Carlisle Bay

We had a lovely time this year at Carlisle Bay. I got one room for my adult sons and one ocean suite for me. Having first visited in 2012 and been many times it was great to see the new updates,covers for sunbeds and some room refurbs and new chairs in indigo. I think there have also been some general improvements in service. The setting is idyllic with the sounds of the sea and nature and the staff that work here are genuinely friendly people. Too many names to mention all but Tony is such an asset to the hotel, Michael the sommelier is great,I love seeing Georgi every year at indigo she’s a delight and Myrleen was great fun and Irwin and keri-Ann. We also had a great time at the Jetty at lunchtime with Latoya and team and La’ron bringing the boys a bottle of special hot sauce. Shawn and Kevin and all the reception staff were great, Tracey in charge of reservations has always also been super helpful to me. Ariel was the best room fairy keeping all pristine. It was all a fantastic treat and I can’t wait to come back! One suggestion I would have is move the east restaurant outside it would be so much better placed I think. Tennis and Yoga an added bonus too.

This was our 3rd Visit and we’ll be back for our fourth. Currently typing this at VC Bird waiting for a flight back to London.
Had a fantastic nine nights in the newly refurbed Ocean Suites. The staff are excellent throughout the resort and Rajiv the GM is highly visible and approachable. There is also a weekly opportunity to have a cocktails with senior management if you want to discuss anything but the reception staff can really resolve 99% of issues.
Loved having a sundowner watching the pelicans on the new sofas by the jetty restaurant.

This was the perfect trip for our family five, 3 kids ages 4,2,4 months. We stayed in one of the beach suites that was perfectly situated between the beach and pool. Everyone was so friendly on the property( waitstaff, housecleaning, maintenance, seriously everyone you pass by says hello and wants to interact with kids) . The 4 and 2 year old went to the kids club almost daily for their morning session , they always had fun activities planned for them. Not just a big toy room like some resorts. We went to the adult only restaurant one night, the hotel helped arrange for a baby sitter which was one of the kids clubs teachers which was nice because we had already met her and the kids were comfortable with her. The spa was amazing, both husband and I agreed that it was probably one of the best massages we ever had. Wish I found more time to check out the Pilates/yoga classes but it was hard with the littles but was able to attend a sound bath meditation and it was so relaxing. They helped arrange a half day boat trip for us, they took us to some secluded beaches and fishing around the reef. The only thing I can say that was mediocre was that maybe the food wasn’t Michelin star worthy but still really good. (we didn’t go with the all inclusive option so we went out to the other highly rated restaurants in the area and they weren’t any better than the restaurants on site) maybe one recommendation would be have a daily breakfast special but even then they do have a lot good breakfast menu and plenty of options on the buffet and a new smoothie choice for the morning! Would definitely go back one day and recommend to anyone looking for a laidback but luxury Caribbean experience.

I actually stayed there in January 25 with my mum over my birthday.
The grounds are beautiful, the massage was great and they went out of their way for my birthday - I received 3 cakes!
The reason for the 4 instead of 5 stars is: it is way too expensive for what it is. Breakfast lacks choice and is mediocre, food on site is very expensive, watersports equipment is from the 20th century and the service overall is slooooow.
Beautiful hotel at a beautiful beach, but half price would actually be acurate or offer what other hotels qithin this price range offer.

BREAKFAST IS GOOD

The location was nice, the food okay, but the staff and treatment was very unprofessional and rude, I've gotten better treatment and service at McDonald's. Btw make sure to go over your bills to prevent double charges.

Fantastic position right on a beautiful beach.

It’s quite rare to find a hotel the size of Carlisle Bay (nearly 90 suites) that feels big when you’re there but still manages to offer a completely personalised service where everyone remembers your name and breakfast orders daily.

The resort is absolutely impeccably presented. It’s not grand and opulent but understated and homely. It’s refreshing to visit a hotel where all the staff are so well trained and everyone seems to care about guests. Particular credit to Jason behind the bar and Leanne in the Indigo restaurant. Both have an infectiously upbeat view on life that completely takes you away from the City mindset.

If you can get a newly refurbished room, you should. The fact that water sports are included is also a great perk and we went out on kayaks daily.

Quite a few people in our group had specific dietary requirements (kosher) and the hotel were able to bring in kosher meat and adapt menus to reflect their needs. The food in restaurants was good, particularly the bircher muesli at breakfast. It would be nice to see some variety and changes day-to-day at breakfast, and Ottimo restaurant could improve their menu (I found the pizzas a bit tasteless) in my opinion, but otherwise the food is consistently good.

Overall, a great stay. There’s quite a few people that regularly go back and it’s easy to see why.

The staff is exceptional. Every staff member we encountered seemed intent on making our stay the best it could be. We were delayed due to snow storm departing NY. Throughout our stay management was attentive and accommodating.
My husband and I visited with our daughter and son in law and infant grandson.
The resort is very family oriented and the the baby’s room was fully outfitted with essentials to make their stay very easy.
We had ocean suites which were recently renovated.
They were very comfortable and offered beautiful views and easy access to the beach.
We booked through Amex fine hotels.
We were afforded late check out but unable to upgrade rooms due to lack of availability of rooms. This was expected during high season.
The restaurants offered diverse menus.
We opted for the all inclusive which is a must have.
Without it, your food and drink bill would be very costly if you are mostly eating onsight.
We enjoyed our stay and will definitely be back.
Shout out to Leanne @Indigo for her outstanding service and the beach guys working tirelessly to serve us all day in the beach!

My family and I really enjoyed our stay here. We had rooms that were a step away from the beach and were always greeted with a warm smile from the staff there. Sydon stood out as one of the beach staff who went out of his way to make sure we were always taken care of and took time to make sure we had a great trip. We were very fortunate to come across such a beautiful place and welcoming staff.

Our stay at Carlisle Bay Resort in Antigua was disappointing overall.

The restaurant service was good, with friendly and attentive staff. Unfortunately, this was the only real highlight. Management was largely absent and unresponsive during our stay.

Booking through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts proved pointless, as promised upgrades were ignored despite availability being shown on the hotel’s own website. My Leading Hotels of the World Sterling status was also completely disregarded - there was no pre-arrival communication or acknowledgement, despite assurances beforehand.

For a resort in this price range, the rooms are outdated and clearly in need of renovation, which does not match the luxury image being marketed.

In summary, good restaurant staff, but poor management, unmet benefits, and rooms that don’t justify the cost.

Beach and room good

This is about their spa! I’m local and I like to treat myself sometimes and this spa is DEFINITELY a treat wow! Highly recommend

I cannot rate this high enough. We stayed in a 2 bedroom beach villa which had fantastic amenities. The resort itself is clean and has great amenities, you can go snorkeling and there are 4 restaurants. The staff is outstanding. The only negative is that there are many children running around.

The staff at CB are like my second family. Everyone knows my name and they always greet me or wave to me wherever I am. The staff are CB's best asset and they are in high morale following a change of General Manager and improvements to the hotel. Rajiv Malhotra is doing a great job and I am hopeful he will stay in situ for many years to come. He seems to be someone who gets things done. If you are a guest, you will almost certainly meet him as he makes a huge effort to talk to everyone.

The Ocean Suites have been updated and look lovely. These changes were desperately needed. The beach Suites will be done in 2026. Deonne Maxim gets a special mention for all her help and attentiveness on the room front.

In addition, the hotel reception looks much improved after dispensing with the hospital green colour and getting some screens and new furniture. The tiling around the pool has been changed so it is less slippery and cool to walk on. The furniture in Indigo restaurant has also been upgraded so that the chairs are now comfortable and far lighter than the previous ones.

Food in all the restaurants is really good and all the staff are helpful and friendly. Special shout-out to Larry who was amazing when my friend fainted. To be honest there are too many other amazing staff to name them all.

So in summary, I had a great time and I've already booked my return flight for next year.

Location room staff