Carlisle Bay

Jeff Darkow

We spent five wonderful nights at Carlisle Bay Antigua, and the experience was exceptional from start to finish. From the moment we arrived until our final lunch, the staff made us feel incredibly welcome and relaxed. We stayed in a beautifully designed Ocean Suite, which was spacious, modern, and offered stunning views of the bay. The housekeeping team was attentive, ensuring our suite remained immaculate throughout our stay. The beach is impeccably maintained, with quick and friendly service right to our loungers. We highly recommend the all-inclusive package; the diverse menu constantly offered new and delicious items for us to explore. This was the perfect escape from the cold—a laid-back, sun-drenched sanctuary where we could finally just breathe. Carlisle Bay is truly a perfect island retreat."

Fred DeBolt

We spent a week at Carlisle Bay in mid-April. We literally came to Antigua, let alone the Carlisle, after reading reviews of their Tennis Program. It did not disappoint. Nigel Anthony was a fantastic, engaging coach and drill sergeant. While the tennis facilities and equipment are in dire need of upgrades, the instruction was first-rate and exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend Nigel and the Carlisle if you are looking for a resort with a great tennis program. The rest of our visit to Carlisle was a bit of a mixed bag, but overall very enjoyable. The staff, from the front desk to the restaurants to housekeeping, were all very well-educated, friendly, and engaging. I can not say enough positive things about them. The food at all four on-site restaurants was very good, with just the right amount of variety to get you through a week. The all-inclusive was definitely the way to go. The activities/excursions, whether free or fee-based, were all very good. In addition to the tennis, we enjoyed a couple of stunning hikes, took the kayaks out, and went snorkeling. Like the rest of the resort staff, those who helped us with those activities were all awesome. Our room was nice, #311, up on the 3rd floor, so we earned our steps daily, which was fine for us. IT was quiet and afforded us great views of the bay and Montserrat when the skies were clear. The beach is nice and calm, not as stunning as other beaches on the island, but wonderful nonetheless. While the resort was fully booked, it never felt that way, especially on the beach. Pro tip - while they discourage you from reserving a lounge chair on the beach, if you don't do it, you will be relegated to the 2nd row. By 7:00 or 7:30 am, most of the lounge chairs closest to the water had personal items on them, reserving them for the day. It is a self-proclaimed family-friendly resort. We have 4 grandkids, so we know and love kids, but we do also expect parents to do their job managing them. There were a lot of younger children at the resort while we were there, and unfortunately, their parents were too busy on holiday to look after them. We called them free-range children, and it very much took away from our experience at 3 of the 4 restaurants on site, the 4th being Adults Only, which was by far our best experience. The best example I can give you is the 3 or 4-year-old boy allowed to roam around their restaurant on the beach, including him dropping his pants to his ankles, peeing on the beach no more than 10 feet from our table ( we know he did this on multiple days, sharing our story with others who had seen the same behavior on other days). His parents did nothing and honestly were not paying any attention to him at all. If you want a quiet, couples retreat, this is not the place for you. Overall, we had a great stay at the Carlisle Resort; the tennis made it for us, but the resort itself, short of the free range children, was great, albeit at a premium price.

David Napier

Stayed in one of the newly renovated ocean view rooms. Fabulous. Staff were wonderful. Breakfasts outstanding. The Jetty and Indigo were on the most part excellent. East and Ottimo were disappointing. The staff in East not up to the same standard as elsewhere in the resort and the food pretty uninspiring apart from the dynamite shrimp. Ottimo had the most unusual chairs/ table set up which made eating uncomfortable. The food offering was average at best, and again service not on par with other areas of the resort. Housekeeping was inconsistent and apart from not having our room serviced one day (this was rectified on the same day/evening) I constantly had to request more shower gel and other toiletries. Most disappointing. Finally, the forensic checking of our bill at the end of the holiday. There appears to be a problem with the accounting system, keying of information as despite photographing each signed receipt spurious amounts appeared on my bill. Happy to say these were resolved eventually but this shouldn't be the case and taints the experience at the end of your holiday. Notwithstanding the above on reflection I hadl a fantastic stay and I would recommend this resort.

Mike DiCostanzo

We've been reminiscing about our early February vacation for the past few weeks because we were so happy with our stay and experience at Carlisle Bay. EVERY single person on that staff are amazing people - I've read reviews saying the staff was average - which is shocking because they all felt like family. "Above and beyond with genuine care" is how I would describe their team. We brought our 2.5 year old (first time traveling overseas with him so we were nervous) and they treated him like their son. The beach is incredible, the property is beautiful. Since we had never been there, we opted out of the all-inclusive food/drink option which in hindsight was a mistake because every restaurant had great food - so I would recommend unless you plan on dining off the resort multiple times during your stay. The kids club was a game-changer and although we were hesitant at first, because we did not know the staff, it only took a little time to realize why people choose Carlisle Bay to also entertain and care for their kids. What we also loved about the resort was, it never felt over-crowded and was lively enough, but also the perfect spot for R&R. 5/5 stars and there is no doubt we'll be back. Thanks again to the Carlisle Bay staff - we miss you!

Butler Kianoush

Another year and the entire family is grateful for another incredible break at Carlisle Bay. We cannot begin to thank the team enough and the thanks began even before we took flight. The reservations team provided an incredible and seamless booking experience, but we realised that we had I overlooked a document issue prior to departure. Without going into details, the team at CB were able to find a seamless resolution that they really weren't obliged to pursue. This is just a snapshot of just how dedicated, professional and passionate the team at CB are when it comes to delivering an incredible experience. The staff who took such incredible care of our family last year welcomed us with open arms, remembering some of our preferences and both our children's names. Our little two-year-old, ineligible last year, couldn't wait for Kid's Club, but on the first day cried herself to sleep. We received a call and were informed of the situation; we chose to go and pick her up and when we did, saw her asleep in Kerri-Anne's arms. From her second visit on, she was at home and never wanted to leave when it was pickup time. Turtle watching, adventure walks, tennis and tie-dye t-shirts, the activities are endless and captivating for kids. We cannot overstate the significance of this trip for our family; we looked forward to the beautiful bay, the beach and seeing all the friends we made the year before. Michael the sommelier who always greets you with a smile and an incredible wealth of knowledge if you're looking to pair a wine with the incredible menu dishes; Georgier, Shantez, Audacia, Kate, Irwin, Michael and the wonderful team at Indigo. There are too many to list. Genuinely kind, passionate and professional indvidials who come together to give you what you came on holiday for. That's different for different guests and CB offer a tailored experience based on the given circumstances and requirements. The grounds are meticulous and even after a short time, you see the effort and time that goes into maintaining the facilities. Everything is manicured, beautiful and everything works. It was beautiful last year, but this year even moreso with a tasteful refurb that just elevated the overall experience. The water sports options have been extended and this year I got back into my tennis with Nigel. What a gem. What a patient technician. After a dozen years, I'm back home more relaxed, with a golden tan, and a smooth back and forehand. On the flight back, our little girl started crying and said that she was upset that we were leaving Antigua. A beautiful island indeed, and the team at CB ensure that you are happy to arrive and somehow turns out that you're a little melancholy to leave the place and people. Quite aside from all the aforementioned reasons to return, I am resigned to the fact I have to go back with the entire family with the selfish pursuit of a 'serve' to complement my backhand. Beyond highly recommended. Thank you Len, Toma, Shemel, Tony, Larry, Conrad, Tonya and Brian. Can't wait to see you all again