Carlisle Bay

**Honest & Brutal Review of Carlisle Bay Resort** I have to start by saying that I love Antigua. This is my fourth visit, and my first time traveling with kids in tow. The people here are incredibly friendly, and I always feel safe, which is why we decided to bring the kids for spring break. My previous visits were to Pineapple Beach Club, Galley Bay, and Hermitage Bay. **Room Category: 2-Bedroom Beach Terrace** **Travelers: 2 Adults, 2 Kids (Ages 11 & 13)** **Pros:** - **The Staff:** The team at Carlisle Bay is super sweet, friendly, and mostly helpful. - **The Food:** Although we didn’t choose the all-inclusive option, the food was decent for a hotel that offers it. - **The Beach:** While I expected the water to be more turquoise like the other properties, the beach itself was clean, with very little seaweed and no sargassum during our stay. We never had trouble finding lounge chairs, and it never felt overly crowded. **Cons:** - **The Room:** The description of a “2-bedroom” is misleading. There is one actual bedroom for the kids with two twin beds and a door, but the so-called master bedroom is just a king-size bed in the middle of the living room—no door, no closet, and definitely not a bedroom. - **Privacy Issues:** None of the doors have locks—not the kids' room, the bathroom, or even the toilet! Additionally, there’s no fan or ventilation in the bathroom, which is quite unpleasant. We had to change in the kids' room or in a steamy bathroom, leading to a terrible design experience overall. - **Cleanliness:** The rooms were not cleaned with care and appeared run-down. It’s in desperate need of renovation. Anyone who labels this as a luxury resort clearly hasn’t experienced true luxury. - **Bugs:** The mosquitoes were terrible—infesting our room and bothering us at dinner. This was my first April visit to Antigua, and I’ve never encountered this issue at the other properties. They do provide bug spray, but it was ineffective. My daughter ended up having an allergic reaction to her bites. - **The Price:** The cost was exorbitant—$8,000 for five nights at a rundown hotel is outrageous. Normally, I’m all for all-inclusive, but that would have been almost another $6,000… charging my 13-year-old adult prices, despite her not drinking . - **Lack of Activities for Teens:** The resort isn’t great for teens or preteens, as there were no activities tailored to their interests. While there were many younger children, which was cute to watch, it may not suit all families. Given these experiences, I will not return to Antigua with my kids. In the future, Hermitage Bay will likely be the only resort I consider when returning to this beautiful country.

Following a very very pleasant flight from the UK we were greeted by an enormous smile as soon as we departed the plane, fast tracked through customs and arrived effortlessly at Carlisle Bay were we received a very warm welcome to the resort and a refreshing cocktail. Check in was seamless. Our beachfront villas were extremely roomy and comfortable, directly overlooking the beach and immaculately clean. All restaurant food was cooked to order and served immediately were nothing was over looked, the attention to detail was superb and all the staff were extremely professional. From the early morning coffees, breakfast service, attendance on the beach to exquisite meals served in all the restaurant's the quality and service was fabulous. Ben at the beach hut bar was a hoot and a special thank has to go to Jay Eisse who was a proper gentleman to the ladies and pointed us in the right direction for attractions outside the resort and excursions. he was very personable and extremely professional a credit to the hotel. If the resort is looking for someone to fast track to a management position this young man is worthy of a chance. A truly wonderful holiday filled with very happy memories, relaxed, luxurious and fabulous, we would highly recommended this resort for all travelers. The owner Pat was in resort at the time and what a very nice chap he was also. Met at the bar and did not have a clue who he was until a member of staff asked if were with the owner's party!!

I don't believe I've ever written a negative review but the disparity between what Carlisle Bay charges and what it offers compelled me to share my experience. My wife and I stayed at the 'hotel' for what was supposed to be a five night stay where we were joined by my brother, sister-in-law, and their children. However, we left after three nights, incurring additional airfare fees, and parting from our darling nephew and niece prematurely, because we just could not stand staying here. The issues began small. Upon arrival, we were surprised by how dilapidated the property appeared and the lack of attentiveness of the staff. We were initially told our room would be available shortly upon our arrival, only to have to wait three hours to be shown to our room. And when they did show us to our room after a three-hour delay, they managed to misplace one of our bags. The first suite we stayed in reeked heavily of stale cigarettes. When I brought this to the attention of the staff and the general manager, Rajiv, they at first admitted the foul smell and attempted to air out the room while they looked for an alternative room. In the meantime, upon returning from the beach and wanting to take a shower, we found that there was no running water in the room at all. We called the front desk and after being left on hold for far too long, were told that there was a problem on the property that was being addressed. I get that things can go wrong unexpectedly but when you're paying more than USD1,000 per night, failure of running water simply should not happen. We had to wait for over an hour for the water to return and the only explanation we were given was that the hotel was "at capacity". A hotel of any size or quality should only have the number of rooms and book the number of guests that they can accommodate. To be fair to the maintenance staff, the hotel is dilapidated and is in desperate need of investments in renovation. The problem is that they are charging post-renovation fees without putting any investment into the property. When the water did come back on, it was barely a trickle of water pressure. When I asked if that was what the water pressure was supposed to be, the maintenance staff shrugged and said there were too many guests with children staying at the resort. Incidentally, this water outage recurred twice more during our shortened stay. After the first night, I told the General Manager that I could not stand to spend another night in the room that still reeked of stale smoke. Throughout the day, he told me he was seeing to it personally. When he came to check in later in afternoon he asked that we wait to be moved to a new room the next morning. I said that was unacceptable, that the room's smell was simply intolerable. He then changed his tune from at least admitting that there was a smell, claiming that after "airing it out" the smell was gone. I assured him that I had just been back to the room and the smell was still very much there, to which he replied "with all due respect, perhaps there is a problem with my nose." I have stayed at all kinds of hotels, from the most elite to the most humble, and I have never been spoken to in such a manner by any staff manager let alone the resort's general manager. In response to his snide remark I suggested with "all due respect" that perhaps he shouldn't be working in a service industry, to which he was quite offended (the truth can strike a nerve I suppose). In any case, we were eventually moved to a recently re-furnished room, for which the only notable refurbishments were a heavy fresh paint smell (which was at least preferable to stale smoke) and a bed that was made out of rock. At this point I could see that our stay was beyond repair so I simply notified them that we would be checking out the next day. With inflation, I understand that sub-USD1,000/night rooms are becoming a rarity, but if you're going to brand yourself as a luxury hotel, you must be prepared to offer a modicum of comfort and ease to your guests. Rooms that don't smell bad and water that flows are not outlandish requests. One more note on the food. It was meh at best. The fish was decent, everything else was barely edible. Most disappointingly, the fruit was completely tasteless despite unbelievably delicious fresh fruits widely available on the island (our driver on the way to the airport couldn't believe we weren't served fresh mango which was in season and was shocked that all the hotel offered was juice concentrates rather than fresh juices). I urge readers to look for accommodations elsewhere.

From the moment we arrived, we knew that we were among a team who love what they do.Greeted at the airport & driven to the resort,everything was organised in advance.The process of going through customs & baggage claim, chaperoned by a Carlisle Bay representative was seamless. We were greeted on our evening arrival by Kevonne, a lovely young man who got us set up in our room & made sure that nothing distracted us from our first dinner reservation. We made settled quickly in our beautiful beach access suite & were escorted to Indigo to meet Kareem, a wonderful host & Michael, the sommelier, who was always smiling, gracious & fully engaged with our needs. The menus across the restaurants; Indigo, East & Ottimo, give you a broad selection with something for everyone. From your favourite salads, pasta dishes, pizzas, sushi, steaks & burgers, our only concern was not to consume too much.We enjoyed an all-inclusive stay & would highly recommend it. At Indigo, we fell in love with the staff. After a mere 48hrs, they were on first name terms w/ our entire family & Georgier, Leanne, Shantez, Jerica & Audicia, really did represent a highlight of our dining experience. Nothing was too much & the service could be described as nothing short of exceptional. Somewhat awkward subject is how much service represents too much or too little?! On an all-inclusive experience, you want to be afforded enough attention so as not to feel neglected, but you also don't want to be bothered unnecessarily. At CB, we always felt that the staff were attentive at all the right times. They were discrete & always sensitive to our 'private' family moments or conversations. We should note that our beach service from Len, encapsulated this dynamic. He was always there when we needed something, never hovering, never missing for long periods. They understood our needs and as much credit as the individuals deserve in this regard, the management are also worthy of immense praise & credit. East is the Asian dining experience & the choice & quality is again exceptional. Michelle was a wonderful host, Jerica & Samaya became friends who made us excited about going back. Michael, the sommelier, seemed to be everywhere, bringing a smile to our experience and even encouraging our little boy, everytime we saw him, to eat his broccoli. The staff have left an impression on my family & I that will last as long as memories of the beautiful geography of the Bay itself. On that note, the waters are calm & clear. In march, the weather was perfect & the occasional rain worked wonders to cleanse the air & give you a break from the otherwise perfect heat & slight humidity. The tennis facilities & tennis coaching are excellent, no matter your skill level. There are paid lessons & complimentary group clinics. The kid's club (for 3+), is an incredible resource. Leaving your kids can be tricky, but the staff at kid's club were just as special to our children as the other staff elsewhere had become to our entire family. The Jetty Grill is also an incredible dining experience & though it is adult only, there's a weekly bbq w/ a live calypso band where children are welcome.The water sports team are outstanding.There are paid experiences, but canoes, pedalos, snorkels & masks are readily available for free on a first come first served basis. There are so many members of the team that I have failed to mention, but one we cannot forget is Vida from housekeeping.She was able to restore our suite to the check-in condition. Not just a daily turn down service, but incredible pride & attention to detail. Every evening, she made the idea of returning back to the suite a complete pleasure. We have had a beautiful experience at CB & as noted,aside from the magical culture & geography of Antigua, CB have done an exceptional job of bottling all of these elements for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. One we hope, as our family grows, we will be able to experience as many times as we possibly can.

We booked this trip as an “end of maternity leave” treat for me and so that we could enjoy our first holiday with our baby boy (9 months) somewhere truly relaxing. Carlisle Bay could not have been a better choice. We and the couple we were travelling with were both upgraded to suites on the beach with separate rooms for the babies, which was a fantastic start. The food was divine - fresh, well cooked, and creative - and the cocktails and rosé were free flowing. Pleasingly, there were no nasty surprises on the bill (we were on the All Inclusive package - which is 100% worth it because the food is not cheap!) Sharon from Kids Club babysat our boy most evenings, which meant we could really enjoy the place. The staff could not have been more helpful - it was just such a great holiday. The only two things that were a slight dampener were the sandflies (which I appreciate are part of the deal in that part of the world - and the hotel was gracious enough to supply us all with bug repellent!) and the arrival of large corporate group whose presence somewhat dominated whichever part of the hotel they were in. Otherwise, cannot complain!