THE FACTS ABOUT HERMITAGE BAY

Antigua

Hermitage Bay is a place one feels tempted to keep secret: a small resort hotel that combines Aman aesthetics with Four Seasons-calibre staff. The final stretch of the 40-minute drive from the airport, on a bumpy, unmade road, only serves to reinforce its air of seclusion. Set on a bosky hillside, above a sweep of sand from which no other buildings are visible, the hotel consists of 25 cottages with silvery, wallaba-shingle roofs just like those on the buildings an hour's drive away in Nelson's Dockyard, the exquisite settlement constructed for the British navy in the 18th century. The hotel doesn't claim any eco-credentials (there are golf carts, air conditioning and TVs left on stand-by), but its lighting is low-energy, its water is heated by solar power and its grey water is recycled. The site was even cleared by hand in order to preserve as many trees as possible. But its real selling point is that it is all-inclusive, so practically everything from sailing tuition to a massage in the small spa, by way of four good à la carte meals a day is included in the rate, liberating you to indulge in whatever you feel like. WHEN TO GO November to June (to avoid the risk of a hurricane). ROOM TO BOOK The five beachfront cottages, for their proximity to the shoreline (the hillside cottages may have plunge pools and command a premium price, but they're a schlep uphill). Hermitage Bay, St John's, Antigua (00 1 268 562 5500; www.hermitagebay.com). Doubles from US$807 Find out more about Antigua in our island guide