Carlisle Bay

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. Read less

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! Read less

We stayed in the adults section, in the Bay Suites at the far end of the resort. Suite: very spacious and clean. We were on the first floor which provided an easy walk out to the sandy beach. Like other reviews mention, the furnishings are a little tired and a bit dated but actually not as bad as I expected! We enjoyed sitting on our terrace. The mattresses were a bit worn with divots from other guests. Butler service: Bay suite came with Butler service and we enjoyed this! We could WhatsApp requests between 8 and 4 and service was attentive. Food and beverage was good. Breakfast buffet seemed a bit lacking but you could also order ala carte. Daily smoothie was a fun addition. We also enjoyed afternoon tea and our candlelight dinner on the beach was special. The beach was quite good. Not “Turks” amazing but quite beautiful. We enjoyed walking on the bay. The crowd was subdued and a bit older (though some families) but it was an enjoyable feel. Not as stuffy as other resorts we have visited! The staff was super friendly. Nice touch was the fast track arrival and departure - departure saved us about an hour in line! I would say the only thing off the mark was the spa. A bit rundown, steps are a huge fall hazard and changing rooms were not in line with the resort. We did a couples massage and my husband’s therapist never introduced themselves nor said goodbye. In all of our massages we have never had this happen! The massage tables were also pretty narrow (and we are small people). Just a bit off from the rest of your resort. Do check your bill if you have a package with inclusions as two things were charged and should have been included. We really enjoyed our time and would recommend! Read less

We stayed during February Half term as a family of 4 with teenagers. We stayed in a spacious beach balcony suite. The moment we stepped out of our transfer, we were switched into comfortable and relaxed Caribbean holiday mode. The communal areas are spacious and well looked after with an elegant feel. The beach is beautiful with luscious palms and tropical gardens surrounding it. Beach loungers are prepared to give you an excellent view of the pelicans diving in the bay as you relax and unwind. Our teenagers enjoyed the waterspouts equipment and we had a couple of excursions, but really no need to leave the comfort of the resort for a weeks stay. We came home feeling relaxed and recharged after being so well looked after. Looking forward to our next stay Read less