How to Holiday Like Royalty at Blue Waters, Antigua

Back before Meghan Markle, when Prince Harry was still a bachelor with a twinkle in his eye, he stayed at Blue Waters, Antigua.

He picked well.

You can have a right royal holiday at Blue Waters Resort and Spa, we discovered on a recent visit.

Blue Waters, Antigua, review

Blue Waters is one of the best resorts in Antigua.

Located on Soldier’s Bay on the Caribbean island’s northwest coast, it’s about a 15-minute drive from the airport.

Family-owned since it was established in 1960, it has grown to 120 rooms, suites and villas over the decades – spreading out over some 17 acres of beautiful lush gardens overlooking the Caribbean sea.

Recently, the resort underwent a $6 million renovation. It’s luxurious, but not stuffy – the perfect vibe for a beach vacay.

Here are 5 ways the Blue Waters hotel delivers the royal treatment, island-style:

1) Beautiful Antigua beaches

Antigua is known for having 365 beaches (one for each day of the year).

Blue Waters boasts not one but three beguiling beaches (whether they count as part of those 365 beaches, though, we can’t say).

And because Blue Waters is the only resort on Soldier’s Bay, those beaches are virtually private.

The sand is powdery soft, the water is the bluest blue (not hard to figure out where the resort got its name!) and the sea is like glass at two of those coves, making it very inviting for swimming. We’re no strangers to stunning beaches – and the beaches at Blue Waters are among the prettiest beaches in the world!

And if you feel like a bit more activity, simply sign out a stand-up paddleboard, hobie cat or kayak (complimentary) from the watersports center.

2) Deluxe Blue Waters Antigua Cove Suites

Set in four separate villas, the hotel’s renovated 730 sq. ft. Cove Suites are exceedingly lovely.

All white and turquoise, they’re decorated in white with color pops of turquoise.

Bathrooms have walk-in showers and huge tubs (and lovely Elemis bath products too).

If you go gaga over luxury villa resorts with private pools, these villas come pretty close to offering the true experience. Each villa has its own ocean-view infinity pool reserved exclusively for Cove Suite guests.

3) Tempting Blue Waters Hotel restaurants

You know how sometimes hotel restaurants aren’t, well, the most enticing?

No worries here. Blue Waters has three restaurants, including the a la carte Cove, which wows diners with its elegant cliff-top setting and lobster Thermidor.

The Blue Waters hotel buffet offers a fine selection of dishes too – plenty of healthy salads at lunch, along with fresh-grilled fish, pastas and more.

4) Indulgent Rock Cottage, Antigua

To really rock your Antigua vacation like royalty, book the Rock Cottage.

This luxurious 5-bedroom villa perches on a rocky point that juts out into Soldier’s Bay at the edge of Blue Waters.

Beachy in feel, the 4,200 sq. ft. villa has louvered and sliding glass doors that open wide from wall to wall, letting the outside completely in.

Staffed by 24-hour butlers, it also boasts its own pools and access to an almost-private beach below.

For the ultimate in 5 star Antigua accommodations, you can’t do much better than Rock Cottage!

5) Splurgey Blue Waters Antigua day pass

Maybe you’re visiting Antigua on a cruise ship for the day?

Even though time doesn’t allow you to stay the night, you can still enjoy a day at the Blue Waters Resort.

Simply email the hotel in advance about a day pass.

A full day pass from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm costs around $150 USD p.p. It includes breakfast, lunch, drinks, use of the pools and beaches, and shower and change facilities.

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Photo credits: 4 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | Remaining images Blue Waters Resort, Antigua

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