A Tour of Galley Bay Resort & Spa in Antigua

ANTIGUA Travel Agent arrived on Saturday afternoon for a four-day tour of Elite Island Resorts’ three Antigua properties. Our first stop, we were told, is arguably the best of the three, the recently expanded Galley Bay Resort.

Thirty-two new premium suites, an expanded pool area, and the addition of flat-screen TVs to the rooms were all part of a refurbishment of this 40-acre couples-haven located next door to a home owned by Giorgio Armani.

I’m staying in room #18, one of the new Premium Beachfront Suites and the resort’s highest category. The room comes with a king-size bed facing the ocean. There is a separate living room with a flat-screen TV and a furnished balcony also overlooking the water.

It is home to one swimming pool, a tennis court, a small fitness center with only one treadmill and one exercise bike (although there are plans to make the gym bigger), a cricket lawn, a pool table, a free Internet room with two computers, two bars and three restaurants – The Gauguin, The Seagrape and Ismay’s Restaurant.

I ate at the Gauguin on the first night with General Manager James Lane, Jr. and was really impressed with the privacy. Every table is located roughly 10 feet from one another under and has a cabana-like feel. Plus the views and the food were also impressive. The Seagrape is a bit more casual while Ismay’s is the resort’s special occasion restaurant and the newest restaurant on property.

The resort’s Indulgence Spa is home to two outdoor treatment rooms and two indoor treatment rooms. I had a 60-minute deep tissue massage on Saturday and highly recommend it. The resort also has its own lagoon and bird sanctuary, a turtle sanctuary, bicycles for guest use and a jogging trail.

I recommend this resort for couples looking for an incredibly quiet atmosphere. There are hardly any families here as guests need to be at least 16 years old. As Lane put it to us, “This is a place where you can really be as social or as anti-social as you please.” This is definitely one of the classier resorts we’ve seen in Antigua and perhaps one of the most relaxing.

Keep visiting as Travel Agent’s next stop will be The Verandah Resort & Spa followed by a stay at the St. James’s Club.

Visit www.eliteislandresorts.com.