Blue Waters Resort & Spa

Antigua, Caribbean

Virgin rating

The hotel

This is a truly superb recently refreshed hotel with elegant surroundings, outstanding service and an enviable location on two white sand beaches lapped by gentle aqua waves, epitomising the Caribbean fantasy. The 17 tropical acres of gardens are beautifully tended and each of the buildings is romantically draped with brightly coloured bougainvillea — just adding to the delightful ambience. There's plenty to do during the day and you'll no doubt be tempted on to the beach by one of a generous array of water sports. Table tennis is popular and there's an 18-hole golf course 5 minutes away. Wind down in the evening (if you haven't done so already!) with a delicious coconut crush — liberally splashed with local rum — while you watch pelicans dive and swoop for their meals. Your dinner can be taken at one of the hotel's gourmet restaurants, complimented with an excellent Claret from the wine list. An amazing holiday experience.

Amenities

  • Hobie Cats
  • Kayaking
  • Sailing
  • Snorkelling
  • Tennis
  • Windsurfing
  • Yoga
  • Honeymoon
  • Wedding
  • Bar
  • Evening Entertainment
  • Fitness Centre/Gym

Where is it

Located in historic Soldiers Bay on two white sandy beaches at the northwest tip of the island. Transfer time from airport: 15 minutes.

Hotel information

85 luxury rooms, villas, and suites on 2 floors with no lifts. All with private patio or balcony (most with sea views), air-conditioning, ceiling fan, complimentary WiFi access, satellite TV, alarm/clock radio, tea/coffee-making facilities, mini-bar or fridge, safe, iron and ironing board, bathrobes, bathroom amenities, and hairdryer. 

Deluxe Beachfront Rooms are just steps from the white sand beach, featuring bathrooms with separate shower enclosure and free standing bath, and 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 2 adults and 1 child (on a rollaway bed).

All Inclusive of: all meals, some premium-brand drinks, house wines and mini-bar items. Sundowner service at Veronica’s bar (includes cocktails and hors d'oeuvres from 5:00pm-7:00pm each evening). All activities unless stated, including daily activities programme. 

Luxury Suites are on the 2nd floor with balcony and 1 king-size bed, with doors separating the lounge area which can accommodate either a queen-size bed or rollaway bed, sleeping maximum 3 adults or 2 adults and 3 children (with 3 rollaway beds).

Pelican House is comprised of 2 neighbouring 3-bedroom villas with a shared pool, featuring views over Soldier's Bay and private beach access, kitchen, living room, outdoor and indoor dining area, and concierge service. Each 3-bedroom villa sleeps maximum 7 adults, or 6 adults and 4 children.

Turtle Cottage is a luxury 4-bedroom villa with views overlooking the Caribbean Sea, secluded sunbathing areas, private pool fully equipped kitchen, indoor and outdoor dining areas, and concierge service. Each of the 4 bedrooms has a king-size bed and en suite, sleeping maximum 9 adults, or 8 adults and 4 children.

Rock Cottage spans 2,000 sq ft and overlooks the Caribbean sea, with beach inspired dècor, living area, kitchen and private pool overlooking the ocean, as well as concierge service. Sleeps maximum 9 adults and 3 children.

The Palm Restaurant (open daily for à la carte breakfast, lunch and dinner), The Cove Restaurant (open on a rotation basis during the evening for à la carte dinner, combining Caribbean and French cuisine), The Reef (serving light lunch and drinks). Pelican Bar (adjacent to the lobby). Veronica's (poolside bar serving drinks throughout the day, as well as sundowner cocktails and antipasti).

Daytime activities and live evening entertainment most days.

7 swimming pools (4 exclusively for Cove Suites guests), Jacuzzi. Spa* with Elemis & ila treatments. Salon*. Fitness centre. Tennis. Table tennis. Pool table. Water sports centre offering sailing, paddle boarding, windsurfing, kayaking (safari tours included), Hobie Cat sailing, and snorkelling. Yoga. Pilates. Aqua aerobics. Walking and garden tours. Games room (children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult). Blue Waters Kids Club is open all year round, with a wide range of activities available for children ages 5-12 years (Monday-Friday).

Complimentary WiFi access. Room service*. Babysitting available* (reservations required). Gift shop. Laundry service*. Complimentary self-parking.

Please note: a government room levy of $5 per guest, per night applies to guests aged 6 years and above (payable locally, subject to change).

7 nights between 27 Dec-1 Jan.

10 nights between 22-26 Dec. 

* Denotes local charge.

Please note: families booking the Deluxe room category with children under 12 will be allocated ground floor rooms.

Dress code: when wearing wet swimwear, you are requested to use outdoor terraces for dining and cocktails. In the interest of safety, children require footwear at all times. In the evening, all restaurants are smart casual - this includes tailored shorts and collard shirts (including polo shirts).

Please note: this hotel may be unsuitable for guests with mobility restrictions as there are steps around the grounds and down to the beach.

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (1880)
  • Very good (386)
  • Average (104)
  • Poor (54)
  • Terrible (24)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating We loved Blue Waters!

Nov 24, 2023 997frankf Kingston, New York

I cannot say enough nice things about this place. It's great, lovely location. The rooms were clean and we had twice a day maid service - the turn down at night was a very nice touch. the pools, the scenery...... everything was just top notch. However, what made our stay amazing was the gracious and professional staff. Everyone from the… Read more
I cannot say enough nice things about this place. It's great, lovely location. The rooms were clean and we had twice a day maid service - the turn down at night was a very nice touch. the pools, the scenery...... everything was just top notch. However, what made our stay amazing was the gracious and professional staff. Everyone from the security guard at the gate welcoming our group to the bar tenders, service staff in the restaurants and the crew on the sunset cruise just could not do enough to see that we were having the best possible time. I injured my foot and was looking for some Advil which they did not have in the gift shop so the manager took me in her personal vehicle to a local pharmacy. That was above and beyond! A special shout out to Nicole who was just amazing at making sure our experience was great. Without exception every time we mentioned her name to another guest the response was how much they loved her. Honestly, I don't see how she had time to make everyone feel so welcome and special. This kind of service experience obviously comes from the top. Many of the staff we spoke with had been employed for 10, 20 or more years. Clearly this is their home and they wanted us to feel right at home too. We really enjoyed our stay and look forward to returning. The picture was from our sunset cruise- highly recommend it. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Super Friendly Fun Resort

Nov 22, 2023 Elliot S Brooklyn

Beautiful Resort with a fantastic breakfast and great beach/pool lounges. We had a terrific stay but what made this place super special was the hospitality and customer service. My wife usually has many requests and is pretty hard to please, but no matter what she asked for the answer was always yes. All staff are trained very professionally. No… Read more
Beautiful Resort with a fantastic breakfast and great beach/pool lounges. We had a terrific stay but what made this place super special was the hospitality and customer service. My wife usually has many requests and is pretty hard to please, but no matter what she asked for the answer was always yes. All staff are trained very professionally. No is not in their vocabulary. Fun amenities included. We did yoga, went on a kayak,  Hobiecat, and an educational rum tasting class. Very friendly and kind staff especially Tequesha. Stay here and enjoy the superb hospitality at this fun in the sun resort! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating A real gem of the Carribean.

Nov 17, 2023 unionjacksy England, United Kingdom

Spoiler – I’m a Brit who complains about everything. With that said….. Blue Waters is a gorgeous, very private place. Its secluded location surrounded by cliffs, and the beautiful grounds give it a real feel of tranquillity. Service was excellent and there was no underlying expectation of or even the suggestion of a tip… in fact there was genuine… Read more
Spoiler – I’m a Brit who complains about everything. With that said….. Blue Waters is a gorgeous, very private place. Its secluded location surrounded by cliffs, and the beautiful grounds give it a real feel of tranquillity. Service was excellent and there was no underlying expectation of or even the suggestion of a tip… in fact there was genuine surprise when we gave tips. Everyone was super friendly and smiley all the time and enjoyed a laugh. We couldn’t have asked for nicer staff. We stayed in the Cove suites which have their own pool and also a concierge service. Our room was very spacious with a very comfy bed great air con and a couple of ceiling fans. Do take mossie plug ins (Brits - take US power adaptors) and spray as you will get bitten otherwise. The minibar is restocked every day and an ice bucket will arrive swiftly if you call for one. Theres also an expresso machine and kettle with good quality teabags, coffee pods and milk provided. Our concierge was Karen who was amazing. Nothing was too much trouble for her and everything she did was at the double – she was always just a WhatsApp message away. She organised everything for us; restaurant bookings, taxis to Shirley Heights (a must on a Sunday) and also a private speedboat trip around the island with a champagne and lobster lunch which was absolutely delicious. Owen was our superb boat captain for the trip and took us out to a reef and advised us where to go and about prevailing currents. He also found a deserted beach for us to watch the sunset. As well as learning from him about the island and its history and marine life, we had loads of laughs with Owen along the way. The restaurants were all great and at each the chefs really pull out the stops. Cove was our clear favourite for dinner, Palm did great breakfasts and incredible lunchtime salads, and Reef on the beach was great also for flatbreads and wraps. There are bars all over the place also – even one hidden away just for the Cove Suites and all the bar staff know how to make excellent cocktails. The all-inclusive accommodation option was a wallet-saver as every cocktail glass I had seemed to have a hole in the bottom 😉 There are a number of swimming pools spread over the place and there’s always one that’s empty of that’s what you want. We stayed on the beach most of the time - there were always beds available and no need to get up at stupid o’clock to put towels out. But getting up at stupid o’clock for the gym is well worth it, as it opens at 05:00 and is empty till 07:30! There is a large gym with 2 separate areas - one for cardio machines and the other for weight training. Some of the weights equipment was a bit rusty, but it must be hard given the conditions there to avoid it. In a conversation at Reef, Gary the GM told me there is a lot of equipment on order at present as they look to freshen the resistance area up. But the benches, cable machines, kettlebells, bars, dumbbells and lat and leg extension machines that are there now did the job very nicely for me. The gym is well air conditioned and has lots of water, fresh towels and spray to wipe down the equipment once you’re done. It rained every day …. But with the exception of 1 day, it was just a short drizzle which was not a problem at all… The rest of the time it was glorious sunshine and 29C with a gentle Caribbean onshore breeze. It’s a classy place and it was a great time to go. I hope it’s like that all the time as there was a distinct lack of Instagrammer types posing and pouting all over the place for their edited social media fakery. We would go back in a heartbeat. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Hotel was great but some of the water sports guys have an attitude

Nov 10, 2023 Reviews_Boss London, United Kingdom

Stayed for seven nights, overall we thought that this hotel was great. Unfortunately, some of the water sports guys have an attitude, they are disinterested in helping you at important moments. Came back in from paddle boarding, kayaking and sailing, they were not keeping look out and on multiple occasions I had to beach the crafts myself, only… Read more
Stayed for seven nights, overall we thought that this hotel was great. Unfortunately, some of the water sports guys have an attitude, they are disinterested in helping you at important moments. Came back in from paddle boarding, kayaking and sailing, they were not keeping look out and on multiple occasions I had to beach the crafts myself, only to find them sat around chatting in their hut. They should be keeping look out for guests safety. They have this weird disengaging attitude which does not match the rest of the hotel team. Leaving aside the water sports team, every member of the hotel team we engaged with were kind, friendly, helpful and very professional. Our room was nicely appointed and everything worked perfectly. Housekeeping was fantastic and the room always felt fresh after every service. All three restaurants offered superb choice and quality. The Pelican bar was run efficiently offering excellent service. The front desk team were perfect. I would consider staying here again but the water sports team need to up their game. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Fantastic evening

Nov 9, 2023 jeremywH7456DZ Lowestoft, United Kingdom

We had a meal at the the Palm Restaurant for an evening away from Sandals and we couldn’t have been happier. The pelican bar produces lovely cocktails and the service was excellent. We then had dinner at the The Palm and it exceeded our expectations. The service, the food the surroundings were all fantastic and we will definitely we going back.… Read more
We had a meal at the the Palm Restaurant for an evening away from Sandals and we couldn’t have been happier. The pelican bar produces lovely cocktails and the service was excellent. We then had dinner at the The Palm and it exceeded our expectations. The service, the food the surroundings were all fantastic and we will definitely we going back. We had a birthday guest and they produced a lovely end to our evening with a song and a cake! Thank you for a great evening. Read less