There’s been a lot of buzz about the Hermitage Bay Resort (now an SLH property bookable with Hilton points), so we took to our Frequent Miler Insiders group for some reader input about the property. Thanks to reader Son T Nguyen who provided some photos and helpful feedback, serving as our source for this bottom line review. Thanks also goes to an anonymous contributor who sent us photos to use for this post.
Hermitage Bay is an all-inclusive all-suites resort in Antigua, in the Caribbean. Room rates typically exceed $2,000 per night, and reviews tend to be glowing. This has made Hermitage Bay one of the most sought after properties for Hilton award bookings. At the time of this posting, the cost to book a standard room at Hermitage Bay with Hilton points has increased to 190,000 points per night. Fortunately, Hilton Free Night Certificates still work when standard rooms are available.
While this is a little different than usual, we provided our typical Bottom Line Review bullet points as prompts and we’ll quote the feedback Son provided for each prompt. We won’t be able to answer specific questions about the property since this review is not from our own team, but please feel free to comment on this post with feedback from your own stays at this popular property, and feel free to ask questions for other readers to answer. (This community is great at pitching in to help address questions.)
Hermitage Bay, an SLH Hotel Bottom Line Review
Son started his review by saying the stay was “truly an unforgettable experience”, then went on to say:
Overall, Hermitage Bay Resort offers an unparalleled experience of luxury, relaxation, and natural beauty. It is perfect for couples, honeymooners, or anyone looking to disconnect and indulge in an exceptional tropical retreat. I can’t wait to return!
Let’s look at what Son had to say for each of our Bottom Line Review bullet points.
- Price:
The price for our stay was on the higher end, as this is a luxury all-inclusive resort. We stayed 3 nights, we used 2 Free Night Certificates and 130k pts for the third night. - Value:
The value was absolutely worth it. The attention to detail, level of privacy, amenities, and exceptional service provided exceeded our expectations. The price reflected a seamless, relaxing, and luxurious escape. - Location:
Hermitage Bay’s location was breathtaking—a secluded cove with gorgeous beach access and a real sense of tranquility…there [are] 5-6 beach front villas (no pool), 4-7 garden view villas all with pools, then the rest are hillsides I believe. - Room:
We booked a garden pool villa suite with ocean views of the turquoise waters….We didn’t receive a complimentary upgrade. However, this is [an] all suites resort, every room looks equally beautiful……The room was absolutely stunning—modern, clean, and beautifully designed with natural elements that fit in perfectly with the tropical surroundings. The spacious layout and luxurious touches made it feel like our private paradise……The level of privacy was outstanding. The villa was secluded, with lush vegetation offering natural seclusion, so we felt as though we had our own personal escape…
Author’s note: From others’ accounts, we learned that some of the beach side units don’t have a privacy door between the bathroom and bedroom. One person told us that when they mentioned it to the resort, the resort immediately brought a privacy screen to their room.
- Parking:Â Author’s note:Â the hotel website states there is no valet parking, EV charging, or covered/secured parking, but self-parking is available and free.Â
- Service:
The service was impeccable—attentive, friendly, and genuinely helpful without ever being intrusive. - Turndown service:
We did receive daily turndown service, which added to the feeling of being cared for and pampered. - Dining:
The dining options were excellent. The food was fresh, flavorful, and showcased local ingredients. Every meal felt special, from the a la carte dining options to casual beachfront fare. Options were varied, and the wine pairings were exceptional. - Spa:
The price of spa messaging starting at $550 is kind of expensive. - Fitness Room:
There was a small but well-equipped fitness center on site. While it wasn’t overly large, it had everything you’d need for a quick morning workout to balance out the incredible food and relaxation. - Hilton Diamond Benefits:
Author’s note: Son stated that he did not receive a complementary upgrade.
- Would you stay again?:
Absolutely. This was one of the most seamless, luxurious, and relaxing vacations we’ve had. From the privacy to the exceptional service and amenities, every moment felt like a dream.
Pros
- The secluded, intimate vibe
- Impeccable service
- Stunning accommodations
- Outstanding dining
- Luxurious amenities
- They provide flip flops if you forget to bring ones
Cons
- Mosquitos were bad even in the afternoon when we sat by the pool.
- We brought our own sunscreen. [Otherwise] $60-70 yikes
- The price of spa messaging starting at $550 is kind of expensive.
- The drive to and [from] the resort is very bumpy especially [in] the last 10 minutes.
- Some of the light fixtures’ lightbulbs went out. Our light in the outdoor shower didn’t turn on so we could not take [a] shower at night on the day of arrival.
Photo Gallery
Author’s note: Below are pictures provided by Son and an anonymous contributor. For many more pictures, see the hotel’s website here.Â
Suites
Hermitage Bay offers three different types of rooms: Beachfront Villa Suites, Garden Pool Villa Suites, and Hillside Pool Villa Suites. All suites except the Beachfront suites include private plunge pools. It appears that only Beachfront Villa Suites are currently available to book as standard room awards, but some readers have mentioned being moved into other room types upon request so it may be worth a try if a private plunge pool is important to you.
Beachfront Villa Suite
Garden Pool Villa Suite
Hillside Pool Villa Suite
Pool and Beach
Hermitage Bay Dining
Thanks again to Son T Nguyen for his input and to the anonymous contributor for their photos! Again, feel free to chime in with your own experiences at the Hermitage Bay Hotel in the comments! (And if you see a question in the comments that you can answer, we appreciate it!)
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Are the Villas air-conditioned?Could not tell as lots of open areas
Yes, they are.
Stayed here for 5 nights over the winter. On the sand flies/mosquitos – definitely a bit random on how much you get bit. I got some bites but not too bad (the sushi bar at sunset is definitely a hot spot for them!) but my partner got a TON of bites and was somewhat miserable from them. But other people sat on the beach all day at the resort and had no bites! Maybe it’s a blood type thing? Luckily the itches from the sand flies are only bad for the first few days. Because of the sand flies & them alone, we won’t be rushing back here soon but it is definitely a luxury, boutique experience that is worth the points.
We did not pay for a single thing during our entire stay – our airport transfer was private & free, we had a private boat tour & snorkel trip. The food & drinks were outstanding. The staff makes an active effort to learn guests name & interact with them.
Bring anti-itch cream (they provide bug spray, you have to buy any itch relief on site and they were out of it while we there). My other tip is to bring ear plugs as it does get quite loud at the night from the animals.
The clientele is on the older side so you’ll see a mix of guests who are 50+ and honeymooners who are more 30-40s. The plus side of older clientele is that they don’t want to/do take advantage of all the water activities so you have a really good chance of getting private activities (snorkel trip, boat trip, paddle boarding, etc). Bring some cards & lots of books on your kindle – this is true relaxation, there isn’t much going on out here.
If I came back to Antigua, I would do 2-3 nights in English Harbor for a more fun sense of pace & boat watching and then go onto Hermitage Bay. I set alerts on maxmypoint for my preferred dates and ended up getting my booking secured about 5 months before our stay.
Good timing. Headed there Saturday for 3 nights. Will definitely add our thoughts to this post after we return. Keep in mind this just went up to 190k per night (we booked at 150k).
Can anyone answer how far it is from the airport and is a shuttle provided or do you have to hire a taxi?
Google maps is probably your best bet for distance (although I vaguely remember about half hour to 45 min). If you book 3 nights or more, they will provide private transportation.
Thank you, beginning to think it may be a possibility.
If you go for 3 nights or more, they will include transport to and from the airport.
Thank you, beginning to think it may be a possibility.
The resort will provide Fastpass service at the airport and transfers (via a prearranged local taxi) to get you to the resort as part of the room rate for a 3+ night stay. They will also provide transfers back to the airport and handle all the details for you.
Thank you, beginning to think it may be a possibility.
If you have the points (or FNC) available, it really was a fantastic experience. We stayed in a beachfront suite and thought those were definitely the way to go. The hillside suites had great views, but it’s a hike up and down the mountain while those of us on the beach could walk to to the water, pool, bar, restaurant any time we felt like it. Great service and I booked a trip to go back as soon as we got home!
Thank you for the info. I don’t mean to sound greedy but FM said it was all-inclusive. Besides meals, does it include alcoholic drinks and water sports?
Yes, both. They do charge for premium spirits and motorized water sports, but We walked out after a five night stay and had no bill. Their standard bar offerings were GREAT and we did not feel the need to pay anything extra.
Great, thanks for the info!
water sports no, sports water yes…..gatorade
Super, thanks a lot!
One thing of note is the cancellation policy. It looks like Hermitage Bay is 31 days. That is pretty long. Don’t know how travel insurance will work if anything came up since I am guessing the hotel would return your points and charge you the full cost in cash (and the cost of insuring the full cash price in advance would be pretty high if you were just planning on paying with FNCs and points).
Island is beautiful. Beach setup was unmatched for places we’ve been – there was only one row of beach chairs which were spaced probably 30-40’ apart. View of the ocean and the green tree-lined mountains behind was stunning.
The resort pool was small, with hardly anyone ever using it. We got an upgrade to the ocean front room, which sounds great, but all the other room types (I believe) have their own private plunge pool, which the ocean front rooms do not. So with this, and the fact it’s a small resort, socializing with others during the day basically doesn’t exist. Fine for the wife as she reads her books, but not good for me.
The food was excellent. They have a nightly sushi hour at the beach bar that we went to each night before dinner. There is only one restaurant, although they do rotate 3 features of the day, in addition to the other items that are always available. Overall, less food choices than most places we’ve been. The restaurant and the entire resort is also all open area, with the only air conditioning being in your room. And, the mosquitos at this resort were FEROCIOUS! I think we both got bitten at least 50-100 times, even with wearing bug spray. They supposedly try to manage them, but I feel they could do more. They do provide bug spray, but it’s only 15% deet. I think you can buy bug spray with like 50%+ deet, so definitely worth brining that. I ended up wearing pants and closed toed shoes every evening to reduce this. When I say we wore bug spray, I’m talking about coating ourselves to the point of dropping off…
The room was very large and layout was great. The only shower is an outdoor shower (with privacy walls) which was kind of neat. But, there were only wooden window shutters with bug screens. NO glass windows… So therefore during the day, the air conditioning had a hard time keeping up. It also meant, you wouldn’t want to open the shutters, which means you don’t see the view. Extremely disappointing when you’re in an ocean front room, in a resort with gorgeous views. Thankfully, the air conditioning caught up and worked fine at night. And the frogs squealing (or whatever they do) at night was almost unbearable… It sounded like you had a frog on your ear screeching at you all night! We brought our fan and a sound machine, and even put in ear plugs after the first night. I would absolutely suggest you bring ear plugs and a sound machine at minimum. For this reason (lack of windows) alone, we wouldn’t return to the resort.
If it weren’t for the lack of windows, which supposedly they’re going to install at some point, it would be in the top 5 resorts overall that we’ve been. Although it’s more for quiet relaxation, and not as much for socializing. They do have a neat bar that has live music every night that we would go to and socialize with others.
Without windows in the rooms it feels like a VERY expensive glamping experience, in my opinion. We had originally booked two stays – with a second booked for eight months later, that we ended up cancelling.
Thanks a lot for this honest review. Not like the “Everything was perfect…every meal feels special” kind of useless review.
My pleasure.
Generally bugs e.g. mosquitos, no-see-ums come with the territory of a tropical destination but when one is paying the kind of prices these places are asking, at a minimum they should be implementing more stringent fogging measures.
I’ve been to 18 all-inclusive resorts and normally never even wear bug spray. I’ll usually get maybe one or two bug bites, but this was on a whole other magnitude…
wow, it’s crazy that the only shower was an outdoor shower. I certainly think it’s cool when my room has an outdoor shower in addition to the indoor one, but I don’t necessarily love the idea of that being my only option, especially if this place is swarming with mosquitoes and other biting insects as multiple people have mentioned. Is the lack of an indoor shower true for all room types?
It is as far as I’m aware. I will say this part was neat and no issue with bugs while showering. I think the running water over your body keeps them at bay.
The massage pricing starts at like $140 I think, I was there about two weeks ago
Was recent renovation any good? How is the mosquito problem? What’s included for all inclusive?
Never saw pre renovation so can’t speak to that.
I think it was more sand flies than mosquitoes – the bites itch but the itching doesn’t last as long as mosquito bites. I would say for us it wasn’t a problem in the room or on the beach, mainly just at the bar/restaurants. We used bug spray (picaridin, not deet, FWIW) and it worked pretty well – but even with that, definitely was annoying.
All inclusive means all of the food except for one or two items on the menu (can’t even remember what they were) and some higher end alcohol – but I was VERY satisfied with the included alcohol, and we were never hungry. The food and drinks were top notch, this isn’t like your typical all-inclusive.
I booked an hour massage for $190 after taxes and fees
Mosquitos???? No Thanks