Hammock Cove

My new husband and I went to Hammock Cove for our honeymoon. We could not have made a better decision! The staff and managers are nice and make sure your entire visit is personalized to your specific requests. We were asked what drinks we wanted in our mini fridge, we were always asked how we were doing, and there was a smile and warm welcome everywhere we went. One morning we wanted to go watch the sunrise at the National Park right next to the resort, we spoke with the night attendant to be sure we could come back through the gate and he said of course. Well it didn’t stop there, he was waiting for us that morning with the golf cart, coffee, and muffins. He took us to the park and he walked around while we watched the sunrise, then he drove us back to our room. We got to know as many of the staff as we could and they are the HAPPIEST people you could meet. The food was divine, we never tasted anything we didn’t like. It was so fresh and cooked perfectly. We booked an excursion around the island with Margaret and she arranged a driver to get us there and back so we didn’t have to worry about anything. The resort even made sure to tell us what we needed and gave us extra waters for our bag. The excursion is DEFINITELY worth it! I could go on and on about Hammock Cove. They are new so there are things they are figuring out. The first day we noticed there were ants in the bathroom, we mentioned this to our ambassador Sheldon and he immediately contacted a team to change all the sheets and spray the entire room, they also left a can of bug spray if we saw more. Everything was seen to in a timely manner even with the resort being understaffed. I will always recommend Hammock Cove as they could not be any more kind, caring, and thoughtful. Book this place with confidence that you will love every minute! Read less

I will start by saying, if you’re even remotely considering this resort, stop wasting your time and BOOK IT NOW! *I’ll categorize the sections of this review so you can skim through to find what interests you most.* My husband surprised me with a trip to Hammock Cove in February, for travel in June. We contemplated postponing it until July due to the pandemic but decided we both needed a break, so we went for it! Sadly, the only flights into Antigua the first 2 weeks the airport reopened landed at 11pm, so we didn’t get to see the island from the air and not a whole lot once we were at the resort since it was dark. ARRIVAL It was nearly midnight by the time we got through COVID-19 screening, picked up our luggage and drove to the resort. We were greeted by staff at the front door, where our luggage was wiped down and our hands were sanitized. They quickly took us to our room on a golf cart with all of our luggage. Inside we’re 2 neatly folded brown paper bags. They contained fresh fruit salad, some small sandwiches (salmon and salami) and some cookies and brownies. We were hungry because they aren’t serving food or drinks on planes during the pandemic, so this was a perfect, light solution before calling it a night. ROOM The room is absolutely gorgeous. I’m not sure why, but the photos of this resort don’t even begin to do it justice. The room is huge, with a vaulted wooden ceiling. The bathroom is nearly the size of our master bedroom at home, with a very spacious double spa style shower, large double sink vanity and an area to do hair/makeup. The toilet is in the same room, but there’s a half wall divider, so it’s somewhat private. The private patio is heavenly, with a wonderful hanging basket chair, plunge pool, loungers, a dinette set and a bar stocked with nearly everything your heart desires. If they don’t have what you want on your bar, just ask and you’ll have it within minutes. We had them stock it with extra Prosecco for breakfast and a bottle of Gray Goose and Glenlivet. We had room 36. It was perfect because we hadn’t paid for water/ocean front, but we got it! It’s in the corner section of the resort where the cove turns out toward the sea, so the villas in front of us were parted perfectly for a beautiful water view. If you haven’t paid for water front, request this because it’s essentially water front. We also recommend this side of the sort because there’s a great breeze that flows through your patio. FOOD The food is amazing!! I can be very picky, only eating chicken, crab, shrimp and lobster for main courses. I was able to find things on the dinner menu that worked for me the first couple of days, but they weren’t things I would run to order. We thought we’d ask to see if they’d create something for my meals each evening, and let me tell you, they didn’t not disappoint!! Lunches were surprisingly wonderful too. They have one of the best margherita pizzas I’ve ever had! The French fries make for a tasty mid afternoon snack if you’re drinking all afternoon. My husband had steak for lunch and it was served with tiny sliced chili peppers grown in the onsite garden. The salad options at the end of the week were phenomenal...especially the ones with the smoked chicken breast. Mmm! Don’t be afraid to order your food on the beach or in the pool. We had lunches both places and enjoyed that too. They bring them on nice trays with covered dishes. We did the chef’s tasting one afternoon and got to meet chef Chris. He’s unbelievably talented and so kind. After talking for a while, we discovered that he travels to Pit Master competitions to compete in barbecue contests. We asked if we could try it one evening (never thinking they’d serve that at such a high end boutique resort), and he made it for our private dining night in the Pepto Bismol pink pergola. BTW, that really should be painted a beautiful turquoise, white or blue. It just doesn’t fit in. Nonetheless, it was an amazing evening under the stars by the water and the food was to die for! He made me barbecue chicken with shrimp and mashed potatoes and my husband had barbecue pork belly with fingerling potatoes. They even light tiki torches and play romantic music for you. It’s a free service, so if you’re booking Hammock Cove, ask your ambassador to reserve an evening meal on the beach. DRINKS We nearly had too many selections for drinks! Starting with breakfast, there are wonderful smoothie options (try the green smoothie - it’s sooo good), fresh squeezed juices and even a cappuccino with a teddy bear face on it. My husband had a mimosa each day for breakfast. They will literally make anything you want all day long. You can go for simplicity with local bottled beers, Corona, Prosecco or wine, or you can opt to ask Lorenzo to make you something special based on your likes. I fell in love with unsweetened iced tea with citrus vodka and a splash of vanilla vodka! We don’t care for sweet drinks, so we steered clear of the colorful frozen slushy looking beverages, but they did look nice. I enjoyed the frozen blueberry mojitos, but the watermelon ones were good too. I just asked for less syrup or no simple syrup at all. If you prefer to have something other than a house wine for dinner, Sylvia is the sommelier, straight from her family’s restaurants in Italy. The Lighthouse has a beautiful wine menu that lights up when you open it. SERVICE TOP NOTCH. I could literally leave it at that, but I won’t. From your ambassador catering to your every possible want/need to the servers at breakfast (our favorite was the lady from Antigua whose name started with a T) to the guys working on the beach to Lorenzo and Joel making drinks to the guy who stocks your patio bar...they are all so wonderful and extremely attentive without hovering. We really enjoyed Julio on the beach. I think he was supposed to be the “water activities guy”, but that man does everything. He’s a gem that I hope Hammock Cove can keep for years to come. He served drinks, played music for us (just ask and he’ll turn on a Bose speaker so it isn’t so quiet), cleaned the beach, brought us fresh towels and did so much more. Erick was great on the day Julio was off! ACTIVITIES It’s a quiet resort and is truly best for R&R, but if you like to have a little adventure, talk with Julio or Erick on the beach. They can take you out in the catamaran and teach you how to drive it if you wish to take it on your own. They have stand up paddle boards, kayaks and even a couple paddle boards that remind me of ellipticals! The guys are very attentive, ensuring you’re safe on the water at all times. If you drift out of site, they paddle out to check on you. You can snorkel in the cove, but there isn’t a whole lot to see. If you want to leave the property, you can ask for transportation to Long Bay and borrow the snorkel gear to take with you. It’s crazy how far you can swim out and still touch! Snag some bread from your breakfast table and take it to feed the fish from the dock. Walk outside the resort over to Devil’s Bridge if you’re up for a little exercise. The rock formation is very uneven, so be sure to wear appropriate footwear. It was difficult to navigate in flip flop sandals. It provides you with a beautiful view of the resort and the sea, as the waves come crashing over the rocks. Don’t be afraid to prop your phone on a rock and set a timer to pose ffor some beautiful photos in front of the water. We had the pleasure of meeting with Rob Barrett, the owner of Elite Island Resorts (including Hammock Cove). He has a residence at St. James’s in Antigua and came to our resort for breakfasts and dinner 3 days of our trip. He likes to speak to the guests to find out about their stay and simply just visit. He’s so down to earth and friendly. I love his giving heart and hearing about his charitable work. I know I’ve likely missed a bunch of items I wanted to touch on, but these are the basics. Feel free to ask questions and I will do my best to answer based on our experience at Hammock Cove. All I can say is that we cannot wait to go back. I’m convinced it’s as close to Heaven as I’ll ever find on Earth! Read less

The Hammock Cove Resort & Spa is the most beautiful hotel I have stayed at since leaving Europe. I have very high standards since I am an Alumni de L’Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, Lausanne Switzerland. The entire staff is amazing and very professional. You are always welcomed with a smile. The villas are exquisite. In addition to their private pools they all have stunning views. I highly recommend the waterfront villas. Water sports are available all day long. Enjoy the idyllic bay while you are on the Hobie Cat with private instructor, Julio. My compliments to the Hammock Cove Resort & Spa. This boutique hotel with its atmosphere will transport you to your private Shangri-La. Thank you for a brilliant stay! Best, Yvonne. Read less

We just returned from a fabulous trip to Hammock Cove in Antigua. This resort is more gorgeous than the pictures on the website! The bungalows are well-appointed and comfortable. The service is truly outstanding! The staff members are all friendly and helpful, willing to go the extra mile to assist guests with their needs. The food is amazing and the chef is willing to accommodate any special dietary needs you have. The bartender will create custom drinks to your liking and the chef will go “off menu” to accommodate food cravings and preferences. We even arranged an amazing private dinner one night in the pink gazebo on the beach! We did not want to come home! While we ventured off the property one day to go shopping in town, we truly could have just stayed at the resort every minute. The beautiful scenery, relaxing vibe, and the abundant selection of water activities were enough to keep us entertained. We never even made it to the spa, so I guess we will have to visit again to try it. The beach attendants, bartenders, wait staff, and especially the ambassadors (yes, you get your own ambassador who takes care of you!) are all highly attentive and responsive. I won’t list all their names because everyone was wonderful and I don’t want to leave anyone out. There are some differences in the overall functioning of the resort right now due to COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions, but the resort is doing a fabulous job of accommodating masks, social distancing, etc. A couple of the other reviews have mentioned a few small challenges in food service, room cleaning, etc. due to COVID-19, so I won’t reiterate them. None of these issues are a big deal. If you are looking for a truly beautiful place to get away from all the craziness of normal life, this is it! Read less

We just returned from newly opened Hammock Cove. The staff was incredible, shout out to Joel the bar tender and Julio the beach attendant. They both go out of their way for you if you are in their presence. The 42 rooms are beautiful and the beds are one of the most comfortable that I have ever slept in. Due to Covid, there were some downfalls, but not to any fault of the resort. The menu was limited due to the limited occupancy in the evening at the Lighthouse,, but you could request anything the morning of. You had the option to have your room cleaned at an additional fee, which I personally think, if you are there for more than 5 nights, they should throw in at least 1 cleaning at no additional cost. This is one of the other downfalls. The ambassadors were great also, Gabriel and Pabst, thumbs up! The spa and gym were opened with additional Covid rules, which was to be expected, but just that they were both up and running was great. All staff always had masks on and guests were very good at respecting each other and wearing theirs when they needed to. The owner of the resort, Rob Barrett was gracious and went out of his way to make you feel comfortable and welcomed to his resort. He made sure he met with every guest and spent time chatting with us. As a travel agent, I hope to return to this lovely gem when the Covid is said and done to get the full effect of a special place. Read less