidays and have been to several Caribbean islands, but Galley Bay surpassed them all. If you are looking for a relaxing holiday where you can do as much or as little as you please, with a picture postcard setting, gourmet food, well-appointed rooms, attentive service and nothing more than the sound of the waves to disturb your peace and quiet -this is definitely the place for you. The hotel property was massive and it always felt like there was plenty of space, even when the hotel was full. The beach was amazingly beautiful and plenty long enough for a good walk – about 40 minutes the full length and back. From the beach, you could look to the left on a clear day and see Nevis. At one end of the beach there was a large reef where we could snorkel from the shore with plenty of colourful fish. However, some days the sea could be a little rough, so visibility was reduced. So take your chances to snorkel when you can. We had a Superior Beachfront room which was single story and set in rows of four. We found it to be very private – we didn’t hear our neighbours at all. The rooms were spacious with a good range of amenities. Large picture windows were on both sides of the room and the bathroom. We loved the fact that they had shutters which we could open, so it felt like we were showering in the open air – lovely! The best part though, was when we opened the door to the patio for the first time and looked at the view! From our patio to the edge of the sea was about seven metres – it was amazing! We also had two beach loungers exclusively for our own use which was fantastic – no getting up at the crack of dawn to claim our lounger! The restaurants and bars were beachside with beautiful views. There were loads of activities – we were never bored! Get a kayak from the hotel’s watersports centre and paddle out into the bay – you get a really good view of the scenery behind the hotel. Also, take a walk out of the hotel, turn right and walk up the hill. From the top you get panoramic views of Galley Bay on one side, and Hawksbill Bay and Montserrat in the distance. The swimming pool was really beautiful with a waterfall and plenty of space. We loved Galley Bay and if you decide to go there we hope you will too – enjoy! 8 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This is a romantic place to get married. Visited: September 2003 Posted by jingshen I cannot say enough about this resort. At the last minute, my boyfriend (now husband) and I decided to get married at Galley Bay. Our stay was short, four days. Everything was so romantic, and Ernestien (the wedding coordiantor) was there for us the whole day before the cermony. She arranged everything as requested. The photographer took outstanding pictures (you can get the pictures on CD for emailing), and the video was worth the money. We honeymooned in Jamiaca (Superclubs), and the weddings there were a big ensemble line with four to five couples getting married a day - not at Galley Bay. There was only one wedding a day, which made us feel special and everyone (workers and guests) at the resort congratulated us after the cermony. Otherwise, the ocean was very rough, we stayed at the pool which was lovely and close to the bar. The resort was very, very quiet, with little else to do but eat and drink. After a couple of days we were bored and couldn't wait to get to Jamaica for more excitement. One couple we met did a lot of side trips, but most guests didn't seem to mind the quiet. To give you idea of how quiet it is - one night we spoke with a British couple until 12:00 am. We closed the bar and all the guests had gone to bed. That is quiet! The workers at the resort were great. I can't understand how people complained about the service, because it was outstanding. You can even request anything to be cooked as long as you give 24 hours notice. Breakfast was boring and the menu mostly contained egg items (eggs on toast, eggs on bagel, eggs with cream sauce, eggs with cheese and so on), so we requested things off the menu. We even requested local dishes, like goat water and johnny cakes. The food was great. My husband and I had a wonderful time and would highly recommend Galley Bay to anyone. 2 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We could not have wished for a better honeymoon resort! Visited: September 2003 Posted by j_vandervlist We honeymooned at Galley Bay from September 27 to October 4. While the seven-day stay was too short, we did make the most of it and loved every moment. Although it was not a five-star Hilton type resort (we were not looking for that), I would rate the resort an overall 4.75 out of 5. The resort was intimate and beautiful with all the necessary amenities for a great honeymoon. The pool was very nice. The beach was great, although the slope was a little on the steep side and the depth dropped off quickly once in the water, making for some pretty strong undertows (no problem at all for good swimmers). The staff was great and the service was exceptional. The food was excellent and offered lots of variety. Because this time was off-peak, the resort did have some maintenance work being done on the lovely Gauguin Cottage, which resulted in very little interference to the guests. The other guests were very nice as well. Because there were many other honeymooners, the average age was probably younger than it would be during other times of the year. I would say at least 60% of the guests were Brits and probably 30% American, with the remaining 10% being of various other nationalities. As for Antigua itself, we saw most of it by sea as we took two sea excursions. The first was Eli's Eco Tour (very informative, fun and good value) and the second was Wadadli Cat's Cades Reef Cruise (a lot of fun with great snorkeling). My snorkeling skills (especially the use of flippers) left much to be desired, but they were much better on the second attempt. The Cades Reef tour was provided free of charge by the tour package because of our honeymoon status. What we saw of the island's interior was limited to the trips to and from VC Bird and our taxi ride to Shirley's Heights. The views at Shirley's Heights were great and so was the atmosphere. It was definitely worth experiencing. The mountains were mainly on the southwest, south and south-eastern side of the island and they seemed to create their own micro-climates. The mountainous (using the word loosely) areas were much more lush in vegetation. The weather at Galley Bay and during our tours was very cooperative with only a few localized showers here and there. If anything, the rain was much needed. I would recommend Galley Bay to anyone looking for a very relaxing experience. If you’re looking for something a little more active and exciting, Antigua did have a few of those places as well, but most resorts seemed to be more laid back. All in all, it was a great honeymoon experience and by far the best sun-vacation we have ever had. 4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was our wedding in paradise! Visited: September 2003 Posted by tonysenderski Galley Bay was all we had hoped for! On arrival we were upgraded to a suite from a deluxe room. This was very spacious and we loved the tub for two! The wedding was fantastic. Ernestine, the co-ordinator, was helpful and patient, and everything was as we requested (the bouquet, cake, etc.). Also, the gazebo looked beautiful in the peach flowers I'd wanted. The wedding service was also loving and personal. Our thanks go to Gerry and Viv, two guests at the hotel who cancelled a trip to be our witnesses (we came without any family). We couldn't have wished for a better place to get married and honeymoon. It was very intimate and we would recommend Galley Bay to any couple thinking about a Caribbean wedding. We agree with the comments about the beach. It was very rocky in the sea, and the undercurrent was very strong. Although a lovely setting, there were nicer and more empty beaches to be found, which we discovered hiring a jeep for the day. However, if we did it all again, we would still choose Galley Bay. The staff couldn't do enough for you. The food was excellent, with lots of choice on the menu, and the bar service and drink choices were extensive. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Wonderful, relaxing, and peaceful. Visited: September 2003 Posted by sub1124 We spent a week at Galley Bay for our honeymoon at the end of September. We couldn't have asked for more. We were upgraded to a deluxe beachfront room and given a complimentary catamaran trip. The entire resort was beautiful, and you can't beat walking right out onto the beach from your room. The room, itself, was large with a large bathroom - two shower heads, and two sinks! The food was amazing. We enjoyed the Sea Grape restaurant more than the Gaguin and the staff was very friendly and helpful. If you see Levique bartending, ask him to make you something special..guaranteed to be delicious. Our room, though next to others, was still quite private and we enjoyed the quiet dinners with live entertainment every night. The water was crystal clear and great to cool off in under the hot Caribbean sun. Overall, we really enjoyed our honeymoon. It was an ideal place to relax and just enjoy each other's company. We definitely recommend it for a relaxing and peaceful vacation. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Galley Bay is Paradise found! Visited: September 2003 Posted by andy3 We found such rave reviews about Galley Bay on this website, and realized that this was the place to go for our honeymoon. From the moment we drove through the security controlled gates and were greeted with a cocktail from a naturally enthusiastic member of staff, to the extremely sad farewell to the good friends we made; we could not fault Galley Bay in any way! The beachfront rooms were just that, but the Gauguin cottages were equally as impressive. The restaurant staff (especially Mike, the Maitre D’) were attentive and well trained. The guest services staff couldn’t jump quicker to your every whim. You must go to the manager’s cocktail party, if only to sample “Calypso Joe” who must be the funniest singer we have ever seen. Talking of cocktails…. our favourite (as well as most other guests’) was the “Banana Slide”… give it a try whilst you're there! Also, go to eat at least once at the smaller and informal Gauguin restaurant. It was nice there in the day for lunch, but it was lovely in the evening. But wear plenty of “Jungle Formula”! One thing we could say is that the sea could be quite rough at times, so if you are not a strong swimmer, the best thing to do is lounge by the pool. Do not miss the Sunday night trip to Shirley Heights, which hosts a live reggae and steel band whilst watching what must be the best sunset ever! We also did something spectacular… we swam with dolphins at Dolphin Fantaseas. As honeymooner’s we were given a bottle of champagne and a boat trip by the hotel. It is important that you ensure your tour operator has informed the hotel that you are on your honeymoon, as some friends of ours were denied their champagne and boat trip as their tour operator had no record of this! Please also be aware that there was a dress code at Galley Bay. For men, it was shirts and trousers, not shorts and t-shirts, and for ladies it was smart/elegant. Take US dollars.. although the local currency was EC (Eastern Caribbean) Dollars, the US Dollar was most widely used. We took US travellers cheques, but these could only be exchanged for US Dollars in a bank. The hotel would only exchange to EC Dollars, which was a slight inconvenience. However, don’t worry about a hefty commission by the banks.. we were only charged slightly less than US$1 to exchange US$600 travellers cheques! Talk to guest services about using Joe-Joe. He was the best taxi driver assigned to Galley Bay, and will do all he can to help you. We hope this review helps you make up your mind of where to go in Antigua.. we rate this place higher than anywhere! 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We were in "honeymoon heaven". Visited: August 2003 Posted by sdiva779 Galley Bay was a dream come true for my husband and me. We were married on the fifth of August and headed down to Antigua the very next day. We'd done a lot of traveling around the Caribbean, but nothing could come close to comparing to what we found at Galley Bay. The atmosphere was informal but elegant, and the beach was the most beautiful my husband and I had ever seen. I wish that we could have stayed longer, we really were treated like royalty here! Fortunately, we've already booked to go back for our first anniversary! 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A fantastic resort for a honeymoon paradise. Visited: August 2003 Posted by jjlbluehen This is the most plush resort in the Caribbean. We both can't wait to go back. The food was A+, the service was A+, and we are both in awe over the beauty of the entire resort. We couldn't have asked for a better place to honeymoon. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Be Careful! Visited: August 2003 Posted by jimb1099 My wife and I booked and paid for (in advance) a one-bedroom oceanfront deluxe. I confirmed our reservation by email with the resort two weeks prior to arrival. When we arrived at the hotel at 11 PM we were told we had no reservation. Not a great start to a long anticipated vacation in paradise. After waiting 40 minutes in the lobby, we were given a cottage room, which was okay, but very noisy birds kept us up all night. The next morning I was told by guest services that we had to wait until the reservations person arrived. About 11 AM, the hotel finally had an answer. They said our reservation was cancelled due to nonpayment. I guess the full amount already charged to my credit card did not count. The resort staff did nothing to help us. Rather, they were rude and showed no understanding, compassion or willingness to help us find out what happened. With our vacation off to such a rocky start, we left Galley Bay and did enjoy Antigua at another resort. It is a shame Galley Bay could not resolve the problem for us. The facilities and beach were beautiful; just beware the service! 2 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A perfect vacation for couples. Visited: July 2003 Posted by guscat My husband and I spent seven days at Galley Bay in July and we loved it. We stayed last July at the St. James Club; Galley Bay was better. The place was kept immaculately clean and well-maintained; and service was great. We splurged on a deluxe oceanfront suite, the kind with the sunken living room and kitchenette. It was roomy and comfortable with a huge bathroom (double sinks and a big tub, plus a tiled shower room with two showerheads). Our room was downstairs with a private patio and two wicker lounge chairs with cushions - a great place to watch the sunset. Beach lounge chairs and umbrellas lined the water, too. The beach was just as beautiful as the photos indicated - long enough to take walks and collect shells, and the water was crystal clear and that lovely Caribbean green - which was not the case at St. James when we went. The water was a little rough for me the first two days, and the third day the red flag went up. But the next morning it was calm and perfect for swimming and snorkeling and it stayed that way for the rest of our week. We had great fun snorkeling - lots of fish and sea urchins, and I especially liked that you could snorkel right off the beach. We loved the food - great quality. Breakfast was at the Sea Grape and included a buffet with fruit and breads as well as a menu of egg dishes. The menu was the same each day, but the specialty pancake changed daily. Lunch was offered at the Sea Grape from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm with an extensive menu and lots of changing daily specials; you could also get lunch at the Gaugin restaurant from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The menu there did not change, but we preferred it - each table was isolated under its own roof and very private. Dinner at the Sea Grape had a changing menu each day with a buffet Thursday. You only needed to make a reservation for the Gaugin for dinner, because of the small number of tables. As with lunch, the Gaugin dinner menu did not change, but we liked the atmosphere so much we returned several times. Drinks were good too - we drank enough Banana Slides to sail home on. We loved watching the wildlife - cranes, pelicans, songbirds, lizards, crabs everywhere. One night at the Gaugin, our waiter, Stafford, fed banana to the hermit crabs and hundreds of them came to eat their dinner. Another night we were thrilled to watch baby sea turtles hatch on the beach. Guests helped get them down to the ocean. We read, talked, walked, collected shells, ate tons... and not much else, which made for a perfect vacation. It was a dreamy, romantic place to escape to, and we are already talking about a two-week trip next year. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A truly wonderful week in Paradise. Visited: July 2003 Posted by ryanjenkins50 My wife and I just returned from Galley Bay for our honeymoon and it was the most wonderful resort we have ever visited! The staff, food, accommodations and weather were fantastic. The beach and water were the most beautiful I have seen (the only comparison was St. John USVI). Every meal was excellent and the service was far and away better than anywhere else in the Caribbean. It was definitely a very relaxing week for us, as the resort was not for those who want to party the night away on their vacation...but it was just what we needed! I would recommend Galley Bay for anybody who wants to relax with the best food, the best service, the prettiest beach and most beautiful water in the Caribbean. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was very relaxing here. Visited: June 2003 Posted by lisa1 We arrived at the front desk, were greeted with a rum punch, and were shuttled to our room by golf cart, over the lagoon and via winding pathways. We stayed in a suite. Our bathroom was huge with twin sinks, a huge bath and a walk-in 'his and hers' shower. The bedroom area was basic but nice, with a step down into the sitting area. The best was to come, though. There were glass sliding doors onto a terrace with two sunloungers, followed by a gorgeous view of the beach. We had requested a first floor room, but got a ground floor. For anyone deciding which to go for - it's a tough choice. The ground floor had the huge advantage of being directly on the beach. But the sound insulation was very bad, we thought we had people training for a marathon above us it was that loud (to the point where it woke us in the morning - and we aren't light sleepers!). The beach was great, the sand was a light gold color and the water a greeny blue. There were lots of rocks in this part of the beach. We'd walk to the superior rooms area where there were no rocks and it was easier to get into the water. The water varied from very calm to fairly rough. (The first five or six days were calmish, and the last five days it was fairly rough with breaking waves.) Our weather was okay. Out of ten days, six were mostly sunny, three were cloudy most of the day and we had one day of rain. The pool area was nice, with a waterfall. A little annoyance though (this may be us Brits' fault!?, was that after breakfast, we'd go to get our towels and things and get to the pool about 10:15 am. There were about 15 rondavels around the pool with a couple of sun loungers round each one. There would only be about three with people around them, the rest had been 'reserved' with towels, and the people didn't turn up for a few hours sometimes. It was not Galley Bay's fault, but a bit frustrating. In general, Galley Bay had a rustic quality. Don't expect plush, marble lobby and rooms, it was more of a 'natural surroundings' resort. One thing we loved about it was the atmosphere - so relaxed and absolutely classless (as in no one was better than anyone else). There were two bars - the bar next to the Sea Grape restaurant and the TeePee. There was also a small bar at the Gauguin restaurant, but this was more likely to be used if you were dining at the Gauguin. The food was always good, and at times excellent. The breakfast and lunch menu didn't change, but there was always three or four special dishes at the Sea Grape for lunch. The dinner menu was different every night at Sea Grape, but stayed the same at the Gauguin. All the staff was good. We had a lovely to chat with Stafford in the Gauguin restaurant, and Kerri-Ann was lovely too. Mike, the maitre d' was very friendly, yet very professional. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

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