Nonsuch Bay Resort

I can’t even put into words how amazing our stay here was. From the moment we landed and were picked up by a taxi coordinated by the resort (special shout out to Jason, who was amazing too!), to getting into our room, we were in awe. Our rooms view was breath taking, especially if you can catch a sunrise or a sunset. The food was sublime, and the excursions (coordinated by the absolutely fabulous Avella) were amazing. We did a sunset cruise, which I HIGHLY recommend, a taxi tour (also highly recommend if you want to see all the major sights), and of course Geeen Island and Shirley Heights! Every moment of our stay was perfect, and I really cannot wait to hop on a plane and come back (if possible, I really would have stayed even longer!!). I also want to mention the fact that the drinks were nonstop, and made perfect by the bartender David! Everyone made an effort to chat with you, get to know your story, even down to the people who cleaned our room and we didn’t often see (kudos to Donna for always making sure we had fresh robes, towels, and sparkling floors!). If you are looking to stay in Antigua, look no farther, as you’ve found it in Nonsuch Bay! Can’t wait to come back and try the couples only Escape next year! Read less

Our first time in Antigua and I must say that we were very excited about the trip. It was obvious when we arrived that the resort was fairly remote but we were all inclusive so that didn’t worry us. We were given a whistle stop orientation and then escorted to our rooms. The rooms were comfortable and very spacious and we had specifically chosen the hotel as with 3 small children, the space was important. The beach was lovely and the sea was very shallow making it ideal for the children to play in which was great because the pool areas were not exactly child friendly. The patio around the pools were rough bricks and there was no children’s pool which is hard to understand when the resort seems to gear its accommodation up for families. Regarding the beach, I have to commend the beach guys who worked all day removing the seaweed from the beach hence the seaweed did not cause a problem. The infinity pool. Great concept and views but stuck on the end of the restaurant and whilst it is closed at meal times, the children were tutted at for splashing when the staff were laying the tables for dinner Food I think that breakfast and lunch could have a little more variety and sometimes the food at lunch was not kept warm enough. The evening meal was generally good enough but we never tried the steak or lobster as we felt that the $30 surcharge was too much. The wines were acceptable and the service was generally very good. The staff were mainly friendly and helpful but we did come across some very surly behaviour from a couple of the housekeeping staff. I’ve seen some reviews that mention penny pinching and I have to agree. Some examples You get a small carton of milk in your fridge on arrival but this is not replaced automatically so you have a fantastic facility of a full kitchen but the basics are not provided. We had to ask daily for milk and tea bags which whilst is not a major problem, neither should it be necessary in a 4* Caribbean resort. The soft drinks at the bar were on a gas machine. It was a daily lottery as to whether the taste was even vaguely representative of what the button said it was. The children have an occasional cola as a treat and they wouldn’t even drink it. A nice g n t is part of my holiday requirement and due to the tonic in the bar, I gave up trying after the second day. Local gin I can cope with, disgusting tonic is not acceptable. The bar is also a very small area. The kids club was hit and miss. Some sessions were part of the all inclusive and others were payable. The payable sessions were $50 per session per child and the activity in no way commanded such a fee. The rest of our party were in a beach front suite which included a full top up of drinks in the fridge. This was hit and miss as a service. This is obviously a great island and resort for sailing and maybe if that’s your interest you overlook the small detail to attention however as a relaxing holiday guest in a 4 star Caribbean resort, I expect the service and that attention to detail to be slick and responsive. I appreciate that these are not third world problems but having paid over 25k for 4 adults and 3 children for a 10 night break, I expected better from Nonsuch bay hence my 3 star review. With a little bit of thought and care, this could easily reach a 5. Read less

In case anyone thinks I’m being unduly harsh with this review, it should be remembered that a fortnight at this ‘4 star’ resort will set you back the best part of £3,000 per person. So I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect the highest standards. I have visited Antigua & other Caribbean Islands on a number of occasions and stayed at numerous resorts within this price bracket so would like to think I’ve experience of the expected standards. We visited this resort as a group of us wanting to see the cricket. It was a toss up between here or Sandals for an extra few hundred quid. With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight probably a false economy! The trip didn’t get off to the best of starts when the transfer failed to appear at the airport. So we had to arrange our own transport to the resort. We were told on check-in it was an oversight as they didn’t know what time our flight came in, but absolutely no apology. The 5 minute whirl wind tour of the facilities was inadequate, and that included an evangelical sales pitch of their overpriced shop. The resort is on a remote part of Antigua and the lookout is absolutely stunning. Some may like the isolation, but you have to appreciate there is nothing for about 5 miles around so you will need to arrange a taxi or car hire if you want to visit a bar or restaurant. We felt the resort capitalised on the fact they have a captive audience. There are many positives, the majority of the staff are very friendly and helpful. Also there is free wifi with decent speeds. The rooms are clean, albeit starting to get tatty with age. Some of the staff try to remember your name also there is some sailing activities included in the stay which are enjoyable and we would recommend. We felt there was an equal number of negatives though, we found a handful of the staff surly if not downright rude, for example they would serve us at the bar or reception, not smile and continue in a conversation with a colleague. But the main bugbear for us was the petty penny pinching. When we booked all inclusive we expected as such. It came as a shock to be told that water would not be supplied to the rooms, even though it is not recommended you drink the tap water. However you can buy water at the small shop on site, which is extortionately expensive and makes motorway services look good value for money!!!! The food in the restaurant is at dinner is acceptable quality but certainly not fine dining, whilst well presented is uses cheap ingredients and portions are very small. Of course you can upgrade to Steak or Lobster at dinner times for an eye watering 30 USD pp supplement. The buffet breakfast & lunch are very low rent, what you would expect in a 2 star resort ie tasteless sausages, squash in lieu of fruit juice etc. I felt the reservations process was overly regimented, you have to book your time for dinner & lunch at breakfast, also there is no snacks available throughout the day so you have to buy snacks at the shop (try nearly 4USD for a tube of Pringles for example) There is only one bar, and is often not manned, and the drinks are local (naturally you have to pay for ‘premium’ drinks) The non descriptive lager, if not diluted as I suspect, must be no more than 2% abv! The wine is absolutely awful and clearly bargain basement. I appreciate this resort has some glowing reviews, but we just didn’t ‘feel the love’ - Granted the resort is in a picturesque location, but at the prices it demands, it falls short of what we would have expected. However the friendliness of some of the staff and the water activities a plus points, but the surliness of a minority of the staff really let it down. Read less

Tranquil and quiet resort with wonderful and friendly staff , great food and drink Loved the large one bedroom suite with a private terrace and full facilities including washing machine ! Pool and beach never crowded and could do as much or as little as you liked Love the “house party” vibe of the bar and restaurant meaning you could spend time in great company if you wanted to - enjoy good live music most nights but then retire for a great peaceful nights sleep. Would recommend if this type of ambience your thing - met some lovely people and enjoyed the banter with Everton at the bar and the great service at all times. Wonderful Read less

We were upgraded from a 1bed to a 2bed apartment / suite with fully fitted kitchen. Going down the steep steps was a bit daunting but when the door opened and we saw all the facilities and the amazing view from the balcony looking out to the blue sea.It was worth the climb up from the main building. It helped work off the calories from the amount of excellent food and drink that we enjoyed. So much choice on the menu especially in the evening. The lovely staff could not do enough to ensure that we had an enjoyable stay Read less