Set on one of Antigua's many beautiful beaches, the Galley Bay Resort & Spa offers guests a fabulous combination of superior service, Caribbean cuisine and rustic luxury in a very natural setting. Much of the architecture here is inspired by the French artist Gauguin. The charming individual suites have their own splash pool and are surrounded by lush gardens and views of the lagoon. There are three excellent open-air restaurants, all beachfront, offering intimate, candlelit dining of excellent quality. Ismay's Restaurant offers a higher quality dining experience to be shared for that special occasion, whilst the more laid-back Barefoot Grill is a great place to enjoy a tasty quesadilla made with resort grown produce. At sunset, hors d'oeuvres are served at the bar which overlooks the sea from under its Tahitian-style roof. There are activities such as non-motorised water sports and a recently expanded gym, but reclining with a novel on the beachfront deck from the library is equally as popular.
Amenities
Bicycle Rental
Kayaking
Sailing
Snorkelling
Tennis
Wheelchair access
Honeymoon
Wedding
Bar
Evening Entertainment
Fitness Centre/Gym
Internet Access
Where is it
On a beautiful beach, adjacent to Hawsbill and Deep Bay. Transfer time from airport: 30 minutes.
Hotel information
98 rooms on 1 or 2 floors. All with balcony/terrace, air-conditioning, ceiling fan, TV, telephone, complimentary WiFi, coffee maker, safe, bathrobes and hairdryer. Deluxe Beachfront Rooms are on the upper floors, located right on the beach. Rooms are large and are well appointed with spacious bathrooms which have a walk-in double shower. Rooms sleep maximum 2 adults.
All Inclusive of: all meals, snacks and drinks by the glass (name-brand spirits, sparkling wine by the glass, Caribbean beers, tropical coolers and soft drinks, excludes bottled water). All activities and entertainment above unless otherwise stated. Restaurants open on rotation.
Superior Deluxe Beachfront Rooms are charming rooms on the ground floor, in the centre of the resort, with private patio located directly on the beach. Each with 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 2 adults.
Gauguin Suites are situated on the edge of the bird sanctuary lagoon, just 50 yards from the beach and consist of two wooden cedar shingle roof rondovals with an enclosed large air conditioned sitting area joining the two. The suites have cool and modern white tile flooring with stone accents, plus their own private plunge pool, sleeping maximum 2 adults.
Premium Beachfront Suites are in 2-storey buildings, these have a bedroom and sunken living room with wet bar, huge bathroom with twin sinks, large bath and double walk-in shower, plus ocean views from the balcony or terrace, making these the largest and most luxurious option with iPod docking station, slippers and WiFi access. With 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 3 adults. A full-size rollaway bed is provided for Premium Beachfront Suites to allow for triple occupancy. These rooms have direct beach access on the ground floor only.
3 restaurants and 1 beach grill: Sea Grape Restaurant (serves award-winning Euro-Caribbean cuisine; breakfast, lunch and dinner), Gauguin Restaurant (offers traditional local cuisine where you can dine in individual cabanas for romantic meals; lunch and dinner), Barefoot Grill (offers a relaxed and laid-back, beachside atmosphere, serving burgers and 'basket style' sandwiches such as the classic Cuban, all made using home-grown fruits, herbs and vegetables from the resort).For special occasions try Ismay's Restaurant* (International island flavours, open evenings only — a US$45 per person supplement applies, payable locally, subject to change). 4 bars: Teepee Bar, Lounge Bar, Gauguin Bar and Rum Shack Bar serving different rums from around the Caribbean and delicious curated rum cocktails. The coffee shop features specialty coffee, tea drinks and homemade pasties. All restaurants are beachfront. Restaurant hours and availability are subject to change. Restaurants open on a rotation basis due to season/occupancy.
Regular entertainment several nights a week. Weekly beach cinema.
Large freeform swimming pool with waterfall feature. 'Spa Indulge'* with open-air treatment cabanas, sun deck and splash pool. Fitness centre. Non-motorised water sports: Hobie cats, kayaks, paddle boarding and snorkelling. Bicycles. Tennis and table tennis. New yoga pavilion. Croquet lawn. Weekly cooking demo. Nature lovers will enjoy the garden tours (Tuesdays) to learn about the fresh grown herbs and spices onsite. On-site Diamonds international shop.
Boutique*. Complimentary WiFi available in public areas. Internet room. Library. Cabana rooms can be booked for use on your day of departure. Rooms offer a great place to store your bags and you have access to shower facilities before the flight home. The cost is $35 for 3 hours.
This hotel has a resort fee of USD $24 including tax per room, per night, (payable locally, subject to change). Please note: a room levy of USD $5 per guest, per night (payable locally, subject to change).
Wheelchair adapted rooms with partially accessible amenities or facilities available on request. Please note that these rooms are subject to availability and may be restricted to specific room categories and bedding arrangements. Rooms and facilities vary between hotels so please check at the time of booking. To discover all the special assistance services we offer please see additional information below.
7 nights between 21 Dec-2 Jan.
* Denotes local charge.
Please note: this hotel is adults-only - children under 16 years are not permitted at any time.
Dress code: breakfast/lunch: shoes must be worn at all times and bathing suits must be covered and dry. Dinner: men are required to wear collared shirts with long trousers or stylish jeans. T-shirts, shorts, caprise and ripped jeans are not accepted. Women are asked to wear dresses, skirts, long trousers or stylish tailored shorts or jeans. No short shorts, tank tops or beach flip-flops are allowed.
For all guests in June, July and August: dress shorts can be worn (no short shorts or cutoffs). Standard dress code applies for Ismays.
Please note: guests are required to present a valid form of ID (passport, driving license, ID card) along with a valid credit card at check-in. A USD$350 pre-authorisation will be processed on the credit card at check-in to cover for any incidental purchases or similar expenses. Incidental purchases may include tours, excursions, gift shop purchases or dining in the speciality restaurant. We understand that not all guests incur additional charges during their stay, but this process assists the resort with fraud prevention. Upon check-out, the pre-authorisation is released, assuming there are no charges made.
Based on 4629 reviews
Rating summary
Location
Sleep Quality
Rooms
Service
Value
Cleanliness
Traveller rating
Excellent (3708)
Very good (653)
Average (183)
Poor (50)
Terrible (36)
Just magical
Dec 17, 2024Jerry WFreshwater, United Kingdom
It’s been 9 years since our previous visit to GB, and great to see they have managed to make subtle but tangible improvements across all areas.
Our beachfront superior deluxe room (room 8), was a major improvement, and the food was outstanding across all three restaurants, with a good variety of dishes, all perfectly executed.
Our preferred AI…
Read more
It’s been 9 years since our previous visit to GB, and great to see they have managed to make subtle but tangible improvements across all areas.
Our beachfront superior deluxe room (room 8), was a major improvement, and the food was outstanding across all three restaurants, with a good variety of dishes, all perfectly executed.
Our preferred AI wine was a Maison Castel Provençal Rose (available in Waitrose in the UK), which was very acceptable.
Despite the hotel being fully booked it never felt crowded, and the beach was quiet as there were two days when the red flags were out due to high swell.
Read less
Total Paradise
Dec 15, 2024inderpreetv2015London, United Kingdom
Wonderful stay at Galley Bay. Everything was fantastic from the beautiful room, the pristine beach, the wide activities, the lively entertainment, cocktail selection and the friendly service. Special Shout out to the chefs at seagrape and Gauguin, the food was absolutely delicious! The spa location is stunning. I had a Swedish massage by Silvia…
Read more
Wonderful stay at Galley Bay. Everything was fantastic from the beautiful room, the pristine beach, the wide activities, the lively entertainment, cocktail selection and the friendly service. Special Shout out to the chefs at seagrape and Gauguin, the food was absolutely delicious! The spa location is stunning. I had a Swedish massage by Silvia which was great and really focused on key areas. The gardens are lovely and would highly recommend the tour with Kurt and Ebony. We would love to come back again.
Read less
Stunning resort scenically.
Dec 15, 2024michael hMartock, United Kingdom
The first thing to say about this resort is simply how scenically attractive it is. Obviously there is the beach and the sea, as well as the lagoon. There is so much more as the site is a green wonderland of trees and plants that is brilliantly maintained by a team of gardeners. There is also the remains of an old windmill, close to reception. We…
Read more
The first thing to say about this resort is simply how scenically attractive it is. Obviously there is the beach and the sea, as well as the lagoon. There is so much more as the site is a green wonderland of trees and plants that is brilliantly maintained by a team of gardeners. There is also the remains of an old windmill, close to reception. We chose a Gauguin suite favouring the plunge pool and the privacy over the more obvious attraction of the sea view and beach. We were pleased with our choice as we thoroughly enjoyed the private plunge pool and a property set in wonderful vegetation. The bird life was a joy. The accommodation was attractive and had all the facilities we required. A seizure of the air conditioning unit one evening just prior to dinner was dealt with impressively, with a new unit installed and working by the time we returned after dinner. We have mobility issues and can only say how impressed we were with the buggy service, always friendly and rarely more than a few minutes to arrive. Another highlight was the coffee shop, where sandwiches and cookies, pastries etc can be sourced. This became our favoured lunch time eat. We did not try Ishmay’s but can report that the food in the other two restaurants, Gauguin and Seagrape were more or less identical. Gauguin has a more secluded setting and offers a far superior table service. We had no problem getting early evening reservations at Gauguin, always being offered the day after we called to reserve a table. The only real negative for us during our stay was the speed of service at Seagrape. On one occasion we waited 20 minutes to order and then a similar period for food to arrive. We raised our concern on the speed of table service with management but nothing changed and for us this is likely to prevent a return visit. The quality of food at both restaurants was good, by Caribbean standards, with fish and pasta the safest choices, Across the resort the staff were unfailingly friendly and helpful. Much to enjoy and appreciate.
Read less
How is it possible that the resort got better?
Dec 5, 2024Go12439794911
The reason we return is the incredible staff. The food and the suites are also excellent. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the staff and management. Cedric came and said hello, and the rest of the staff made sure we were fed and had drinks in our hands. Nola B and her team took care of the registration, and Tarick dropped us off by…
Read more
The reason we return is the incredible staff. The food and the suites are also excellent. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the staff and management. Cedric came and said hello, and the rest of the staff made sure we were fed and had drinks in our hands. Nola B and her team took care of the registration, and Tarick dropped us off by the bar and took our luggage to the suite. How great is that? The suites are newly renovated and better than before. It has a fresh new look. The food was always good, but they must have new chefs, and the cuisine has improved. Kudos to the staff and management for making our stay better than before. It was great to see Sandy, Caryl, Joy-Ann, Dasani, Lynnetter, Claudia Amanda, and the rest of the crew again. We will be back soon.
Read less
Ten Beautiful Days
Dec 5, 2024mrsreid100Aberdeen, United Kingdom
Stayed here for 10 nights with my husband. Absolutely fell in love with the place. It exceeded our expectations on almost everything! From the moment we arrived we felt relaxed. Our room felt more like an apartment with a fantastic bathroom and comfortable bed. Adequate air conditioning as well as two ceiling fans. They couldn’t have looked after…
Read more
Stayed here for 10 nights with my husband. Absolutely fell in love with the place. It exceeded our expectations on almost everything! From the moment we arrived we felt relaxed. Our room felt more like an apartment with a fantastic bathroom and comfortable bed. Adequate air conditioning as well as two ceiling fans. They couldn’t have looked after us any better. It’s like they thought of almost everything. The food was out of this world and always freshly made. Your glass was never empty. Beautifully kept resort.
Only drawback was that the sea was exceptionally rough the whole ten days we were there. We aren’t too confident in water at the best of times so we weren’t in at all. There’s nothing you can do about Mother Nature. We went along to Long Bay and swam there and it was absolutely beautiful.
Thanks for making our stay unforgettable.
Read less
Just magical
