TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

My wife and I have been going to all inclusive for nearly 20 years. Recently we have been traveling to smaller and nicer resorts, traveling up scale a bit. We found Galley Bay to be wonderful! Drinks were tasty and not overly sweet. Even loved the drink of the day. They were real cocktails and not the typical all inclusive drinks with red or white syrup. Service was amazing. The staff really seemed like they wanted to help you and were very friendly. Except for Rum bar. My wife took a spill on her first day and had an injured foot. The water sports team helped her in and out of the ocean every day. There is a shipwreck right off the beach and the guys will take you over there in the cat- super chill and fun. No plastic bottles and they gave you two very nice steel water bottles that we refilled with filtered water. All resorts should be doing this! Breakfast coffee shop was the bomb. Iced coffee made with espresso and then shaken with ice- super delicious. Also great cookies and parfait in the am. Food was consistently excellent. We didn’t have a bad meal. There are only three restaurants, but menu changes daily so wasn’t an issue. 50$ upcharge per person for the Ismay restaurant. It was better than the other restaurants - but I am not sure is was 100$ better - there seems like better ways to do it. Here are some things we didn’t love. This resort is all open air and on the ocean front- which I love. However, even with the fans overhead it was still crazy hot- feels like temp 90+ at 8 pm! I literally thought I was going to pass out after dinner a few times. Thank the lord that they had just dropped the long pant requirement the week we were there- because there is NO way I could have survived with long pants. We had the Gauguin suite. There was no ocean front suites available. This was a spacious suite but a bizarre layout. Apparently you were only supposed to air condition the bathroom and the bedroom and not the connecting room- which is strange. Air condition the whole suite. The lady at the rum shack was a complete pill. She could not have been more bored with here job. I asked her what her favorite run was and she said “ we don’t have it here” so,,, ok. We thought we might get a little education on the finer points of rum- no- she just poured a shot of what you asked for- we felt that we were bothering her by asking questions.

Having stayed at GB many times over the last 20 years I have seen many changes mostly on the positive side. Over the last 4 years or so and probably due to Covid we have noticed small things around the resort that would be classed as niggles but when they occur most days of your stay turn into something much larger and leave a lasting memory of your stay. Some examples restaurant service eggs not cooked to your liking no croissants, missed course at Isma's, returned main at Isma's, Isma's cancellation on the afternoon of our booking, missing high end spirits in bars asked to rearrange spa times 2 hours before appointment then receiving what can only be described as the most stressful and unrelaxed facial ever recieved, the pool was unclean for a couple of days and inoperative air con in room. Yes we did address most of these issues at the time, the Spa however made no effort. Being a repeater our arrival somewhat shocked us as there was no recognition when checking in and even after we explained to the staff they continued with their explanation of the resort. We actually didn't see a manger around the resort for a couple of days. For the daily price which has increased substantially over the last couple of years many more resorts in Antigua have attractive offerings. The seclusion and tranquility of the Bay and the staff are your highlights, management please do not take it for granted and let your offering slip. Room renovation is important to stay current but don't take your eye of the ball with the guests at your resort.

What makes Galley Bay so appealing is the beachside location. The resort sits on its own stretch of beach which makes it feel very exclusive. Beachside rooms have direct access to the beach with sun loungers allocated to each room. Rooms are large, very clean (so clean, we made a point of thanking the cleaning crew and giving them a tip) with excellent air conditioning, large showers and a comfy king size bed. Food was part fabulous and part disappointing. Ismays was so good the first time, we booked a second, but it was not as fabulous the second visit. So not consistent. Sea Grape, dinner was consistently excellent, especially any dish containing fish. Gaugin was good, but you have to book and we kept forgetting to book and by the time we remembered, no tables. Breakfast at Sea Grape was nothing special, a little underwhelmed if I was honest. The coffee at breakfast was not good at all. We loved the little coffee shop, the ladies were lovely, and they made a great latte so we would stop by grab a latte and then walk over to Sea Grape for breakfast. The barefoot grill was truly awful. Sorry, it really was. Some minor comments, but they are worth mentioning. Barefoot grill.......if you are on the beach and want to grab quick food without having to get all cleaned up, this is the only location to grab food.....they need to improve the food here, it was shockingly bad. Likewise, the outdoor bar on the beach was absolutely gorgeous, but it closes at 7pm! I feel the biggest asset of the resort is this bar, it's a great location, central to everything, but they close it so early. Nuts! Beach towels.....we got two when we got to our room, but after a week stay, we still have no idea how to get clean ones. I will add that part of the charm is the peace and tranquility of the resort. No banging loud music while at the pool or on the beach and no guests being obnoxious and playing loud music and you could actually relax and hear the sounds of the ocean and the birds. It is not a party party party resort, it was really lovely, and I hope they continue this. I will say the evening entertainment was great! Also, shout out to Alfred, otherwise known as Alfred The Great. He is a truly lovely person and so very helpful. All of the ladies we interacted with a customer service were just lovely and we appreciated them all so much, especially with our endless questions. We had a great trip on Captain Seans boat, such a great way to see the island, so interesting to see the other resorts we considered and realizing that the Galley Bay location cannot be beat. Overall, we had a lovely relaxing week and big thank you to Galley Bay and the whole team, we hope to return in 2025.

Lovely location, very nice rooms, food was good but heavily influenced by the American guests. Pool fountain wasn't working for two days but was rectified when mentioned to the General Manager. Tried two restaurants but food is very similar in both. Didn't use the Rum Shack as smell from nearby 'Lagoon' was very bad, which they later tried to resolve. Lots of wildlife - turtles/whistling ducks/lizards/ mongoose etc. Overall experience was good in this beautiful tropical setting.

Just returned from our 2nd stay in this beautiful resort and we will be returning. From the moment we arrived to a welcome drink the wonderful staff couldn't do enough for us. The rooms are beautiful and immaculately clean with balconies/ terraces front and back that step out on to the most gorgeous beach.This is just the place to come to relax and unwind, we loved all three restaurants and the beach grill, so much choice of beautifully cooked food, lots grown on the premises. The cocktails delicious and the quality of the evening bands couldn't be higher. The fabulous guys who run the water sports( sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding and snorkeling) ensure you are safe at all times, we thoroughly enjoyed our sailing adventures. Snorkeling gear in the rooms and fabulous vacuum flasks for iced water or your cocktails, such a thoughtful touch. Bonus for us,turtles hatching on the beach, amazing experience to see.Can't recommend this resort enough, we wouldn't want to stay anywhere else .