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Curtain Bluff is Antigua’s original luxury hotel. Set on two strikingly pretty beaches on the island’s southern shore, it has been offering reliable, high-grade comfort and service since 1961. And it has stayed on the wave of modern comfort since the beginning, updating continually to match the expectations of its extremely well heeled visitors. The atmosphere has become gradually less formal over the years and its bedrooms, nowadays almost all suites, have recently undergone a complete refurbishment in a leaner, more modern style. Curtain Bluff has a fully inclusive plan, but it should not to be confused with ‘all-inclusive’ hotels, because although it offers many activities, it is a sophisticated hotel rather than a beach resort.
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KEY FEATURES
| Top-notch Antigua hotel with 72 rooms and suites. All inclusive plan with watersports (small sailing boats, kayaks, snorkelling trips, deep sea fishing, also scuba diving), two beaches, pool, four tennis courts, squash court (all the above included in the rate). Full service spa and beauty salon. Fine dining and an excellent wine cellar. |
STYLE
| Traditional Caribbean graciousness and elegance, recently upgraded, with slick service, relaxed enough that no keys are necessary |
CLIENT PROFILE
| Wealthy, well heeled travellers, a mix of nationalities, two thirds American, one third British and others. Plenty of repeat guests. Couples, singles and families all feel comfortable here |
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Curtain Bluff has a classic Caribbean setting, laid out in leisurely tropical gardens over two very attractive beaches either side of a point – which culminates in the bluff of the name – tucked away from the bulk of the island’s tourism on the south coast of Antigua. The journey down from the airport takes you through tropical countryside, through simple local villages and beneath huge scrub-covered hills. At Old Road village you run briefly along a wall and then turn into an enclave of tropical growth. And you feel the change in an instant. Passing the beach, visible through the tangled trunks of the palm trees, you draw up, in traditional Caribbean style, to a set of stone steps beneath a restored Antiguan windmill and a tropical garden. A bellman steps forward to open your car door. Curtain Bluff offers the best in gracious Caribbean hospitality.
Although the hotel has been here since 1961, it has constantly been altered to reflect modern styles and travellers’ requirements and by 2004 every single building except for the bar and the reception had been remodelled or completely changed. The most recent changes have created rooms and suites with a less ‘busy’ décor, in which traditional Caribbean designs have been toned down to account for modern tastes. The leading features are now light toned woods, wicker and off white walls.
The heart of the hotel is around the bar and dining room. As you climb the stone steps at the reception you will find the boutique and then the bar off to one side. The bar itself is set in the shell of an old stone windmill and has an air of Caribbean authenticity. Afternoon tea is served here, and there is a covered walkway around the outside of the old stone mill if you would like to sit outside looking out onto the gardens.
Headed straight on at Reception you come to the library and games room with a sitting area, and eventually the main dining area. The open-sided dining terrace, with a seascape mural on its back wall and the metal gates of the wine cellar, is used for breakfast and dinner (lunch is held at the pool). It looks out onto a terrace under a huge tamarind tree, which is lit at night with pinprick lights.
The bedrooms are all ranged on one side of the resort, looking south over the Grace Bay beach. Some rooms are in two and three storey blocks right on the beach, but others are built elbow on shoulder into the rising hillside of the bluff itself. The rooms are large and all have a view direct over the sea (and the sound of the waves breaking right there) and a balcony from which to take advantage of it. On a clear day the island of Guadeloupe is visible in the distance. In keeping with the spirit of the hotel, there will not be a television in your room. They find that people don’t really miss them, but there are two television rooms in the hotel. Also, unless you particularly want one, you won’t be given a key to your room at Curtain Bluff. They just aren’t needed.
For those who want it, Curtain Bluff can be an active place. Plenty of sports are available, almost all of them included in the package. There is an active tennis programme, a squash court and then there are lots of watersports, based down on Morris Bay, the swimming beach on the other side of the resort. You will also find the beach restaurant there and behind it, hidden in the palms and other tropical plants, a very nice free-form swimming pool. There is also a children’s playground near the beach. Finally, another thing you will definitely notice at Curtain Bluff is the gardens, which are delightful. There are an amazing 200 species of palms including coconut palms, royal palms and sago palms as you might expect, but also date palms fishtail, foxtail, golden palms and Christmas palms.
Curtain Bluff is right next door to the village of Old Road and has an association with it going back for many years. Most of the employees at the hotel (many of whom have been at Curtain Bluff for 25 years or more) come from the village and most of the more modern houses have been built with money earned at the hotel. The relationship goes further too, in a charity set up by Curtain Bluff, the Old Road Fund. Money donated by the hotel and guests is used to fund health projects in the area and education. Scholarships are granted to boys and girls from the village to go to college and to summer camps.
Curtain Bluff was opened in 1961 by Howard Hulford, who sadly died in early 2009. He ran the hotel for many years and remained a presence on property with his wife Michelle until the end, particularly at the weekly cocktail party for guests in their house at the very point of the bluff. In addition to flying, Hulford’s passion was wine, particularly wines from Bordeaux, and as a result the hotel has an excellent cellar. At the beginning of each winter season it runs to around 40,000 bottles or more, of around 500 different wines and vintages. Wine tasting weeks are held from time to time. |
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Beach & Swimming
There are two beaches at Curtain Bluff. The one you will notice as you arrive at the hotel is the main bathing beach, Morris Bay. The water is calm and protected and breaks gently onto a classic curve of sand. On the raked beach you will find loungers and fixed wooden shades dotted among the palms. Watersports are also available from here.
Curtain Bluff’s swimming pool is behind the beach. It is large and free-form, but it has two lap lengths if you wish to swim for exercise. The pool is surrounded by secluded sunbathing areas.
The other bay, Grace Bay, is on the south side of the resort, and it looks out onto the Caribbean Sea. It is more exposed and so the waves are larger. They roll and crash onto sand so copious that it is washed into scallop shell shapes. (This is also one of the theories about the origin of the name Curtain Bluff – the pattern is very like the shapes created by hanging curtains brushing the floor). |
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Sports & Recreation
Curtain Bluff is very well equipped with sports facilities. Their major sport is tennis. There are four tennis courts and three resident professionals with whom practise and instruction are available. Competitions are also held on a regular basis and there is a tennis challenge week in November each year.
There is a fully equipped air-conditioned gym with outside area for the regular aerobics and yoga classes. Close by you will find a squash court, one of just a few in the whole Caribbean. You will also find a croquet lawn and a putting green.
The watersports at Curtain Bluff are excellent. On the beach there are kayaks, windsurfers and small sailing boats such as Sunfish. Scuba diving (for certified divers) and deep sea fishing are both included in the daily rate. The chef is happy to cook any fish that you catch while out fishing. The only activity not included is a day sail on their yacht Sentio.
The hotel also has conference facilities for up to 60 people in a room 25ft by 27ft. All the necessary equipment is available. |
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Spa
There is an extremely smart new 5000 sq ft full service spa at Curtain Bluff with five treatment rooms (4 single and 1 for couples) and beauty salon. A range of health and beauty treatments by Pevonia Botantica-trained therapists are available, including Curtain Bluff's signature Caviar & Champagne Massage and Myaxy Caviar Mask. Other treatments include hand and foot care, facials, hair styling, waxing, body scrubs and wraps (Caribbean Green Coffee, Water Lily and Moor Mud), massage (deep tissue, hot stone, pregnancy and reflexology) and aromatherapy. Treatments can also be taken in your room, as can massage (at extra cost). Spa packages and gift vouchers are available. |
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Staff
Curtain Bluff is managed by Rob Sherman, who is originally from Oregon but has been at the hotel since the late 1970s. The General Manager is Calvert Roberts from Antigua. The hotel was opened in 1961 by Howard Hulford, who with his wife Michelle was very much a presence in the hotel until he died in early 2009.
Many of the 175 staff at Curtain Bluff have been there for over 20 years, some for over 30, and most come from the village of Old Road which is right outside the gates (and has crept steadily along the coast beyond it). |
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The Rooms
The bedrooms at Curtain Bluff, recently nearly all converted to suites, are large and very comfortable. They continue the use of traditional West Indian architectural features from around the resort, with ‘tray’ ceilings, some louvred windows and elegant classical Caribbean prints on the walls, but in matters of decoration the rooms have mostly been toned down from their bright Caribbean colours to light browns and off whites. The furniture is mostly wicker but there are some wooden and even stone pieces, including four poster beds and limestone coffee tables. All rooms have a balcony or some outside space. The suites are huge and some are on a split level, with rooms open to the air and like all the rooms they have plants in pots as decoration. Some have Jacuzzis on their balconies. The most recent bathrooms are huge and have polished granite surfaces and gold fittings. The two largest suites are called the Morris Bay and Grace Bay suites and they are near the summit of the bluff. The design of the new suites has been largely by Andrew Goodenough, who has worked around the island for many years. |
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Dining
Evenings tend to start (and often finish) in the bar, with a drink before dinner. Guests then move over to the main dining room, which is set under a covered dining terrace. The courtyard next to it, dominated by a huge tamarind tree from which tamarind sorbet is often made, is used for dancing during the nightly entertainment. The menu is continental, with use of Caribbean tastes and some Caribbean ingredients where applicable. Typically there is a short à la carte menu (with four or five choices of main course) for dinner.
Another popular option is in-suite dining. Room service is available between 10am and 11pm.
The Head Chef at Curtain Bluff is Christophe Blatz from the Alsace in France. He trained under Alain Ducasse of the Louis XV in Monaco and then travelled around Europe working at Aubergine in Munich, Germany, the Ambassadeur in Paris and at La Pinède in St Tropez. He arrived at Curtain Bluff in 1994 and took over as Head Chef in 1999. He offers a fairly broad international menu and is happy to look after guests with special dietary requirements.
Breakfast is served on the main dining terrace, but most guests prefer to have breakfast on the terrace in their room. Lunch is served down at the beach.
Curtain Bluff has a very extensive wine cellar, partially as a result of the personal interest of the founder and former owner Howard Hulford. His particular interest was in wines from Bordeaux. It is possible to visit the cellar - beneath the dining room - which is temperature controlled and contains as many as 40,000 bottles of wine at the start of the season. |
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Weddings
The owners’ private home at the top of the bluff also serves as the location for weddings. You will need to be in Antigua for at least one whole weekday ahead of the wedding date in order to complete formalities and weddings may only take place on weekdays. The fees come to approximately US$595 plus any special requirements you may want (flowers, cake, champagne etc).
Honeymooners receive a complimentary bottle of Champagne in your room on arrival and you may enjoy a private dinner in the Gazebo plus a romantic sail on the hotel's 48' ketch "Sentio". |
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Children
Children are welcomed throughout the year (and there are good facilities for them), with the exception of February, when children under twelve are not permitted. Over Christmas and during the Spring/Summer Break programmes are arranged especially for children aged 4 – 10, with arts and crafts, tennis and treasure hunts. They can also learn to fish and to sail. |
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Practical Facts
Annual Closure Dates: 01 June-31 October 2010 for annual renovations
Dress Code: Very casual during the day, but beach cover-ups are appreciated in the dining room at breakfast. At other times gentlemen are requested to wear long pants (no jeans), a collared shirt and dress shoes in the evening.
Facilities: Front Desk, Pavilion restaurant, main bar, beach club restaurant/bar, two beaches, free form swimming pool with 2 lap lanes, 4 floodlit tennis courts, pro shop and 3 tennis pros (extra charge for instruction), squash court, a golf putting green, croquet lawn, fully equipped air-conditioned fitness centre, full service spa and beauty salon, air-conditioned conference room, fine wine cellar, media room with cable TV, VCR and computer for internet access
Complimentary: Use of fitness centre. Yoga, Pilates and aerobics classes including water aerobics. Watersports: Sunfish sailboats, windsurfers, single and double Sea Kayaks, waterskiing including instruction, snorkelling equipment plus guided snorkelling trips on the hotel’s own dive boats, scuba diving (for certified divers only) including equipment, compressor service and guide. Deep sea fishing on the hotel’s fishing boat. Beach loungers, sun chaises, hammocks and sun floats. Computer room with internet access. Use of tennis courts, squash court, putting green and croquet lawn. Changing room for early arrivals/late departures. Room service during dining room hours.
Other Services: Concierge. Optional charter of hotel’s 48’ ketch, ‘Sentio’. Room service. In-room massage and therapy service on request. WiFi. Cooking classes with the chef are available for US$60 per person, including lunch with wine. Tennis and squash lessons.
Children: During the holidays facilities include the use of an air-conditioned activities (conference room) room with board games, computers and DVDs fof film screenings. There is also a playground with slide and swings. The kitchen is happy to arrange meals for children including early dinners at certain times of the year. Baby-sitters can be arranged.
Accommodation: 72 rooms and suites
Room Types: All rooms feature a furnished balcony or terrace with a sea view, air-conditioning, ceiling fans, stocked mini bar, en suite marble or granite bathroom with tub and a separate walk-in shower (deluxe rooms with tub/shower). Hair dryer. High speed internet access and WiFi. Irons and ironing boards available on request. 18 x Deluxe Rooms (24ft x 15ft) with a terrace/balcony (15ft x 8ft) have a king size bed and are located on the beach in a two storey building. 6 pairs of inter-connecting rooms. Maximum occupancy 3 persons. 40 x Junior Suites (48ft x 17 ft) in two-story buildings situated on the surf beach. Bedroom with king size bed, extends to a sunken living room with a mini library. 15 pairs of inter-connecting suites. Maximum occupancy 5 persons. 1 x Grace Bay & 1 x Morris Bay Suites (54ft x 36ft) located on the third floor of the lower (east) beach building with a bedroom and separate living room with wet bar, a large terrace with Jacuzzi and outdoor furniture. Large en suite bathroom is crafted in granite and marble. Each connects with a Junior Suite to create a Two-Bedroom Grace/Morris Bay Suite. The entire floor can be combined to provide four bedrooms to accommodate a large family. Maximum occupancy: 1 bedroom for 4 persons or 2 bedrooms for 7 persons. 5 x Executive Deluxe Room (37ft x 23ft) with a king size bed, large terrace with view of the surf beach and marble en suite bathroom. Located on the bluff. Each connects to an Executive Suite to create a 2-Bedroom Executive Suite. Maximum occupancy 3 persons. 1 x Terrace Room (18ft x 18ft) also known as the Honeymoon Suite and located at the top of the bluff. Four poster bed, large terrace (27ft x 21ft) for sunbathing, dining and an elevated area with Jacuzzi. Maximum occupancy 3 persons. 6 x Executive Suites are located on the bluff. These are split level with living area (41ft x 23ft) downstairs with tray ceiling (20ft high) to the upper level, and a 16ft terrace. Upstairs bedroom (37ft x 23ft) leads off a small garden patio and has a king size bed, en suite marble bathroom and dining terrace. 5 suites connect to an Executive Deluxe Room to create a 2-Bedroom Executive Suite. Maximum occupancy: 1 bedroom for 4 persons or 2 bedrooms for 7 persons.
Credit Cards: American Express, MasterCard, Visa |
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Rates
| Curtain Bluff | 31 Oct- 18 Dec 2009 | 19 Dec- 01 Jan 2009-10 | 02 Jan- 14 Apr 2010 | 15 Apr- 14 May 2010 | 15 May- 28 May 2010 | | On The Beach | | Deluxe Room | 745 | 1,195 | 995 | 745 | 645 | | Junior Suite | 925 | 1,545 | 1,325 | 925 | 775 | | Grace/Morris Bay Suite – 1 bedroom | 1,320 | 2,395 | 2,120 | 1,320 | 1,025 | | Grace/Morris Bay Suite – 2 bedroom | 2,200 | 3,900 | 3,400 | 2,200 | 1,750 | | On The Bluff | | Executive Deluxe Room | 820 | 1,445 | 1,120 | 820 | 720 | | Terrace Room | 1,025 | 1,745 | 1,425 | 1,025 | 825 | | Executive Suite – 1 bedroom | 1,220 | 1,845 | 1,725 | 1,220 | 855 | | Executive Suite – 2 bedroom | 2,000 | 3,250 | 2,800 | 2,000 | 1,550 | | Extra person in room/suite | 195 | 275 | 220 | 195 | 150 | All rates are quoted in US$ per night, per room and include all meals, bar drinks, afternoon tea, hors d’oeuvres at the cocktail hour, the weekly beach party luncheon, aerobics, yoga and pilates classes, watersports including waterskiing, deep sea fishing and scuba diving (for certified divers) and all of the resort’s recreational facilities and equipment, with the exception of sailing on Curtain Bluff’s ketch Sentio, spa/beauty salon services, and tennis/squash instruction. Rates subject to 10% service charge and 10.5% Government Tax – please no tipping. Deduct US$100 per day for single occupancy. All rates subject to change without notice. Children from two to five years of age can stay in parents’ room at nightly rate of US$75 plus tax and service. For five years and over the extra person rate applies. Only children over twelve years are welcome during February. In the dining room and bar after 7pm, those under six years are not allowed and those from six to twelve years must be accompanied by an adult. A three-day deposit is required to secure all reservations. Cancellations for the period 16 Dec-01 Jan must be received before 01 Nov. Cancellations after this date and no shows will forfeit the deposit. All other periods require a 45 day notice. |
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Special Offers
5th Night Free Offers
Enjoy a 5th Night Free when 4 nights have been booked and paid for stays as follows:
5th night free in a Junior Suite or higher category booked for stays from 31 October to 21 November 2009.
5th night free for any room category booked for stays from 29 November to 19 December 2009.
5th night free in a Junior Suite or higher category booked for stays from 03 to 23 January 2010 and if booked by 15 December 2009 enjoy 2 complimentary spa treatments per room.
5th night free in a Junior Suite or higher category booked for stays from 28 February to 13 March and from 20 March to 15 April 2010.
5th night free in a Junior Suite or higher category booked for stays from 16 April to 01 June 2010
Special Discount
Receive a 25% discount off each Junior Suite booked by 15 January 2010 when a minimum of 2 Junior Suites are booked for a minimum of stay of 5 nights. Offer valid for stays from 28 February to 13 March and from 20 March to 15 April 2010. Not combinable with free night offer.
The above specials are not combinable with other offers, discounts or packages and are for new bookings only made directly with Curtain Bluff.
HONEYMOON OFFER
All honeymooners staying at Curtain Bluff will receive: a bottle of champagne in room on arrival, a romantic dinner in the gazebo, a half say sail on Sentio, the hotel’s 48ft yacht. Offer valid year round – any other offers with duplicate complimentary items occurring during same period will limit that item to being received once only during stay. |
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Special Packages
The Power of 10 Package
This offers guests special discounts on some of Curtain Bluff’s premium activities during stays from 01 January to 31 March 2010.
The POWER OF 10 offers the following extras at Curtain Bluff for US$10:
-A sunset sail on Curtain Bluff’s yacht Sentio
-A cooking class with Chef Christophe Blatz
-A second spa treatment (of equal or lesser value)
-A second personal training session
-A second tennis lesson
Guests at Curtain Bluff can already enjoy activities such as scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, reef snorkeling and more included in the daily rates. |
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How to Book
If you wish to make further enquiries or a reservation, please use the WEB LINK or DIRECT EMAIL ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page to make contact with Curtain Bluff, or if you wish to telephone them, please click on TELEPHONE CONTACT to reveal the number. |
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UK Tour Operators
If you wish to book through a tour operator or travel organiser, please follow the link below.
See List of UK Tour Operators
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Locality
Curtain Bluff is on the south coast of Antigua and is surrounded by the village of Old Road. There is not a lot to do in the immediate area of the hotel, though there is a lovely undeveloped cove to the east at Rendezvous Bay (boat trips and picnics can be arranged). Antigua’s only walking is in the hills close by and a guide can be arranged.
If you head west along the south coast you pass a farm that produces Antigua’s famous black pineapples and a couple of local villages before coming to the south-western corner of the island. From here, running north along the west coast, there is a string of fantastic beaches. Several of them also have beach bars which are fun to spend an afternoon in. Try Turners at Johnson’s Point or OJ’s on Crab Hill Beach.
There is more of interest if you head east, up through Fig Tree Drive and down to English and Falmouth Harbour, the centre of Antigua’s yachting activity. There are many lively restaurants and bars along the strip between the two bays which make for a fun evening out. You will also find the island’s principle historical sights down in this area, Nelson’s Dockyard (a restored Georgian naval dockyard) and on the hilltop across the bay, Shirley Heights, a huge area of fortification. |
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Meet & Greet
If you are travelling independently, taxis are available at the airport, from where the ride takes around 30 minutes and costs US$25. Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport until the time that you leave, a Transfer and Concierge Service is offered by St James Travel & Tours.
If have booked you trip through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking |
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Getting Around
Curtain Bluff is quite a long way from most of the ‘sights’ on Antigua and so if you want to explore you will need to travel on a tour of some sort – probably best with a taxi arranged by the hotel. They will call taxis as required if you would like to go out in the evening.
A rental car enables you to explore the island at your own pace, to visit some of Antigua’s excellent beaches by day and then go out to the restaurants in the evenings. We recommend you book in advance via your travel organiser or direct with Thrifty Car Rentals, who will deliver to the property and issue your Antiguan driving licence, price US$20. Vehicles can be left at the airport or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day. Be aware that around Christmas and over the sailing festivals there can be a shortage of cars in Antigua, so you are advised to book well in advance. Also book early if you want one for a week or more because the pre-booked rates can be better. |
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