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Warm Weather Hotels: Swim and Snorkel at Blue Waters in Antigua

Where: PO Box 256, St Johns, Antigua and Barbuda

Summer doesn't seem to be getting any closer for those up in the northern hemisphere, but down at the Blue Waters Antigua the summer is pretty much there all year round. Blue Waters is a small resort with just 77 rooms and suites, and is proud to be one of Antigua's longest established resorts.

Long established can mean in-need-of-repair, but the Blue Waters has been undergoing some renovations and guest reports are very postive. From a base at the Blue Waters, there are plenty of activities within reach, including sailing, snorkeling, golf, kayaking and windsurfing, or you can also hire a jeep and head round the island in a few hours. Apparently though the tennis court hasn't yet experienced the refurbishment and its rough surface might make for a frustrating game.

Meals can be had outdoors in the Palm Restaurant, or for a more upmarket dinner try the Vyvien's A-La-Carte place; there is also the gourmet Cove Restaurant on site, but if you've booked an all-inclusive package you won't be able to eat there.

Winter rates--the winter season runs until April 23, 2008--start at $479 for a double in the basic Superior Hillside room, rising to $1050 for a Cove Suite and if you're traveling with a group, you can grab the Cove Penthouse with three bedrooms for $2132 a night. For various surcharges you can add breakfast or all-inclusive deals that also include access to more of the facilities. Or you can just hang out at the beach.

[Photo: the boss'ess]

Tags: Antigua Hotel Reviews / Warm Weather Hotels / Warm-Weather-Hotels-Map / → All Tags

Warm Weather Hotels: Galley Bay in Antigua

Where: GALLEY BAY BEACH ROAD, St Johns, Antigua and Barbuda

Heading for Antigua for an escape into warm weather and got some pretty deep pockets? Well, with a pretty long list of awards, you can't go too far wrong with the Galley Bay Resort. As well as being #1 on the TripAdvisor ratings, Galley Bay was named on Conde Nast's 2007 "World's Best Places to Stay" list (and it was there in 2005, too).

Galley Bay is an all-inclusive resort set in 40 acres of gardens, and although it's not quite an eco-resort, care has been taken to make the buildings blend into nature as well as possible. There are 69 suites and cottages and the majority of them front directly on to the beach. One of the main restaurants, Gauguin, is an intimate spot that gets a few mixed reviews but generally sounds good; you can also eat at the Seagrape Restaurant--dress standards apply.

There seem to be two down-sides to a stay at the Galley Bay, although neither are really the fault of the resort: there are a lot of bugs around (bring your repellent if you want to head outside) and the sea is often too rough for swimming, or certainly too choppy for relaxing. That said, the resort of course has private splash pools for some of the villas. As for the bugs, you'll have to deal with them yourself, but that's part and parcel of getting warm weather, right?

[Photo: Pete26]