Secret Bay

I’ve been fortunate to stay at leading hotels around the world. That said, this review is in comparison to properties like St. Regis Rome, Ritz-Carlton Venice, Hotel Chable Yucatán and countless of other “5-Star” properties across the globe. Location - 3.5 out of 5 - You can hear traffic from the busy road almost everywhere on the property. In addition, it’s a very hilly property which requires you to either call for a golf cart or ride the funicular. Food - 4 out of 5 - The chefs were creative with their dishes and tried to use local sourced produce and meats. Room - 4.5 out of 5 - Very nice rooms with fantastic views, private pool, complete kitchen, hardwood folding doors that could open up the entire space to the outside. Service - 3.5 out of 5 - Most employees tried but were either undertrained or it was just a culture thing. In general, the way they greeted us or lack there of, their lack of attentiveness or anticipation of our needs and the general feel that we were more of an annoyance by being there. Specific examples were when we returned to the hotel in our rental car no one was there to greet us nor help us with our things. Often, I had to retrieve my car myself. At the poolside bar one particular bartender (not Melissa) was one of the worst. She wanted to be anywhere but there serving us. It was uncomfortable. Front desk staff was poorly trained. Beach - 3.5 out of 5 - A lot of seaweed, rocky and the water was not real clear. In summary, Secret Beach tries to be a “world-class destination” but falls short in too many areas for us to consider returning.

My husband & I had the opportunity to celebrate our anniversary here, away from our young children, so we were seeking a truly intimate getaway. Secret Bay is that & more. We actually now hope to return with our children someday, as the island offers adventure for the whole family. We spent 4 nights, and much of our time reading by the beach, snorkeling (day AND night - night snorkeling was so cool!) & enjoying the property. The property itself is so lush & natural, and largely untouched; the beautiful, spacious villas are built right into the hillside...and the funicular was so unique to get up/down. We often felt like we were the only ones there! Breakfast in our villa's screened porch was the perfect way to begin our days, and the plunge pool was a delight in the evenings. Yoga & massages were relaxing, as both overlooked the sea. The Indian River tour was a great way to learn more about Dominica, and you departed right from Secret Bay's beach. Any passing rain showers or mosquitos were not a bother, even in July (and bug repellant was provided, if asked). *All* of the staff is truly wonderful, knowledgable & attentive. I only wish we could have stayed longer!

Recently completed a 5 day stay with the family at Secret Bay. We chose Secret Bay based on various glowing reviews. Writing this review to confirm that the experience does not disappoint! We have stayed at various luxury resorts (FS, Auberge, Aman and Kokomo) and I would rate Secret Bay equal to any of them. Our two bedroom villa was equipped with a private plunge pool and the clifftop location afforded unrestricted views of the ocean. Although other villas were nearby, the manner in which they are situated and the lush vegetation provides a high degree of privacy. Francesca was our personal villa caretaker, and took wonderful care of us during our stay (leaving treats in the evenings!) Resort facilities are very well maintained, beaches are spectacular - especially the secret beach! It is worth the kayak or swim to visit - a perfect sand bottom beach without any development as far as you can see. Common pool is smaller than some, but laid back and we never had any issues with chairs at the beach or pool. Food was extremely well executed, with reasonable variety. Dominica provides amazing fruit and produce, which is well represented. They also stock the villa daily with eggs, fruit, bread and coffee (whole bean with a super automatic machine) if you want to do breakfast in the villa. They offer to have a prepared breakfast in your villa complementary one day, but we elected to prepare ourselves when we didn't go the restaurant for breakfast. Two dinners a week, they forego the usual menu for a chef's choice fixed menu - we did this one evening, but elected to have dinner in the villa the other night, and were able to select from the lunch menu options as well as some of the a la carte dinner options on the regular menu. Villa service for dinner was without issue. Although it wasn't a major inconvenience, be aware that the terrain on the resort is quite steep, and we never walked from the main resort facilities to our cliff top villa. They provide electric cart service, and there is a motorized trolley that can be called to ferry you from the villas to the main resort facilities. Loved Secret Bay, and loved Dominica! Didn't know much about the island before our trip, but am enchanted by it and hope to return!

We loved our stay at Secret Bay! My husband and I celebrated our 15th anniversary here. The rooms are incredible but beyond that, the service and attention to detail is exceptional.

We completely and thoroughly loved our stay at Secret Bay. What an incredible place! Not only were the staff very welcoming, helpful, always there to meet every need, but the resort is true paradise. Every possible thing we could need for a week-long stay was provided, including stocking of the kitchen with whatever we requested from local and sustainable sources on Dominica. Many times it felt as if we had the place to ourselves, between the very private villas that are well spaced out and with lush tropical vegetation throughout the resort, to the limited access by sea to Secret Beach. We love the small boutique type of resort and the limited number of villas that really make it easy to unwind, truly relax, and enjoy solitude. We will be back!