I have good friends currently embedded at the Beach House (Barbuda) with plans to stay at Antigua later in the week. At this stage, the Antigua portion of the trip is scheduled for Blue Waters Hotel

[Island Visitor]

I have good friends currently embedded at the Beach House (Barbuda) with plans to stay at Antigua later in the week. At this stage, the Antigua portion of the trip is scheduled for Blue Waters Hotel but may be kicked up to Carlton Bay.

Anyway, here is the report so far.

VC Bird Airport: It sounds as though this was not Big Fun. My friends, with three SBH trips under their belt, said this place makes SXM look like a picnic. Apparently the airport is crowded, somewhat noisy and chaotic.

HOWEVER, as part of The Beach House experience, they have someone meet you at the airport and walk you through to the puddlehopper you take to Barbuda. In this case, they were met by a very pleasant lady who had their bags retreived and then REALLY greased the wheels. Apparently, there was a huge Airbus that was loading and the line to get into the departure gate was "200 yards long". EVERYONE departing has to go through a door where an agent checks papers, etc. Well, the escort took my friends and their luggage past the ENTIRE line and they breezed right through the door, smiling and waving at the inspector without even stopping or showing papers. They were loaded into the puddlehopper and off they went.

Ah yes, the beauty of flying small planes.

Upon arrival on Barbuda, they were struck with the fact that it looks remarkably the way it is described to look - mostly flat and desolate. Unlike more verdant islands, Barbuda is really a large sandbar that just so happens to stick out of the water. The Beach House is located upon a deserted strip of sand, surrounded by more sand and a little bit if scrub. The place is VERY casual, almost like a, well, BEACH HOUSE. But it is also very elegant, in a casual way. The service is reported as VERY attentive and the people are very nice.

Awaiting today's email about food and other things but so far it sounds like a wonderful quiet place to go, just as Rick stated in another thread.

[Island Visitor]

Winds continue but Embedded Friends LOVE the place. Food is reported to be excellent and the service could not be any better. MUCH attention to detail given. Embedded Friends REALLY enjoying the place

more to come...

[Island Visitor]

Our Embedded Friends puddlehopped over to Antigua last nite. Their summation of Beach House Barbuda is all good. The winds were inconvenient for part of the trip but the food was great, the place was gorgeous and VERY casual and the service could not have been better. Plus, even though The Kingdom Of Antigua And Barbuda is of British heritage, it caters to a European crowd who understand civilized bathing. That dont hurt.

Last nite, our Embedded Friends made it to Blue Waters in Antigua. This was supposed to be the So-So portion of their trip but they are actually quite pleased with the place which they say is beautiful. There are a variety of accomodations including villas and even an Eden Rock-esque five bedroom villa perched on a rock jutting into the ocean at the edge of their beach. This villa has MOI written all over it and I shall certainly be there at some point.

They are touring that villa as I type this and will give a more extensive report on the grounds of the hotel. It is childfriendly apparently. And they cater to both americans and europeans (as their website says "Topless bathing should be reserved for the beach" - I guess so as to not offend boobyphobes).

More to follow.

[Lauren]

[Island Visitor]

Sorry for the confusion, Lauren et al.

The villa has its own private pool. As such, I imagine that on porte whatever on veut porter at the villa pool.

The actual hotel proper requests that ladies endure the horrific indignity (not to mention discomfort) of wearing restrictive drippy bathing suit tops when they are at the main hotel pool. Ladies are, bien sur, free to be, well, free, on the beach right in front of the hotel. Hopefully the hotel has posted WARNING signs so that the boobyphobes realize that by setting foot on the beach they may be exposed to the scandlous and shocking spectacle of boobies. As such, they can then safely retreat to the sanctity of the hotel pool so as not to be offended.

I apologize for the confusion.

[Island Visitor]

Awaiting daily update.

Antigua is not St Barth (figured I would get that out of the way). It has "issues" just like any island. But it also has some appeal and is quietly becoming "The Next St Barts" as a runaway for The Rich And Famous. (for those who dont know the drill yet, here is the secret: Stars choose different islands for different reasons. Ergo, every island can claim some stars. Even St Croix, which I like, can claim an NBA Hall Of Famer among its locals).

Blue Waters apparently is a full service hotel built on a beautiful little almost cove-like area. It appears to be a lovely property, the service is good and the setting is very nice. I dont know if my Embedded Friends have gone snorkelling or diving in antigua yet but they said that underwater activities in barbuda were The Bomb.

Hope to hear more today and will pass along any scoop.

[Lauren]

Been to Antigua, British Virgins (Tortola, Virgin Gorda)...bored to death, beautiful islands...how ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm once they have seen Paree?

If Saint Martin can have hundreds of lampost signs that were three feet by five feet, showing unclothed female breasts (not considered nudity by the French), then Antigua should have no problem not having rules on a public beach re: toplessness. Man, once one has true freedom on the Metropole beaches, and is treated as an individual with rights, and the gov't backs those rights, one knows that they are at least in a place where the citizens demand personal freedom and get it, or else they strike back literally. I still remember the small town politician that did something the villagers in France did not embrace...the next day, the door to his small Mairie was cemented shut. I like it. I wish that Americans still had the sense of strength that would allow for the masses to stop some of this crap going on in the U.S. However, again, we do not have a common culture, ergo, we do not have a common morality, so we all just fight amongst ourselves continually, and it will get worse, with the influx of immigrants who, unlike the immigrants of our forefathers, do not care about America's historical culture, only theirs. It is what we are about, the last one's in call the shots. Rome is burning. the last days. diversity they say is strength, it is actually a diminishing of strong culture, to be replaced by whoever's is stronger. Love it or leave it.

[Peter NJ]

lauren,how can you be bored to death on tortola? surfing,snorkling,swimming,tanning,beach bars,music,ect..what didnt you like about tortola?

[Lauren]

Well, on Virgin Gorda, at Little Dix Bay, everything was just so-so, set...the "private beach" we were taken to was nothing more than a pebbly sand bar with bugs biting...everything had to be scheduled a day or two ahead...there was twenty and thirty year old swimsuits on the beach at Little Dix, and the oldish units did nothing to enhance the experience. Once we drove around the place, it just got more plain and boring. Other than driving over the mountain to get to a commercial bar, it was a total dud.

[Island Visitor]

Don't hold back Lauren. Tell us how you really feel. LOL.

I do wonder this, though: Given that MANY of the travellers to the caribbean are now european, when will the various Fuddy Duddy islands join the civilized world and stop making ladies hide their Menaces To Society behind soggy bathing suit tops?

I dont like wearing anything on my chest when I am sunning. Why should I be such a hypocrite and demand that ladies should?

Get with the program, Fuddy Duddy islands.

[Island Visitor]

The Embedded Reporters have returned. Here is The Skinny:

Beach House Barbuda:

Does NOT overwelm you on arrival. At first, there is not a lot of WOW factor in that it is literally sand with a place built on it. No jardins, etc, etc. But the lobby is very pretty and the rooms, while somewhat minimalist, are nice. Where they steal your soul is in the people. The food was QUITE good, the service was unbelievable and they all but adopt you as their own. It is a very nice place for a person not needing a lot of bells and whistles and neon but wanting fantastic service in a very quiet and VERY relaxed environment. My friends felt like crying when they left, such was the attachment they formed with the staff.

Blue Waters, Antigua:

The place is QUITE attractive and the people are very nice. The hotel is just very, very lovely. If there was a gripe, more of a quibble, it was that by travelling during janvier, our Embedded Friends were the only "younger" couple in the place. Indeed, almost every couple was in their sixties, seventies or even more, and everyone was just off the plane from the UK. It had a decidedly British feel to it, the rumors of French bathing were unfounded and the place played more to the Stiff Upper Lip Pip Pip crowd than the Linen Pants Ponytailed French Crowd.

The Hotel did EVERYTHING right. The rooms are big and beautiful, the place is VERY attractive and nicely maintained. It is quite beautiful. The staff are very friendly, as were the patrons. But it had perhaps a bit more Bermuda feel to it than Antilles vibe.

When asked if it would be different with kids and families, our Embedded Friends replied that it most certainly would and that kids would love the place. So it is clearly worth a look, but those wanting to travel with a younger crowd may want to look more toward spring break or summer.

[debonte]

I know this is a dated thread, but for any and all interested, 2 trips to the Beach House sold me: staff, location, food, mindset. Its all there. But it is very very understated. So manage expectations and let the place take you over. And check out Codrington if you form a friendship with your appointed staff member while there-- loads of fun. can elaborate for thos ewho have questions.