It is a great place for a family vacation, and yet appeals to the top end of the market as well, and definitely suits wealthy travellers who like to stay at fashionable hotels. Carlisle Bay Hotel Antigua is definitely a place where you can relax in a magnificent tropical setting, once described as contemporary luxury on the beach.

The Carlisle Bay Hotel is on the southern coastline of Antigua, and is located in a broad bay with steep sides with a mangrove lagoon to one side and the turquoise blue sea on the other. When you arrive at the gates you notice that everything from the gravel to the windows and balconies is grey which contrasts quite beautifully wit the lush vegetation, grass, and the sea. It also contrasts with the staff who are dressed in lilac. The effect of it all is very pronounced.

There are two distinct locations for the bedrooms, and this helps make this Carlisle Bay Antigua Luxury resort such a good place for a family vacation, and yet still an excellent place to stay without children. The Beach suites which are two bedroomed, and the Carlisle Suites which have three bedrooms line the beach on either side of the dining room and they are for families, whilst the one bedroomed Ocean Suites are set back somewhat by comparison.

The decor of the suites is very relaxing the rooms have a feeling of being very light and airy, with the beds are at the back so look out over the balcony which is down a couple of steps towards the sea. One of the best things about the rooms is that they look just like the photographs in the brochure, which isn't something that happens very often.

You'll particularly enjoy the hugeness of the rooms, the bathroom and all the luxury extras a hotel of the quality of the Carlisle Bay should have but don't have.

There are two restaurants, and they are excellent. The East has an Asian theme, and is Carlisle Bay's more formal restaurant, next to, but hidden from the Piano bar and the pool and Indigo on the Beach is particularly good just a few feet from the sea. There is a Friday evening BBQ on the beach which is very much a ?must do?.

It is also possible to dine in your suite, and there is 24 hour room service. Finally there is a Dinner Plan, and this is probably a good idea due the lack of nearby restaurants.

The breakfasts are fantastic, some of the best you will get anywhere.

The Carlisle Bay must be almost unique for a hotel, in having its own cinema, which is a great thing to be able to take in a movie, but beware the air conditioning is pretty fierce.

Another sign of a Luxury hotel is the availability of sun loungers, and one of the great things here at Carlisle Bay is the fact that even when the hotel is full, you won't have a problem either by the pool or on the beach. If you want to go snorkelling off the beach then go along to the rocks on the left of the bay. You'll see loads of fish, and whilst not the best it is still pretty good.

You will find that many of the guests at the Carlisle Bay are British, and the resort still seems quiet, even when it is full, and this is quite incredible when you consider this hotel is highly rated for an Antigua Caribbean Family vacation.

The probable reason for this is firstly the families have their own bedroom suites as previously indicated. There is an extremely well run children's program as well, and perhaps it is the fact that many of the children are from well off British families which is why they are so well behaved!!

Carlisle Bay has made a point of helping you to relax and do nothing, and it does this very well. There are however a good few complimentary facilities including water sports as well as nine tennis courts and a spa. If you don't want to be idle, there is plenty to do.

To summarise Carlisle Bay is an ideal destination for a family vacation in the Caribbean, being not a typical Caribbean Hotel. It is a class act well deserving its claim to be the top Antigua Luxury Resort.

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