Cocobay

We had an amazing and incredibly relaxing 4 night stay at Cocobay Resort. It is a great place to unwind by the pool or beach, as long as you know exactly where you are going. Cocobay is not a typical luxury 5-star beach resort. Instead it is a boutique hotel with a more quiet demeanor where you run into the same people throughout your days and are able to relax on the public beach or by the pool with little worry. I’ll go into each aspect in depth and try to offer some tips where I can! Beach/Pool: we spent most of our time on the small, mostly quiet, yet public beach. We had no problem getting a cabana as long as we got to the beach by 8 or so. Cocobay employees start coming directly to the beach cabanas for drink orders around 10-10:30, and they come regularly enough. Drinks are provided in paper cups, which was fine, but we’d recommend bringing an insulated tumbler, so the ice doesn’t melt as quickly! The beach itself was gorgeous. A little seaweedy which we were told happens in January. There were some flies on the beach too, so I’d suggest bringing bug spray with you. We spent some afternoons at the sunset pool right next to the beach. There’s a bar here that also makes a panini of the day until 4pm along with comfortable chairs and we had no trouble getting a spot when we were done with the beach between 3 and 4. Food: Overall, the food was good, not spectacular. Everything was made to order and we were never hungry. It was nice to experience an all-inclusive where you sit down for each meal and order your food instead of getting up and down for a buffet. For breakfast, you can basically get whatever you want from the menu, so no need to hold back. For lunch and dinner you select an appetizer and entrée (as well as an additional pasta or soup for dinner). The food is presented incredibly well, and most things tasted good. Some meal options include shrimp skewers, spare ribs in a jerk sauce, seafood curry, wahoo steak, ahi tuna steak, NY strip steak, etc. We were very disappointed by the desserts. Fudge cakes and cookies were very dry and not worth eating. The ice cream and strawberry mousse were good though. It is definitely worth it to book your trip directly with the resort, as this gives you additional dinner options each night – worth noting that there is one additional appetizer and 3 additional entrees that stay the same each night, so don’t think that you have to always go for these “extra priced” options as we did the first night. As I mentioned, there is a daily panini available at the sunset pool and bar bites at the main bar from 3-4:30, although we were not informed about the bar bites until our last day and it was by another couple, not the resort. Flies were sometimes very annoying at lunch and dinner, so it would be great if the resort could offer a fly repellent fan for each table – this also would’ve helped on the beach. We didn’t pay extra for Sheer Rocks, but it is probably a must to do something different if you are staying more than the 4 nights we did. Drinks: We loved all of the drinks. You could tell there was adequate alcohol as drinks were made right in front of you and there are a large selection of listed drinks to choose from. If there’s something not on the menu, the bartenders are more than happy to make it for you. Understandably, drinks are served in paper cups at the sunset bar and beach, and in nicer glasses up at the main bar. Almost every day there was a “cocktail hour” up by the main bar which was always fun. The coffee cafe opens at 7am and is included in the all-inclusive. Sometimes the line is a bit long, so it would have been nice to have drip coffee available outside the shop to pour yourself if you didn’t want a specialty espresso drink. There are also smoothies from 10:30 to when the cafe closes at 3, but I thought they were a little bland and only got it once. Service: all of the workers are very nice but the service doesn’t scream 5-star resort service. Derrick stood out as the best bartender as he remembered everyone’s name and went above and beyond to make sure you were enjoying yourself time and time again. Besides wine, drinks at dinner would sometimes take 30 minutes to come, so we’d suggest either drinking wine with dinner or brining a drink from the bar with you, which we ended up doing. We arrived at the hotel around 2:30, and were sent directly to lunch, which we thought was super nice since we were hungry off the plane and weren’t expecting anything before the 3pm check in time. After dinner activities: after eating dinner, we mostly headed to the main bar right next to the restaurant. There was a DJ/band every night we were there, where many people including us would dance! This slowed down by 10pm or so. We are sports fans and every night we were there was either a college football or NFL playoff game. There are no tvs in the room, which we were definitely fine with, and only one (maybe 50 inch?) tv in the bar’s room. This wasn’t a big issue because we knew this going in, but it is different from other 5-star type resorts. Room: We paid up for a bungalow with its own pool and partial ocean views, and even though we only went in a couple times, was definitely worth it considering how beautiful it was. We were told we were upgraded to a premium room for booking direct (Ginger Lilly), and although it wasn’t the best ocean view compared to others we saw, it was still breathtaking and in close proximity to the rest of the resort which we loved. We could easily return to our room from the beach in about 3 minutes. Bottom line: my wife and I really enjoyed ourselves! If you want to get away for a few days to have a quiet, relaxing, and romantic trip with your partner, Cocobay is definitely recommended. Read less

If you prefer a nice laidback & very quiet stay, (which we like) this is a great place. This is not a nightlife partying place, but still some nice entertainment in the evenings. If you’re into it, you can always book a booze cruise or something like that. LOL Everyone super friendly. Loved our cottage w/plunge pool overlooking the bay. Here are just a few points of many, we liked about Cocobay resort. 1) Some people bash the meals, but I’m a big eater and I was full. The appetizers are small (like it should be) but very delicious. You have several choices for entrees & they change every night. By the time you finish the courses, trust me, you’re well fed. 2) There are a few mosquitoes & midges, but really not like swarms. LOL We brought repellent towelettes, but never used them. I didn’t get bit all. My wife had some midge bites. 3) Drinks are awesome here, not watered down like at some other places in the Caribbean 4) It’s conveniently located for a lot of the excursions. Either you’re picked up right at beach or a short 5 minute taxi ride to Jolley beach to meet up with your tour. 5) Some people say it’s not good for snorkeling. But if you snorkel along the rocks by the resort, there’s all kinds of colorful fish. I even followed a barracuda around. We didn’t see it, but some of the guests we met saw sea turtles. 6) We wish we could mention all the names, but every person working from the groundskeepers to the resort supervisors, were all so polite, friendly, & accommodating to any questions, needs, etc. 7) You can book excursions right through resort. Although, tours get booked up pretty quick and may be filled before you get there, I would highly recommend booking through resort. By doing so, they’ll follow up with taxi driver, tour company, etc so you don’t get screwed for any reason. 8) The cottages are rustic, but that’s also our preference for a place to stay. Our a/c worked fine. We loved waking up to a great view. Attached pic. We can go on and raving about Cocobay. We will DEFINITELY come back. Highly e Read less

We had a truly unforgettable stay at Cocobay Resort and would absolutely return. It's the perfect spot for couples, especially honeymooners, looking for a peaceful, romantic escape. We stayed in a secluded ocean-view cottage that was ideal for the week: clean, private, and surrounded by nature. We couldn't see or hear anyone around us, which made the experience feel extra intimate. While I might splurge on a plunge pool next time, it wasn’t necessary—there are so many beautiful, private spots throughout the resort to relax and enjoy each other’s company. Some highlights from the room: the Adirondack chairs on our deck for morning coffee, the outdoor shower, and the magical coffee delivery option, where staff quietly drop your custom order in a little mailbox outside your door. It was the ultimate luxury to sip fresh coffee in our PJs without being disturbed. Food & Drink: The food and drink exceeded expectations! There’s just one main restaurant, but don’t let that fool you—the menus change daily, and everything was incredible. Reservations are required for lunch and dinner (made each morning at breakfast), and meals are beautifully presented, three-course affairs. Highlights included the duck confit, sticky spare ribs, red snapper, Caesar salad, fish & chips, and burger with fries. Leland, the head mixologist, was an absolute gem—professional, creative, and happy to whip up anything you’d like. Lisa, Melinda, and Derrick also stood out with their warm and attentive service at the bar, and Verneisha, usually at the host stand, truly lit up every room with her positive energy! If you’re looking to venture out, I recommend Dennis’ (within walking distance) and Sheer Rocks (on site but not included in the all-inclusive plan)—both are delicious and offer a nice change of pace. Atmosphere & Amenities: The overall vibe is laid-back, quiet, and super romantic. We enjoyed nightly live music (that wraps up around 10), private cabanas by the sunset pool and cliffside, and beautiful infinity pools overlooking the ocean and mountains—it honestly looked like a screensaver. The swings at the Rafter’s Bar are perfect for sunset cocktails. The main pool is more social and often busier, so expect less privacy there. Chairs go quickly, but often free up after breakfast. I do wish the sunset pool had been cleaner—there was occasionally a film on top that made us skip swimming there. The beach is easily accessible and has local vendors, jet ski options, and chair/umbrella rentals. A short stroll gets you to Ffryes Beach, which is gorgeous, with options like the Tiki Bar and nearby Tamarind Hills for a fun little exploration. Service & Excursions: The staff are consistently warm, friendly, and helpful. Special thanks to Jarvin at the front desk for assisting with anything we needed. We did two fantastic excursions: Stingray City and a Wadadli Catamaran sail during Sailing Week. Highly recommend a visit to Shirley Heights and English Harbour as well—so worth it. Transportation: The airport is about 30–40 minutes away, and it was super easy to get a taxi wherever we wanted. Mr. Lunch was our go-to, and well worth it—professional and reliable. Final Thoughts: This was a true all-inclusive paradise—great value, incredible food and drink, stunning views, and unmatched privacy. My only complaint is that the travel days were long—I just wish we could have stayed longer! Read less

We have just returned from a beautiful trip to Antigua and Barbados. This was our first time on the islands and had the difficult decision on which beautiful resorts to choose for our bucket list holiday! I am so pleased we chose Cocobay and would definitely return. Firstly, some of the not so positives…. Yes some of the reviews with the need for upgrade and a little modernisation are true and I am sure they will do this at some point but it all adds to the charm of the resort. The decking around the top pool needs renewing as uneven and old and maybe a slight redesign to accommodate a few more beds as these go quite early, there is another pool and assigned spaces on the beach though. One or two of the restaurant staff could be a little friendlier as the rest are fabulous so a little disappointing when you don’t get the same wonderful level of service on occasion. So now all the positives… The resort is just beautiful, the grounds/gardens are stunning and well maintained. The position is perfect for views especially sunset, I think the best sunsets we have ever seen. The cottage was lovely, again a little dated and rustic but lovely, very comfortable bed with a mozzy net which we used. We had a small plunge pool to the side, and 2 loungers which were great, would have preferred more sun on that area but very lush greenery shaded it a little which wasn’t the end of the world. A lovely balcony with comfortable chairs. Now I am not a great fan of bugs and wildlife but loved the nature and wildlife around the resort. We had 4 lizards come visit the balcony every day and fed sugar to the birds every day and had 4-5 regular visitors, it was beautiful. Massive double powerful shower and plenty of towels and cleaned everyday. We were in one of the furthest away cottages and it was a bit of an uphill walk, wouldn’t be great for anyone with mobility issues. Make sure you ask for a closer cottage if you may need too. Breakfast was lovely especially the granola and yoghurt and the made to order omelettes. Lunch and dinner were also very good during our stay and defo try the small pasta as one of your courses the shrimp orzo was beautiful! The staff, all bar one or two were very friendly, happy and smiley. Sandy is probably the most wonderful human I have ever met, from the moment we met whilst having our first lunch whilst waiting for our room to be ready, she was a complete joy with helpful info about the resort and area and mozzies!! She is the hotels biggest asset and is just wonderful with guests. Lindell at the bar is lots of fun, fabulous service and awesome cocktails. There was also a young girl without a badge or pink shirt who was training who was just lovely, she was very attentive, friendly and an absolute joy. I wish her well with her training and hope to see her in pink when we return. A big thank you to all the staff though and to Kemlin for looking after us during our stay. Thank you Cocobay for a wonderful week in paradise x Read less