Banana colada please! This Antigua favourite has had a makeover The Times Qin Xie Banana colada please! This Antigua favourite has had a makeover new Hermitage Bay on the island's west coast now has a spa by the beach and a Tree Bar offering sunset views with its cocktails Hermitage Bay in Antigua is a 30-villa resort which has just enjoyed a ￡22.7 million upgrade Qin Xie Wednesday October 14 2026, 5.00am BST , The Times Listen 0:00 / · 15:43 min Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save W hen someone decides to uproot their entire life and move to Antigua after just one visit, you know they must have been on to something special. That's exactly what the British financier Andy Thesen did when he visited the island in 2002 and saw Hermitage Bay for the first time. He had been scouting potential locations for a holiday home but this secluded spot on the island's west coast, with its crescent of soft sand backed by a thick fringe of forest, captured his imagination in another way. Instead of a single villa, Thesen would end up building a whole collection of villas, becoming an accidental hotelier in the process — the hands-on type who, while preparing for the property's opening in 2006, cleared scrub with the builders and hoisted sinks for the plumbers. In the decades since, the hotel, named after the bay it overlooks, has played host to all manner of guests, from honeymooning couples cocooning for a week to solo digital nomads camping out for a month. Many would return year after year for the quiet luxury, the unfussy service, and the space and privacy to completely unwind. And it might have stayed exactly the same if Thesen hadn't decided it was time to sell up, retire and enjoy the slow life Antigua is famous for. In came the hotel developer Daniel Shamoon, who bought Hermitage Bay in 2024. He started the 30-villa property's second chapter this year with a ￡22.7 million upgrade and the original 158-strong team. As the co-owner of the marketing brand Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), and the man behind the launch of Nobu hotels in Marbella, Ibiza and Marrakesh, Shamoon certainly knows a thing or two about bringing luxury hotels to life. So as the finishing touches were being made, I checked in to see its new look for myself. Top stories 1 Starbucks 'explores takeover' of Chipotle Mexican Grill US business All recommendations within this article are informed by independent expert editorial opinion. This article contains affiliate links and links to our in-house travel agency, Times Holidays, all of which will earn us revenue. What you need to know? Where is it? Hermitage Bay hotel, on the west coast of Antigua Insider tip? If you plan to visit the capital St John's, go in the morning when it's at its liveliest Who will love it? Quiet souls who love secluded spots How to do it Our in-house agency Times Holidays can help you book your own fully customisable version of Qin's itinerary, tailored to your specific interests. Quote reference THOLNC0109 One of Hermitage Bay's beach villas Even to a first-time guest the ambitious scale of the update is obvious — changes have been made across everything from the layout to the design. As Rachel Browne, the hotel's long-time general manager, put it: “We basically gutted everything and started from scratch.” Advertisement The most striking change for returning guests will be the villas. Ebony-hued wood was used for everything in the original design — it's a classic Caribbean hotel aesthetic that's problematic for anyone with poor eyesight. Happily the refresh brought in brighter, beach house shades of caramel, beige and cream, with teal cushions adding pops of colour. Meanwhile, gardens have been created for the beach villas and hot tubs added to the wraparound verandas of rooms without private plunge pools, with the aim of increasing privacy. Top stories 1 Rental tracker: have rents gone up or down in your area? Property & Home Elsewhere, the hillside spa was relocated to a quiet spot on the beach, swapping lush tropical gardens for gentle lapping waves, while the space it vacated became a yoga deck with panoramic views of the coast. There are also two new dining venues offering stiff competition for the international menu available at the main restaurant. The view from a hillside villa The hotel's smaller restaurants include the Tree Bar My favourite was the Tree Bar, a tiki hut on the beach wrapped around a gnarly green buttonwood tree rooted in the sand. When it opened at 4.30pm, I ordered a superb lychee banana colada and every seat was taken for the daily ritual of sushi hour, where Nobu-trained chefs dished up maki and nigiri as the sun slid towards the horizon (cocktails from ￡13). It's one of the rare occasions at Hermitage Bay where you get close enough to your fellow guests to strike up a conversation, although only a handful do. After dark, the bar morphs into an intimate omakase counter, with a Japanese-inspired tasting menu showcasing the local catch of the day alongside imported wagyu beef under the soft glow of wicker lanterns (eight courses for ￡219). Most commented 1 Pope Leo facing more tests to see if lung cancer has spread Europe 129 comments 2 New cod on the block: the best British fish to eat sustainably Environment 11 comments 3 Sculpted stags in the garden — and other news in pictures Photography 22 comments 4 Three in ten of super-rich consider leaving Britain over tax fears Companies & Markets 12 comments 5 Tomorrow's world on display Universal Register 1 comment The other option is at the beach club, where the combination of tables under a raised pavilion and on the sand ensures everyone has a view of those sparkling, turquoise waters. This is the first and only part of Hermitage Bay to open to non-hotel guests, which means you might spot diners wandering over from the other end of the beach or getting dropped off by boat. And it's hugely popular thanks to a pop-up residency of the celebrated Nice restaurant La Petite Maison offering a taste of the Med in dishes such as lobster salad or grilled lamb cutlets accompanied by live music (mains from ￡27). It was remarkably easy to settle into the unhurried routine of resort life. My split-level villa was set a row back from the beach, with views of the backs of the other villas beyond the garden. In the mornings I would navigate the gap between the carefully cultivated plants and walk along the beach to the main restaurant. Breakfast meant a juice of the day and good, strong black coffee, plus avocado on toast or a bacon, egg and cheese wrap. Then I'd head out to explore the island. Advertisement Exploring beyond the resort Antigua is a compact 108 square miles although the astounding number of potholes means journeys often take much longer than the map would have you believe. Taxis are widely available but expensive, with a ten-minute journey costing as much as ￡20. I wouldn't bother driving unless you're extremely patient. The beach club is open to non-hotel guests In my case, travelling solo meant it was much easier to join a group tour and most of the ones I found on Viator offered pick-ups from Jolly Harbour, a gated enclave with a handful of restaurants facing the marina, a 15-minute taxi ride away. I settled on a scenic island tour that took me to the Unesco-listed Nelson's Dockyard — an essential stop in Antigua — and a snorkelling tour to Cades Reef, off the south coast and Maiden Island off the northeast coast. Hermitage Bay also offers private tours, such as guided visits to the historic sites around English Harbour (from ￡110 per group) and lunch at the Nobu on Barbuda, another of Shamoon's ventures (POA), which are worth considering for groups. Whenever I had a spare moment at the hotel, I'd sit by my villa's little plunge pool and let my legs dangle in the water while I read. Hummingbirds would dart between pinecone ginger flowers while lesser Antillean bullfinches would bring berries to eat on the deck next to me. When I remembered, I'd head to Tree Bar for sushi hour. Otherwise I'd wait until dinner at the main restaurant, where I'd tuck into dishes such as Chilean sea bass with a Cajun butter crust or grilled octopus with a jalapeño sauce while the local band played something soulful. Afterwards, I'd stroll back along the beach to my villa to soak in a tub so deep it requires a stepping stool and I'd wrestle open the louvred windows so I could slumber to the trill of tree frogs and the velvety breeze. The hillside villas have plunge pools with panoramic views Read more Discover the best hotels, villas, beaches and things to do in Antigua Why Antigua is perfect for family holidays Our guide to 19 of the best hotels in Antigua How to make your move from the UK to Antigua On my last day, Browne took me on a sunset tour on one of Hermitage Bay's boats, a taster of one of their signature experiences (from ￡890 per group per day). We sailed north along the coast towards Deep Bay, passing barely touched coves where guests could ask to drop anchor for a swim and a picnic, and jagged cliffs where wild goats hopped between rocks precariously close to the edge. Then we stopped in a quiet bay and sipped margaritas while we waited for the sunset. In this moment, it wasn't hard to see why Thesen upped and moved to Antigua. Nor why Hermitage Bay continues to hold such allure. Advertisement Qin Xie was a guest of Hermitage Bay, which has all-inclusive doubles from ￡2,700, including airport transfers (hermitagebay.com). Fly to Antigua. Our in-house agency Times Holidays can help you book your own fully customisable version of Qin's itinerary, tailored to your specific interests. Quote reference THOLNC0109 What else to see and do in Antigua What to do Visit the capital, St John's The colourful seafront of Antigua's capital, St John's NANCY PAUWELS/getty images Antigua's capital, St John's, is worth a half-day pootle to see the shops housed in the colourful buildings around Redcliffe Quay and the wooden interiors of the baroque-style St John's cathedral. Go in the morning as most places close in the afternoon, and avoid cruise ship days if you don't like crowds; check antiguacruiseport.com for the schedule. There are much prettier spots around the island if you're short on time. The best way to see the highlights is to book the six-hour scenic Antigua tour on Viator, which visits Devil's Bridge, the Blockhouse, Shirley Heights and Fig Tree Drive among other stops, and includes a simple lunch in a local restaurant (from ￡112; viator.com). Several similar options are available. If you're exploring on your own, an unmissable landmark is the Unesco-listed Nelson's Dockyard (￡11; nationalparksantigua.com). It was built in the 18th century by enslaved Africans and was used by the British Navy as a Caribbean stronghold when European powers raced to protect their interests in sugarcane plantations in the region. A small free museum inside the dockyard details this moment in history but the rest of the Georgian-era buildings have been taken over by hotels and restaurants with views of the pretty harbour. Save nearby Dow's Hill Interpretation Centre for a Friday night, when it hosts its popular Rum in the Ruins tour (about ￡19 paid in cash on the door; nationalparksantigua.com). You get the sunset view of English Harbour with two Caribbean-strength rum punches and a lively history lesson. An alternative viewpoint is Shirley Heights, which hosts a weekly barbecue on Sundays and a quieter version on Thursday nights (entry ￡7; mains from ￡11). For snorkelling, the best spots are along the south coast where you'll find a handful of reefs and wrecks. Creole Antigua Tours does a great six-hour snorkelling tour to Cades Reef and Maiden Island with drinks and a lobster lunch (from ￡134; viator.com). Blue tang and angelfish are ubiquitous in these waters but you might also spot turtles, rays and even the occasional nurse shark. Advertisement Where to eat Catherine's Café is a French-inspired restaurant on Pigeon Point beach Alamy Perched on a cliff with unobstructed sunset views, Sheer Rocks in St John's is considered one of the best restaurants in the Caribbean. Its creative menu fuses fresh catch of the day with international flavours. Choose from à la carte dishes such as chargrilled mahi mahi with saffron risotto and pickled daikon or splash out on a six-course tasting menu that ends with a chocolate soufflé (two courses à la carte from ￡69, tasting menu from ￡110; sheer-rocks.com). For a low-key dinner, head for Papa Zouk, a casual spot in St John's that's popular with locals. It's known for its incredible rum collection and seafood-centric menu, which changes daily. If available, the whole snapper, either grilled or fried, is the one to snap up (mains from ￡16; instagram.com/papa_zouk). Set on Pigeon Point beach in English Harbour, Catherine's Café is a French-inspired restaurant where dinners often end with dancing barefoot on the sand. People tend to come for lunch for the view of Falmouth Harbour. The menu is a taste of the Med, with dishes ranging from fruits de mer to confit duck leg with white bean cassoulet (mains from ￡25; catherines-cafe.com). Where to stay Curtain Bluff in St Mary's has a big culinary focus A member of SLH, the Inn at English Harbour is a boutique hotel on Antigua's south coast that sprawls across 19 acres from Dow's Hill down to Galleon Beach. Most of the rooms are in the characterful colonial-style mansions on the lawn at the bottom of the hill but the alfresco restaurant with sunset views, and a handful of recently renovated cottages, are a golf cart ride away at the top. A perk of staying here is the free shuttle boat to nearby English Harbour. There's also pretty decent snorkelling off the beach, with the chance to spot turtles (B&B doubles from ￡676; slh.com). Open since 1962, family-friendly Curtain Bluff in St Mary's has returning guests who are already in their second and third generations. While it's known for its mid-century charm, the hotel has been undergoing an extensive refresh, with a modern beach vibe introduced to the rooms and an expansion of the spa. As with other Relais & Châteaux members, there's a big culinary focus here. A five-course menu is the standard at the main restaurant, the Tamarind, and includes generously portioned dishes such as red wine-braised lamb shank and halibut with pine nuts and orange (all-inclusive doubles from ￡1,018; curtainbluff.com). Travel newsletter Your weekly round-up of the best travel inspiration, guides, hotel reviews and advice from our experts. Sign up with one click You've successfully signed up to the Travel newsletter Explore our newsletters An error occurred. 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