This hotel in Antigua and Barbuda is too good to gatekeep…
Have I found a gem for you all. This hotel is truly special. Escape at Nonsuch Bay is tucked away from the commercialised beach hotels of the west coast of Antigua, you can live your best life with a private pool room. You feel truly immersed in nature with lizards, turtles and birds with colour feathers inconceivable in the UK. Also some of the most stunning sunsets I’ve ever seen. You also get a different side to the Caribbean on the east coast of Antigua. This hotel is on the east coast of the island which is where you’ll find mangroves and lush greenery alongside the beaches giving a unique experience.
I visited Antigua last year and it’s the Goldilocks island of the Caribbean. It’s one of the safest and friendliest places I’ve visited but doesn’t not break the bank. You can get a mix of history, nature and, of course, beaches (pick any out of the 365 on the island!). It took us a long time to consider a trip to the Caribbean as honestly I wasn’t interested in a holiday where it was unsafe to leave the resort without a guide. Although this is true for some Caribbean islands, this is not the case for Antigua. Serious crime levels are incredibly low and I’d encourage you to hire a car to really see the island.
The east side of the island is a mix of beaches and mangroves with breathtaking views and landscapes. It’s also less frequently visited by big cruise ships as its off the beaten track. If you go in the shoulder season, which is when we visited and also the timing of this deal, it’s truly quiet and secluded.
How to get a private pool room with 55% off
Selfishly, I wanted to keep this hidden gem to myself as I stayed in this hotel in April 2025 but a deal landed in my inbox that was too good not to share. Escape at Nonsuch Bay is a small all inclusive resort that is currently offering a huge 55% off bookings from May to September 2026 if you book before 28th Feb using code ESC7YR. Even if you miss this deal, they still offer sizeable discounts for booking early.
So before I tell you why I love this hotel, the timing of booking in that May to September window is important, as this is the off season for the Caribbean. Antigua does get a hurricane season and this is in September/October so I would advise against booking then. In the window of this offer, I would probably book in the beginning of May. You’d be in the shoulder season and I won’t lie, there is a chance it might rain during your trip.
However it will still be around 30°C and the sun in Antigua is searingly hot. Both my partner and I agreed we wouldn’t want to visit in the high season as it would be too hot. Also when it rains at Nonsuch Bay it’s a sight to behold. Heavy warm rain while in your own private plunge pool is a pretty magical experience, case and point below. Also when it rains in Antigua, it’s not like the never ending drizzle you get in the UK. It is heavy but short lived. Also its so hot after, everything dries almost immediately.
So what does this all inclusive offer?
Escape at Nonsuch Bay doesn’t pretend to be a huge resort, this is a hotel that offers a personal Caribbean experience that encourages you to experience the natural side of the island. There are only 40 rooms and if you visit out of the high season, might not all be full so provides a very intimate atmosphere. The hotel has one restaurant that puts on theme nights including a Caribbean BBQ night on Wednesdays (highly recommend!) and a bar that is open late into the evening and with the option to take drinks down to the jetty or your room. I’m still yet to find a pina colada as good as the ones we had here.
The shared pool area is nice but we didn’t use it that much as the views from the pool in our room were far superior and if you want a relaxed drink there’s a secluded jetty, which when we were there hardly anyone used. There are also kayaks down here which are free to use.
Although not a beach front hotel, don’t let this put you off as even without a car you can still experience the beach. The hotel runs a boat shuttle to a nearby sandy beach with very swimmable waters and is great for snorkelling. There is also a bar on the beach which is included as part of the all inclusive, perfect!
Every room in this hotel comes with it’s own private plunge pool which is the highlight. The pools look out into the bay and even the cheapest rooms have great views. The couch areas next to them are the perfect place to read a book along with the huge outside tubs.
Honourable mention
Although not included in the all inclusive, I would highly recommend the activities this hotel puts on. We did a few but the tour directly from the hotel jetty to visit Green Island and snorkel with turtles is a really fantastic experience. You get within metres of the turtles and if you go in the morning will likely be the only people there. The guides are so knowledgeable and you get to experience these majestic creatures in their natural habitat without human intervention (they don’t bring additional food for the turtles, the guides know exactly which beaches have the most growth of kelp which attracts the turtles).
Although if you plan on doing anything outside the all inclusive (which you know I highly recommend!), bring USD in cash before you land on the island. ATMs are few and far between in Antigua and you need to pay for most things in cash. You can exchange at the front desk of the hotel, but they add an additional charge meaning the exchange rate is not ideal.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Your own private pool in an all inclusive with fabulous views
- Experience a different side to Antigua and the Caribbean away from the crowds and cruise ship madness
- Room rates for £165 per night (standard rate is £332 per night), which is insane value for Antigua and the Caribbean in general
- Perfect for a secluded, adults only holiday
- Fresh and varied food choices and fabulously made drinks
- Although in the mangroves, you can still have access to the beach which is quiet and secluded
- Amazing snorkelling opportunities
- Feel immersed in tropical wildlife that is so unlike the UK
- Close to a lot of the activities on the islands, such as Shirley Heights and Stingray City
- BA operate directly to Antigua from Gatwick and have a good selection of avios reward flights.
Cons
- The 55% deal is only available for May-Sept meaning there is a sizeable risk it might rain during your trip. This happened to us and it didn’t tarnish our enjoyment of Antigua (or my tan) but depends how important uninterrupted sun is for you.
- Although there is beach access you can’t walk out of the hotel onto white sands or swimmable water. When we visited Antigua, we split our trip between Escape at Nonsuch Bay and their west coast sister hotel Cocobay to get the best of both worlds.
- If you plan to spend all your time in the hotel, you might get bored after a couple of days so I would recommend bookings some of the activities the hotel offers.
- Not suitable for groups looking to party or families with children.
How would I book this trip?
I would book a ‘garden view room’ that comes with its own private pool for 1st-8th May 2026 using code ESC7YR. This makes the cost per person for a couple under £600 for the week.
I’d also looking at booking onto the turtle tour at the hotel and perhaps splitting my trip with a beach front hotel to get the best of both worlds. I would also considering hiring a car for the duration of the trip. For flights, I’d definitely have a look at BA reward flights if I had avios that needed using.
If you’ve visited Escape at Nonsuch Bay or Antigua, let me know in the comments! Happy booking!