A boutique all-inclusive resort you can book with Hilton Honors points: My stay at Hermitage Bay
Editor's Note
Did you know you can book intimate, boutique hotels using points? We're happy to say that you sure can, thanks to partnerships between major hotel brands and boutique hotel collections, like Hilton and Small Luxury Hotels.
In Antigua, Hermitage Bay Resort provides all-inclusive, laid-back luxury set on a beautiful beach and lush hillside. It offers great food, good fun and the opportunity to just kick back and relax. Best of all, you can do it all using Hilton Honors points. And since the resort recently underwent a multimillion-dollar makeover, it's back and better than ever.
What it's like at Hermitage Bay
Sitting on the western shores of Antigua, Hermitage Bay is a luxury, all-inclusive resort with just 30 spacious and comfortable suites that are spread across the beach and up a hill, which boasts breathtaking coastal views. The resort is about 10 miles from Antigua's V.C. Bird International Airport (ANU). It costs about $40 each way in a cab, though I'd recommend organizing transportation through the resort.
The resort has a laid back and relaxing vibe, with cool, calm and effortlessly chic design features (I'm going to call it Caribbean rustic). During my stay, I met guests from all over the world, including honeymooning Americans, points-and-miles enthusiasts who were cashing in on Hilton Honors points, and other friendly people who mostly relaxed and lazed about during the day then enjoyed dancing and live music in the evenings.
Related: The 21 best Hilton hotels in the world
How much is Hermitage Bay and how to book it
As a high-end all-inclusive resort, Hermitage Bay has a hefty price tag: Cash rates start around $1,800 per night for two guests during the low season and easily reach above $3,000 per night during peak season. Standard award nights start at 190,000 Hilton Honors points, though availability at that rate can be spotty. Unfortunately, many nights are priced at over 1 million Hilton Honors points.
When booking the Hermitage Bay, you'll want to use one of the credit cards that earn the most points for Hilton stays, as well as one that possibly offers automatic Hilton Honors elite status for value-added benefits. These include:
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Earn 12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels, automatic Gold elite status and the ability to upgrade to Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year by spending $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year.
- The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Earn 12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels, automatic Gold elite status and the ability to upgrade to Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year by spending $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year.
- Hilton Honors American Express Card: Earn 7 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels and automatic Silver elite status (with an upgrade to Gold through the end of the next calendar year when you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year).
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 14 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels and automatic Diamond elite status.
Rooms at Hermitage Bay
One of the best things about this property: Guests of Hermitage Bay can expect plenty of space to spread out. The resort offers three types of accommodations: beachfront villas, hillside pool villas and garden pool villas.
My beachfront villa had a huge deck with lounge chairs, armchairs, a daybed and sliding glass doors that opened up into the massive villa. The living room area had a couch and two armchairs with a coffee table in the center, a full minibar and a four-poster bed with bug netting. The decor was in line with what I experienced at check-in; it reflected that Caribbean-chic vibe, with tropical motifs here and there, as well as mixed textures, natural materials and neutral tones.
I loved the view from the bed that looked out onto the deck and the ocean.
There was plenty of closet space, and one thing I particularly appreciated was that the staff constantly changed out reusable glass water bottles.
The back part of the villa featured the bathroom, in which there was a large soaking tub and an enclosed outdoor shower where I washed up under the stars at the end of the day.
The villa was super comfortable, stayed nice and cool, and felt very private. (Keep in mind that if you stay in one of the hillside pool villas, expect a bit of a climb to walk to your room or anticipate asking for a lift on a golf cart.)
Dining at Hermitage Bay
As an all-inclusive resort, most meals and drinks at the hotel are included in the nightly rate and served in the main dining area overlooking the beach. (Note that some top-shelf alcohol comes at an extra fee.) There are two places to eat on the property.
Tree Bar serves as the main bar for the beach, but moonlights as a sushi counter where chefs — who train with the nearby Nobu Barbuda — offer a sushi happy hour for guests. It was a lovely surprise, and one of my favorite (and most high-end) parts of my stay.
For the rest of my stay, I enjoyed a number of fresh, flavorful meals at the primary open-air restaurant, including a mouthwatering lobster sandwich (essentially a lobster roll on toasted bread instead of a bun), tons of fresh produce and veggies that rotated daily, freshly caught fish, beef tartare, expertly fried eggs for breakfast and even a grill night where I had two delicious grilled lobster rolls.
Amenities and things to do
While the best thing to do at Hermitage Bay is to just kick back and let life pass by slowly, there are still plenty of amenities and services to enjoy.
- Garden Spa treatments that range from hot stone massages and exfoliating body wraps to facials and Dorissima color rituals
- Daily Pilates sessions on the spa deck, plus occasional yoga and meditation classes
- Fitness center with high-end workout equipment
- Weekly cooking demonstrations
- Access to a nearby championship golf course and tennis courts
- Nonmotorized water sports, windsurfing, ocean canoes and snorkeling
- Day trips via boat or helicopter to Nobu Barbuda
- Ocean-facing infinity pool with lounge chairs
- New beach club experience
Insider tips for staying at Hermitage Bay
- If you book the resort for three or more nights, you'll get complimentary SUV pick-up to and from the airport.
- The hotel closes seasonally, this year from Aug. 25 through Oct. 11.
- Hilton Honors members with elite status get every fifth night free when booking standard room reward stays with points.
- Be sure to keep your eyes peeled around the resort for an impressive collection of photography.
Accessibility
According to the hotel's website (and as I witnessed during my stay), many parts of the hotel are not wheelchair accessible. There are often steps into both public and private spaces, unpaved walked paths and no lift into the pool.
As always, TPG recommends contacting the hotel directly to learn about its accessibility options.
Bottom line
For me, Hermitage Bay was a very special place. The size of the resort made it feel like an intimate experience. The relaxing vibe yielded a sense of luxury that felt simple yet sophisticated. Best of all, the all-inclusive nature of Hermitage Bay means that once you get there, you can put your credit card away and simply not worry about the price of (nearly) anything.
That said, if you can find award availability at the standard rate, you might find a serious return on burning some Hilton Honors points when you factor in how much is included in the price. But, unfortunately, those affordable dates are hard to find.
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