Hermitage Bay

You know that feeling when you experience something so enjoyable, you immediately look forward to doing it again? That's how my wife and I felt about our first visit to Hermitage Bay last year. After never visiting the same resort twice, we knew as we left we would be back. Sure enough, a year later, almost to the day, we returned. Things had changed while we were gone. Hermitage was awarded two Michelin Keys and the coveted Conde Nast triple crown award. In the year I'd been away, multiple travel reviews on YouTube popped into my feed. People were talking about Hermitage. But as good as it had been, I had a small thought at the back of my mind, would it be as good the second time? We've all been there. The first movie was amazing but the sequel was kind of a letdown. Our favorite movie when we were teenagers didn't quite age as well as we expected. Would the Hermitage be as good as I remembered? It was better. The grounds, already beautiful, were full of new plants and birds of paradise, adding bright colors everywhere we looked. The beach club, which had just opened last time we were here, became a pop up for the famous La Petit Maison, a French Mediterranean restaurant whose menu featured spectacular veal, ribeye, king prawns, escargot, and other options rarely found at an all inclusive. The rooms had received additional upgrades with new storage options, wireless chargers, and artwork. The activities now included a free snorkeling boat trip to a sunken ship. We learned that on Monday night, there was a new manager's social for this season. Admittedly, I was nervous when I heard this, as the social would replace the usual evening sushi that night, which was a highlight from our last visit. The only manager socials I had seen at hotels were generally rather boring. Not at the Hermitage. The bar was open, live music played, and platters of fresh sushi were passed around as we got to meet the management team, who then introduced other key staff and their long history serving guests. I can't think of another resort where person after person was introduced having worked here for more than a decade. Many for almost two. And that's really what sets the Hermitage apart. From Rachel and Kempton the managers to  Jillian and Lian at the restaurant, to Marcus, Martin, and Kahwisi on the carts, Koshane, Mervin, and Anthony at the bar, Jennifer and her housekeeping crew, Elizabeth and Tony- Anne our marvelous masseuses, Alicia, Solange, and the guest service team, and Kyle at the beach, every single person we met on staff went above and beyond to make our stay special. When I wanted to get my wife a bouquet for her birthday, and the florist in town was closed, Jaquan and Marcus arranged for flowers from the gardens to be assembled into a bouquet better than I could have bought off-site. When Lian found out we were going to miss lunch, she arranged for pizza to be prepared for us to take to our plane. I've experienced two other resorts honored with two Michelin Keys, resorts I would gladly revisit and where I've left glowing reviews. Those resorts were five stars, had dedicated staff that made us feel special. But as good as they are, they still can't beat Hermitage. I've wrestled with why. Other resorts have beautiful views. Some have really good food (though I've never seen one that has this level of food included in its price), and other resorts have dedicated team members. But here there is something deeper, something that is almost magical, that makes you forget your stress and decide, even before you leave, you will come back. That's probably why we saw some of the same faces from last year back again. And why we met couples who were experiencing it for the first time and saying they couldn't wait to return. That's probably why so many of the staff stay here for decades. Once you breathe in the heavenly aroma of the chilled almond-scented hand towels handed to you at check-in, once you feel the sand between your toes, or take your first bite of sushi prepared by chef Agustin as the sun sets over clear emerald waters, you know why the team made this their home. And why you'll probably be back as soon as you can. Because at Hermitage, sequels don't disappoint.

5 Reasons why Hermitage Bay is the Best All Inclusive I've ever visited: 1. Food: Le Petite Maison is the lunch restaurant and rivals any restaurant in the Caribbean. Gives off St Bart/Martinique vibes with live music, tables on the beach, and wonderful French cuisine. Absolutely loved every dish here, in particular these entrees: Grilled prawns, ribeye, lamb cutlets, veal chop, truffle pasta. Best appetizers: Beet root (delicious marinated beets), sweet peppers, mahi mahi tartare, stuffed vegetables, cod croquettes. Excellent drinks as well. Do the math on the prices and you would easily spend $500-$700 per couple per meal. Food is offered a la carte for the boats that dock in the bay and come to shore for lunch. Breakfast is delicious as well. I don't mind buffets,but prefer ordering off the menu, which is how it works here. In addition to traditional American and English choices, they offer local Antiguan food like the saltfish and chopup, which wasn't my favorite but glad I tried it. Dinners at the main restaurant were very good, just hard to compare to Le Petite Maison. Favorites: grilled Octopus, tuna tatake, okra and artichokes. Sushi hour is included, daily from 4:30 to 5:30 Nobu-trained chefs would prepare delicious sashimi, nigiri, and/or maki in different combinations at the beach bar (called the Tree Bar, because the bar is built around a massive tree). The food alone sets Hermitage Bay apart from any all-inclusive I've visited. 2. The Beach Beautiful white sand beach, clear aqua waters, semi-mountains (or very large hills) to your left and right. Loved the fact you don't need to rush to get beachfront loungers and umbrellas as there are more loungers than guests and many opt to enjoy the views from their hillside pool villas. There's a pool (nothing fancy) next to the lobby bar where you can watch the beach. Decent snorkeling up and down the beach. All beaches in Antigua are public, so we kayaked to 2 other beaches near the resort. 3. Service Wonderful service--the staff has great personalities and attention to giving guests a pleasant stay. Appreciated that it wasn't snobby or overly formal like you get at some high end resorts; on the other hand, we've had some really poor service in the Caribbean where the staff was, at best, indifferent. Hermitage Bay has mostly long tenured staff who care deeply about the resort and their guests. 4. Villa We had a hillside pool villa which had beautiful 180 degree ocean views. Definitely not for those with mobility issues--winding, stone steps with no handrails. Great for getting your steps in, let the resort staff give you a golfcart ride back to your villa at night after a few adult beverages. My only complaint is the bathroom--either tear down the walls between the bathroom and living area so the 1 A/C unit can cool it off, or add an A/C unit (or ideally, add central A/C which I know would be expensive). We chose to keep the doors to the bathroom shut to keep the living area cool, so the bathroom was always hot even with the ceiling fan running full blast or opening all the windows to let the breeze in. BTW on bugs, they love me, I used bug spray very liberally (2 or 3 times a day) and didn't have any problems. I liked the feeling of being at the beach/ocean, but at the same time also feeling like you are in the jungle. Always a lot of strange noises at night, mongooses running on our roof, tree frogs, small lizards. If wildlife spooks you, don't book the hillside villas. 5. SLH Partnership Hermitage Bay is part of SLH (Small Leading Hotels) and you could book using points from Hilton or Hyatt (I chose Hilton as the Hyatt's redemption rates were crazy high). TBH I would not have considered this resort without that option, as the rate for our villa was going for $3,500 per night and for that kind of money we would have picked a 'bucket list' destination, not Antigua. I would gladly redeem points again to stay here, and would highly recommend Hermitage Bay to anyone looking for an all-inclusive stay at a great beach with fantastic restaurants.

We recently returned from our second stay at Hermitage Bay, and while this visit didn’t go as planned, it only reinforced why this is such a special place. Unfortunately, my husband became ill during our stay, and we ultimately had to cut our trip short and fly home. Once we arrived back in the U.S., he was admitted to the hospital where they confirmed he had pneumonia. Needless to say, we weren’t able to experience everything we had planned. What stood out most during such a stressful time was the incredible compassion shown by the Hermitage Bay team. They arranged meals to be delivered to our villa, checked on us, and genuinely cared about our well-being. We are so grateful for the kindness and support everyone showed us. Even with our shortened stay, Hermitage Bay remains one of our favorite resorts in the Caribbean. We almost never visit the same resort twice, but this is one of the rare exceptions and we’ll hopefully be back a 3rd time. This year we stayed in Villa 35, one of the upper hillside villas, and the panoramic views were simply breathtaking. On our previous visit we stayed beachfront, and honestly, you can’t go wrong with either. It really comes down to personal preference, but for us, the elevated views are unbeatable. The resort itself is absolutely stunning from the moment you arrive. The service is among the best we’ve ever experienced, and I truly don’t think we encountered a single staff member who wasn’t warm, friendly, and eager to help. You’ll certainly never go hungry here the food is outstanding. We enjoyed several of the newer additions since our last visit, including the complimentary one-hour snorkeling excursion, which was fantastic. The new pizza offered as a small bite at the bar for lunch was a welcome addition, and it was absolutely delicious. It’s the perfect option if you’re looking for something a little more casual while still maintaining the high quality Hermitage Bay is known for. While the updated lunch at La Petit Madison is a bit more upscale than we typically prefer for midday, everything we tried was delicious. Rachel’s manager welcome hour was also a wonderful touch, giving guests a chance to meet one another and connect with the leadership team. A special thank you to Zoe, Elizabeth, and Kyle. They consistently went above and beyond, especially while my husband was sick. Their kindness and attentiveness meant more to us than they’ll ever know. While this wasn’t the anniversary trip we had envisioned, Hermitage Bay reminded us that true luxury isn’t just beautiful villas, incredible food, or stunning beaches—it’s the people. The genuine care and hospitality shown by the entire team made all the difference during a very difficult experience.

Hands down best vacation! We celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary and had an absolutely incredible time. Food was exceptional. Every. Single. Meal. Resort was beautiful - views and the resort itself - felt intimate, peaceful, and luxurious. Loved snorkeling right at the beach, plus took a great trip to Cades Reef. Our private pool was a favorite as well. Staff are friendly and welcoming. Spa experience was also excellent. Just perfect in all aspects.

Easily the most amazing place Ive ever been in my LIFE. The view is indescribable, the villas are pretty well secluded, and the staff--AMAZING. We came just in time for lunch our first day and were absolutely blown away by the quality of the food. Im pretty sure each member of leadership came and personally introduced themselves during our stay, offering an extra level of attention. We booked one of the hillside suites with a personal pool, and found it hard to even leave the villa for meals. This is the very definition of Heaven on Earth! The jerk chicken and ribeyes are to die for, and the sushi hour was absolutely fantastic. My husband doesn't normally like sushi, but enjoyed everything made for us by the talented sushi chefs. Augustín (probably misspelled, and for that I deeply apologize) was our chef the second night, and was so friendly and accommodating, we loved talking with and learning more about him and his journey as a chef. The drinks were STRONG (unlike typical AIs), the company was great, and overall, the trip was an absolutely phenomenal experience and introduction to the island. Thank you so much for having us!