Galley Bay Resort & Spa

Our 1st visit and were here for 9 nights. Lovely welcome upon arrival with cold towels provided along with a glass of champagne. Nice touch. We had prebooked a private taxi from the airport as we were aware that there could be long lines otherwise. We used Natasha's Taxis and would thoroughly recommend. Very reasonably priced, nice vehicles and punctual - waiting for us a we came through arrivals. https://natashataxiantigua.com/ Also used for the return trip and an island tour. Our accommodation was an upper deluxe. It was lovely and spacious with an excellent air conditioning unit plus overhead fan which allowed us to maintain a nice room temperature. The bed was very comfortable with lovely linen and pillows. Bathroom was very spacious with a walk-in shower - one negative was the shower had to be run for ages before hot water appeared plus the pressure was poor. Room was serviced every day with fresh towels provided - staff were wonderful. Large balcony with 2 sun beds. Views were stunning. Sound proofing was also great as no noise from other rooms - just the gentle rolling of the sea could be heard. Meals were excellent. We ate at all 3 restaurants. The extra $50 pp for dinner at Ismay's was worth it as it was that extra bit special. We ate at Gauguin a fair bit - breakfast, lunch and dinner. We enjoyed its setting and the more personal feel as it is a lot smaller. Sea Grape was also excellent and had a bit more buzz about it. Drinks were of a good quality and the wines provided were lovely. Good range of cocktails and mocktails. Beach was excellent with each room having its own numbered umbrella and sun loungers. Staff were on hand to deliver drinks which was great - smoothies were brilliant. Sea was nice and warm although you had on occasion to be careful of the waves. Evening entertainment was provided which ranged from single performers to 5 piece groups. All very traditional. If you're looking for lots of noise and heaving dance floors this isn't for you. WiFi - excellent in our room and on the beach and generally OK. However, disappointing with poor or no signal in the restaurants - but guess we should be socialising and not be on our phones! Had discussions with lots of other guests. Most were repeat visitors with some 15/16 times. So that tells you the attraction of this resort. Staff on the whole were superb and we had lots of lovely interactions with many of them. They really helped make our stay so enjoyable. Our 1st time at an all inclusive resort and it was great being able to go about every day without the need for cash or a credit card. At the end of your trip there is a box at the checkout desk should you wish to leave a general gratuity for all staff and/or place cash in an envelope if you wish to recognise a particular member of staff.

Galley Bay is extraordinary. My brothers and our spouses went for six glorious nights to Antigua and Galley Bay. My husband and visited 13 years ago and were hoping this would be as good as it was then. We were not disappointed. We stayed in unit #10 where we were in the sand as soon as we opened our door. The room was great. Clean and simple. Bathroom was great with a very large shower and equally large closet. The beach and pool were great. We loved being at the pool in the afternoon to experience the peace and "Zen" we were looking for. The whole resort is so peaceful and as super place to destress and also have fun. I would describe it as kind of "old time Caribbean" with space to enjoy and breathe. The resort has only 100 rooms over close to 1/2 mile of beach, and that beach is incredible. I cannot vouch for the water as red/yellow flag warnings were up most of the week. On departure day, it was calm with many people in the crystal blue water. So, we missed out on that but the sound of the waves breaking all night made up for it. I have never slept so well. The cost of this resort is well worth it. So...all beautiful but the people made it better. The only cranky person we met happened to be the check-in person. But maybe the six of us excited people in Antigua hats with a good cold beer in our weary travel bodies might have overwhelmed him. (If you are looking for a good transport, try Eagle Transfers and Tours. I asked if they could arrange for some adult beverages and Antigua baseball hats for a surprise for my brothers. They more than met our expectations. Drivers were excellent and delightful.) Back to the people. They were great. We had two favorites--Samantha and Sadi. They were funny, remembered our drinks, and always had us set up at a special round table for six. The service was very good yet not intrusive. The food was very good--such a nice variety each day for lunch and dinner. Nice Caribbean music after dinner. I hope we get an opportunity to go back to this beautiful gem where serenity and fun are equally balanced.

Galley Bay is located on an amazing beach with crystal clear water and fine golden sand. The resort is all about the beach. The rooms are for the most part in 4 roomed villas spread along the large sandy beach. They are very spacious and well appointed with huge bathrooms. Each room has a dedicated umbrella and sunbed beds right outside the door. All the restaurants are right on the beach with stunning views. The resort never feels over full and there is never a tussle for a good seat or sunbed. The resort has a very relaxed and relaxing vibe. It has a rustic charm with lots of bare wood, ropes and greenery. The gardens ( which are exceptional and full of little humming birds) and buildings are constantly maintained and very clean. The food is of a limited choice but a very good quality as are the house wines. If you want jump to service and busy, swanky bars this is not the place for you but if you want a very chilled holiday on an exceptional beach then you won’t go far wrong. We will certainly return

It’s hard to find fault. What we love is the sit down service in every restaurant, served in the main by delightful staff. There is the odd one that can be a bit grumpy but most are amazingly helpful, cheerful and know their stuff. Often people react to how they are spoken to. The food is very good, and beautifully presented. Yes an older clientele but we still like to have fun! There is entertainment every night. Low key but good. The hotel setting is stunning and the pool area is tranquil and plenty of sun beds so no one needs to rush down in the morning. Many clients use their sun beds outside their beach front rooms with a fabulous view of the cove. Someone complained there was no music at the pool-most people just want to relax with no noise. You can use your own ear buds/headphones. Service around the pool was very good. The pool itself is cleaned everyday and the water is clear. Rooms are immaculate and everything is replenished daily. Yes there can be red flags up on the beach from time to time as the hotel takes safety seriously. I fail to understand how you can mark a hotel down due to the weather. They are good at Galley Bay but cannot control the weather fronts and water currents. There are many returning guests. That speaks for itself. No hotel complex can please everyone all of the time. If your preference is a dress code of vests and shorts at dinner, with a buffet with people moving up and down throughout the evening then Galley Bay isn’t for you. If you like leisurely meals, and tranquility then it is the perfect place.

Beautiful resort. Amazing garden. Good served food so not for buffet devotees. Gauguin restaurant has great food for every meal and the other ones as well! Great choice.