Our quiet couples stay at Cocobay Resort in Antigua

A quiet couples stay with a private plunge pool, beautiful views and hummingbirds just outside our room.

My wife and I stayed at Cocobay Resort in Antigua. It was smaller and quieter than some of the all-inclusive resorts we had visited, but that worked well for this trip.

The first thing that stood out was the service. The staff seemed to take pride in taking care of people, and that feeling stayed with us throughout our visit. Our room was cozy, with a private plunge pool behind it and a view looking across the bay.

A hotel room with a dark timber plank floor, white timber-frame walls and a pitched open-beam ceiling with a fan. Full-height curtains run along one wall with a door open to bright daylight, louvred wardrobe doors stand at the left, a luggage bench holds an open suitcase, and the made-up bed enters the frame at the right. — Inside our room at Cocobay.

One of my favorite details was the hummingbird feeder outside our accommodation. We could sit outside and watch hummingbirds come around during the day. It was something simple, but it helped make the room and the whole stay feel special.

The hummingbird feeder outside our accommodation. We regularly saw hummingbirds visiting it during our stay.

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The room and the view

Our plunge pool gave us a private place to relax without having to leave the room. Behind it, we could look out toward the water. The resort sits on a hillside, so some of the best views came from being higher up.

A tiled plunge pool in the foreground, its water still, with a large palm frond overhanging from the left and flowering shrubs at the edge. Beyond it a bay of pale turquoise water holds a small thatched shade hut on a rock jetty, with green hills along the far shore. — The private plunge pool and bay view from the patio just outside our room at Cocobay Resort.

The restaurant and infinity-pool area also looked out over the ocean. Sitting up there with the water in the distance was one of the prettiest parts of the resort.

A bay seen from higher up the hillside: turquoise shallows shading to deeper blue, a thatched shade hut on a rock jetty at the water's edge, a narrow strip of beach, and green hills rising along the opposite shore under a bright sky. — The view across the bay from higher up the resort.

These were features of the accommodation and areas we experienced during our stay. Other rooms may have different layouts and views.

Food, drinks and the quieter atmosphere

The food was very good, and so were the drinks. Cocobay had a quieter atmosphere and less live entertainment than the Sandals resorts we had visited. That was not a problem for us. It was simply a different kind of trip, and the peaceful setting suited us.

A dinner plate holding glazed barbecue chicken pieces, rice and peas, macaroni and cheese, a slice of garlic bread and a small side salad, photographed indoors in warm evening light. — Dinner during our stay.

We also left the resort to visit a local beach and eat seafood at a local restaurant. I do not remember the name of the restaurant, but the seafood was delicious. It was nice to enjoy the resort and still experience a little more of Antigua away from it.

The view out to sea from a lounger under a palm-thatch shade hut. A red lounger cushion and an orange towel fill the near foreground, the rocky shoreline and a low rock platform sit at the water's edge, and a second thatched hut stands to the left with the far shore beyond. — Looking out to the water from a shaded spot at the resort.

What I would remember before booking

The hills and steps were noticeable during our stay. The elevated setting helped create the views we enjoyed, but someone who has difficulty with hills or stairs would have wanted to consider that before choosing a room.

What I remember most is the service, the view, the private plunge pool and watching the hummingbirds outside. Cocobay gave us a quieter couples trip, and sometimes that is exactly what you want.

A quick note about this story

This story describes our own stay. Resorts, rooms and services can change, so check the resort's current information before booking.