BLUE WATERS RESORT AND SPA

Blue Waters Resort and Spa holds 85 rooms, suites, cottages and villas across seventeen acres of gardens along Soldier's Bay, on the island's north-west coast, with three sand coves of its own. It is independent, owned by the same British family for more than half a century, with no chain or flag. It tops the TripAdvisor ranking for St. John's at 4.7 out of 5 across more than 2 600 reviews, and sits under seven kilometres from the airport.

Blue Waters at a glance

Eighty-five units only, seventeen acres of gardens, and three sand coves that belong to the hotel alone. The formula reads more like a large private house than a resort: no international flag, no points programme, the same British family in charge for more than fifty years.

The property runs from the beach up the hillside, with three restaurants, four bars, three pools and its own spa. Travellers rate it 4.7 out of 5 across more than 2 600 TripAdvisor reviews, which puts it first in St. John's. Prince Harry stayed here in 2016.

Three private coves: what that changes

Antigua is said to have three hundred and sixty-five beaches, and most of them are public. Blue Waters built the opposite: a bay cut into three sand coves, separated by rock outcrops, reachable only by hotel guests.

The effect is measured in quiet. No vendors, no crowd, and the freedom to choose your cove by hour and by wind. For a traveller who has known the crowded public beach of a large resort, the difference is considerable, and it explains much of the rating.

Which room to choose

Deluxe Beachfront rooms open directly onto the sand, closest to the water. Hillside Suites and Hillside Luxury Suites climb the slope and trade proximity for view. Luxury Suites, some with a private plunge pool, form the upper middle range.

Apart from these sits The Cove, a group of four villas each holding six suites plus a three-bedroom penthouse, with an infinity pool per villa. The hotel presents this enclave as adults-only; the wording on its own site is not perfectly clear on the point, and an AquaTerra advisor will confirm it for your dates. Three standalone villas complete the inventory: Pelican House, Turtle Cottage and Rock Cottage. Call 1 866 628-6241.

Where you eat on site

Three restaurants, each with its own reason to exist. The Cove Restaurant sits on the cliff and works French-Caribbean cooking in the finest setting on the estate. The Palm Restaurant, the main one, handles all three meals amid the gardens. The Reef serves casually at the water's edge.

Four bars and lounges fill things out. Worth noting in passing: several websites still mention a restaurant called Bartley's; it no longer appears on the resort's dining list, and The Reef seems to have replaced it.

Is it an all-inclusive?

Only two plans are offered, and that is a peculiarity of the house: bed and breakfast, or all-inclusive. There is no room-only rate and no half board.

The all-inclusive plan covers full breakfast at The Palm, lunch at The Palm or The Reef, a three-course dinner at The Palm or The Cove, house wines in seven varieties, a selection of premium spirits, beers, cocktails and a minibar restocked daily. Room service is available during dining hours with a tray charge. Both plans include non-motorised water sports, tennis, the gym and the kids' club.

Travelling with children

The kids' club takes five- to twelve-year-olds, Monday to Friday, half past nine to four, year-round: crafts, sports, cricket, limbo, and pizza-and-movie nights during school holidays. A secret garden houses tortoises, which occupies the youngest better than many expensive installations.

Children's menus exist at every outlet, and The Palm accepts pre-orders. A daytime nanny service and evening babysitting can be booked as extras. This is one of the few Antigua addresses that balances families and couples without sacrificing either.

The pools, the spa and the activities

Three pools serve the estate, alongside the private plunge pools of certain suites and the infinity pools of the Cove villas. Worth stating plainly, because some websites claim seven pools by counting the private ones: the hotel itself counts three.

The spa works with ila organic products. Non-motorised water sports, tennis and the gym are included in both plans. No casino on site.

Who this resort suits

It fits travellers who prefer an eighty-five-unit house to a three-hundred-room tower, and who value staff who know their name by the second day. It fits families who want a serious kids' club in refined surroundings. It fits couples thanks to The Cove and its villas.

Anyone looking for a big lively all-inclusive with shows, a casino and seven restaurants will be better served elsewhere on the island. Our advisors will say so plainly rather than place you in the wrong spot.

What to know before you book

The resort sits about six and a half kilometres from V.C. Bird International Airport, fifteen to twenty minutes by road, making it the closest high-comfort address to the airport on Antigua. A taxi runs around fifteen US dollars for four people.

Antigua lies inside the hurricane belt, whose season runs from 1 June to 30 November, with a peak in August and September. The East Caribbean dollar is the official currency, though US dollars circulate everywhere, and driving is on the left. For entry requirements, consult travel.gc.ca before departure.

Booking Blue Waters with an advisor

With eighty-five units split between the beach, the hillside and The Cove, the choice of category decides nearly everything. An advisor who knows the house puts you in the right spot and tells you which of the two meal plans holds up for your stay.

Reach a Voyages AquaTerra advisor at 1 866 628-6241, or explore our Antigua all-inclusive packages, our Antigua and Barbuda travel guide and the full range of southern all-inclusive vacations.