Let's get this out of the way: It's impossible for me to not sound over-the-top about Hermitage Bay.
How could I not be blown away by a VIP escort through customs and immigration upon landing in Antigua (ANU), only to be whisked into an SUV and driven to the property? How could I not fall in love with the serene and impeccably designed resort itself, with just 30 villas built along the white sand and a turquoise blue bay of the Caribbean? How could I possibly complain about lunching on grilled Caribbean lobster, the crisp salads and produce grown onsite, handmade (and shockingly high-quality) sushi served nightly at a breezy beach bar, and fantastic cocktails – all handled with some of the warmest, friendliest service I've ever experienced?
And above all, how could I not love that all of that is included – not just when paying the normal $2,000 to $3,000-plus a night it normally costs, but even when redeeming Hilton Honors points?
So I'm calling it now: While I certainly haven't stayed at every resort on the globe, I can't see how Hermitage Bay isn't the best all-inclusive resort in the world. But really, the words “all-inclusive” don't do this property justice: It's a haven, a retreat, a five-star boutique property where everything is included and nothing hurts – at least not until it's time to leave.
Read on for my full review and maybe you'll see why I'm so obsessed with it.
How to Book Hermitage Bay
Let's be real: You're reading a site called Thrifty Traveler. Incredible though it may be, you're not about to drop a few thousand bucks a night to stay here – or at least I know I'm not.
There's a better way.
Hermitage Bay is part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), a collection of hundreds of boutique hotels and resorts scattered around the globe. Critically, it's an adults-only property: Children must be at least 14 to stay, and will incur an extra $400 nightly surcharge to join two adults.
But after Hilton pulled off the coup of the year and stole SLH away from Hyatt, it's now under the umbrella of Hilton …
… which means you can now book it with Hilton Honors points. Or Hilton free night certificates. Or both.
A resort this nice won't exactly come cheap: After a recent round of award rate increases at some top SLH properties, Hermitage Bay now costs a whopping 150,000 points per night. But considering some of those same nights otherwise sell for close to $3,000 or more, that's actually a stellar way to redeem Hilton points.
The trick is finding award availability to actually book at those standard rates, which can be tricky. We've sent Thrifty Traveler Premium members who opted in for our new Hotel Alerts a pair of alerts this year for some rock-solid availability, including over next winter – peak season when the Antiguan sun is bliss.
Because it's now part of the Hilton program, anyone with any level of Hilton status can get the fifth-night free when redeeming points. So instead of forking over 750,000 Hilton Honors points for a five-night stay, you can book it for 600,000 points instead.
Trust me: You'll want to stay at least five nights here. Plus, reservations of three nights or more get complimentary transfers to and from the airport.
Thrifty Tip: You can get automatic Hilton Gold status with *amex platinum* – or top-tier Diamond status with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
You can even throw on an extra night or two using free night certificates from co-branded Amex cards like the Hilton Aspire to round out a week in paradise.
In my case, we booked a five-night stay – back when Hermitage cost 130,000 points a night – for a grand total of 520,000 Hilton points. It was well worth transferring some Amex Membership Rewards points over to my Hilton account (on a 1:2 basis) for what was undoubtedly my best hotel award stay of all time.
At Thrifty Traveler, we don't accept freebies. We use our own points, miles, or cash to pay for every single flight or hotel you see reviewed here – including this one!
Getting to the Resort
Hermitage Bay is located on the western shores of Antigua , a 40-some-minute drive from the island's primary airport on the north end of the island.
Getting there could be daunting for a first-time visitor to the Caribbean island. Fortunately, roundtrip transport to the resort and back to the airport is included so long as you book at least a three-night stay.
But it goes beyond that: You also get a “VIP meet and greet” at the airport – yes, even when booking with Hilton points. After booking, I received an email from the hotel outlining the whole process.
- Shortly after deplaning in Antigua, we spotted an airport employee with a “Hermitage Bay” sign in hand, who guided us into an elevator to skip the throngs of fellow tourists making their way down to the arrivals hall
- That spit us out into a fast track queue for immigration, where there was no line whatsoever
- At that point, our escort met us on the other side and pointed us to another fast track line to clear customs
- Then, he grabbed our bags and brought us outside to Hermitage's lovely dedicated onsite agent, Lisa, who had our driver pull up our car and get us on our way
From the time we stepped off the plane until we got in the SUV, the whole process took under 10 minutes – and most of that was simply walking through the airport.
One word of warning: The last 10 minutes or so of the drive gets quite bumpy before reaching the gates of the resort. If you're prone to motion sickness, you might want to prepare with some medication.
Around the Resort
Pulling past Hermitage's regal black gates and through the driveway winding through its expansive grounds, you'd be forgiven for thinking this was a mega-resort.
But as soon as you pull into the reception, it's clear: This is a small, boutique resort. You feel cozy calmness from the moment you step out of the car, greeted inside a small sitting area with an ice-cold, almond-scented towel and a warm smile.
And from the furniture to the tasteful decor to the earthy wood construction that extends from the public spaces to each villa, everything is incredibly high quality.
Hang a left after stepping inside and you'll find the property's main restaurant. Hang a right instead and you'll be greeted by a large open bar, which is where we were taken to relax with a refreshing, gingery welcome drink to finish the paperwork to check in.
Just past that you'll find the pool, surrounded by that same rich wood and plenty of lounging chairs with umbrellas overhead.
Like the rest of the resort, it's stunning, no doubt. But with the ocean just steps away, it's also rarely busy – we never even set foot in the pool for that reason.
Directly across from the pool you'll find my favorite spot on the property: A picturesque beach bar, built around a live tree and topped with a straw roof that waves in the breeze. It's seemingly straight out of a postcard, but it's more than just looks: This is where the resort serves up tasty cocktails as well as freshly made sushi as the sun begins to set. I'll have plenty more to say about that later on, I promise…
But this is the Caribbean. You're here for the sun, the open ocean, and the beach, right? Problem solved.
Hermitage is built on a long stretch of beach inside a quiet bay, where boat traffic is light and the current is generally quite calm. Plenty of coral and shells wash ashore, so it's not exactly the quintessential “powder-white sand” you might be hoping for. But it is still beautiful, great for swimming and even snorkeling. Plus, the beach itself is well maintained by staff daily.
There are plenty of beach chairs – with excellent mattresses, even – stationed from end to end, so it's never a challenge to find a spot to relax … let alone worry about racing out to reserve your spot.
Need your lounge chair covered in a towel, umbrella raised, or just want something to drink? QR codes have no place here: Just plant your wooden red flag in the sand and an attendant will be along shortly.
At the far northern end of the beach, there are some nice swinging chairs as well. That's also where you'll find Hermitage's onsite organic garden, where they grow much of the produce and herbs you eat each day.
Strolling along the beach each evening as the sun set behind one of the hills that flank the bay, it was pure magic.
The rest of the grounds are beautiful, too. From the natural stone steps leading to each villa to the palm tree-lined walkways, Hermitage managed to make the entire place both at peace in the Antiguan countryside yet meticulously maintained.
That ethos includes the villas themselves.
Inside the Villas
There are just three types of villas to choose from here. I promise you there's not a bad one in the bunch.
- Beachfront villas, located just 30 or so yards away from the ocean
- Garden view pool suites, set slightly back from the beachfront and recently renovated with a private plunge pool
- Hillside pool villa suites, all built into the large hill at the back of the property
Travelers redeeming Hilton Honors points can typically book either a beachfront or garden villa – and sometimes pick between the two – while Hillside pool villas are often pricier. We were assigned a beachfront villa … and couldn't have been happier.
Stepping out straight onto the beach or walking down to breakfast or dinner each day was a treat. While its location right on the beach might turn off some travelers looking for privacy, the fact that there are just 29 other villas on the property ensured we almost always felt like we had everything to ourselves anyway.
Our Villa, #14, was located almost exactly halfway down the beach.
At nearly 1,200 square feet, these beachfront villas are large – especially after factoring in the massive outdoor space. You walk into a small seating area at the front of the villa, where you can fold open a large set of doors to the outside world.
But a king size bed anchored the space, with a wood-paneled vaulted ceiling overhead. While the garden villas behind us had recently been renovated, I'm fairly certain these haven't – at least not yet, anyway. No matter: it was still both functional and beautiful.
There was a desk on one side of the room and a vanity along the other. There's also a TV on top of a large wooden storage unit on one side of the room, which is where you'll silverware and glassware, a safe, a few snacks like nuts and chips, and a fully stocked minifridge.
Everything inside the fridge is complimentary, of course. But instead of simply restocking everything daily, Hermitage has guests fill out a form each morning at breakfast to note any particular requests – for example, if you'd rather have bottles of wine instead of beer.
On the vanity on the other side of the room, there was a Nespresso machine, a small container with coffee capsules, and a few more glass bottles of water.
If there's one knock against these villas, it's the bathroom situation: For lack of a better word, it's a bit strange. It's one large open space … and with no door, it's essentially open to the rest of the villa. Rather than putting the toilet inside its own small room behind a door, it's just out there, too.
But hey, it's large! It's got everything you need and then some – including a double vanity, two closet areas on either end of the room, and a large soaking tub.
Wait a minute, no shower? Open the door and step out to your own private outdoor shower, with incredible water pressure, to boot. The toiletries on hand are from a luxury brand called Votary – and quite nice, with a rosemary chia scent.
But the outdoor space is the real star – especially with this view.
This deck is huge. There's the swinging bed and the two lounge chairs you see on the lower level in the photo above … but then there's also a day bed, a small table and chairs, too – all covered by an overhang.
On the one day when it rained during our stay, this was the place to be.
There were also thoughtful touches out here, like not one but two handheld showers to rinse off your feet at either entry point.
While we were at dinner each night, housekeeping sprang into action: Pulling down the mosquito net (which was charming yet seemed unnecessary), setting out towels and slippers on either side of the bed, putting a glass of water on each night stand, cranking up the air conditioning, and closing the wooden slats on the doors and windows throughout the villa.
We walked past one of the garden view villas, which definitely look sharp with those new plunge pools in front. The interior looked a bit spruced up compared to our villas as well.
And the hillside villas have incomparable views … at a cost: It is a steep climb up to some of these higher-up villas. You can call for a golf cart ride up and down, but I imagine that would get old after a while.
Dining, Drinks & Service
If you've stayed at an all-inclusive resort, you know it's often graded on a curve. There's “good food for an all-inclusive” or “great drinks … for an all-inclusive.”
Not here. Start to finish, everything was fantastic – on par with (or better than) even some of the priciest hotel restaurants. Meals ranged from great to truly incredible – including a few dishes that prompted an “oh my gosh, I can't believe this” from my wife and myself.
There were breakfast classics like avocado toast, grilled octopus for dinner, and creme brûlée for dessert – plus a handful of rotating specials nightly. But lunch was a treat, – including one day with grilled Caribbean lobsters and sirloin for a Antiguan surf and turf.
Most meals are served at the indoor-outdoor restaurant near reception. With dozens upon dozens of tables, there's no shortage of room – in fact, it almost always felt relatively empty during every meal, with no more than a handful of fellow guests dining at once.
The property is working on a second, open-air restaurant even further south on the beach, but it's unclear when that might open. For now, this is the place to be.
There's also an all-day menu you can order from at the bar or as room service – one of the few things on the property that will incur an additional fee. Oh, and did I mention the tasty cocktails and sushi served daily at the beach bar?
Yes, there's plenty to eat at Hermitage – and it's all fantastic. But what stands out even more is the service, which was truly second-to-none.
I've never experienced better service anywhere: It was attentive, warm, fun, and genuine. Were there a few lingering waits for a drink? Sure … but are you really in the Caribbean if there's not?
From getting help at the front desk to bellying up to that sushi bar to ordering a drink on the beach, every single employee – and there are a lot of them – seemed happy to be there and even happier to help. But I have to shout out Simone at the bar, Leah at the restaurant, and Ismael at the beach bar, all of whom were unforgettable.
There's a long, long list of things that made Hermitage Bay special … but service might just be at the very top.
Breakfast
Breakfast at Hermitage Bay is served from 7 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. each day at the restaurant. Every morning, followed roughly the same script:
- Sit down and order a coffee as well as the fresh juice of the day – think pineapple, citrus ginger, lime-melon, or passionfruit
- Gladly take up the staff on the offer of a platter of fresh fruit and baked goods along with house-made jams and butter
- Order an entree and enjoy
The menu itself didn't seem to change day by day. There's one page with drinks and cold dishes like yogurt with granola or overnight oats.
And on the other side, there are more substantial breakfast entrees like pancakes, egg dishes, and more.
Omelettes were made fresh and with care, stuffed full of whatever you'd like. The homemade granola with yogurt and berry compote was excellent, with tangy berries and freshly toasted granola. I loved the avocado toast served on a toasted piece of brioche – especially with a perfectly poached egg on top and a side of their housemade hot sauce, which does not mess around.
Lunch
Lunch is served at the restaurant, too – but it's an entirely different affair, served daily from 12:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Forget the bland pool food you're probably used to eating at resorts over lunchtime.
Rather than the set menus you might see at breakfast and dinner, the lunch menu changes daily. There are two essential components:
- A series of small “sharing plates” which are always brought out – unless you explicitly ask to skip them
- Your choice between two or three entrees – plus a few sides, if you'd like to add them on
Here's the menu from our first lunch, for example:
Read my lips: Do not skip the sharing plates. Without fail, these small dishes were some of the best things we ate on the property – always incredibly fresh and flavorful. The shaved zucchini and apple was a refreshing take on a salad while my wife said the snow peas with tomato and truffle “might be the best thing I've ever eaten.”
But the entrees were no slouch, either. This piece of red snapper – served on a bed of quinoa pilaf with a slathering of citrusy avocado sauce on top – was cooked to perfection.
Somehow, the daytime entrees got even better throughout our stay. Surf and turf for lunch, anyone? I could be wrong, but I believe grilled lobster is a weekly occurrence for lunch at Hermitage.
Sushi at the Beach Bar
“Be sure to head to our beach bar at 4:30 p.m. for fresh sushi and cocktails!”
Honestly, I can't imagine a more perfect sentence in the English language. It's like this was concocted in a lab to win my heart (and manufacture this admittedly glowing review).
Yes, on top of everything else, Hermitage serves fresh sushi at that eye-catching beach bar every day starting at 4:30 p.m. until about 6:30 p.m. or so. There are no reservations: It's first come, first served.
So every day – for five days in a row, mind you – at approximately 4:27 p.m., we left our villa and walked over here.
To start with something like this.
And then this.
Sushi service always started with some kind of sashimi or tartare followed by a course of nigiri, sushi rolls, or a combination of the two. From smoked bonito sashmi to a trio of tuna nigiri, the sushi always changed from day to day but one there was one constant: It was always delicious.
Was it “omakase in Japan” quality? No – this is the Caribbean, remember. But it was easily better than anything we can readily get here in Minnesota and another reminder that this isn't your ordinary beachside resort.
Dinner
On the nights we didn't stuff ourselves too full of sushi at the beach bar (full disclosure: it happened more than once) it was back to the main restaurant for dinner, which is served from 7 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. nightly.
Every dinner we had was – you guessed it – delicious. The menu remained largely unchanged from night to night over our stay, aside from a rotating pair of specials each night. On the menu, there are a handful of starters to pick from as well as the usual cast of nearly 10 entrees.
The conch ceviche was a staple starter for our dinners, while these lobster fritters – served in a shell, naturally – were also excellent.
For mains, the Chilean sea bass with a cajun butter crust, accompanied by grilled lemon and bok choy, was moist, flaky, and flavorful.
Same goes for one nightly special, an herb-crusted rack of lamb cooked perfectly to medium rare and served over a mashed potato puree and a few hearty spears of asparagus.
Drinks
Between the bar near the pool, the beach bar, full service at the restaurant and your own mini fridge, you don't have to go far to get a good drink at Hermitage Bay.
You can get an ice cold Carib beer or a glass of wine anywhere – the resort serves prosecco for sparkling wine during the “off season” but switches to champagne over the winter months.
But there's a big emphasis on cocktails here. While bartenders will gladly make you anything you request, their dedicated cocktail menu has many good options.
I never knew I was a fan of rum punch until trying the Hermitage Rum Punch. Throughout our stay we also tried the Pineapple Caipirinha, Golden Bay, Spicy Passionfruit, and Rum Espresso Martini – all excellent.
With the exception of those rum punches – which are apparently so popular that Hermitage staff have an ice cold jug at the ready behind every bar – all the drinks are fresh made and shaken right in front of you. And they all use fresh juices.
There's also a dedicated menu with some mocktail options, too. And if you want to splurge for something nicer over dinner, there's a full wine list with bottles available for purchase.
Amenities
Hermitage was built for relaxation, and that's just what we did. But there are plenty of other activities and amenities to keep you busy on the property.
Water Sports
Just up the beach from the property, there's an equipment shack where you can take out non-motorized water gear – think paddle boards, kayaks, and even windsurfing gear and a big “Hobie Cat” catamaran sailboat. No charge necessary – just sign a waiver and you're set.
Kayaking out into the bay to check out some of the boats and soak in the full scope of the property from the water was a treat.
There's also some solid snorkeling to be done around the bay – and equipment available to use for free, too.
Gym
Yes, there's a gym onsite. Did we use it? Not for a second.
It's quite small, and something tells me it doesn't get used very much. But it has the basics – a few treadmills and ellipticals, some free weights, and a few other weight machines – should you need to get a workout in.
Spa
What, you thought there wouldn't be a spa at a five-star resort in the Caribbean?
Dubbed the “Garden Spa,” it's tucked into the beginning of the hill at the back of the property. Treatments are not included but the prices on the spa menu strike me as fairly reasonable: $150 for an hour-long massage or $240 for a two-hour, special treatment.
Other Activities
There are a range of other activities available onsite, ranging from the complimentary … to the bougie.
- You can join a complimentary yoga or pilates class (they alternate) at the spa each morning
- The resorts hosts a walking tour of the grounds and organic garden every Tuesday
- On Wednesdays, the chef hosts a free cooking course
- There's live music at the poolside bar every evening, ranging from karaoke (where bartenders happily join in) to steel drums
- For a price, you can also charter a fishing expedition; take a tour of some of Antigua's historic sites; go play golf or tennis at a nearby venue; or sail (or hop on a helicopter) to the neighboring island of Barbuda for lunch at Nobu.
Bottom Line
I warned you I was obsessed.
This wasn't just my favorite Hilton redemption of all time – it was my favorite hotel stay ever, period. The service, the food, the setting: it was all world class, far beyond even my wildest expectations.
I'll be back, Hermitage Bay.