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Where to stay in Antigua
Choose between an exclusive resort set in its own private bay versus a new budget resort with self-catering cottages, apartments and villas.
Set on its own private beach, the Carlisle Bay resort is one of Antigua's most famous, super-exclusive resorts.
How they rate it
The hotel is "situated right bang in the centre of about the most beautiful bay you can imagine", saysClaudia Winkleman in The Independent. Any hotel built in such a beautiful location would still be "the most wondrous hotel on earth", but the owners of the Carlisle Bay decided to put in a bit of extra effort anyway. Rather than the traditional Caribbean interior design of bright, clashing covers and loud wallpaper, the rooms at Carlisle Bay are "more reminiscent of a Manhattan loft", with dark-wood beds, limestone floors and "impressively white" sofas.
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The hotel has two restaurants - Indigo, which is right on the beach, and East, a more formal restaurant serving Asian dishes. But the best meal you will have is included in the price: breakfast is "quite simply delicious". There's cinnamon French toast, fresh jams and buttermilk pancakes that will "make you cry out" with pleasure.
The cost
Double rooms cost from £463, including breakfast. Call 00 1 268 484 0000, or visit www.carlisle-bay.com.
Nonsuch Bay
Antigua is famous for extravagant and expensive resorts, such as Carlisle Bay. However, Nonsuch Bay, a new resort, aims to change all that. It has the look and feel of somewhere luxurious, but comes at a much lower price.
How they rate it
What sets Nonsuch Bay apart is "it doesn't have hotel rooms, but instead self-catering apartments, cottages and villas, which work well for couples and families alike", says Francesca Syz in The Daily Telegraph. The rooms have wood floors, shutters and "elegant white furnishings", says Tom Chesshyre in The Times.
But there are still hotel-style facilities, including a clubhouse, restaurants and bar, plus a spa and three infinity pools. The hotel's other selling point is its sailing centre. Anyone who gets fidgety after a few hours on a sun lounger will love it. The centre caters for all ages and all levels of experience. And the bay's "two square miles of sheltered waters are protected by a barrier reef and are perfect for small-boat sailing", says Syz.
The menu
The hotel's restaurant offers simple Caribbean dishes alongside international favourites, including red snapper and fillet steak.
The cost
Prices start at £122 per night for a one-bed apartment. Call 07939-424300, or visit Nonsuchbayresort.com to find out more.
What the travel writers are saying
Price comparison websites aren't just for finding cheap flights, notes Hodson. There are several that will search through dozens of sites looking for the lowest rate at either a particular hotel, or all those at a particular destination. Hodson recommends Travelsupermarket.com, Trivago.co.uk and Hotelly.co.uk. For example, Hotelly found a best rate for a double room at the five-star Ritz-Carlton in Berlin of £128. The hotel's own site, meanwhile, quoted £186 for the same date.
Another way to cut the cost of your hotel accommodation is to stay at a hotel during a 'soft opening'. This is the period when a hotel first opens to the public and everything isn't yet quite perfect. So "staff may fumble their lines or the reception might smell of fresh paint". To make up for any quirks, hotels usually discount rates during this period.
For example, a week's half-board at the Constance Ephelia Resort in the Seychelles usually costs £4,220 for two people, including flights. But in February, after the hotel had just opened, the price was just £2,480. Check HotelChatter.com for news on hotels that are about to open their doors.
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Ruth Jackson-Kirby is a freelance personal finance journalist with 17 years’ experience, writing about everything from savings accounts and credit cards to pensions, property and pet insurance.
