Galley Bay Resort and Spa - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

4668 reviews

• 

  First time visitors thumbs up from us

  We visited for the first time with friends who were visiting for their 14th time. There are a large number of returning guests who obviously love the resort. Rooms are spacious and comfortable with a good toiletries and plenty of drinks in the fridge. We had a ground floor room leading right out onto the beach. Unfortunately we rarely used the beach as the weather was poor. While the beach was undoubtedly beautiful and would obviously have been more beautiful had the sky been bright blue, we were disappointed that the large amount of seaweed was never removed. The seaweed was smelly and full of flies. I would have thought that a luxury resort would rake the beach daily; many other resorts we have visited have done so. The food was of a high standard always delicious and varied. The food in all restaurants was good but our meal in Ismay’s was exceptional. The drinks on offer were good quality, branded drinks and cocktails were delicious and varied. As others have said some of the staff are brilliant, attentive, friendly and efficient. Unfortunately there were also occasions when service was poor, slow and with errors and omissions. Overall we had a lovely holiday and found the resort to be friendly and can definitely see why people return time after time. The weather was disappointing but this is not something anyone can predict or change.

  May 02, 2025
• 

  Second time stay ... won't be our last!

  This is our second visit to Galley Bay. We came for our honeymoon back in 2021 and loved it so much, we returned and don't want to leave! The weather has been a bit hit and miss but even with the showers we've had an amazing time! This resort and spa is in such a beautiful place! The staff are so happy to help, the food is incredible and you feel really looked after! Our second visit has been just as good as the first and it certainly won't be our last! Thank you again to everyone at Galley Bay for a wonderful holiday!

  May 01, 2025
• 

  “Beautiful Setting and Missing First Impressions and Inconsistent Hospitality”

  ⸻ Stunning Setting, But Poorly Maintained and Inconsistent Service We’ve stayed at resorts all over the Caribbean and were genuinely excited for our first visit to Antigua and Galley Bay Resort. Unfortunately, while there were a few highlights, the overall experience didn’t meet expectations for a property marketed as luxury. The beachfront setting is undeniably beautiful, but the resort itself feels tired and in need of attention. The front entrance lacked any sense of beauty or arrival—just a dirt path, no paving, and empty flowerpots with no flowers in them. It was a missed opportunity to create a welcoming first impression. To make matters worse, the front office was disheveled and cluttered, and clearly visible through a glass door. If you’re going to keep a messy office, at least frost the door to preserve the guest experience. Throughout the resort, maintenance and aesthetics were lacking. Weeds were overgrown, hoses were left out on the lawn, and many areas were just bare dirt with no landscaping. The beach in front of our room was never raked—seaweed and leaves sat untouched the entire stay—and our lounge chairs were never straightened or cared for. Most of the common area furniture was old and outdated, and the dining tables in the evening had no flowers or decorative touches. The resort simply lacked warmth and charm. Service was inconsistent. About 20% of the staff were genuinely kind and professional—Samantha and Danita at Gauguin’s Restaurant, in particular, stood out with their warm, attentive service. Unfortunately, the remaining staff lacked basic hospitality. One especially disappointing moment happened at the coffee shop when my brother-in-law misordered a caramel macchiato while trying to understand the menu. The staff member rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath—an interaction that was both unprofessional and uncomfortable. On a positive note, the food was excellent. There was a nice variety of menu options with fresh ingredients, and the seafood—especially the local fish—was delicious. The culinary experience was one of the few highlights of our stay. Galley Bay has incredible potential. With its peaceful beachfront setting, it could be something truly special. But without serious investment in upkeep, leadership, and staff training, it falls far short of delivering the luxury experience it promises. ⸻

  May 01, 2025
• 

  Laid back older crowd, very good food and drink

  Beautiful resort on the beach. First week of off season and place seemed less than half full. Spacious accommodations, walk onto beach. Water got too rough for swimming last two days. Kayaks and paddle boards available but not much else to do, a tennis court, a pool table, croquet lawn a small but decent gym They have golf clubs available, decent Callaway sets, local course is 25 mins away but those who played said it was too hot by 9 am. Local roads are poor, downtown St John is rundown and sketchy, even English Harbour 45 mins away is nothing to leave home for. This resort has very good food and bar service, room fridge restocked everyday beer wine champagne. Servers on the beach. Staff is great! Mostly older couples like ourselves. If you like to drink and eat very good food and lay on the beach or by the pool this is a great place but a little boring. Excursions help break up the monotony .

  Apr 26, 2025
• 

  Relaxing, but not sure its VFM

  We love visiting the Caribbean but had never visited Antigua before; we stayed for 9 nights (now I recall think it must have been Apr 2024). We booked to stay in one of the Beachfront rooms; this was the best feature of the hotel; waking up each morning and just walking out on to the beach. The rooms were light and airy, aircon was good, bathroom clean etc everything as it should be . With regards to the restaurants; Seagrape was the 'standard' restaurant, no booking required and where breakfast, lunch and evening meals were served. The service was very inconsistent, and some staff seemed disinterested/distracted. A couple of occasions an order was forgotten, or was mistaken. Another reviewer has commented that orders were not written down which is a good point. This may help staff particularly when it is busy. But the food was generally good. Much depended on who was serving (you get to know after a couple of days ;)) During the day, the Barefoot grill was ideal as quite often we'd only need a snack and drink during the day. In the evening you had a choice of restaurants, in addition to the Seagrape you could pre-book the Ismay or the Gaugin. We tried both during our stay. The Ismay is the special restaurant which needs booking and an extra fee of $50 per person. We found it was overpriced for what it was. Sure the food was well cooked and presented, but for example, I had Scallops for the starter and when the dish arrived it had 1 scallop. (I wasn't expecting a plateful, but 1 scallop....really!?) The best restaurant without question was the Gaugin, and if we were to return we'd look to try to book to eat here every evening. The food here was fresh tasty and the service was better here too. I would recommend the Lobster if its available- there was a premium of $30 but it was delicious. Overall we enjoyed our stay. Staff were friendly and welcoming, although service levels on occasion just let things down. Would we return?- Well, the Holiday was quite pricey for what it was. We don't mind paying the price, but expect VFM and we have stayed at better places in the Caribbean.

  Apr 25, 2025