Independently owned Galley Bay Cottages are in no way affiliated with the luxurious all-inclusive Galley Bay Resort, although they are situated on a hill above the resort and have access to the same beachfront. We enjoyed our week-long stay in the rustic but artfully decorated Breeze cottage, although there are a couple of things that could be improved upon.

Firstly, the good things: the Breeze has a great balcony (and yes, the view is stunning, but the light fixtures on the balcony aren't up to par and if you plan to eat outside in the evening, you'll have to depend on candles) ... the bed is comfortable and there is ample living space in the cottage.

On the down side: there is no wifi access -- although owner Natalie told us we could walk up the hill and connect to the Internet outside her home, that's just not convenient for checking email, etc. (and even when we were able to log on by going further up the hill, the connection was just too slow for it to be worth it). Another inconvenience: you can't reserve by credit card -- sending a bank draft just isn't as easy as sending a credit card number.

The guests who had been staying in our cottage moved to another cottage when we arrived, and took many of the kitchen utensils with them. When we brought it to Natalie's attention, she brought them back (the utensils, not the guests), but that was just one of the small things that made this vacation lacking -- it was also difficult to get hand towels (we had to ask several times). And while the rustic decor in the bedroom and living room are charming, the rustic aspect of the bathroom hardly is: the plumbing needs some work and a couple of simple things such as towel racks, better lighting, a good shower curtain and a larger mirror would go a long way towards making it more comfortable.

Some of the reviewers mentioned that a car is indispensible -- we didn't rent a car but probably should have ; we asked for a taxi to be sent to the airport to pick us up but he was a no-show, and the taxi we reserved for our return flight showed up at the cottage 10 minutes late... there is good bus service on the island and if you like walking, there are many beautiful places in the vicinity to explore (Half Moon Bay, Hideaway Bay, Hermitage Bay to name a few)

A note on the beaches: many look lovely in photos, but Hermitage Bay Beach, for example, is disappointing because of the mass of broken seashells at the edge of the water, making it almost impossible to go into the water without cutting your feet). Quite a few of the beaches, including the one just below the Galley Bay cottages, are steep, making for uncomfortable beachcombing and less than pleasant swimming.

A more general comment about Antigua (over which the Galley Bay cottage owners have absolutely no control): you wait forever to go through customs after getting off the plane, and the arrival area is highly disorganized, compared with some other Caribbean islands where the processing is quicker and smoother... just a little detail, but one that helps me decide which islands I want to return to...

p.s. I tried adding some photos but ours were all over 5 MB and I wasn't able to upload them... I'll try to figure out how to add them later...

Fantastic views, short stroll to several beaches, friendly hosts - what more could you want? We had a lovely few days staying in Spice Cottage in January. Natalie and Peter were extremely welcoming and full of useful information and tips. Natalie even appeared with a teapot and some teabags the first morning as she knows that English people can't survive without tea! We were staying in Spice cottage but also had use of a second double bedroom with bathroom (and tree frogs!) which is actually attached to Calabash, at no extra charge, as there was no one else staying there and Natalie thought we would be more comfortable with the extra space. The only down side to Galley Bay Cottages is that as there is nothing much within walking distance (except the sea) you need to hire a car but the drive into St John's is easy, there is a handy supermarket with plenty of parking near the fruit and veg market and you get to spot the cow with the tyre round it's horns on the way!

Again Breeze Cottage was the perfect place to escape from the European winter. This cottage is not luxurious, but you will find all you need. The hosts Nathalie and Peter are wonderful people. St. Johns is not far away (but you need a car) . And the million-dollar-view from the cottages is absolutely unforgetable! If you are looking for a quiet place close to one of he best beaches for a reasonable price that´s where you have to go.

Week after we come back from in Galley bay,we are steel talking about it!
This is the best sign what a good time we had! We did not expected the best,but we were pleasantly suprised with informal,nonchalant,well organized life style.
We like natural beach( which is hard to find in resorts)so we spend every day there,not on the pool(which is nice with good temperature)
Food was very nice,staff tried to please us in any aspect!
Cottage is charming and pleasant ,bed very conformable,pool is fun,since is so private!
Only one thing was bothering me all the time . It was the damp smell in the sleeping part of the cottage.Windows can not be opened(AC) andI goes there is not isolations when they were build.
I spoke about it with with competent people,and they are aware of this.
This is not a crititizam,it is open discussion how to make this place even more beautiful!
We are looking to go next year for two weeks with our friends!
Thank you Galley bay staff!
Vesna aad Vladimir