Cocobay Resort

We have just returned from spending an enjoyable 2 weeks at Coco Bay. There are many positives about the resort but we cannot say it is the best we have been to, there are areas for improvement. On the positive side we found the staff for the most part extremely friendly and helpful with the rare exception of one or two who came across as a little bit surly at times. Whilst we were there an official looking white chap - maybe he was the manager, I don't know? - was often to be seen wandering around with a clipboard and talking to staff. We wondered why he didn't make an effort to talk to guests, but perhaps he was from outside the hotel. The food was excellent, particularly the evening meal, for which the menu changed every day and was a lovely choice of really fresh delicious dishes with a Caribbean twist. The drinks were good and plentiful, a good choice of cocktails and very generous measures. The entertainment was good, quite low-key but some excellent musicians - we particularly loved Foster Joseph, so talented and a charming guy - and this made our evenings really enjoyable. The room was cosy, bed lovely and comfortable, nice simple furnishings and a balcony with a beautiful view. It was quite basic, however, and could do with a bit of a spruce up/re-paint. There was a little fridge, two small bottles of water when we arrived, but after this we had to buy our own water from the shop which was quite expensive. The beach was just a short walk down and it was lovely but we found that we got bitten quite badly by sand flies (not mozzies) so we then tended to sit by the pool. The main infinity pool was very nice and we could usually get a couple of beds. The pool was lovely and warm and kept clean, the other two smaller pools were quite murky, however. In general the pool area, restaurant and bar were nice, but certain parts a bit tatty and in need of maintenance. Also, there was usually quite loud music playing all the time and we would have just preferred peace quiet. We did ask Jermaine to turn the music down a bit, and he obliged. Normally when I go away I like to have a spa treatment but I didn't this time as they were really expensive, much more than I pay in the UK - 110 dollars for a massage was quite prohibitive, I thought. I didn't see many people using the spa, maybe that was the reason. The resort is literally off the beaten track, so not the place to go to if you like to walk to a another restaurant/shop/bar. Also the nearest ATM is at Jolly Harbour which is a ten minute taxi ride away. Whilst there we had a couple of trips, one was the jeep safari which was excellent, stopped at loads of interesting places, quite bumpy, but great fun. We had a fantastic guide, Kissoon, who was lovely. We also did the Wadadli boat trip, and we didn't enjoy this so much, as it was really noisy and loud, and we felt that the boat was over-filled (mostly morbidly obese Americans, don't wish to be judgemental, but it wasn't a pleasant experience particularly at lunchtime). So, if you do a boat trip, do your research beforehand. In hindsight we wished we had done the lobster lunch boat excursion. Highlight of the holiday was by far the wonderful carnival, and thanks to Sheree, our taxi driver, we were dropped off at an excellent vantage point where we could really enjoy the parade. This was an amazing spectacle, the bands, the costumes, the spirit of the people, something we will never forget. So, in summary, a lovely holiday, nice resort - but needs sprucing up a bit - great if you love a beautiful beach but are immune to sand flies.

Words can't describe how happy I was with my stay at Cocobay Resort. I am a travel blogger who enjoys occasional getaway trips for photography. I had once visited Antigua two years ago and fell in the love with the area of the island where Cocobay Resort is situated. I came back to the island not only for picture taking, but also to be near Ffryes Bay, which was my favorite beach. Cocobay Resort is located just a few steps away from that beach, in a very quiet and peaceful area. This boutique hotel has mostly newlyweds, but at no point did I feel like a loner. At arrival and throughout my stay the hotel staff went out of there way to make me feel at home and comfortable. Every staffer always had a smile on their face and were very nice. The food was top notch amazing as well as the cocktails and other drinks. The rooms were private and bathrooms had an open air balcony connection. I stayed in a Deluxe room which had an incredible view of the ocean. The hotel offered connections to a wide variety of amenities and excursions. Of them I received spa services and booked a trip to Stingray City. I conversed and made friends with many of the guests there, who were all diverse and super friendly. All in all, I recommend this hotel, especially if you want to a complete getaway and to feel pampered.

Cocobay for 10 days was probably the most relaxing holiday I think my wife and I have ever had, the location, beaches and accommodation were paradise. The staff were super friendly and the service was true 5 star. The food was super with up to 4 / 5 courses for dinner, and buffet lunches and breakfasts, plus afternoon tea ! The bar also serviced pretty well what ever you wanted. We had a premium cottage with its own pool, Air Conditioning and direct views of the Church Valley Bay, just stunning, and totally private. As with any holiday, there are always a few minor issues, but the positive far outweighed any issues at Cocobay, so we have to give the resort a full 5 stars !!

We've recently returned from a 10 day trip to Cocobay and can't say enough good things about the place. Having never holidayed in the Caribbean before we were unsure what to expect but we were pleased to find that all the positive reviews for Cocobay on Trip Advisor were pretty much spot on. (There are a couple of very minor negative points but I will come to those later as the positives far, far outway the negatives). On arrival up the long drive you are greeted by smiling faces on reception, a stunning view across to the beach and a nice (strong) rum punch which pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the holiday. The manager O'Neal even came out to greet us - from reading other reviews I think he does this a lot which is a nice touch as you don't normally see a hotel manager unless you want to moan. After a very quick 'tour' of the resort we were taken to our cottage - we were allocated Five Islands (F1) which I think is about as high up and as far away from the reception as it was possible to get which wasn't an issue for us but might be a problem for people with mobility issues. When we got there however the small walk paled into insignificance as the views over the bay were amazing (see photos). The cottage was a fair size, immaculately clean, with a large extremely comfortable bed and a very large bathroom (in fact so large that it was actually a bit of a wasted space). I think our cottage is linked to another one and is designed to be shared by larger parties - if you get this one be prepared for issues when you turn the external light on the shared balcony off when you go to bed if the people in the adjoining cottage want it kept on. In short summary however:- - The place is incredibly relaxed and never felt crowded even when the hotel is full. - The grounds are impeccably maintained and look absolutely gorgeous. We regularly saw tropical birds and on a number of times almost walked into mongooses (is that a word?) wandering through the grounds. Views from all parts of the resort are fantastic, either across the bay and the turquoise water, over the beach or inland up into the hills. - The two infinity pools are both clean and well positioned, one high up by the main bar overlooking the bay (we spent most of our time here), the other is lower, has a smaller bar but also has a fantastic view this time overlooking the beach. Some of the boarding round the pool area is looking a bit 'tired' now but that simply adds to the rustic feel. - Food is fantastic and better than you'd normally get in an all inclusive. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style but lunch changes every day and dinner is more a la carte with a varied choice of 3 or 4 dishes for each course, on a number of occasions one of the friends we met whilst there was unsure which dessert to have and the waitress was only to happy to bring him one of each! I've read some people commenting on the two tier dining system (if you book through the hotel direct you get additional food options included) but that really didn't cause us any issues as there were plenty of options on the 'normal' menu. - From the front of house, to bar staff to waiters/waitresses to cleaners, the staff are pretty much ALL amazing (with a couple of exceptions - no names mentioned). They are particularly friendly, seem to love their jobs and always welcome you with a smile and a cheerful greeting. Everyone is so good that it seems unfair to single out individuals but Jermaine does deserve a special mention - you'll hear him before you see him but always really friendly, welcoming smile and remembers everyone's names so an all round top bloke. - If you're someone who's prone to insect bites definitely take some repellent for the evenings. We didn't get bitten too badly but other people we met had been 'mozzie'd' to within an inch of their lives. Also be prepared for the continuous night long noise that the cicada's, etc make - we couldn't believe the racket for the first couple of nights but eventually got used to it - others might not. - Finally, because it's a relatively small hotel (compared to places like Sandals) you get to see the same people day in day out, so make a lot of new friends which made our holiday even more special. We didn't do many excursions as the resort was so nice so we had no real urge to leave but we highly recommend the around the island day trip on the Wadadli Cats catamaran. Staff and crew are all very good, you get to see a lot more of this amazing island, unlimited drinks, very nice lunch and get to visit a couple more beaches as well - well worth the money. We had a couple of minor gripes which although didn't spoil our holiday are definitely worth mentioning. Cocobay markets itself as an all-inclusive resort but no water is provided in the room (or certainly not to 'standard' guests), instead you have to remember to take your empty water bottle down to the bar every evening to get it refilled or spend money buying more expensive bottles at the on-site store. This is not something that I'd expect from an all-inclusive resort and feel that bottles of water should be provided in all rooms as standard, particularly in that heat. There are also no black out blinds in the rooms, so when the sun comes up at 5.30-6 in the morning and shines straight through the window you're up too. Whilst I understand that this is a conscious decision by the hotel to encourage guests to make the most of every minute on the island, not everyone wants to be woken so early on their holiday / honeymoon. It would be nice for every room to have blinds so at least people have the choice of using them or not rather than an enforced early morning wake up call. That said, I could write a lot more about how nice Cocobay is, but I'm in danger of gushing on and on about this place. Suffice to say that if you're thinking about booking a Caribbean holiday definitely consider Cocobay, we would recommend it to anyone. There are other pricier, more 'upmarket' options but you definitely won't be disappointed.

We had such a fabulous time last year that we went back this year. It was even better than the first time. Nasasha was so helpful, nothing was too much trouble. We had an even better deluxe cottage this year. The beds are so comfortable, I wanted to bring one home with me. Jermaine, Kerry, Kathleen and Keva just to mention a few, remembered us from last year which was lovely. The staff make the holiday and Sonia the breakfast lady makes amazing omelettes. Mr Gore, a very nice chilled out man who was really good in the restaurant in the evening and Sasha was so friendly yet again. Thank you all for making our holiday very memorable. On a negative point the bathroom lighting is very poor and could do with another chair In the cottage. Cushions on the chairs around the bar in the evening would be nice as sometimes the chairs got a bit hard! Might stay round the bar a bit longer! Some of the umbrellas on the beach could do with some attention. Having said all that, the holiday was brilliant and the food is fantastic.