Cocobay Resort

We travelled to Cocobay for our honeymoon in June 2003.We had the most friendly of welcome's from the manager and the staff when we arrived,were given a welcome cocktail which was delicious.We were then helped with our bags to our cottage,which was beautiful.The bed was decorated with flowers.The verandah had a fantastic sea view.The food was out of this world.We cannot rate this resort highly enough,it was everything you could wish for and more!!.Beautiful resort,the best,friendly staff,stunning swimming pool and beaches.To visit Jolly Harbour is a must!.The bar staff were all fantastic and a really good laugh!.We are going back with 4 of our friends for our 2nd wedding anniversary in June 2005.I can't wait!!.

Having just returned from our 2nd visit to Cocobay, and having read a certain American review, I feel obliged to make comment. Cocobay is isolated, basic accommodation and not much entertainment. Coupled with the fact that is is a tropical island and had just experienced 10 days of rainfall it was understandable that the mozzi's were excitable. If, however, you do you research, you will understand that Cocobay is designed around a typical west indian design .i.e no air conditioning and no control over the trade winds after 7pm!!! Funnily enough you do get mice in Antigua......and lizards!! The staff are absolutely fab unless you are a hot headed person who has no patience. As tourists, we choose our holidays. I accept there may be individual experiences that can be negative. But if you are negative in life.......then no one has a chance. I would definitely return to Cocobay for a 3rd visit despite the mosquitos or anything else. Also, there are NO snakes in Antigua and haven't been for many years. Maybe the watered down Rum affected someones vision. Denise Jennings.

I knew we picked the right place the moment we walked through the door and said hello. Suddenly our luggage was on its way to our beach front cottage and we had a glass of rum punch in our hands. We were told not to worry about checking in until morning. They knew we were tired and hungry from our trip and suggested we freshen up and go to dinner. Our dining experience was perfect, with a beach view, candle lit table and a tropical breeze. The sounds of wildlife mixed with music from the scheduled entertainment, creating a lovely, romantic atmosphere. The cottage was even better, with its French doors opening to our private porch. The porch had chairs and a hammock, not to mention the open air shower that was covered in flowering vines that were visited by colorful island birds. It did not matter if we were in the cottage or on the porch, we had an endless view of crystal clear, turquoise water. At night, the water would glow, reflecting the moonlight. We looked forward to our daily strolls along the flowered garden path to dinner, the pool and the beach. We did not see any signs of ants or mice mentioned in reviews by others. We had seven days of bliss. We will return to this paradise, perfect for the 40 something crowd, looking for Romance, Rest and Relaxation. (We did bring a small CD player and some music "to play quietly" and would recommend other visitors do the same). Our visit was in early April of 2003. B. & A.

We have just returned from Cocobay. Having read all the reviews prior to departure, I have to say we wondered if we had made the right choice! However, we had an excellent holiday there and had no complaints whatsoever. The staff were always friendly and polite and we enjoyed the food. It was well presented and they do not serve massive portions, which I prefer. If you like to have a quiet relaxing holiday, this is the place. Mosquitos are a problem - do take lots of protection. The hotel was 'fogged' when we were there and mosquito mats and nets are provided. They do not have air-conditioning, and it can feel quite oppressive in the night as the air is very still. One week there suited us fine and I would have no hesitation in recommending this hotel. Just make sure it is the kind of holiday you want. If you like to have loud music and action - choose another hotel.

CoCo Bay gets a two for the scenery- But how long can you sit and look at your view before the bugs, flying, crawling and lurching get to you?? We were glad that the bar opened at 10am because we could get a drink and start our drinking until bedtime- You had to numb yourself to put up with the constant on-slaught of bug bitting; blood drawing; mosquitos, black flies, green flies, green knats, red ants, creature - prickly, things on the beach, iguanas, geckos, frogs, crickets, swooping pelicans, black birds, and your occasional night visit from your resident snake in the bush- YES! Co Co Bay had it all- What amazed us the most, was that the British - (which are the majority here) didn't seem to mind that they were paying a great deal, for a bad day at Boy Scout Camp- I on the other hand am American and am used to real vacations- with air- conditioning, Screens, Good Food, and some sort of entertainment- beside watching the Pelicans or Storks swoop for their nightly meals- The British were content with being eaten alive, welted legs and all, and with sitting on the ant infested beach, reading their books, running for their 4 o'clock afternoon tea, maybe having a "Proper" rum drink in the evening, and dining on "something" before retiring to their wooden shacks. Boring Chaps!Oh yes- almost forgot to mention the electric power downage at approximately 5:30 PM for the Generator to kick in to handle the extra PM light usage- and the water pump isn't quite - exactly- strong enough- so you have to time your rinse cycles in the shower- as the water will cut off and SPURT out-and we are convinced that the mattress has some kind of creatures living in it as well, because whatever side we slept on thats where all these little red welts would appear- Bed Lice?? Lets not even mention the mosquito netting over the bed- Felt like a dolphin trapped in a Tuna Net. The ceiling fan spun maybe three times a minute- not very cooling- infact useless- as there is NO BREEZES AT NIGHT! This amazed us-- here we are at a resort directly on the water and NO - NONE - Absolutely NO Sea Breezes- They were intermittent- A little int he miornign around 10:30 - then gone until about 3:30PM then once 7:00 PM came -forget all hope of any type of Breeze!!! Amazing!Even the Goats hanging out in the hills behind our HUT were yelling for help!!! Oh I didn't mentionthe Running of Goats- Did I - well yes- there are Goats- they roam freely - down the road- block traffic and almost got us killed as a passing truck almost went head-on into our cab to avoid striking some goats that were just taking a little walk down the road.The morning buffet was infested with flies- birds and cats- You had to constantly swipe at your food to keep it larve free- The US Health dept would have a field day at this place. Lunch was extremely boring- Same Salad- Good Luck at Dinner if you could find your food on your plate, between the dimness of the lighting and the lack of Chicken or whatever they were serving- because you couildn't see it or find it- We called it Dinner Surprize!!! Give me another drink. Make it a double.Read most of the reviews- people writing about restfulness, quietness, - OK, rest is good -- so is quiet- but you cannot rest here without slapping, swatting and scratching during everything you do; eating, sleeping, sunning, drinking, swimming, showering, or walking, You CANNOT sit and relax because you are constantly devising methods to stop your donations to the local bug blood bank.The view was great but how long do you want to sit and look at the view. The resort's staff were very friendly and helpful-- They are not to blame for the place, We believe that the British are to blame here- They like it- Tally-Ho! If you are a American and looking for a VACATION STAY AWAY FROM CO CO BAY! You can have the same experience at in Upstate New York - around Mid-July - for about $16.00 a night for your camp site- and your canned provisions would be safer to eat.We will not be vacationing here ever again- and will only recommend CoCo Bay to my boss- or ex-spouse!

Although we stayed there a few years ago and, by the way, it feels like an eternity and a bad memory -- I wanted to write some comments after I read some of the recent reviews. I would not recommend this place for some of the reasons already stated -- such as, mice, bugs, very spartan furniture, no air conditioning and poor service. We had booked an ocean view cottage and when we got there we were told that they didn't have any available. We finally settled in one that would have cost less money (and, the hotel did not reimburse us for the difference) only because we were tired and decided the partial view was adequate. The room was furnished in very ugly dark wooden tables, so primitive I think any child could put them together. I don't even think there was a dresser with a mirror. Inside the furniture, we discovered the next day, lots of mice droppings, which at first I didn't even realize there were from mice. I didn't know what to make of those little dark spots until later on that night, we kept hearing lots of noise all around the bedroom area and then we saw mice, which we ended up killing with the assistance of the security guard!! I don't think we even used the beach because when we were there, there were cows all around the area and the smell of their feces was really unappealing. I can go on and on but, the bottom line is, this property is a disgrace -- their advertising and photos are so deceiving, I would really caution anyone from staying there.

JULY, 2003- We carefully chose CocoBay using 5 "must-have's": beautiful white beaches w/ calm waters, our own hut, non-heavily touristed area, all-inclusive rate, and access to tennis and golf. With those key factors involved, it was perfect! CocoBay is absolutely beautiful! The location is ideal, situated on a hillside between 2 beaches within a huge cove -offering views that many other resorts are missing. We visited just about all of them, including the seasonal resort across the island that advertises $5,000(US) per night rates. Judging strictly by setting and natural breathtaking beauty, I'd still have to say CocoBay is within the top 5. Most of the other resorts just face outward to the never ending ocean. The overall feel of the place was perfect for those looking for a tropical/beachy/private getaway. Imagine the theme being: owning your own island, building a cute little house, and then saying... geez... it would be nice if we had someone cook for us... and a place to get drinks... we could live here forever! The room was perfectly adequate, ceiling fan, queen bed, mosquito net, deck, hammock, dresser, closet. The shower and bedroom open up to the ocean so you can get the feeling of showering outside. We read all the reviews... heard the complaints about bugs and mice, so we brought electronic bug/rodent repellent devices, traditional bug repellent, ant traps, roach traps... spent 5 mins setting them up and never worried about it the whole week. C'mon folks, use some modern technology and stop *****ing. We figured that if everything else sounded perfect, why let a few bugs ruin our honeymoon. We sprayed down everytime we left the house a couple times a day and after swimming just to be safe. I think I less bug bites the whole week than sitting at home in Boston on the porch for an hour.The food was OK, as everyone else said. The first 2 days you say it's "really good," then you realize the menu gets recycled... and steak, prawn, and lobster is $12-$15 extra... but if you think about it, its half the price of having it at a restaurant! AND you get all the wine you can drink with it :) The pay restaurant within CocoBay, Sheer, was FANTASTIC. I don't think I've been to a better restaurant. Folks that stayed for longer than a week usually spent the 2nd week having dinner only at Sheer.The dining staff at CocoBay was up and down. As any place goes, there are good workers and bad workers. My dietary constraints were ignored after explaining them to the front desk, the chef, and every waitstaff we had. Live music during dinner was nice... a few times a week. There was tea time in between lunch and dinner... good for sandwiches that went fast. The gift shop had chips and snacks... good for munching in between meals. Drinks were watered down... I could have 4 fruit punches and not feel a thing, so I went back for a shot of rum straightup, and noticed they reached for a different bottle. But don't get annoyed, just adapt - order 2 shots of rum and a separate Coke if you want a rum and Coke. Or urder a rum punch, then another shot of rum. Its all free, so just learn to order drinks.The spa hut is great. Its only one room, but its worth it. The exercise room... didn't go there... who really wants to exercise on their honeymoon? The beaches were great... no one comes and fetches you drinks, but I'd rather be left alone.This isn't an action island, and they don't advertise it that way, but there are so many other resorts that you'll be able to find activities elsewhere if you get bored. I don't see why everyone complains about it. How would you like to hear and smell the jet ski's and motorboats zooming around your tranquill beach?? Jolly Harbour is a megaresort next door, so a golf course and tennis courts were nearby. We were fortunate and got upgraded for free to an ocean view room. They were vacant when we first arrived, but were fully booked by the time we left.Recommendations: Go to CocoBay if your first choice is significantly more expensive. This place is wonderful for a honeymoon or romantic getaway from reality. If you're always someone who's hot in the summer and you need AC, and you like someone servicing you hand and foot -don't go here.

We would recommend anyone suffering from stress of everyday life to visit Cocobay for 1 week and forget about everything until you arrive back home! My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on a week's stay here in May. Like other's, we would only recommend a week's stay, as there are limited things to do on the resort and you can pretty much cover the main touristy things in this time - unless you don't want to miss out on the 365 beaches Antigua has to offer. The accomodation was good, lovely balcony with view of the sea, staff friendly and we had no complaints about the food/drink - thought the choice was fantastic. Very memorable holiday with the best photos we've ever taken.

prior to visiting CocoBay I read every review I could find and was very concerned by some of what I read. Now, having experienced CocoBay first hand I would like to add my two-penneth worth... My fiancee and I spent 2 weeks at CocoBay during which we got married. CocoBay is a small, quiet, picturesque resort in an idyllic location. When we arrived we were handed a glass of killer strong Rum Punch (very nice) and were straight away shown to our cabin. The cabins (exactly as they appear on the web site) and public areas are clean and well kept and the gardens are beautiful, the resort has a simple, open air style which makes the most of the fantastic views out across the bay of turquoise water and white sand. Access to the beach (which is lovely) is a short walk down from the front of the Hotel where there are plenty of sunbeds and thatched umbrellas, we did get hassled a bit (every day) whilst there especially by some guy trying to sell Aloe Vera. The pool area has a fantastic view out to sea and is stylish and comfortable (and closer to the bar) if a little on the small side. The staff in general are very friendly and helpful, although if you have a problem don't expect all of them to jump. We were a bit dissapointed with the all inclusive package, it is very limiting and you are restricted to one restaurant and certain times for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, with NO snacks in between. You can only get drinks from the one bar and it doesn't open until 10am so you can't get any food or coffee until 7.30am at the earliest when breakfast starts. The choice of drinks is very good (big cocktail menu) but they come in small glasses (lots of trips to the bar) the red and white wine available in the package is disgusting and all the decent stuff costs more!! If you are on the beach and fancy a drink it is quite a trek back to the bar to get one!! This package is more like Full Board with free drink. We could not however fault the quality of the food or the restaurant, it's excellent. Breakfast is buffet style, a good selection with bacon and sausages, sometimes beans, a choice of bread products ie: muffins, bagels, croisants, sweet pastries, ommlettes and eggs cooked to order, fruit salad, cheese and ham. Lunch is similar with the menu changing every day, it usually included some sort of meat, pasta, salad and potatoes. Evening meals are always special, wonderfully presented and tasty and the buffet nights (Fri and Sun) made a nice change to the usual. The advertised watersports are available but there is little supervision and no lifeguard. The Wellness hut is exactly that, a hut, just one and very small. The gym is 4 pieces of equipment and they didn't work. We didn't think the lack of air con would be a problem but it was sooooooo humid we struggled to aclimatise (less humid in high season, Dec to April) the rooms were very open to the elements (louvred windows) and you really needed to sleep under the mossie net and even then we got bitten (one guest had 51 bites on one arm) they did supply these repellant coils though which you burnt like a joss stick and they were very helpful. The temperature and humidity NEVER dropped (even after sunset) and every day we prayed for wind. All in all we enjoyed our stay at CocoBay, we got married in the first week which was fantastic (the pics are great) and had a lovely 10 days just eating, drinking and laying on the beach, BUT and this is a big one, 10 days was long enough, if you don't like doing nothing (and I mean nothing) and you are not bothered about the lack of choices ie: only one restaurant and nowhere to eat outside the hotel as it is in the middle of knowhere, then this is the place for you but if, like us, you do at least like to be able to explore without feeling like you are being watched and being fleeced (everything is very expensive due to high taxes) then this is not the place for you. Rather than fly home early (like another couple on honeymoon did) we jumped on a flight to New York and had a great 4 days (in total contrast to the first 10) to finish off our honeymoon. We chose CocoBay because we wanted somewhere quiet to get married (and for this it was absolutely perfect) but in hindsight it wasn't ideal for a 2 week holiday and we probably should have moved to a bigger resort for the second week. We likely wouldn't return to CocoBay and if we did return to Antigua (also doubtful) we would go to one of the bigger resorts, with more choice and plenty to do.

The last contributor was obviously not there when the pretentious American advertising crew arrived. That certainly served to prevent anyone sleeping by the pool.!. I am quite astounded by the number of people who comment on the lack of activity at this resort. I can only assume that people either can't or don't read the brochures or website information. Cocobay is everything it professes to be in its literature. A beautiful, relaxing resort. The Reception staff are exceptional, friendly and helpful. Some of the Restaurant staff could learn by their example. The food is OK, I wouldn't rate it as highly as other have. The best meal we had was the steak which we had to pay the surcharge for as it wasn 't in the "all inclusive" menu. We would visit again if only for the location.