OCEAN POINT BEACH RESORT AND SPA

Ocean Point Beach Resort and Spa holds around sixty Mediterranean-styled rooms at Hodges Bay, on the north coast, with two small sand coves and a jetty. It welcomes travellers aged sixteen and over. Its real distinguishing feature is its position: seven minutes by road from V.C. Bird International Airport, by far the closest address on the island.

Ocean Point at a glance

Around sixty rooms, a Mediterranean-inspired architecture that stands out pleasantly on an English island, and two small sand coves belonging to the resort. The whole thing stays modest, and deliberately so: one restaurant, one pool, one spa, one jetty.

The address welcomes travellers aged sixteen and over. It earns 4.2 out of 5 across more than 1 200 TripAdvisor reviews, with a Travelers' Choice award, and ranks fourth of the thirteen properties in St. John's.

Seven minutes from the airport: what that allows

Here is the central argument, and it is more useful than it sounds. Most Antigua resorts sit thirty or forty-five minutes from the airport, on the opposite coast. Ocean Point is seven minutes away.

Three situations benefit directly. A flight arriving late in the evening, and you are in your room before eleven rather than at midnight. A flight leaving early, and you sleep an extra hour. And a two- or three-night stopover, where losing three hours to the road on a short trip is unacceptable. Our advisors know this case well. Call 1 866 628-6241.

Sixteen and over

The minimum age is sixteen, applied without exception, and the resort has no children's facilities. The clientele is made of couples and travellers looking for quiet.

One point deserves saying plainly: evening entertainment is limited, and travellers mention it regularly. That is no fault if you came for peace; it is one if you expect a show every night. Better to know beforehand.

Which room to choose

Six categories make up the inventory: Ocean Front, Partial Ocean View, Garden View, then their cabana versions, Ocean Front Cabana, Pool View Cabana and Partial Ocean View Cabana. Decoration varies from room to room, in a Mediterranean spirit.

The gap between categories comes down to orientation more than to floor area. Ocean Front rooms face the water squarely; Garden View rooms look onto the gardens and cost less, which remains good arithmetic for a traveller who spends the day out.

Where you eat on site

One main restaurant, the Sottovento Beach Club, which works as a buffet at some services and à la carte at dinner by reservation. A bar-lounge and a coffee counter round things out.

That is few, and it bears saying up front. In exchange, the position allows what isolated resorts forbid: the restaurants of Hodges Bay and St. John's are minutes away by car or taxi, and the whole island stays within reach.

Is it an all-inclusive?

The question deserves a precise answer, because sources contradict each other. Some distributors sell the address as all-inclusive, others as a room rate with à la carte meals billed separately. The likeliest reading is that the all-inclusive plan is an optional add-on rather than the only option.

That is exactly the kind of detail that separates a planned holiday from a surprise bill. An AquaTerra advisor confirms the plan attached to your booking before you pay rather than after.

The beaches, the pool and the spa

The resort has two small sand coves and a jetty allowing boats to moor. Hodges Bay, on the north coast, offers calm shallow water sheltered by reefs. These are not the island's most spectacular beaches, but they are private and quiet.

One outdoor pool serves the property. The Sea Breeze Spa covers aromatherapy, Swedish and deep-tissue massage, facials, body scrubs and couples' treatments, with an ocean-facing massage area. Parking and wifi are complimentary. No casino.

Who this resort suits

It fits short stays and stopovers, where proximity to the airport is worth more than everything else. It fits couples who want quiet and a private beach without paying the price of a grand address. It fits travellers who plan to rent a car and cover the island rather than stay by the pool.

Families cannot stay. Anyone wanting several restaurants, sustained entertainment or a large spectacular beach will be better served elsewhere. Our advisors will say so plainly rather than place you in the wrong spot.

What to know before you book

The resort sits about six kilometres from V.C. Bird International Airport, five to ten minutes by road. One frequent confusion is worth clearing up: Ocean Point and Hodges Bay Resort and Spa are two separate properties on the same bay, at different price points.

Antigua lies inside the hurricane belt, whose season runs from 1 June to 30 November, with a peak in August and September. The East Caribbean dollar is the official currency, though US dollars circulate everywhere, and driving is on the left. For entry requirements, consult travel.gc.ca before departure.

Booking Ocean Point with an advisor

The meal plan is the real question here, and booking sites answer it contradictorily. An advisor confirms what your rate covers, category by category, before you pay.

Reach a Voyages AquaTerra advisor at 1 866 628-6241, or explore our Antigua all-inclusive packages, our Antigua and Barbuda travel guide and the full range of southern all-inclusive vacations.