TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We stayed at Galley Bay, in a deluxe oceanfront room from late March until early April. I loved that every 2 chairs and palapa had a plaque with our room number on it. No need to get up at dawn to secure a seat. Also, plenty of seats in the bar and around the pool. The room and bathroom has been updated since last year. Love the HUGE new shower. The mini bar was filled daily with water, beer and soda. The room was cleaned daily with a great attention to detail and was always shining and fresh smelling. The staff is welcoming with great smiles and a good morning. We loved the ladies at the small grill near the pool, food was always tasty and the menu changed every day. Food was absolutely wonderful, and it was a pleasure to talk to the chef to tell him so. Don't miss the Thursday lunch bar-b-que. A huge variety of sides and a whole suckling pig. The desserts were great. Ismay's was well worth the extra charge. Service and food were amazing.. My favorite was Gaugin. You need reservations for 1 of 2 seating's but no upcharge. Each table was in its own Palapa. Very romantic and the service and food were wonderful An extra thank you to the lady at the gift shop. I went in looking for a jar of instant coffee because we only had an espresso machine in our room. She said I'll take care of that, made 1 phone call and we had a Mr. Coffee machine in our room that afternoon. Everyone there goes above and beyond to make your stay wonderful. We'll be back next year.

This was our second visit to Antigua and our first to Galley Bay. We were impressed - everything was excellent with a few minor exceptions. We chose one of the Gauguin Suites which are closer to the lagoon than the ocean. However, the main facilities and the ocean were only about a 2 minute walk from our little cottage. The king bed was extremely comfortable and I loved that the windows had shutters we could close at night to make the room very dark. There was a sitting area, sink with a bar fridge stocked daily with wine, pop, beer and water. The bathroom was spacious. The maid replaced the towels every day. The food ranged from very good to outstanding. We ate at the Seagrape and the Gaugin. We occasionally went to the Barefoot cafe for snacks (particularly ice cream - delicious!). We never tried the Grill. We also never ate at the Ismay as we did not feel it was fair to have to pay an extra $50 U.S. when we were already spending a lot of money to stay here. The resort is very quiet which appealed to us. Most of the clientele were our age (60s and 70s). People seem to keep to themselves. There was not a lot of interaction among guests like at other resorts we have been to. The only organized activity is a morning yoga class which we did not do. There is a gym as well as a walking trail around the lagoon . We used both every day. It is possible to walk the beach but the sand is very soft, it is often quite windy and there is a huge shore break. The grounds are kept immaculate. They even rake the beach every day. We loved visiting the tortoise sanctuary. There are also many varieties of birds flying about. Behind the resort, there is a huge fruit and vegetable garden. One day while walking the trail, we met David, one of the gardeners. He gave us a very informative tour and gave me a lovely ripe mango. I took it to breakfast the following morning and the kitchen staff sliced it up for us. The service was generally excellent. We reported that the water in the sink in our bathroom was draining very slowly. It was fixed promptly. The staff in the restaurants were generally friendly and helpful. Sometimes we had to wait a bit for our meals but we didn't mind - we were on vacation after all. Most of the staff are friendly and smile and say hello. However, we did run across a few who were obviously just going through the motions of being friendly. There were also a couple who did not even make an effort to be friendly. There were several very minor annoyances during our stay. I had intended to have several massages while I was there but ended up just having one as I was not happy with the massage therapist I had. The spa receptionist was very friendly and made me feel welcome. However, the young massage therapist barely spoke to me and acted as if she was bored. Also she had long nails which dug into my skin a few times. All in all, my massage was a disappointing experience. On one of the calm days (green flag), I went to the water sports area intending to take out a SUP. When I asked, I was told to come back at 9:30. I said 'it is now 9:55' at which point another employee said 'well can you come back at 11 when the supervisor is here'!!!! I felt as though I was being fluffed off and did not bother returning. My husband and I often ordered the fish of the day as it was always fresh and tasty. However, on 3 separate occasions, instead of marlin or catfish which was listed on the menu, we got a bland rather dry tuna steak. Another time, my husband ordered a hamburger for lunch . Instead, he got a hot dog. Could the wait staff not inform the guests that what they have ordered is unavailable and would they like to choose something else from the menu? All in all, we had an enjoyable, relaxing week and, despite the minor complaints, would definitely return.

We returned for the 12th time for a week in early April. We’ve been going there off and on since 2005. The property was as beautiful as ever, and the lovely ladies at reception honoured our room request for a room in a specific block. Anya was particularly helpful acknowledging my numerous emails and providing prompt responses. The food was top shelf - we dined at Ismay’s 3 times. We also enjoyed dining at Barefoot Grill, Seagrape and Gauguin (although the service at Gauguin is spotty so we opted to only have one dinner there). Shout outs to Alfred, Natasha, Althea, Caryl, Tarukh, Elaine, Ive, Amanda, Mike and Aliah for their beautiful smiles and friendly service. Housekeeping was also on point. Thank you! The guys at water sports (Shilo, Tafaria and Romario) are really nice. We were extremely disappointed that under new management, water sports doesn’t open until around 10:30am. This isn’t customer centric and the hours should be re-visited. The gym is great and well equipped. Yoga with Mackenzie was fun but it’s not really all levels. It’s really geared for beginners. We also went out with Captain Shawn for a half day and as usual, enjoyed the experience. It was a relaxing week and we will go back for a 13th visit in the future.

This is quite simply the best place we have ever been to. All of the staff without exception were friendly, attentive and efficient and couldn’t do enough for you. The rooms were amazing, the restaurants/food outstanding and we have already rebooked for next year. The only thing I will say is if you want to be guaranteed a swim in the sea every day, it can be a little rough at times but it really didn’t bother us. All in all a very high quality resort and we can’t wait to return in February!

Just returned from 12 great nights at Galley Bay. Been before, but many years ago, so a lot of additions, improvements and investment since then. The whole place is relaxing, totally enjoyable and with a stunning beach and views. The food and drinks are top quality, with premium brand spirits, a good wine selection and an excellent menu choice in all restaurants. Our room was very well serviced every day by lovely housekeeping staff and the minibar restocked daily with whatever drinks we requested. The Teepee bar is a great place to socialise and chat to other guests, with your glass constantly topped up by Caryl and her colleagues! The restaurants and kitchen staff do a fabulous job and all meals are freshly cooked to a high standard. The only buffet- style food is the weekly lunchtime barbecue and the breakfast items, but at breakfast there is also a menu of freshly cooked dishes. The grounds and garden areas are immaculate, with a team of gardeners constantly working every day. They even rake and clean the beach. There are plenty of pathways to have a stroll and watch the birds, the little reptiles and see the tortoise sanctaury. Entertainment is provided every evening and depending on ones taste in music, there are some really good musicians. The steel drum guys were brilliant, as was the Saturday evening band with the great cricketer Curtly Ambrose on bass guitar. As stated by many other reviews, what excels at Galley Bay and makes the whole place such a holiday delight are the staff. They are so friendly and efficient and obviously well-trained and mentored, which is a reflection of the high standard of management here. They are given every opportunity to fulfill their potential and many have risen from trainees to senior managers over the years. It would be very unfair to single out certain staff over others, but we were hugely impressed with Stuart in the Seagrape restaurant, Caryl at the Teepee bar, Derrick the Operations Manager, Vincent the Food and Beverage Manager and my new Antiguan friend Nathaniel, the Executive Chef. What a great group of people, with excellent staff reporting to them. Finally, a huge thanks to General Manager Antoine, who's obviously backed by a great team. Please hold on to them! It was probably the best holiday we've had, anywhere and we're already planning our next trip back in 12 months time.