Hammock Cove Antigua

I would like to introduce you to a hotel I was fortunate enough to visit at the start of this year, a true gem of the Caribbean, Hammock Cove Antigua. 

This was my first real time exploring the island of Antigua. I had spent just one day on the island previously when continuing on to Anguilla and fell quickly in love so when I decided to return a few months later I wanted to travel with the best. 

When it comes to booking a Caribbean holiday I always place my trust in Elite Island Resorts. The company has a select, fully vetted, collection of luxury resorts scattered throughout the best of the Caribbean including islands I’ve visited before like Barbados and Palm island. With their guidance on Antigua I selected the brand new resort, Hammock Cove for my week in paradise. 

Spread across a secluded ocean bay the turquoise edged resort is a true adults-only oasis with each and every one of the 42 villas proudly boasting their very own private pool.

There is everything you could hope wish and dream for when it comes to five star class and comforts. A stunningly well maintained private beach, ample tropical fauna, pristine service and delicious dining experiences……..oh and did I mention, the entire resort is all inclusive!

The ‘Wow-Factor’ Villas

Upon arrival it is clear to see Hammock Cove isn’t taking any chances when it comes to a  guest experience, the ethos of the hotel is to ensure guests are left carefree in the hands of their staff and this is apparent from check-in, you are provided with a mobile phone to contact your private butler at any point during your stay. This includes ordering cocktails by the pool, room service breakfast, mini bar top-ups etc 😉

Just opened, the hotel is an extremely impressive site in one of the most stunning locations on the island but what sets this hotel apart from any other, not just in Antigua but the entire Caribbean, is the fact that each and every room feels like a honeymoon suite.

The villas have ample outdoor space with a large living and sleeping area and gigantic bathroom that spans the entire size of the suite. Outdoors the pool is not just aesthetically extravagant but plunge worthy in the Caribbean heat. There’s chairs, sun beds and a table as well as a fully stoked bar of your own. There are two view options, we stayed in one of the ocean view villas and it was the most dreamy place to watch the sunrise and set. 

Watch the full room tour here:

The breath-taking villas provide the ultimate luxe laid back experience, the sheer size of them alone is enough to ensure you never want to leave. With the butler service they are like a resort within themselves! 

Should you decide however to step outside of your own 100 meter square villa the resort’s large swimming pool is quite the showstopper when it comes to spectacular views. Cascading down pool by pool to the private beach the infinite flow of water makes the public area perfectly serene.

Down on the beach there’s towel service, a beach shack for quick lunch and drink orders and for those ultimate sun-seeking lazy days floating loungers in the sea. It’s the perfect set-up if you ask me! 

On top of your chosen meals the amazing team at Hammock Cove made daily rounds with cocktails and snacks in the communal areas. The treats varied day to day but the afternoon in which ice cream cookie sandwiches were handed out is an afternoon I’ll remember for the rest of my life!

The Fine Dining Experience at Hammock Cove Antigua

When it comes to dining in a five star resort my expectations are high, though I’m not a ‘foodie’ I am certainly someone who can appreciate the importance of good meal-times when on vacation. For me it’s the entire experience of dining out, the ambience, the staff, the wine list even the lighting on the table and Hammock Cove have this just right. 

During the day we took full advantage of the novel butler service and ordered all our meals to the room or beach, there wasn’t a huge selection of vegan meals but the sweet potato fries (my ultimate favourite) were to die for so I was a happy chappy!

At dinner we had a delicious 3 course meal with wine paring every evening at The Lighthouse. The menu was varied every evening with small selection of dishes for each course and after a chat with the chef I was treated to vegan creations of my own each night. We were delighted with every dish and though I won’t list details of every bite here’s a selection of mouth-watering photos of the dishes we tucked into to showcase just how special they all were. 

I’m not salivating, you are!

Exploring – Out At Sea

The hotel is perfectly located in Antigua in my opinion, it’s just a five minute walk from the UNESCO world heritage site, The Devils Bridge and it’s just a short boat excursion to Sting Ray City. 

As a luxury all inclusive resort the hotel offers free non-motorised Watersports which we took full advantage of in the turquoise waters of the bay but the most exhilarating and eye opening excursion for me was a full day boat trip exploring the local scattered islands and coves.

We travelled to Maiden Island, Great Bird Island and Shell beach and every time the anchor dropped we let out a gleeful sigh of astonishment over just how beautiful it was! The waters rivalled the vibrancy of those I’ve seen in French Polynesia, it was truly mind blowing to think this island is a direct flight from London. Without a doubt the most fuss-free escape I’ve had to reach such beauty when it comes to the ocean. 

We snorkelled in the clearest waters, drank the obligatory rum punch on powder white beaches and fell completely head over heels in love with Antigua’s shoreline. The hotel team were brilliant at arranging all of our excursions for us , we simply wandered down to the hotel jetty and gave the crew our names.

These photos are the reason I’m planning on returning very soon!

Getting to know the island – Pink Panther Safari

Another great way to get to know the island is by exploring on wheels, we had a super fun day with the ladies at Pink Panther Safari, the sassy team showed us the island and talked us through the history of some of the national parks and beaches and in just one day I learned so much about Antigua and the culture of the locals. 

We stopped at some incredible viewpoints including Shirley Heights (captioned photo below) and Pigeon Point beach.

The view from Shirley Heights

It’s been a while since I’ve wandered barefoot in the sand, I’m even more grateful I was lucky enough to wander here! If you are looking for a luxurious ‘don’t have to lift a finger’ style of holiday with ‘wow factor’ accommodation then Hammock Cove is perfect for you!

Let me know when you plan to stay, I’ll meet you there 😉

Prices lead from £2437 per person per person for 7 nights all inclusive based on two people sharing a water view suite. For UP TO DATE PRICING click here.

For more information and inspiration check out Elite Island’s full list of properties here.