Carlisle Bay Antigua

Gorgeous, well-maintained property with ideal pool and beach access within steps of each other. The natural beauty was really breathtaking. Food was fresh and great, and the restaurants were very accommodating of our dietary/allergy restrictions. The staff was especially welcoming and friendly to our small kids at every interaction. The rooms were clean, very spacious, comfortable, well appointed, and elegantly decorated. They need more/any attendants/wait staff at the pool and beach. This is a missed opportunity to level up the customer service, but also upsell food, drinks, etc. The tiles around the pool and the tiles in the rooms are super slippery when wet, which was a challenge with small kids coming out of the pool or off the beach. A coat of no-slip sealant would remedy that. I sent the following message to the hotel after our stay, and have not received a response after several weeks. I think Carlisle Bay has the potential to be a AAA 5 Diamond-level property if they make a few adjustments. “To the general manager, My family had a lovely experience at Carlisle Bay that ended on a sour note. I share it with you in hopes that it can be an opportunity for training. Before booking our stay, we identified that we wanted two suites with the all inclusive package, plus one suite with the breakfast package. We not only verified through our travel agent that arrangement was permitted, but we also called the hotel directly to further verify. Our rooms were not ready upon arrival, so we were encouraged to have lunch while we waited. We didn’t have room numbers yet, but provided our names, and were informed that our bill would be updated accordingly. While checking out, I pointed out that we were charged for the entirety of that lunch, while the meal should have been included for two of the three suites. The agent we were speaking to became visibly agitated and proceeded to tell us that we should not have booked two suites with the all inclusive package and one suite without the all inclusive package because we are one family. I replied that we verified that was permitted before booking to which she angrily responded, “Well it should never be permitted! It should never be permitted! It defeats the purpose. That should never be permitted.” I then further clarified that at every meal, we identified to the staff that we should be charged for the one suite without the all inclusive package, and signed separate bills to ensure fair payment. Moreover, we came to the front desk partway through the stay to make sure that we were, in fact, being charged for those meals. If the agent feels the hotel’s policy to permit guests in separate suites reserving the package that best suits their needs, or feels that the restaurant staff did not appropriately charge us, that could have been an appropriate conversation for her to initiate with her manager, not with a guest. The agent’s response was unprofessional in its tone and content, particularly in front of my children. It was also incredibly insulting, and in our case completely unfounded, to insinuate we were in some way cheating or trying not to pay. This was an unfortunate way to end an otherwise positive experience.”

Carlisle Bay is a very good resort for a family vacation, with the potential to be elite. The pricing right now is a bit aggressive for what it is, so if you go, I would just set expectations accordingly and focus on the good stuff, of which there is plenty at this property. The key highlight for us was the phenomenal location. The resort feels secluded down at the southern end of the island, and claims one of the prettiest beaches I’ve seen. The water is quite calm, there was almost no seaweed and the sand was lovely. The staff we encountered and the service was very welcoming and friendly. I wouldn’t say it is at the tippity top one can experience at this price point, but it was very good. Some things which didn’t quite go according to plan included it taking forever on arrival day to have our bags delivered, and other minor things like not having the waters replaced every night in the room nor certain minibar items. On the other hand there were plenty of activities the staff planned each day, which we took advantage of, including an Easter Egg hunt our daughter enjoyed and a beach BBQ with a bunch of activities for the kids afterwards. Staff there was very friendly and good with all the kids. There are three dining options on property although not all are open each night, so plan accordingly. Indigo is a beautiful space and setting for dinner right on the beach. Truly one of the more memorable dining spots we’ve enjoyed at a Caribbean resort. Get there in time to watch sunset. Overall, we thought the food at the resort was good, if not amazing. As others have noted the rooms and some of the common areas are dated and could use a facelift if not a complete overhaul in order to compete at the top level. These rooms probably looked mint in the 1990s or early 2000s, but no longer. We have a few maintenance snafus that were fixed, such as a sink not draining and another leaking. There is a very nice, automated coffee machine in the room which we loved and used each morning. The pool was decent but in keeping with the preceding comments, it's a bit dated as well. I would think that something bigger and more modern, maybe infinity edged, would be more expected at a resort like this. The gym was a decent spot to get a workout in. We didn’t use the spa so can’t comment there. We don’t play tennis but the tennis facilities looked nice and we saw other guests using them daily. Couple random bonus observations on small things I liked - while at the pool the smell of the nearby pizza oven was incredible. The bar in the lobby - the height of the bar seats is fantastic in relation to the height of the bar - you feel like you're not struggling to reach the bar. All in all we had a great family trip to Carlisle Bay and enjoyed the resort. If the rooms were modernized as I’ve heard others mention may be in the works, we would consider visiting again sometime in the future.