Located on a private 100-acre peninsula on Mamora Bay on Antigua’s southwestern coast, you will find St. James Club.  This all-inclusive, private resort offers two pristine beaches, activities both on and off land, full-service spa, golf, fine dining, and more.  Within the resort there are 250 rooms, suites and villas which include views of wither the ocean or gardens from the private balconies or patios of all the rooms, and two-bedroom villas, which are located in a separate village.

There is an endless list of activities provided at St. James Club, and Mamora Beach serves as the spot for watersports such as windsurfing, pedal boats, sunfish sailing, kayaking, diving and more.  And the other beach here offers coral outcrops that are ideal for diving and snorkeling.  Diving certification is also available, and deep sea fishing and yacht charters are available to the nearby islands. 

Other activities include: swimming at one of their three pools, six all-weather tennis courts (5 of which are lit for night play), volleyball, croquet, foosball, golf at the championship Cedar Valley Golf Club, and a Kid’s Club, where you children can take part in the fun, complimentary daily activities that are available for children ages 5 to 12, while you relax and take party in the soothing body treatments at the spa.

There are many dining venues to choose from, such as:  the romantic Docksider Restaurant, an open-air bistro located beside Mamora Bay Beach; Piccolo Mondo, which serves a variety of Italian and international cuisine and is a favorite for private functions; the Coco Beach BBQ offers casual dining and snacks on the beach; the Rainbow Garden, which is the resort’s main dining room; and the Garden Patio, where morning coffee and afternoon tea are provided.  There is also dancing and entertainment available at the resort’s club and lounges.

Galley Bay in Antigua is located on forty acres of beautiful tropical gardens on the west coast of the island.  Set within lush gardens, the resort is bordered, with a bird sanctuary lagoon on one side and a three-quarter-mile beach on the other.  This resort offers luxurious comfort with total privacy within their secluded paradise.

 After being completely rebuilt in 1995, their 70 rooms are beautifully accommodated and ideal for relaxation.  Here, you can stay in one of their 10 beach-front rooms, 29 deluxe beachfront rooms, 16 beachfront suites, or 14 Gauguin Cottages.  The rooms and suites offer louvered windows, air conditioning, ceiling fans, baths with showers, and design aspects with natural materials such as bamboo, terra cotta and thatch.  Their cottages come equipped with private plunge pools and lie on the edge of the bird sanctuary.  They consist of two adjoining cottages with a bedroom and a bath/dressing room.

 You can relax in their salon and take advantage of their Swedish massages, aromatherapy, and hair and nail care.  Their private pools feature cascading waterfalls, and their air-conditioned fitness center comes with up-to-date equipment.  When it comes to activities, you will have no need to leave the resort.  They offer watersports such as Sunfish and hobie cat sailboats, kayaks, snorkeling off the wreck of the Andes, and PADI diving certification.

 Within the resort you can dine elegantly at one of their two restaurants and bars.  The SeaGrape is a la carte dining that serves both lunch and dinner.  And the Gauguin Restaurant is great for romantic and intimate lunches and dinners.  The European chef serves dishes at both and specializes in Euro-Caribbean cuisine menus that centers around the locally grown produce and freshly caught fish.  The Teepee Bar is a favorite for appetizers at cocktail hour, and you can enjoy a Banana Slide, the resort’s specialty cocktail, at the Lounge bar while you listen to steel drums in the background.

 Antigua is beautiful and easy to explore, with rental cars available for excursions to the island’s sites.  Popular day trips include: Shirley Heights, the island highest point, which provides views of neighboring Montserrat and Guadeloupe; and English Harbour, where bicycle tours of the island are available.  From Galley Bay you can arrange Catamaran trips to Cades Reef or bird island, helicopter tours of Antigua, Yacht charters, and swims with the dolphins in the warm waters of the island.

No one likes layovers, that’s why we’ve compiled a list of islands you can reach nonstop from the mainland U.S. and Canada.

Antigua - has many white sand beaches and is a popular destination for boaters.  When in Antigua, stay at Siboney Beach Club; a homey, 12-suite inn on Dickenson Bay.

Aruba – 18 miles north of Venezuela, sits just outside the hurricane belt and usually has sunny skies all year-round.  When in Aruba, stay at Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort on Eagle Beach’s white sands.

Bahamas – just a 30-minute flight from the mainland U.S., with mellow beaches and beautiful water.  When in the Bahamas, stay at the Orange Hill Beach Inn, a 30-room inn located on a Nassau snorkeling beach.  You can also try the Paradise Harbour Club & Marina, which has a pool, a Jacuzzi, and free beach shuttles.

Barbados – When in Barbados stay at the Dover Beach Hotel, the rooms are only steps from Turtle Beach and the hotel is only a 15 minute drive from the airport and is within walking distance from St. Lawrence Gap.  Also you can stay at the Sea Breeze Beach Hotel, where all of the beachfront rooms have a balcony or patio.

Cayman Islands – the largest and most populated of the three Cayman Islands is Grand Cayman, where many a diver has fled to look at the Cayman Trench (an underwater canyon that plunges nearly 25,000 feet deep.  When here stay at the Turtle Nest Inn, with has 10 two-bedroom condos and seven one-bedroom apartments, and you can see the ocean from your bed.

Dominican Republic – a main entry point is Santo Domingo, the Republic’s capital, other popular points are La Romana, Punta Cana, Puerto Plata, and Santiago.  When there you can stay at the all-inclusive, adults-only, BlueBay Villas Doradas in Puerto Plata, where romance is easy to rekindle.  Or at Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach near La Romana, this all-inclusive hotel features 530 rooms, three pools, four restaurants and four bars.

Grenada – You can find a laid back atmosphere at Grenada, and can never fear it booming from tourism, as this island has a law stating that buildings cannot be taller than a coconut palm tree.  When here stay at the beachside Coral Cove Cottages located on five acres of hillside gardens.  Or at the La Sagesse, which is found on a secluded beach.

Jamiaca – the main entry points for U.S travelers are Kingston and Montego Bay.  Here you can stay at the all-inclusive Starfish Trelawny Resort & Spa in Montego Bay, which houses five pools, waterslides, a beach, water sports and activities.

 The Caribbean is making itself over, and here are some of the most popular new and refurbished hotels in the Caribbean this 2007-08 season.

 In the Bahamas you will find the Atlantis Paradise Island, which will have finished its multimillion-dollar expansion by December 19 of this year by adding the new 497-unit Reef Atlantis.  This is a section of family-friendly units that feature kitchens, laundry facilities and large terraces, also with upscale options such as butler service. Rates start at $340 a night for a 519-square-foot studio terrace.  Another in Bahama is the 694-room Sheraton Cable Beach Resort in Nassau, which just went through a $2.3 billion refurbishment on their seven-acre beachfront property.  The rates start at $199 a night.  And on the out-island of Bimini you will find the new Bimini Bay Resort, which features 300 condos and villas, and ranges from $250 a night for a studio to $2,400 for a four-bedroom villa.

 In Puerto Rico you can visit the Caribbean’s first oceanfront water park, Coqui Water Park.  This 2.4 acre water park opens in January 2008 at the El Conquisitor Resort.  This park features a 8,000-square-foot “lazy river”, a 9,000-square-foot infinity pool that overlooks the Caribbean, Flumes and free-fall slides.

 In St. Thomas you can stay at the Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas, which through its $40 million transformation will offer 55-new club-level guest rooms in addition to the previous, and now re-done, rooms.  They also expanded the spa with Prada-branded treatments.  Rooms start at $359.

 In Jamaica you can visit the living-history park, Outameni Experience, which traces 500 years of Jamaican history with interactive exhibits set in a historic Great House.  This park was opened in September in Trelawny between Montego Bay and Ochos Rios.  You can also go over to Negril and go to the Kool Runnings Water Park, which offers a Jamaican bobsled ride.  And when looking to stay in Jamaica, you need not look farther than the Iberostar Rose Hall Resort in Montego Bay.  This 950-room resort is going through two phases of a $850 million development, one of which is finished with rates starting at $208 and the second of which will open next year.

 In Mexico you can stay at one of the newest hotels, Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya, which opens in January 2008.  On 36 acres is features 128 villas and a 25,000 square-foot spa.  Doubles start at $700.

 In the Dominican Republic you will find the Cap Cana Resort on 33,000 acres in Punta Cana.  This is Punta Cana’s first resort hotel once is opens the 176-suite Sanctuary Cap Cana Golf & Spa, with rates starting at $468.

 And in Antigua you can relax at the eco-friendly Verandah Resort & Spa, located on 30 acres along Dian Bay.  This resort offers hiking trails, two sheltered beaches and the islands largest free-form pool.  Rates start at $243.

The place to go to relax is Sandy Lane on the island of Barbados.  As the highly-publicized site of Tiger Woods’ wedding, this resort offers spa and luxury treatments that will relax you till you’ll never want to leave.  With the offer of both romance and escape, The Spa at Sandy Lane sets the scene for relaxation.  The spa rooms are lined with soundproof white fabric to keep all unwanted noise out, and the resort presents their guests with luxury rooms, the amazing spa, fitness center, spa café and boutiques, and so much more. 

On the bottom floor you will find 11 treatment rooms.  Before their spa treatments, the guests are given a choice of essential oils.  They also offer new luxury spa treatments and machines.  One of the new additions to the spa is the hydrobath machine; a plastic cocoon that sprinkles, pours and splashes water of different temperatures on the client while the lights change between all the colors of the rainbow to offer chromo therapy along with the treatment.  And with this machine they are able to offer what has become one of their most popular treatments, the Weight Loss Spa Oceana Hydrobath Programme.  With this, the high heat of the water used causes a loss of water weight that lasts for several days, and has become a favorite among brides and guests that want to look their best on their vacation.

Also found at Sandy Lane is two large pools, a eucalyptus sauna, plunge pools, a steam room and an ice room, which offers a freshening reprieve from the heat outside.  Upstairs, guests will find the fitness center, where they can work out with top-of-the-line equipment and have the offering of towels, fruit, water and personal music players.  They can also sign up for group classes like mat Pilates, spinning, and box-exercise, which take place daily.  They can also visit the John Frieda salon and spa shop which sits next to a waterfall and overlooks the resort’s main pool.  So for relaxation and complete luxury, many guests look to The Spa at Sandy Lana to take their troubles away.  For more information call 866-444-4080 or visit www.sandylane.com.

You can find the opportunity for luxury as well as total privacy and comfort at Galley Bay in Antigua. This resort is placed on the west coast of Antigua with a bird sanctuary lagoon on one side, and a three-quarter mile beach on the other. With 70 rooms, tennis courts, fitness rooms, activities, and the natural beauty of Antigua, you will find comfort and luxury the second you arrive.

Galley Bay was completely rebuilt in 1995 and offers 10 superior beach-front rooms, 29 deluxe beachfront rooms and 16 premium beachfront suites. All rooms feature louvered windows, air conditioning, ceiling fans and baths with showers and cooling tiled floors. The rooms are also adorned with natural materials such as bamboo, thatch and terra cotta. In the salon you will find the luxury of Swedish messages, aromatherapy and hair and nail care. The resort’s private pool features waterfalls which offer the perfect spot to relax. They also offer an air-conditioned fitness center and activities such as water sports (sunfish, hobie cat sailboats, and kayaks), snorkeling off the wreck of the Andes, and golfing at one of the two 18-hole gold courses within close distance to the resort. Also, when dining at Sea Galley, all you will find is luxury. With their two restaurants that specialize in Euro-Caribbean cuisine that centers around locally grown produce and fresh fish, and their two bars, you won’t have any need to leave the resort. The SeaGrape is an a la carte dining venue, and the Gauguin Restaurant is a romantic and intimate spot to dine. The Teepee Bar is where many go looking for appetizers at cocktail hour, and the Lounge Bar offers their specialty cocktail, the Banana Slide, and the sounds of steel drums.

If you leave the resort, you will find beauty on the island of Antigua. Rental cars are always available for trips to many sites such as Shirley Heights (the island’s highest point with views of neighboring Montserrat and Guadeloupe), the English Harbour (popular spot for bicycle tours), and Catamaran trips to Cades Reef or Bird Island (which can be arranged from Galley Bay).

First thing first…if your from the United States Antigua is pronounced ANTI-GA. I read many reviews of the hotel prior to going and was very hesitant about committing. Our travel agent at tropicaltravel.net recommended the hotel and we went. We are a family of 4 two brothers 23/24 and a mom/dad. We arrived and were intrigued by the property layout. Be reminded we arrived at 1:30am Christmas Eve. Off the lobby is the Casino/Bar which despite not having many people in the Casino at 1:30am it was a relief to see some action. The resort is all-inclusive meaning nothing is really top shelf unless you think Stoli is and food is not the best. However, the people and the experience was amazing. We stayed from the 24th of Dec till the 2nd of January; so we got to see a lot of diverse people. 90% of the occupants were from England. The other 10% from all over but mainly the US i.e.: New York/ East Coast. And every 3rd day roughly a plane of flight attendants from Virgin Atlantic arrive which is sometimes a breath of fresh air. The resort is split by the actual hotel part and the villa side. The hotel side is where we stayed two rooms with spectacular ocean views. Each room had a balcony and yet the linens were old; but the view setting made me brush that aside. The main pool is nice however very windy I don’t know if it’s like that all the time but by the shape of the palm trees around the pool I suspect it is. There are two beaches one which like the pool is windy but more private or the villa side beach which contains all the activities including sailing, windsurfing, snorkeling..etc. On the villa side beach there is also a couple yachts usually which add to the pristine view. As it was Christmas time people at the resort and villas were intermingling and the people we met at the restaurants/ bar each night made the next day at the pool or beach even more interesting. There are 3 restaurants; however the cliff side Piccolo Micclo has a $35 surcharge plus $18 for Caribbean Lobster. The other two restaurants are okay but after 10 days you’ll need a break. English Harbour is about 15 minutes by cab and you should not pay more than $5 a person. At English harbor there is really only two places to eat one was called Abracadabra ran by a flamboyant Italian (very good Italian but bad seafood) and the other a French place but we never went there. The main town of St. John is a tourist trap for the cruises. However, if you step out of the square there is a little wine shop that is awesome to just sit and drink champagne before the hotel shuttle picks you back up later. This trip was not defined by the food or drinks yet by the people we met and the great property settings. The bartenders and servers at the restaurants are mostly good however you will run into a bad attitude more frequently than not. Overall St. James club should be rated 3 1/2 stars and if you’re looking for 4 to 5 star AAA rated you need to go to Jumby Bay or Captain Bluff/Curtain Bluff (I forgot). St. James club is a great vacation just be sure to not focus on just the food.