North Beach Island

North Beach Island

our neighbour, Mister Crab
Traveller (84)
North Beach in the distance
Pool & Beach (18)
Inside the cottage
Room & Suite (16)

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About

#1 of 1 all-inclusive in North Beach
4.8 of 5 bubbles
Location
4.3 of 5 bubbles
Rooms
4.2 of 5 bubbles
Value
4.3 of 5 bubbles
Cleanliness
4.5 of 5 bubbles
Service
4.6 of 5 bubbles
Sleep Quality
If you dream of having your own secluded Caribbean hideaway, sharing it with family, or another couple, North Beach is for you! Set on a spectacular slice of land located at the northern tip of Barbuda, accessible only by small boat, all-inclusive North Beach allows you to enjoy your own private enclave.
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Free internet
Internet
Beach
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Refrigerator
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Mid-range

Location

Codrington, North Beach Barbuda
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Detailed Reviews
Sara K wrote a review Mar 2006
Glendale, CA
+1
5.0 of 5 bubbles
North Beach consists of 2 cute cottages right on the beach. The front door opens to expansive views of the Atlantic ocean. The beach is surrounded by a reef about 1-2 miles off shore.

It includes all meals, activities such as snorkeling, visiting the frigate bird sanctuary, and a picnic on a pink sand beach where my husband and I were completely alone.

North Beach is one of the last isolated, uninhabited places on the Caribbean. You are definitely away from it all. It is my opinion that North Beach is the BEST and ONLY place to stay while visiting Barbuda.

The atmosphere is fun and friendly. I would definitely stay there again.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ronald G wrote a review May 2006
Roswell, Ga
5.0 of 5 bubbles
If one wants absolute seclusion, North Beach, Barbuda is the place.

After a delightful boat ride from Codington (the only way to get there,) the cottages (there are only 2) are steps away from the beach front.

But there is plenty to do: fishing, sail boating, snorkeling, swimming, shell collecting, floating on a raft or any other water activity all safely done inside the reef plus a visit to the Frigate Bird Santuary is fascinating, or walking the literally miles of serine beaches or just reading a book on the beach (personal experience, a book every 2 1/2 days.)

All the gear required is provided and all-inclusive! No extra fees for anything......

In addition, the accommodations are safe, nicely decorated, clean with maid service daily and the food is quite good especially the fish caught the same day (talking-fresh) and the chef's chocolate cake.

As the lady guest screamed as the couple were on the boat back to Codington after a 5 day stay at North Beach, "I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE!" and my experience concurs.

Next year, 12 days instead of 11.
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Date of stay: February 2006
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NorthumberlandDan wrote a review Apr 2013
Northumberland
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Reuben says clearly on his website what he offers.If you are looking for a super chic resort with all mod cons then this really isnt the place for you, no matter how much you might want it to be. North Beach is fabulously remote.The cottages are quirky and charming but not luxurious and the food is fresh and good. However, due to the remoteness, sometimes they might not have your favourite food but there is always something good to eat! If you come to North Beach, you are paying for solitude, quiet, space and to be surrounded by nature.We just spent 5 days here and had a simply wonderful time.For three nights it was just us and the other two nights, one of the cottages was occupied, both times by lovely people. If you are discerning and get on with your travelling companions, this is the place for you.If not, please go somewhere else and leave North Beach for us!
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Date of stay: April 2013
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
4.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
4.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Caribrus wrote a review Mar 2013
Southampton, United Kingdom
2.0 of 5 bubbles
My companion and I stayed at North Beach for 4 nights Feb 1 2013 -Feb 5 2013. We were there at the same time as the Guardian journalist writing a promotion for the property and the Antiguan photographers doing the photo shoot for this resort. We were the only paying guests at the property. We chose to stay there having read the glowing tripadvisor reviews and ignoring the one bad review which has subsequently turned out to be exactly as we found the resort.
North Beach is indeed a stunning 'away from it all' location. The sea and the sand and the natural environment are idyllic. It is indeed peaceful. Relaxing? I guess that depends whether you are paying or not.
We have stayed in many Caribbean resorts and on a significant number of small islands worldwide - including lesser known, remote South Pacific islands. We understand the challenges of supply and demand for remote areas. We know that it is all down to organisation, planning, knowing your client needs and the motivation and care to get it as right as possible given these challenges.
North Beach failed miserably in all these respects and in particular the motivation to deliver a product that matched its advertising and its price.

We do not complain readily. We were, however, strongly encouraged to do so on this occasion by both the photographer doing the promotional shoot and the British Journalist writing the article. Clearly, it was difficult for them to express any form of reservation given they were there by invitation.

As a result of our disappointment I wrote to the Antiguan Tourist Board who are now looking into the health and safety issues, the accommodation issues and the value for money issues.
Below is a copy of my letter of complaint. If you intend to stay at the resort then please read on so that you can make an informed choice about whether the 'ups' are worth the 'downs'.

Letter to Antiguan Tourist Board

Dear Sir, I am writing to express my disappointment and concerns about North Beach Barbuda. I spent four nights at the resort, arriving Friday 1 February and departing Tuesday, 5 February, 2013. I am currently staying at Hawksbill Resort in Antigua until 22 February.

My concerns and those of my travelling companion, relate to three main areas:-
- heath and safety
- quality of service and accommodation
- value for money.
I raised all the concerns below with the owner and at his request left a 4 page list of problems which he needed to address. He told me that he would rectify the issues and invite me back to see the improvements!

Health and Safety
We arrived in Barbuda at approximately 5.45pm, following a delayed SVG flight. We were met by Reuben the owner of the hotel. We were taken to the dock in a minibus which was quite dirty inside and wedged in between the seats behind where we were sitting was a 5 gallon drum of diesel.
We boarded the boat and by the time we arrived at the hotel it was dark. We were not given a key to our cottage. On entering the accommodation we stepped onto a slippery and squishy surface. Upon investigation we found this to be plastic sheeting with a mock floorboard patterning that had been laid on top of old coir matting. It had been nailed to the matting and had split by the entrance to the cottage, by the bathroom door and a various other points in the large room. It proved to be a slip and trip hazard throughout our stay.
There was no handle on the outside of the plywood bathroom door. The shower control was loose. There was no toilet brush or cleaning equipment.
The room was not cleaned for 3 days.
The table cloths in the Pavilion where meals were served were not changed during our 5 day stay.
The room's mini fridge was placed on a small, plastic poolside stool.
The generator was turned off during the day so there was no fresh water available. We were not advised of this in advance and consequently had no hot shower water before dinner.

Quality of Accommodation and Service
The accommodation was spacious but did not have the basic amenities. For example, there was a short rail for hanging clothes (no wardrobe) but no clothes hangers were provided. There were 2 sets of drawers - dirty inside with remains of sand. One drawer contained a reel of boat rope, a bag of screws, the assembly details for the windows and other DIY items. Another drawer contained discarded European plastic travel cards.
The bathroom had a toilet roll and used shower cap and 3 tiny bars of soap and a mirror.
The bed linen was polyester not cotton and I had to request a change of linen on day 4.

We were not advised of the meal times. We had been led to believe this was an all inclusive hotel. Dinner consisted of a main course only. We had to request ice cream and fruit which we did receive on the second night. There was no choice for lunch - again one course only which consisted of a fish roll, or burger, or salad.

Drinks were difficult to come by. We asked for gin and tonic. This was provided on the first night but tonic was not available for the 2nd day. We had to ask if there was any wine to accompany the meal. When we did it was provided.

Cutlery was wrapped in paper napkins on the first 2 days. However, when opened we noted that the napkins had been cut in half. By the 3rd day the napkins had run our and were replaced by kitchen roll. We were served lobster twice - on both occasions it was overcooked and dry. In general all the food was luke warm.

A journalist from a well known British newspaper was staying with her partner and 2 year old son to do a feature on the hotel and they received similar service. Their cottage was also not cleaned for 3 days and I understand they did not have hot water for the duration of their stay.

Value for money

The first thing to note is that the setting of this hotel is stunning. The natural environment is amazing and we saw turtles hatch and the mating frigate birds and we enjoyed the snorkelling.

However, the hotel website is misleading. We were not offered any trips. We were only taken to the bird sanctuary because the journalist and the photographer were going and they insisted Reuben ask us if we would like to join the group.
Of the three accommodations occupied during our stay we were led to believe we were the only paying guests.

There were many other issues I could mention in this email, but I have restricted myself to the main ones and those that had the most impact on the overall quality of the experience.

Perhaps the most shocking issue of all is the cost of this holiday. We paid 500 USD per night plus government tax. This did not include the SVG flights.
We realise that there are supply issues to Barbuda and understand that water needs to be conserved. We are regular visitors to Antigua - at least once a year and sometimes twice. Had we been paying 200-300 USD per night our expectations of the standard of food and service would have been less ambitious. Although the health and safety issues would still have been a concern.

The owner did not seem to grasp this point. He blamed his 2 staff for not doing their jobs. He said the rooms were not cleaned in order to respect the privacy of guests. I pointed out to him that I had stayed on another Caribbean island that respected privacy. That hotel provided bathroom cleaning equipment and a set of clean bed linen and towels should guests wish to remain undisturbed. Such facilities were not provided at North Beach so it was a totally reasonable assumption on my part that the room would be cleaned daily.
500 USD a night for a hotel with no cleaning service, poor and restricted amounts of food and drink, health and safety issues and an owner who only provides a service if it is constantly requested, does not in my view represent value for money in any shape or form.

In conclusion, North Beach is just not up to the standard of Antiguan service and hospitality that we have come to rely on and that your literature states you aspire to. I felt it only fair to bring this to your attention in the hope that other potential guest will not be as disappointed and let down as we have been.

In the meantime we continue to enjoy our stay at Hawksbill, which provides an excellent service a convivial atmosphere and most definitely gives first rate Antiguan value for money. We have stayed here every year for the last 8 years and hopefully will return for many more years in the future.
I look forward to hearing your view on the issues I have reluctantly drawn to your attention.
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Date of stay: February 2013
1.0 of 5 bubblesValue
2.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
1.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
1.0 of 5 bubblesService
2.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fleur L wrote a review Mar 2013
2.0 of 5 bubbles
We (couple) stayed end of March 2013 for two nights. And were hopelessly disappointed. We genuinely believe the owner is a friendly guy; we also did liked the remoteness of the place and the beautiful views. However, this owner should not promote this hotel the way he does at the internet. We feel it is misleading.

For $425,- per night, we were expecting a nice, romantic, luxurious, mini-resort in very nice surroundings. All-inclusive F&B, romantic cottage, nice evenings at the beach, enjoying great food, nice swimming and snorkeling, that sort of thing. Instead we found a backpackers lodge, remotely situated indeed, but with limited service and amenities. Some examples:

* The cottage does not look like the pictures promoted on the website and this TripAdvisor. The (vinyl - not wooden) floor was in terrible state; all teared up and dangerous nails sticking out of the floor. We had no warm water the first day. Apparently you need to ask the owner to flip the warm water switch. Taking a shower (even with warm water) is not a pleasant experience... the water is brown and has a horrible smell. No drinks (not even fresh drinking water) was supplied in the cottage.
* What we thought was a restaurant, turned out to be a canteen area. You can ask and will receive food and drinks, but there's limited choice. Diner is just a main course: either lobster, fish or meat with a bit of green salad (no dressing). Lunch is always a sandwich.
* There's no swimming beach, and no snorkeling possibilities. The reef is not in swimming distance and the water is very shallow with seagrass. It was difficult to enjoy the beach during the day or the evening: not enough beds, not enough shade, too many sand flees and mosquitos.
* Trips out of the resort are not included in the price. If you wish for example to see the birds in the bird sanctuary, be prepared to pay the owner quite a bit of money. Our trip to one of the other beaches of Barbuda (where we could swim) and back via the bird sanctuary (which is close to the resort), set our group of 5 back $178,-.

Our conclusion: North Beach should not have cost more than $200 all-inclusive per night (also including the trips). NOT $425,- per night like we paid. We fully agree with the review from Caribrus. Wish we had read that review before booking.....
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Date of stay: March 2013
1.0 of 5 bubblesValue
2.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
4.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
3.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
2.0 of 5 bubblesService
2.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bruggadung wrote a review Jul 2012
Carleton Place, Canada
5.0 of 5 bubbles
This was the end to a trip that began in Dominica - in many ways it was the opposite to my experience in the other island. Barbuda is low and scrubby - you do not come here for shopping or landscapes. But the seascape is idyllic, as is the beach. Reuben was flexible and discussed each meal with me, adjusting to my request for conch on the final night rather than the fish I mentioned that morning. The Banks beer was a personal favourite and Tanya's good natured meal service was a great complement to Reuben's cooking. I loved the seclusion and beauty of North Beach, though being the only guest for my two-day stay was disappointing only inasmuch as I think this is such a gem that it deserves guests. You must, however, read the North Beach ad and realise what you opt for by choosing this resort - a real escape from technology and the 21st Century. Thanks, Reuben!
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Date of stay: July 2012
4.0 of 5 bubblesValue
4.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
5.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip: Don't leave your door open or you will spend time tracking down the odd fly; likewise, Muskol...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gordon M wrote a review Feb 2016
London, United Kingdom
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We spent six nights at North Beach and loved every minute - particularly after we had settled in and wound down to a very slow pace. You know that you are going someplace out of the way when you take a small eight-seater plane from Antigua and land 20 minutes later at the airstrip on Barbuda - island population somewhere around 2000. From there its a short drive through the 'village' (Codrington, capital of Barbuda complete with its own parliament building) to the dock and then a 20-minute boat ride across the Codrington Lagoon to North Beach, which is inaccessible by road. There are just four cottages here on a strip of sand. For five of our six nights we were the only guests. We walked along the beach, swam endlessly in the sea, read our books in the shade of a palm tree. The food was great, Reuben's rum punch a welcome accompaniment to the sun setting over the distant island of St Kitts, Reuben and his staff welcoming. Places like this were perhaps not uncommon 50 years ago, but few remain today. We felt no need to leave our little corner of paradise for excursion, but we did go with Reuben by boat late one afternoon to see what is probably the world's largest colony of frigate birds.
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Date of stay: January 2016
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
4.0 of 5 bubblesService
5.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mathew W wrote a review Jan 2015
Halifax Regional Municipality, Canada
4.0 of 5 bubbles
We really enjoyed our 3 days at North Beach. During our ten day vacation in Antigua/Barbuda, this was where we "blew the budget" and spent a little more. We feel it was worth it.

It's "all inclusive" but not in the typical sense. YOu have to ask for anything you want. If you need more food, you need to ask. If you want to have a drink, you have to first track someone down and then ask for it.

The place is beautiful, great setting. Our cottage itself was one of the first ones built there. I'm not sure if we were paying more or less than the other guests, but among the couples who were there (and one family) we had perhaps the least appealing cottage. After travelling all that way, it was a bit of a let down, to see the other guests staying in the nicer cottages.The other cottages were larger and up on stilts and set away from the main kitchen building, but we were right next to it. Our bed was just a Queen bed, and when I asked about adapting the mosquito net so it wasn't closing in on our sides, Reuben suggested we could upgrade to a Kingsize cottage but it would cost more. We were already paying $400USD per night, so we declined.

This was such a remote location, but ironically, this is where we connected the most with other travellers. The shared exclusive experience itself becomes the thing you all have in common.

I've seen some reviews on here that complained that there isn't a great place to swim. I disagree. Yes, there's sea grass, but it's no big deal, you can still wade out and swim. I've seen others that complained about the state of the cottages. They're simple, but you're not there to stay in your cottage. Get out and explore!

Good food from Mr. Lennox. Some nice surprises and fun from Sir James. James stood up at dinner one night and offered up some poetry and song in honour of one couple engaged to be married. It was very sweet, very old school, very unplugged entertainment that suited the place. He also prepared many coconuts for us to drink during the day.

We paid Reuben $20USD per couple to take 6 of us over to the Pink Beach, and it was a highlight. Quite an incredible beach to spend a day on.

Went for a hike along the shore and saw stingray swimming along in the water, along with a turtle. Lots of birdlife. It really does feel like you're exposed and remote, and on the edge of the caribbean.

The bugs are a factor. Sand flies and mosquitos. They absolutely need to build a screen porch area so you can sit outside after sundown without getting eaten alive. After dark, most people are driven inside the airconditioned and lighted dining space next to the kitchen. But it would be so much nicer to be in the breeze, hearing the ocean, and yet being protected from the bugs with a good screen porch.

I definitely recommend the experience of North Beach!
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Date of stay: January 2015
3.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
3.0 of 5 bubblesService
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Ask for one of the cottages raised up on stilts. There are four of them. The other two cottages...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MalibuJoe17 wrote a review May 2012
Los Angeles, CA
3.0 of 5 bubbles
We stayed at North Beach for 10 days in February. I wish I could say stellar things about our experience--considering all of the time and effort we put in to researching Barbuda, and North Beach Cottages in particular. But i can't. And I only wish that I knew what i know now, before venturing out to this very isolated spot....While the grounds are nice, and the seclusion was very welcomed, the "resort" was far from what was promised on line. First off, the food was poor. When reading about North Beach, the menu, as seen on the website, seemed amazing. When we arrived, there was no fresh fish, no fresh lobster (surprising, considering that a fresh caught lobster seems like an east feat, when ur in the middle of the sea), no fresh produce (we were told that the ferry broke down...) and the pickings were slim, to say the least. I have been all over the Caribbean--but something about this place, albeit beautiful, just didn't seem right. There is little, if any effort, to make the guests feel as comfortable and valued as the website indicated. Since you are so isolated, there is no other place to eat---and while the website also said you'd never go hungry, as snacks and drinks abound--that couldn't have been further from the truth. There was little alcohol, and the fruit punch had expired. There were no snacks (and we were there for 10 days...) We actually took a boat ride into town (which cost us a lot of $$$) to make our own drink/snack run--a necessity, since the food was so bad (4 of the nights I couldn't even eat the prepared dinner, and i am not picky...) Ur pretty stranded out there, and there is little room to complain about anything, as you are literally at the mercy of Reuben and one other staff member. While the beach on North Beach is fine (rocky, and a lot of seaweed)--you need to request a special boat ride to see the absolutely SPECTACULAR beaches on the main island of Barbuda --the pink sand beach and Diana's beach between Coco Point and the dilapidated K Club. We spent over 350.00 just getting shuttled to these beaches. Those beaches were so extraordinary, that the sacrifices made, by staying at North Beach, made it ALMOST worth it... Also, be strongly advised that the only airline which runs to Barbuda from Antigua is very spotty and will cancel flights on a whim.

The cottages were sparse, and several times a day the electricity was turned off, along with the water---both without notice. We stayed in the largest cottage, which had a beautiful view from the deck. The cottage, however, is carpeted (old, worn carpet), which was kind of a turn off.

Reuben is a great guy and extremely pleasant--but this place needs so much more work--not only to live up to the promises made on its website, but for me to recommend it to anyone. In my opinion, way over priced for what you get, and we have spent MUCH less on other amazingly beautiful islands, and have gotten MUCH more.

In closing, the North Beach cottage website specifically mentions a homemade chocolate cake served for dessert, which, reportedly, has been raved about by past guests...on our first night, for dessert, we were each given a slice frozen cake, straight from a Pepperidge Farm box. That was the first and last dessert offered during our lengthy stay, and this served as a metaphor of our trip. I wanted so much to love our time in Barbuda, but we feel like we were a bit duped.
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Date of stay: February 2012Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gstjames3 wrote a review May 2012
Atlanta
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I just want to start by saying that I could not disagree more with the previous review. I think that the claims that were made were so far from my experience that I am very suspect of the motives of the reviewer.

My girlfriend and I stayed for were planning on a 7 day trip to Barbuda in April and had found that it was very difficult to deal with Kelcina at the Barbuda Cottages. She took weeks to return each message that I left and when she finally did, she had no idea what dates were available to be booked. Reuben, however, takes his business very seriously. He answered all of the questions that I had about the island on our first phone call and I booked a bungalow right away. When something came up for work and I had to move the trip a week back I was worried that our trip would be compromised, but Reuben laughed it off and told me it was no problem at all. I was very impressed with his level of understanding.

When we got to the island, we were escorted by George to the docks, where Norman was waiting to take us by boat to the resort. When we arrived at North Beach, Reuben was waiting on the beach to welcome us in person. The beaches were clean and the bungalows all looked nice from the boat. When Reuben led us to an extra large bungalow I was concerned because I had reserved a large, but he said that it was open and he didn't mind giving me an upgrade, which I appreciated.

The bungalow was clean and well decorated. There were seashells all around the room and a crab skeleton on one of the dressers, which my girlfriend did not like until I put my sunglasses on him. The bathroom did not have a door on it which I thought was kind of funny, but the shower was nicer than I expected a shower in a remote island bungalow to be. All of the windows had screens on them so we could let the breeze in and there was a fan above the bed as well.

There are 7 houses from what I could tell. 4 guest houses, Reuben's house, a dining house, and a generator house that I never actually saw but I remember someone mentioning. When we got settled, we went by the dining house to get the lay of the land. There we found Reuben and Joanne. Joanne apparently works with Reuben at the resort. While we were there Reuben explained the food situation - if you are hungry you an wander down to the dining house whenever you want and they will feed you whatever you feel like. Obviously if I asked for and ostrich burger they wouldn't have been able to make it, but every time we ate they offered several options for the next meal, and when we came back it was ready.

What surprised me the most about the food was that everything that Reuben cooked was surprisingly good. I expected the seafood to be good, but Reuben seemed to have a recipe for everything. My girlfriend really liked the chicken that he made, which he cooked with mango and tequila. The seafood was naturally very good - my favorite was the spiny lobster. Apparently they are native to Barbuda. We even saw fisherman diving for them several times off of the coast.

When Reuben told me I could just ask whenever I wanted a drink, I honestly thought that he did not understand how much of a vacation I needed. I fully expected to drink all of the liquor that was lying around the dining house and be stuck without a drink. As it turns out, they really did have enough for me (my favorite was the Cavalier rum, which is from Antigua). Whenever I wanted a drink Joanne would make it for me and there was nothing I could complain about.

Joanne and Reuben really did make a nice combination. Reuben really wants to make sure that everything about the stay is perfect. He took care of every issue that we had right away. He was a bit distant because he wanted to make sure that all of our concerns were taken care of professionally, but he was still very friendly. Joanne is a real sweetheart and very personable. I would walk over to get a drink and find myself talking to her for an hour. I wanted to take her back to the stated with me.

Its time to wrap up this review, so I'll make a few last comments. There is a friendly wild donkey named Douglas that wanders around the resort once in a while and he's adorable. There are pink sand beaches all around the island, including North Beach. The sand isn't Day-Glo pink so don't expect it to be. On one side of the island the pink sand is cause by corral fragments and the other has a red kind of algae. If you want to find the cave carvings on the main island, you will need someone to show you. They're really cool and the caves are awesome, but I wouldn't have found them if I hadn't run into a tour guide that happened to be giving another couple a tour in the area. Check out Palmetto Point it's super creepy. This hotel is something right out of Scooby Doo. It's totally abandoned, but all the stuff is still there. There's a pool table in the foyer, books on the book shelves, and all of the beds are still made. There are even coffee makers and glasses still sitting on the desks in each room. Spooky stuff.

I'll be going back. I have already recommended this resort to several people and I wish the best for everyone that I met on Barbuda.
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Date of stay: April 2012
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
5.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Answer from Claire401
London, United Kingdom33 contributions22 helpful votes
They didn't have a kite surfing option when we were there in January but they did have some sports equipment so it is certainly worth checking. There was no need for air con as there was a breeze when we were there in January. However again do check with them as their larger properties may have air con. Remember this place is very 'off grid' and everything runs through a generator so you need to realise that the level of conveniences won't be the same. If you want aircon and watersports you'll have more luck in Antigua.
Answer from ManagerNorthBeach
Codrington, Barbuda
Hi! This is Amy, the manager at North Beach. We'd love to welcome you to our slice of paradise. Delighted you found Rich's review helpful. There are two ways to get from Antigua to Barbuda and vice versa. One is to get the ferry which departs at 9am everyday apart from Monday and Wednesday, when it doesn't run at all and and Sunday when it departs at 12pm and alternatively catch a flight. The difference in price isn't too significant either (the ferry is cheaper but you'd have to get a cab to the ferry dock). We normally book the flights or ferry for guests as you can do it over the phone. If you'd like more information check out our webpages or drop me an email which you can find on our site. Thanks, and hopefully speak to you soon! Amy
valerie101010 wrote a tip Apr 2017
West Tisbury, Massachusetts25 contributions6 helpful votes
5.0 of 5 bubbles
"There are four cottages, all are on the beach, all have stunning views."
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Claire401 wrote a tip Feb 2017
London, United Kingdom33 contributions22 helpful votes
5.0 of 5 bubbles
"They all have the same view of the stunning beach!"
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MalTorero wrote a tip Feb 2017
Sydney, Australia210 contributions117 helpful votes
5.0 of 5 bubbles
"All four cottages are great - it doesn't really matter. We liked Sea Breeze"
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ANDev_12 wrote a tip Nov 2016
London, United Kingdom46 contributions15 helpful votes
5.0 of 5 bubbles
"All four cottages have personal verandas and sea-views. Take your pick..."
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Rich L wrote a tip Sep 2016
9 contributions3 helpful votes
5.0 of 5 bubbles
"I stayed in Reef cottage – but the décor throughout all 4 cottages is fairly rustic which feels more authentically Caribbean."
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Not the right property for you?
There are more places to choose from in the North Beach area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
north beach hotel barbuda, north beach barbuda
LOCATION
CaribbeanAntigua and BarbudaBarbudaNorth Beach
NUMBER OF ROOMS
4
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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North Beach Island - Reviews & Photos

Frequently Asked Questions about North Beach Island
Which popular attractions are close to North Beach Island?
Nearby attractions include Frigate Bird Sanctuary (4.2 km).
What are some restaurants close to North Beach Island?
Conveniently located restaurants include The Reef Restaurant, The Reef Restaurant, and The Reef Restaurant.
Does North Beach Island have airport transportation?
Yes, North Beach Island offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.