Cocobay

We visited the hotel around 4 years ago so we’re really looking forward to visiting on a 2 centre holiday - we love Antigua and had stayed at Cocos over the bay last time Gardens are very pretty and you can see the sugar birds and humming birds and choices of wonderful beaches and fabulous sea 2 days we couldn’t get any beach towels and lots of beds taken with towels but no one lying on them - so we mainly swam in the sea and dried as we walked back We booked with Expedia and were disadvantaged - no drinks in mini bar, room right out the way with a view of a huge blue noisy shed (water or sanitisation ) looked out of place and you could get wafts of smells you walked back towards reception - not sure if Expedia knows about this Initially our pool didn’t have a pump that worked and wasn’t really impressed with the reception staff - very prescriptive and took 3 attempts to ask for pump to be sorted Lovely bathroom with a double shower and rustic cottage (sitting area had no air conditioning so too hot to sit in that part) Overall the food was good and had some nice meals and wine was good and included - the cocktails I was disappointed (cheap alcohol and not often shaken) so didn’t bother with the cocktails. Good coffee shop We went in the tour of the resort but it was all about having sushi in the pool, cabana for 100 dollars to watch the sunset and the restaurant you pay extra for - seemed like a sales pitch to me Felt staff were told what to say rather than speaking from the heart but a big shout out to Sasha who was attentive and had a lovely personality I think with a few changes the hotel could be excellent Read less

We went for 9 nights, flying BA to arrive and leave early afternoon. It was a “fly and flop” holiday - we planned to do nothing except eat, drink, and lounge about by water. We succeeded. Be prepared for mosquitoes in the evening. We used repellent every night and were not really affected. We also made full use of the mossie net over the bed. Well-made cocktails at the bars - maybe a bit sweet? Huge variety, and they’ll make what you want. Not top recognisable brands of spirits - but you don’t really notice in a cocktail. Wine is acceptable chardonnay (oaked) or sauvignon blanc. Brand is S7 from Chile. Also a prosecco. Also two reds, but I don’t drink those so no idea of quality. You can upgrade to wine from a reasonable wine list at standard restaurant prices. Diet coke - from a tap, rather than bottle/can. Lots of ice, so it becomes diluted very quickly (why I prefer a can to top up myself) Everything is about upgrades - where you can sit, what pool you use, what you eat, what you drink. Bit like being on a cruise. However, there is NO hard sell! We ordered upgraded wine on two occasions and there was always quite a wait, with it arriving at room temperature - they clearly don’t sell that much, and are unprepared for it. An ice-bucket chilled it nicely. If you don’t drink it all they will keep for the next night - but they “lost” my bottle one night! After I’d waited 30mins (and moved to in-house sauv blanc to tide me over) they said it was lost, and would give me a new, unopened bottle. I saved that for the next night - but it still took 30mins to arrive… Breakfast - a la carte included eggs cooked to order and crispy streaky bacon. Fresh fruit salad, yoghurt, cereals, meats & cheese. Pastries and toast brought to table - no choice, but made in house and varying daily Juices are from carton, not fresh-squeeze Daily cooked “special” e.g. scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, waffles & bacon Lunch - 3 courses Dinner - 4 courses, pay extra to upgrade to steak. Coffee shop open 7am - 6pm Hot drinks, smoothies, baked snacks - all included Bars offer mid-afternoon snacks included e.g. paninis, sliders & chips Going for 9 nights, I feared we might become bored of the food with a limited menu, but we didn’t. There was always something we liked, and it was high quality. We usually ordered fries as an extra! We did NOT go hungry. We were served (well) by Indira so many times she accused us of stalking her! 🤣 Small pools - only accessible by booking - min $120 US, just not worth it. Transfer available twice a week to St John’s - we inadvertently went on a day with no cruise ships so shops, restaurants & museums mostly closed. Struggled to find anything open or somewhere for a drink. Tough way to kill 2 hours! Cost US$23 per person - not worth it, unless you need to get some currency or it’s a cruise day and you want to shop. Sun eve there is a transfer to St John’s US$30 per person plus $10 to get in. Reggae music and bbq. Leaves at 4, back at c. 8pm - seemed a bit daft to go all that way to eat & drink, only to arrive back at the hotel for your included dinner? We didn’t bother. Sheer Rocks restaurant is on the property but unaffiliated. Worth a visit - but be aware not low cost option. Every room is a cabin - great for privacy. Balcony - showers open on to it. Pay more for better view, closeness to facilities, in room pool. Nice if you want to be very private, but otherwise not worth paying for. Word of warning: they wanted a credit card on check-in, which is fine. The day before we left we got a statement mid-afternoon; I emailed immediately to ask them NOT to charge that card, explaining it is very expensive to use, and confirmed I would pay with a different card. 3 hours later (on day BEFORE departure day)… they charged my credit card! When I called to complain they explained that they had not received my email as the one that was sent was automated and replies do not go to them. I pointed out that there is nothing in their email to warn of that, and that no time had been provided for queries about the bill (which was wrong anyway!) They agreed to void the transaction. But it was hassle that should not have happened. Think about the currency you bring with you to Antigua. Most things are generally priced in $US - taxis, restaurants etc. It’s probably easier to bring that with you as currency - but try to bring smaller notes, as they are unlikely to have change. You can bring Eastern Caribbean $, but as most things are priced for tourists in $US, they end up having to work out an exchange rate. It’s just hassle. Next time I would just bring $US. Cards are also widely accepted - but don’t rely on them. Read less

Cocobay is a charming, friendly and beautiful experience. The food is wonderful- which is important since you can’t eat anywhere else easily. The all inclusive nature of the hotel is perfect, along with the location on the island of Antigua. If you have the budget for the oceanfront rooms- you should do it. They come with perks which are not advertised… We rarely go the same place twice but we will most certainly be back to CocoBay. Read less