I recently returned from a trip to the tropical paradise of Antigua with my mother. We stayed at an all-inclusive resort, wiling our days away in island luxury while enjoying tasty meals and a few activities. Antigua is beautiful and I would recommend a visit there if you’re in need of ocean-adjacent relaxation uniformly good weather.

Bookings

Flights

• Angela
  • 87,379 American Express Membership Rewards Points
    • LAS-CLT on AA J
    • CLT-ANU on AA J
    • ANU-CLT on AA J
    • CLT-LAS on AA J
• Theresa
  • 30,000 American Airlines AAdvantage Miles + 108.72USD
    • ORD-CLT on AA J
    • CLT-ANU on AA J
    • ANU-CLT on AA Y
    • CLT-ORD on AA Y

Hotels

• Two rooms for one night at the Hilton Garden Inn Charlotte Airport for free after Citi Strata Elite Hotel Benefit
• One room for five nights at Hermitage Bay for 600,000 Hilton Honors points
• One room for one night at the Hilton Garden Inn Charlotte Airport for free after Citi Strata Elite Hotel Benefit

Transportation

• Two trips of Charlotte Airport to Hilton Garden Inn Charlotte Airport via Blacklane for free after Citi Strata Elite Blacklane Credit

January 17, 2026

After clearing security at LAS, I stopped at the Centurion Lounge for a quick bite before my flight. There was no wait to get into the lounge, which I appreciated. Unfortunately, the food quality has definitely gone downhill; gone are the days of having a delicious mushroom frittata when arriving early in the morning.

My flight to Charlotte was uneventful and I met my mother at baggage claim once I arrived. We collected her luggage and then walked outside to meet up with our driver. Unfortunately, airport rules at Charlotte airport dictate that transport services cannot enter the airport which kind of makes hiring one a little pointless.

Check-in at the Hilton Garden Inn was pleasant with a friendly agent. The rooms are nice with a mini-fridge, microwave, and Keurig coffee maker. As with most airport hotels, you have to pay for parking even though there is a huge lot and it didn’t seem anywhere near full. The bed was comfortable enough with decent pillows and the location is quiet. If the hotel wasn’t labeled as such, you’d never know it was an airport hotel.

We took an Uber to dinner at McKoy’s Smokehouse and Saloon on the recommendation of the agent who checked us in. The food and service were both good and we enjoyed the grilled wings, pit smoked pot roast, mac and cheese, and fried squash. There were both vinegar and tomato based BBQ sauces on the table. I chose to stay authentic to North Carolina with the vinegar option; while tasty, I definitely prefer Austin-style BBQ.

Interestingly, all entrees are offered in a small or regular portion size. We split the small size and it was definitely enough food for both of us given the inclusion of sides.

After dinner, I stopped at the front desk to ask about the airport shuttle and was informed that they needed my flight time to book me onto the appropriate one. The desk agent recommended an 0530 departure after insisting that it would take a long time to go through check-in and security because of issues with American Airlines. Given the recommendation, that’s what we opted for before heading to bed in preparation for an early morning.

January 18

We got on the shuttle at 0530 and realized, as soon as we arrived at the airport, that we definitely could have taken a later one. It took almost no time to check our bags and get through security.

Before our flight, we stopped at The Club at CLT because that was the nearest Priority Pass lounge. I ran into some issues where they wouldn’t accept the Citi Strata Elite Card for entry, even though one of the primary benefits of the card is not having to sign up for a separate Priority Pass card. After arguing with them for a bit, the agent just let us into the lounge.

To be frank, it wasn’t that great. The dishes on offer included eggs, grits, muffins, bagels, and small jars of yogurt. None of the options were particularly appetizing, with the eggs looking questionable at best. There was a single espresso machine that had two side-by-side control panels but, because people are clueless, only one person was using it at a time. To cap it all off, the women’s bathroom was out of service with the shower room being used as an alternative. However, that led to a huge line because there is only a single shower.

We left the lounge and walked a couple of laps of Concourse A before our four-hour flight. Boarding commenced on-time and the service on the flight was fine. There was a fair bit of turbulence during the first third of the flight, but it was smooth flying after that.

Our arrival to Antigua was extremely easy. There were people holding signs for Hermitage Bay with arriving passengers’ names on them. When I couldn’t locate a sign with my name on it, I just walked up to a staff member and told them I was staying at Hermitage Bay and they helped us without delay. We were fast-tracked through immigration, picked up our bags, were fast-tracked through customs, and walked outside.

When we got outside, there were plenty of signs for Hermitage Bay and everyone was friendly and happy to help. Although there were other people on our flight staying at the same hotel, every traveling party got their own private transport. Our driver’s name was Vernon and, as we made our way to the hotel, he relayed a brief history of the island, pointed out various local flora, and gave us a brief rundown on Barbuda.

We were greeted upon arrival and offered cold washcloths before being seated at the bar and starting the check-in process. A staff member took our passports and brought us a sheet to review our information and sign. Interestingly, they don’t ask for a credit card at check-in for incidentals.

After returning with our passports, the agent briefed us on the property including breakfast, lunch, and dinner locations and where to go for water activities. We were also informed that a snorkel excursion was included as part of our stay. The snorkeling activity and all dinner reservations must be booked in advance.

Our room was really nice and had an outdoor shower, which is a huge plus for me at a place like this. The balcony is not private and can be seen by other guests as they walk around the property. We couldn’t see the beach or the ocean given the foliage surrounding the room, but I could definitely hear it. In the room, the mini-bar is included. In fact, everything at the property is included except for some extra excursions that we weren’t interested in and top-shelf liquors.

The room also had a guide to the hotel including dining times and locations, so I was never stressed about when something was open. Slippers and flip-flops were both included and there is bug spray available. The agent giving us our room tour strongly recommended we wear it at night.

Our first stop at the resort was their sushi happy hour. It included a salmon avocado roll, two snapper nigiri with chili oil, and two tuna nigiri with a green salsa.

After our delicious fish, we walked along the beach until we hit a rocky outcropping. We got to pet some cute island puppies while we were on our walk.

We returned to the room as it started to rain lightly. I listened to my book on the porch until it was time to eat. At dinner, I ordered seafood soup, blue marlin with quinoa rice and vegetables, and pavlova. My mother opted for conch ceviche, Chilean sea bass with mashed potatoes, and dark chocolate mousse. Everything was quite tasty.

January 19

We slept until shortly after 0900, so we immediately got dressed and went to breakfast. The coffee on offer is strong with a good flavor. I opted to enjoy the juice of the day, melon in this case, and chose a piece of apple sourdough bread from a basket of pastries that staff presented to us table side. For my entree, I ordered the local salt fish dish with the house made hot sauce. It was very good, but the flavors were a bit different than I expected.

I did yoga on our deck while my mother went to the pool. After yoga, I headed to the fitness room. It was well-appointed with a barbell and a rack. After lifting, I ran on the treadmill before rinsing off and heading to the pool to join my mother.

The weather was pleasant with a few intermittent sprinkles and one three-minute period of strong rain. We decided to grab a bite to eat at the bar by the pool. I walked up to get a menu and, surprisingly, the attendant seemed to be bothered by my asking to see one. When I tried to order, she told me to go sit down and she’d come by the table shortly. It was an unfriendly experience that I didn’t expect, especially when so many of the other staff members are extremely kind and happy to help.

My mother ordered shrimp tacos while I opted for the Caesar salad with shrimp and a fruit-punch drink. For some reason, my salad arrived without the shrimp, but I didn’t want to wait any longer to eat so I just told the server to forget it. The salad was good with an excellent anchovy taste. It also came with pickled onions that were awesome.

We returned to the room and played Skip-Bo on our deck while the rain showers continued to come and go. I won both games we played.

We headed to the bar for a drink before dinner. Luckily, we had a much more positive experience with Simone than with the staff member I talked to earlier. She was very informative and offered us sweet potato crisps and olives to go with our drinks; both snacks were amazing.

For dinner, I started with okra and artichoke on cauliflower puree. For my entree, I had the special – jambalaya. I ordered pavlova for dessert again, but it wasn’t as good as the previous night because it was served with whipped cream instead of a custard.

My mother started with the shrimp and mahi fritters with the tenderloin as her entree. For dessert, she chose the tiramisu, which was quite boozy. She enjoyed her tenderloin, in particular, and said it was cooked perfectly.

January 20

I slept in again and missed the organized yoga class. However, I was able to get a full session in by myself on our deck. Afterwards, we headed to breakfast. I ordered a protein smoothie of unknown ingredients, which was tasty, and we split a fruit plate. When the pastry basket came by, I tried the lemon poppy seed and banana breads.

For my entree, I ordered the homemade granola with yogurt and my mother ordered the Hermitage Bay wrap (a bacon, egg, and cheese wrap with avocado), which she enjoyed. We were visited by a kitten during breakfast who was begging for a little something.

After breakfast, we went on a guided garden walk led by Waba, one of the senior grounds staff. He was great and offered us a lot of information about the property and recent changes that have been made. Apparently, they added more colorful plants and enhanced the foliage around the beach villas for privacy. He also told us that a lot of the herbs, fruits, and vegetables are grown organically on property. Unfortunately, none of the plants were fruiting, but we did get to smell fresh bay leaf and try soursop. If you’re visiting Hermitage Bay, I recommend this forty-minute tour.

After the garden walk, we laid by the pool until 1300 when we met for the snorkel excursion we booked. Unfortunately, the guide said it was too windy and rebooked us for the following day at 1000. At that point, someone popped up and said that we had been booked for 1000 on this day. I informed her that the front desk must have made a mistake because we had always been booked for the garden walk in the morning. We confirmed we’d be back at 1000 the next day.

We headed to the beach for an hour before returning to the pool. About fifteen minutes after settling in, rain chased us under the covering by the bar so we decided to grab a bite to eat. I ordered jerk chicken wings and fries; unfortunately, the wings were quite small, and the jerk sauce was sweet with little-to-no spice. They were good but definitely not what I was expecting. The fries were unremarkable. My mother got shrimp tacos again, which she enjoyed.

I also asked for whatever the welcome drink was. It isn’t on the menu, so I don’t know what was in it, but I think it was non-alcoholic sparkling wine, mint, and passion fruit syrup.

We returned to the room to relax before dinner. Like most nights, we headed to the bar for a drink before our evening meal. I tried the non-alcoholic passion fruit colada and it was pretty tasty. Dinner was organized differently this night. Every table was served the same four starters, and every person was given a choice of three entrees. Surprisingly, the starters didn’t match the menu description. We both chose surf-and-turf as our mains. It was tasty and served with a couple of unlisted sides, potato salad and vegetables. For dessert, I got a scoop of strawberry ice cream while my mother ordered the cheesecake.

This lucky cat may have gotten a little piece of fish for being so cute.

January 21

After the best night of sleep so far, we got up at 0730 and headed to breakfast early in advance of our snorkel tour at 1000. I ordered a protein smoothie and the granola and yogurt bowl again.

We had plenty of time after breakfast before our snorkeling excursion, so I did yoga on the deck before we left. We left the room around 0950 and were outfitted with fins, masks (I brought my own), and life vests. We got on a little boat for a ten-minute ride to a rock where I was the first to disembark. Because of the wind and the resultant choppy water, we only snorkeled for twenty minutes and were back at the resort by 1045. In spite of the short amount of time, I was able to see sergeant majors, parrot fish, butterfly fish, damselfish, snapper, filefish, and lizard fish. The coral and fish weren’t super colorful, mostly pops of blue and yellow, but it was still enjoyable to be in the water with them.

After returning to land, we rinsed off and laid on the beach before doing some more snorkeling right at the coastline. I think that the snorkeling along the beach is actually better than that nearby the rock we were taken to. I was pretty cold the whole time I was snorkeling as the water temperature was only 77F. Unfortunately, I got sucked into a shallow area and accidentally made contact with a sea urchin which broke a little bit of spine off into my finger. Thankfully, I was able to get it out with my tweezers.

I left the beach and took a hot shower to warm up and rinse the salt off before getting dressed for the gym. The wind picked up, so my mother decided to head to the pool instead of doing any more snorkeling. Once she settled in, I went off to do my daily workout.

I rejoined my mother at the pool and ordered a Caesar salad without protein. This time it came with shrimp for some reason. They were admittedly quite good, but I was surprised to receive them when I did not order them. I also tried the non-alcoholic pomegranate drink which was my favorite beverage so far. It is far less sweet than the other non-alcoholic drinks I tried.

We attended a cooking demonstration where the chef made lemon-pepper chicken thighs with a papaya sauce made of papaya, ponzu, and sesame oil. Everything was already prepared, so the chef just cooked the chicken thighs and that was it.

We made it to the sushi happy hour and enjoyed spicy tuna rolls, salmon nigiri with a miso topper, and snapper with a lime cilantro topper. It was just as good as our previous sushi experience at the resort. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the salmon the most, which is out of character for me. I ordered a spicy passion fruit margarita which was supposed to include habanero lime syrup, but I think it got left out because the drink was definitely not spicy.

Afterwards, we returned to the room to play two games of Skip-Bo, which my mother won, before getting dressed and heading to dinner.

This was probably my favorite dinner of the trip. I had conch ceviche, grilled octopus, and chocolate mousse for dessert (only after being told that they ran out of apple tarts). The conch ceviche was bright and acidic from citrus and pomegranate with some sweetness provided by grilled corn. It was very nicely balanced. The grilled octopus was cooked nicely and came served with a citrus sauce. The chocolate mousse ended up being chocolate lava cake, which was tasty.

My mother ordered the mahi and shrimp fritters again. For her entree, she chose the scallops with mashed potatoes. The scallops featured a green curry sauce which was quite heavy on the coconut. For dessert, she enjoyed creme brulee.

January 22

After an early yoga session, we headed to breakfast where I tried to order the granola and yogurt dish I’d been enjoying. Unfortunately, it was not available. I ordered Caribbean scrambled eggs instead which ended up being eggs with bell peppers and onions.

The morning was overcast and rainy. The sun tried to peak out from behind the clouds, but it didn’t try too hard. After watching my mother snorkel for a bit, I decided to head to the gym.

For lunch, we tried the pop-up restaurant where my mother ordered fried calamari, which were quite delicious, while opting for the grilled prawn as her entree. I ordered stuffed aubergine and salt fish croquettes because the escargot was unavailable. The aubergine was quite good, but the croquettes didn’t have enough fish in them. We were served tasty fresh bread and olive oil alongside our meal.

It continued to rain throughout the afternoon. We played two games of Skip-Bo, which we split.

For dinner, we both ordered the conch ceviche to start and chose the nightly special, a rib-eye with blue cheese potato mash, yellow squash, and rosemary jus, for our entree. For dessert, we chose the hazelnut brown butter pie, another nightly special. While the food was probably the best we had during our stay, the service was the worst we’d had since starting our visit. This was likely because of a large party with a dozen people.

January 23

For breakfast, I opted for a protein smoothie alongside the granola and yogurt dish. We were joined at our early breakfast by a very sleepy cat.

We returned to the room to relax until noon; the time we were told we should be ready to leave. Unfortunately, we were rushed out of the room starting at 1115 when the front desk called to ask us to have our bags ready. After they collected them, housekeeping just stood outside our door waiting for us to leave.

It was a bit of a disappointing end to our stay because of the lack of communication. We wanted to get a final drink at the bar before heading out and we didn’t get a chance to because we were rushed out. I took a few more pictures to commemorate our time in Antigua before piling into the waiting car.

There weren’t a lot of workers on duty when we arrived at the airport so there were lines for every step of the process. They moved along well, though, so it wasn’t too bad and we never felt stalled. Surprisingly, we had to show the QR code from the Arrive Antigua form we filled out before our journey.

The four-hour flight to Charlotte was uneventful. I waited with my mother while she collected her bag and we said our goodbyes after she successfully transferred it to her flight home and headed off through security. Afterwards, I met my Blacklane driver to take me to my overnight at the Hilton Garden Inn Charlotte Airport.

January 24

In the morning, I got on the 0600 shuttle and went to the Centurion Lounge before my flight. I had a small yogurt bowl for breakfast before flying cross-country to reunite with Nick and Fitz.

This vacation was what I was hoping for, a relaxing time with my my mother in a tropical paradise with little responsibility and almost no planning required once we were on Antigua. The weather was nice, the island was beautiful, and our room was well-appointed. While I was a little letdown by some of the service interactions and the lack of flavor in some dishes we tried, we still had a very nice time and I would recommend a visit to the island, even if not to the particular property we stayed at.