Set in a beautiful inlet with a milk-white beach and surrounded by 140 lush acres of wilderness, Hermitage Bay is famed for its remote location with nothing for miles around. This small and personal hotel comprises just 30 suites; so, you can expert impeccable service where friendly staff know your name and preferences from day one.
Whether you're celebrating a wedding, honeymoon or you simply want sand-side seclusion, Hermitage Bay's solitude and slow pace of life is a dream for couples. And it's all-inclusive, so you can enjoy an entirely carefree island escape together.
Where is Hermitage Bay?
Nestled in a serene corner of the beautiful south-west coast of Antigua, Hermitage Bay feels secluded yet is only 30 minutes from the centre of Saint John's, English Harbour and the airport.
Romantic Retreats for Couples
The 30 luxury suites blend seamlessly into their surroundings, dotted over the rolling hillside, sandy beachfront and amongst lush gardens. All suites feature decks facing the ocean, but it's the Hillside Pool Suites with private plunge pools that offer the most panoramic views of the cerulean bay and beyond. Shrouded in lush tropical gardens, rich with birdlife, these Asian-inspired abodes are perfect for couples as they offer a high level of privacy.
Following your VIP meet and greet airport transfer, have a golf buggy ferry you to your hillside hideaway, where you'll be welcomed with Champagne and fresh fruit. Spend your days escaping reality, savouring the sounds of the gentle ocean from your white-curtained double daybed and private infinity pool. You can even look out over the Caribbean's calm waters as you soak in the huge two-person bath.
In the evening, watch from your wraparound deck as the sun dips below the horizon, best accompanied by a beverage from your daily-restocked fridge and your loved one.
Inspiring Insight
Couples will love the Hillside Pool Suites, which feel incredibly private with the most stunning sea views.
The Top Table
As this is an all-inclusive property, you'll enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner from a generous daily-changing seasonal menu, as well as afternoon snacks and canapés at cocktail hour. Whether you choose to dine poolside, at the open-sided beachfront restaurant or in the privacy of your suite, the hotel aims to 'serve plates that are as inspiring as our beach front views', using a fusion of Caribbean and Modern European flavours.
If you have any specific dietary requirements or personal fitness goals, the Executive Chef is always happy to create bespoke meal plans. And, don't expect long buffet queues—the menus are à la carte, using the resort garden's finest and freshest ingredients to keep food miles to the minimum. Their sustainability policy also includes buying only local fish and produce. Plus, the environmentally-conscious property has been Green Globe-certified for their efforts.
Every week, Hermitage Bay's chef Desroy Spence hosts poolside cooking demonstrations, followed by a tour of the organic gardens with kitchen gardener, Kempton. Budding chefs can also embark on a guided farm tour belonging to one of the resort's local suppliers, sampling locally grown tropical fruits including guava, tamarind, and 14 different types of mango!
Activities and Experiences
There's an abundance of activities for couples at Hermitage Bay, and one of the best ways to explore is by water. Non-motorised watersports include snorkelling and kayaking, or you can circle the bay's turquoise waters on a Hobie Cat or sunfish sailboat. If you'd prefer to stay on land, 1,200-feet of deserted white-sand seashore awaits. Hermitage Bay also has a large freshwater infinity pool next to a sleek bar, where waiters are at the ready to deliver ice-cold refreshments to your lounger.
Most drinks are included in your all-inclusive room rate, so you can quench your thirst on wine, premium spirits and tropical cocktails. During the winter months, pink or white French Champagne flows freely, and prosecco takes its place in the summer.
Inspiring Insight
Hermitage Bay's hillside location blesses the resort with beautiful views. But, don't be put off by thinking you'll have to walk up the hillside yourself. The resort's buggy will whizz you up in no time.
Couple's Spa Treatments
If you're a couple with wellness on your priority list, complimentary Pilates, yoga and meditation classes led by professionals are on hand, as is The Garden Spa with treatments for two.
The spa has a focus on healing with Dorissima treatments that use colour rituals based on the body’s Chakra systems to bring about enlightenment. You can also opt for an indulgent facial or a signature treatment combining an invigorating body scrub using herbs from the garden, with a hot stone massage.
For more privacy, have a ritual performed in your suite — the 'Art of Love' is dedicated to couples, where aphrodisiac spa products are used to fill your hillside sanctuary with the sensual aromas of vanilla, tonka and grapefruit.
What's there to do near Hermitage Bay?
There are plenty of things to see and do in Antigua, and Hermitage Bay can arrange many tours across the island for adventurous couples.
Soak up some history in Antigua and Barbuda's capital, St John's, home to an interesting museum situated in the island's oldest building. Don't miss a tour of Nelson's Dockyard, a cultural heritage site and marina in English Harbour. Then, scale Shirley Heights for some of the best views in Antigua.
If you fancy a round of golf, the par 71, 18-hole Jolly Harbour championship course is just ten minutes away from the resort set in lush tropical parkland. Also in Jolly Harbour, four floodlit tennis courts and one glass-backed squash court is attended by a resident tennis pro who you can have private lessons with.
Antigua has a stunning rugged coastline dotted with hidden bays, beautiful coral reefs, and 365 white sandy beaches - one for every day of the year! Charter a private boat for the day to sail to Great Bird Island, Green Island and Cades Reef, where colourful reefs entice many scuba-divers with their rich marine life.
For thrill-seekers, the hotel can arrange rainforest zipline tours and helicopter tours. Designed to impress beyond expectation, what could be more romantic than booking a tour of Antigua's beautiful shorelines, lush interior and historic sugar mills for your better half?
Should I visit Hermitage Bay for my wedding or honeymoon?
With vivid orange sunsets and nothing but the sound of the Caribbean Sea lapping sugar-white sands, it's no surprise that Hermitage Bay has been named one of the most romantic destinations in the Caribbean. Although children aged 14 years and over are welcome, the hotel is considered adult-only and is more geared towards romance and couples.
For privacy and exclusivity, the hotel offers wedding packages with a maximum of eight guests and host just one ceremony per week. From a fresh flower bridal bouquet and boutonniere for the groom to the event itself, held in a location of your choice, there's nowhere better to celebrate your love for one another than Hermitage Bay.
Honeymooners are extremely well-taken-care-of too, with romantic dinners, relaxing evening entertainment and exceptional accommodation. The wonderfully secluded Hillside Pool Suites are a honeymooner's dream, with sweeping views of the bay, luscious mangroves and the islands of Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis on the horizon. If being steps from the water is your idea of heaven, then the Beachfront Suites are for you.
At the breezy beachfront restaurant, tables scatter out towards the soft sands which makes for wonderful barefoot dining with your loved one. Throughout a private beach dinner, you can enjoy live music from local musicians then as darkness falls, dance late into the night in the company of steel drum, calypso and jazz bands.
Plan you romantic escape to Hermitage Bay
If you’re dreaming of a luxury adult-only holiday at Hermitage Bay, our Travel Specialists are here to help.
Contact us to speak to our Caribbean experts, who can personally tailor your holiday to perfection for you.
Find more ideas for a romantic holiday with these guides...
The 8 Most Irresistible Islands & Resorts in the Maldives for Couples