What's Happening at Long Bay, Antigua

I had an EPIPHANY!

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:20:27 GMT

Hello all, been a while but as usual the resort is keeping me busy.

As is normal for us here at Long Bay, we have had, some great people pass through our doors so far this season. Every time I think we here at Long Bay are fighting an uphill battle, departing guests send me their thoughts via email, about the wonderful experience they've had, while visiting with us.

On top of that while travelers are here, I hear them laugh and chat, of an evening, with each other, which should be proof enough for me; why isn't it? that there are still those of us who appreciate, the good simple things that life offers us on a daily basis, a full nights rest, cool breezes, good food, great conversation cool, tall drinks and great scenery.

My main reason for this post is to solicit some feedback from all of our past guests. I am in the process of setting up a dedicated web-page, within the Long Bay website, to highlight all our past guests who happen to use the web to share their lives. As far as I am concerned the website's can be for a small businesses, art galleries, a favorite hobby, a furniture store, flower shop, a Hotel or Inn or any content that you personally have posted to the web. I don't really want to be highlighting Coke, Sony or GM I think they get enough web traffic without our help. What I am seeking is small, obscure web-postings that would be interesting to all who have passed through our doors.

To be honest and give credit where credit is due I should explain that the brain storm for this idea is Sylvia Evens an Artist who was here with us, recently and who has asked that I add her web art studio to our Long Bay website. Sylvia's Art, in my opinion is simple and elegant, all at the same time. An example of her work is at right. If you'd like to see more of her work her web address, http://sylviaspictures.com where there is lots more great art, displayed, as well as interesting posts on her travels to Zambia. From what I gather she has just produced this on-line Art Gallery and I was so impressed with her work I thought it would be a good idea to share it with others. That's when the Epiphany hit, over the years we have had many interesting guests visit with us and their work is inspiring as well as interesting, so I thought a central location might just be an idea that might work. I had even saved some of the web addresses guests had given to me but now that I'm confident enough to add then all to a dedicated web page I can't seem to find the web addresses.

Your JOB if you decide to accept it (Mr. Phelps LOL) is to send me your interesting web addresses so I can add them to the, what I hope will be, growing list of guest generated website's that I build a page for and add to our Long Bay website for all to enjoy. There is only one criteria for a website to be added/included and that is; the owner of the website must have been a guest here at Long Bay. Also extremely commercial sites will not be added. Finally the decision is mine, it's my website I choose, so there (LOL).

Please do send in those web address or the page is going to be very small. By the way, (BTW) if you haven't been with us in a while the year you last stayed with us would help us a lot.

All my best to all of you who keep the "REAL CARIBBEAN" alive and fighting.

Your Host, Chris.

PS. For all of you who may have given me your web addresses in the past please email me with the web addresses, I'm missing a bunch!?!?!? SORRY. chris@longbayhotel.com

Quiet but Happy Christmas

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:44:25 GMT

Been a while since my last entry but as we all have, I've been consumed by the Holidays.

This year at Long Bay we had a slower then usual Xmas Holiday crowd, we had several largish families through Christmas day and then mostly couples after Christmas through New Years. From what I observed all had a wonderful time, as is expected from my point of view, there just weren't enough of you enjoying our idea of "PARADISE".

I have to write that families are most welcome at Long Bay and to most peoples amazement we do families good. Most of us would feel that being a small hotel & resort without all the bells and whistles that much larger traditional Resorts offer that children would not find enough to do. In reality this is not the case. One of the facts that endear children to Long Bay is the small size of the resort. Our small size offers children and parents alike the feeling of belonging and safety which is so hard to find in this day and age and especially at larger resorts. Because parents feel comfortable and children feel comfortable; both feel freer to relax and actually enjoy the sun, sea, sand and nature that abounds.

Also being small means that all the services we offer are available to all, without massive sign up sheets and long lines. Besides that I think we adults underestimate the power of the young to enjoy nature, not in the cultured sense but in the sense of being able to chase a lizard, torment a land crab, spy a fish in the reef, or just wander around being content and amazed by the world around them.

I think coming from the real world we feel our children need constant stimulation, when in fact, just like us, they enjoy a bit of life with a difference, which they can experience here because we as parents feel comfortable enough to let them. This phenomenon can be attested to by the all the families who enjoyed themselves over the Christmas Holidays.

Another fact overlooked by parents is our large public areas in relation to the numbers of guests we cater to. For example children are quite happy to play in our large Library and games room while the adults get to enjoy a cool cocktail before dining. On top of that we offer all kinds of water sports, the best child friendly beach on Antigua, tennis, billiards, and more...........

So Christmas came and went and the couples arrived. I must write that past experience had shown me that trying to create a big bang for our new arrivals during the "New Years" celebration was going to be as usual, a bit if a chore. In the past enticing our guests to stay up past 10:30 to ring in the "New Year" has always been a push. In order to entice our guests to enjoy the celebration we have always made a special effort for our "New Years Eve" party. We offer a special dinner in our Turtle restaurant with Lord Lee the wandering Calypsonian putting our hearts in the mood. After dinning we offer dessert and coffee at our beach house restaurant directly on the beach with the sounds of The Impulse Steel Orchestra attempting to entice all to enjoy the complimentary cocktails and wait for the champagne toast at midnight.

In past years all our efforts have been for naught and most of our guests wander off to bed to enjoy a peaceful nights rest with the ones they love. This behavior is very understandable as after a day at the beach soaking up the sun, enjoying good food and drink, swimming and such one does get ready for bed early and is of course perfectly understandable but does put us, as the hosts in the difficult situation, of how do you have a "PARTY" if no one shows up.

Well this year to my utter amazement we had a wonderful group of guests visit with us and low and behold they all made it to Midnight to ring in the "NEW YEAR" together. We as usual served dinner in the main Club House, we started late 8:30PM in an attempt to shorten the night, then we all moved over to the Beach House for Coffee and Desert. The whole group was very convivial; additionally there were several non residents who arrived for the festivities, being very young and happy, they added a touch of abandon to the affair. Well as it happens, before any of us realized it, there were fireworks going off above the airport and then moments later a huge display started over the bay at Long Bay, supplied by the Pineapple Beach resort. I must confess gotta love those big plastic resorts when it comes to spending money on frills, you sure can count on them. We of course had front row seats and I must thank Pineapple for the wonderful display. After the fireworks everyone was having so much fun dancing that the band stayed late, thank you Impulse Steel Orchestra, the night finally ended at 2:00AM.

So as you can see, one never is SURE what is going to happen at Long Bay.

The Invasion of the Butterflies Why chose a small local Resort, Inn Or Hotel

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 23:47:56 GMT

Today it's a slow day at Long Bay In Antigua, it's Sunday so one would expect this but it's also a particularly beautiful day with the sun shining, as it tends to do, puffy soft cottony clouds and the usual quiet breeze, which traveled across the Atlantic and is now puffing down our bay to cool us. There are, at present, a multitude of soft yellow butterflies, flitting about all over the area, which give the whole day a Never Never Land quality that is so special when experienced first hand. Honestly I have traveled far, to many different countries and places but never in all my travels, have I experienced days like the special days that are natural here in the Caribbean and especially here at Long Bay.

The main reason for my extra appreciation of today is that while I was relaxing in an easy chair in my living room, admiring the the wonderful view of the bay, a single butterfly choose to enter the room through the open french doors and it spent 90 seconds with me, imagine 90 seconds, time it with a second hand it is quit a long time. This butterfly was just floating around in front of me, at eye level, about three feet away, magic actually. While I was watching this butterfly I actually spoke to it, assigning it human like awareness, and yes it seemed to react to my speech for as I told it, "it should continue on its mindless way", it suddenly but slowly made it way out the open french doors off to do what butterflies do.

After it left I was just contemplating the experience when upon me came a wave of calm. My thoughts were serine and I suddenly felt as though, in spite of my insignificance, I was a part of the world. Obviously I wanted to share the experience so I am posting my words to the net. For those of you who have never been to a small hotel in the Caribbean but have mostly chosen the safe all-inclusive route, I wanted to offer you my thoughts on what you might expect to experience if you decided to venture outside your normal comfort zone. Choosing a small local vacation Hotel, Inn or Resort rather then the traditional manufactured Caribbean resort can result in a far better experience for you the traveler. Not only will you have an opportunity to see what our Caribbean is like but you can also get away from what you know and then, truly have some special stories to remember and share with friends once you return to the "REAL WORLD"!

If you do decide my words have inspired you to seek and patronize one of the Caribbean's small properties for your next getaway I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised. Most of the small intimate Resorts, Inns and Hotels in the islands are run by owners who are there on site, to ensure your vacation is a success. These small places may not have the infrastructure that the All-inclusive's have but what they lack in fixtures and fittings they make up for, 10 time over, in style a local character.

I strongly suggest if you would like to experience a similar feeling to the one I had, this day, on your next Caribbean holiday or vacation choose a small locally owned Inn, Resort or Hotel.

a' Bientot.
Chris, Host/owner Long Bay, Antigua.

For more info on Antigua's small locally owed properties visit www.antigua-vip.com.

We reopen for a new season 2007-2008

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 15:10:39 GMT

Well I must write it has been an interesting summer. The New Veranda Resort project which has kept our attention most of the summer is finally open. The worst part about having your neighborhood disrupted, by the building of a new 200 room resort on what was supposed to be National Park land, is not the actual project itself and this is a big one but the anticipation, as to how it will affect ones daily life, and in our case, more importantly what will be the overall experience, that our guests here at Long Bay will receive because the new project is around.

To be fair, so far the opening of the resort has been better, then living through the actual building, our self inflicted apprehension and worry about the final outcome has been far more disruptive then the actual construction. At this juncture the bay is just as quite, calm and worry free as it has always been, which is a big relief. Also since the best beach available to the Veranda guests is the little beach close to the top of Indian Town bay, near Devil's Bridge, the Veranda guests mostly stay up at the top end of the bay. For me personally, the lights of the resort are a bit much, I do wish they would stop leaving on some of the lights in the unoccupied rooms, but I think this is my perception rather then reality. One must remember I've lived here for over 40 years, so any change to the area is a major change as far as I am concerned. There is one positive aspect to the new resort and that is that there are lots of sail boats to watch, which are at the top of the bay, which one can enjoy while relaxing on our guest room balconies. This gives the bay a little more life, which thankfully is not intrusive or noisy.

As far as our little resort goes we have as usual been chipping and painting all summer to improve our little piece of "PARADISE". This year, one major project was the re-surfacing of our Tennis court, it needed it, it now looks like it was built yesterday. Also we decided, as we were working on the Tennis court anyway, to add night playing lights to the court. We did this in the hope more of our guests would be inclined to play. It has been our experience over the years, that no matter how many bells a whistles one adds to ones resort, what guests truly seek is some quality relaxation time. No matter what they think back home, before they arrive in paradise, what they truly seek is a great beach, a super comfortable beach lounge chaise, big drinks, cool breezes and tasty food these simple pleasures are what all of our guests enjoy most often. Our guests may come here with the idea they are going to "Rule the World" time and again though, they show us they truly need some re-charge time.

Additionally, for those of you who were here last year, we have finished installing the shutters on the new roof addition over the bedroom block. Now when the wind and rain comes out of the West, which happens only two days a year, the water won't seep into the several rooms upstairs that are directly underneath the new dormers. I must write that with the new shutters and paint the Bedrooms have never looked better. Now all I need to do is find some investors to help me finish those really cool Widow walk additions. Oh! well it will happen someday.

I will close for today. Look forward to seeing many of you with us soon.

Chris.

The Bay-side with the Veranda resort on the right side.

Click picture above to see bigger.

Returning to "PARADISE"

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 14:37:47 GMT

Lately with the arrival and departure of so many of our traditional repeat guests I have been thinking about the whole idea of why we encourage so many of our first time guests to plan a return visit. Profit of course, is one reason but that is not the main reason. So often in this day and age we host guests who truly enjoy the experience they are introduced to, here at Long Bay, I note however that many do not return for a repeat visit, until they have first visited several more destinations and have found that the atmosphere we offer here is the right mix for them. I think part of the allure of “New Destinations” is the fact that we as consumers are constantly bombarded with the idea that new and different is better. NEW Oreos, New Crest, New Triscuits “ NEW COKE that was a bomb”. they aren't’t really new, we are just being re-introduced to theses great, trusted products. This thought process is basically flawed, as there is nothing better then returning to a place where you are comfortable, where you are truly welcomed and where you already know the routine. Like a favorite old sweater, a lucky shirt, an old trusted pet, a return visit to a special place is comfortable and warm with the feeling of belonging already installed.

A return visit is an experience that is hard to duplicate, not only from a guests point of few but it is also an experience, we all as hosts, cherish as well. There is s certain feeling of camaraderie and kinship when we welcome our returning visitors back for another visit. We can concentrate on the experience we offer our returning friends and less on the introduction of our special spot, which we need to do, for our first time arrivals. An article I recently read, mentioned that the writer felt that it was not the discovering of a special place that was the joy but returning to that special location and that original discovery over and over and knowing it would be the same experience that was first enjoyed and discovered, that was the “JOY”. He had found, in fact, a little place in southern Italy, where the management said they were to do major refurbishment and his biggest fear was the place he had fallen in love with would be no more.

I personally understand his fears, as I have seen so often, small special locations and destinations throughout the world are discovered and then immediately changed by the same discovery. We all here at Long Bay actively fight against, change for change’s sake and when we improve our little bit of “PARADISE” we are acutely aware that the improvements we make must improve the experience while preserving the feeling one gets when one visits Long Bay. As we write in every introduction email “Our resort offers an atmosphere difficult to find in these times of pre-packaged everything. We have been running our Inn for the last 40 years and have made every effort to preserve the feel of the Island we first encountered so long ago.” I truly believe that the allure of the Caribbean lies not in the upgrading of a feeling out of extinction but embellishing and enhancing that special feeling and Caribbean spirit for all to enjoy for many, many years.

We of course want to thank all of you who return so often, please know that we appreciate your choosing to make our little part of the world a better place, as you have visited and experienced it, with us, so often.

Until next Time!

Chris.

Two Months Too long.

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 00:35:46 GMT

Well the silly season is past and we are starting a new year.

First off for those of you who actually look at this Blog I do apologize for the lack of entries. I don't know it seems like yesterday we were just opening the Resort for another tourist season. This year we have been experiencing quite a few growing pains, not in the sense of becoming bigger or different but in the sense that we have now totally upgraded all our guest rooms, so in essence all the rooms are alike. They all have limed wood ceilings and fans along with King or twin four poster beds. Also I have been making an effort to personalize each and every room by adding home style touches. The idea is to make all of our guests feel as if one were visiting an old friend instead of just renting a room.

There are wind up alarm clocks, nick knacks and other small touches that make our room's atmosphere more homeish them hotel like. The overall effect is very appealing, one of our guests actually commented recently, that it was the first time, ever, that she felt so comfortable in a hotel room, this is; of course the whole idea. Anyway the reason I am behind is that each every one of theses small additions takes time to set up correctly, it is similar to setting up a movie set. I don't know but I don't think guests actually know how much work it is to set up a special atmosphere while at the same time insuring the whole thing runs well, while looking like, it runs all by itself. There is a real art to making all this look effortless, which is the point, exactly. Anyway all these new touches have been occupying much of my time so my writing has suffered. We still are adding new room touches daily and I doubt we'll get done until the end of the season, each day we are getting BETTER & BETTER!

This year we had a "Great Time" over Christmas & New Years. In fact this whole year has been super. From the moment we opened we've had the right amount of guests, steady never full, never empty. Over the Holidays we were about 3/4 full with guests who were truly happy, what a welcome change. Perhaps I should explain. Most people won't think of this but often people who travel during the Holidays are looking to escape the trials and tribulations of their traditional Holidays. Because they are escaping from, rather then escaping to, a vacation they are not always the happiest guests to be around. This year everyone here was here to enjoy, it was absolutely wonderful!

We are finally attracting the kinds of guest we had way back when. We are enjoying the company of families who are re-connecting, young couples looking to re-connect and people who want to experience the real Caribbean. To be honest over the last few years I was worried that we were a dieing breed and that the world had moved so far forward that we had lost touch with what makes people enjoy a Caribbean holiday or any vacation. It is wonderful to see that the old customs of good service, great dining, a perfect location, all coupled with good old fashioned hospitality has not lost its appeal. I think many of us are tired of being treated like cattle, I think genuine hospitality is making a come back hooray!!!! I of course have thought, that this was so, for years, it is nice to know though that I was not too far off.

A thought just struck me. Life here is wonderful. I am sitting in the office, those of you who have been here before, I'm sure can picture it, and CC the musician is playing on the steel pan the Caribbean sound is softly wafting into the office, the temperature is a perfect 79', Sam has just brought me a drink and our guests are enjoying another one of Charlie's imaginative dinners; what could be better???

Well until next time we of course wish all of you a fulfilling 2007.

Chris.

The start of a new Season, at Long Bay. 2006-07

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:40:57 GMT

Wow, we are open, it's Nov. 5th. 2006 and it's a relief to finally be open again. To be honest the last four days have been the busiest I have experienced in years; I haven’t even had time for my customary and necessary afternoon nap. All of the staff and myself have been working madly to get our Special Spot ready for our re-opening of November 5th. With all the upgrades we’ve done over the summer this year’s re-opening has been a bit of a challenge. Today we finished the Harbour House cottages refit just an hour before the arrival of our first guests, we made it though and I think it has been said a miss is as good as a mile, which makes me proud of all our efforts.

During this summer we have accomplished much, like re-furbishing all of the guest room bathrooms, what a major project, they aren’t bigger just better and more user friendly, there is more up-grade news which will be shared later. To highlight some of the quirky goings on, during a re-opening in a Caribbean resort, I should mention that after we turned the water to the bathrooms back on, today, all of them flooded as we forgot to close many of the water faucets and the drains were clogged with dust, so on our first day we had 10 totally soaked guest bedrooms, not fun, reminds one of a Faulty Tower episode or a passage from " Don't Stop the Carnival".

I highlight the above as I would like to share a feeling I had this evening. After another long day of re-fitting, re-organizing, re-planting and the rest I took a break before the evening cocktail hour. It was another very long day but in spite of the hard work of the day, I was lucky enough to be here In Antigua at Long Bay, more tiered then I have been in years and oh! so very content. The reason for my happiness was; not only had we re-opened, which was quite an accomplishment but I was here relaxing in the cool breezes of the Trade Winds, enjoying a cool, tall drink, overlooking one of the most beautiful views in the “WORLD”. I was looking East over the Bay, which by the way’s name is Indian Town Creek, watching the day end with the sunset shimmering off the white limestone cliffs and the moon rising at the same moment. The sight was magical and I felt ever so fortunate to have been able to enjoy it. I think the fact that I was as tired as man, such as I can be, enhanced my appreciation of the whole scene. On the one hand I could barely bring my cool drink to my lips and yet before me a wondrous sight unfolded that did not involve any part of the man made world. I think in this day and age, we get so caught up and seduced by our technology, Cell phones, PDA's, Computers, Television, that we forget to enjoy the world which is all around us. I think these special moments are why I and by extension all of us at Long Bay are so committed to keeping our resort simple and uncluttered by the gadgets that help us in our daily lives but hinder us in our quest for relaxation and peace of mind.

As always, I think we should continue to follow the path we have chosen, as the special moments are worth every sacrifice we make, to experience them.

I will highlight the actual summer upgrades in my next entry later this week. Thanks for reading.

Chris.

New Travel Trends? Sleep Therapy???

Sat, 10 Jun 2006 11:55:07 GMT

Just this morning I read an article, in U.S.A. Today on-line, re the start of Spa resorts offing sleep therapy along with their normal offerings. It strikes me as humorous that once gain the leisure travel market is offering to sell us something we can get for free. Well let me explain, not for free but surly we don't need to buy it.

We; here in the islands and specifically at Long Bay, have been offering our guests a "Great" nights sleep since 1966 and the ingredients to achieve this are relatively simple. They are fresh air, good food, a friendly atmosphere and the omission of all the man made gadgets that make all kinds of noise and intrude or our peace of mind, TV's Telephones AC. Etc. Also key ingredients are fresh air, a cool breeze, not a cold wind but a soothing wafting breeze with ample amounts of warm sunshine mixed in, remember the dreaded, Light Deprivation therapy of a few years ago.

It has always makes me smile when I welcome a new guest to our special spot and I get the impression, that they are not quite sold on our idea of PARADISE, to ask them the next morning, of them, as they pass on their way to a big breakfast, if they have slept well. Religiously their answer, with surprise in their voices, is that the slept exceptionally well in fact they invariable tell me that their nights rest was the best that they have enjoyed in years. I smile inwardly to myself as this means half of my job is already completed, our new guests are well on their way to enjoying a great holiday with us. If one gets a great nights sleep, the days in "Paradise" pretty much take care of themselves.

I personally have to smile at the American resorts marketing efforts. We humans of course have to give everything a fancy name, its not worth anything unless it has a fancy title, so now instead of a relaxing vacation with a great nights sleep you receive, Sleep Enhancement Therapy, which of course is run by a professional and costs extra. Why, I'll never understand is it so difficult for all of us to accept and embrace the fact, that the simpler life is, in the long run the more enjoyable, it becomes. We here at Long Bay and in the islands as a whole have known this big secrete for many; many years. As always we invite you to experience a "Great" nights rest with us; no extra charge.

Island Life

Wed, 17 May 2006 11:10:03 GMT

This morning while I was enjoying the arrival of a new day here in paradise I was reminded by a small lizard why I enjoy living here.

As many loyal guests know, those early risers anyway, I greet each new day by enjoying a cup of coffee on my back porch which overlooks the gardens here at Long Bay. Over the last few mornings I have noticed a new baby lizard weighing perhaps an ounce who seemed to be totally absorbed by my big toe. The reason I noticed the lizard was that on the first morning I felt a tiny weight on my foot, when I looked down I saw the tiny lizard running away. Upon reflection I thought the lizard was interested in my big toe, I tend to tap it on the floor, while I am sitting. Anyway I wasn't too bothered as he didn't hurt me and I thought he would tire of the toe chasing game eventually.

Well this morning I have figured out why this tiny new lizard is so interested in my feet. You see it wasn't my big toe he was interested in but the whole area around my toes in general. Why is this? well it seems that small gnats, we do have a few, like to buzz around the end of my toes. Mr lizard had seen this on previous days and figured he could get breakfast every day if he watched the end of my toes. Well I tell you it was amazing to watch this guy feed, he would sit there patiently looking at the end of my feet and then BAM! as quick as an eye blink, he would catch a gnat. I must admit it was a wonder to watch and it didn't hurt, that he was culling the gnat population, we all can use less gnats.

These small constant interactions with nature are a joy to behold and rarely enjoyed in the first world. I don't know but in the real world with our schedules, TV news, rush hour traffic and the rest we seem not to notice the world around us. Here however by design we constantly are presented with the nature around us and almost forced to realize that we humans are just one small part of the overall puzzle.

Thank you Mr. Lizard.

Our Environment here at Long Bay

Sun, 14 May 2006 16:24:34 GMT

Hello again to ALL,

Been a month, just about, since my last entry. I don't know why but the time just seems to fly by. One minute I'm thinking what will I do with myself, the next, a month has passed.

Wendy Walker-Drakes our environmental guide visited wit us last month. She is a lady, out of Barbados running her own company EcoLink, who helps us with our Green Globe 21 certification. I don't know if any of our regulars know this, we don't toot our own horn enough, we are now Green Globe Certified as a environmentally friendly resort. What this means is that overall we here at the resort, and that includes our guests, practice habits that have less impact on the environment then other similar resorts. In our case, at the end of our review during 2006, we came up with an "Above Best Practice" rating in all the top categories.

They are.........

Energy Consumption.

Potable Water Consumption.

Solid Waste Production.

Social Commitment.

Resource Conservation.

Cleaning Chemicals Used.

What this signifies is that our guests and us use less of everything and still enjoy a wonderful Caribbean vacation experience. One of the major factors in our little resort achieving these kinds of high marks, is that we still do many chores the way they were done back when we first arrived here; in what we think of as "PARADISE". A good example is, we still do all our resort laundry by hand, now some of you may be thinking that's appalling but when you consider that instead of having machines, which by the way waste water and energy, we still hire people to do the job, who do a better job, in the end anyway. Personally I like that my clothes dried outdoors on a line, in the fresh air, rather then in a machine, don't you? The other important obvious factor is, our extensive use of rain water to supplement the municipal supply. Our little resort was out in the middle of nowhere back in the beginning and so... the original builder installed lots of rain water storage under the resort. A blessing for us as we can use this water every time it rains which helps us conserve. The final factor is our lack of airconditioning, since our breeze acts as our airconditioning, we can save an emense amount of energy that would be normally be used to cool the resort.

One of the things I am most proud of is that we can offer an environmentally friendly experience without affecting our gusts overall enjoyment. After we had started to implement some of our environmental practices a past guest actually mentioned that he saw the posted signs informing our guests of our efforts but did not see the effects of our conservation, the way the comment was written, see comments on tripadvisor.com, it sounded like he thought we were faking it. In fact what was happening was that his experience with us was enjoyable, while at the same time impacting less on our local environment, so much so that he was not aware of our efforts. What a fantastic achievement for our staff members and our guests alike.

Does? Traditional, Peaceful, Relaxing, Media Free, SELL???

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 12:53:58 GMT

Every so often I wonder if we at Long Bay have chosen the correct path to follow, then I read a new article and am certain, our idea of "PARADISE" is a service, sorely needed yet unappreciated.

Just today I was wondering through the London Times, on-line and came across an article which reinforces my feeling that our laid back approach to a Caribbean Holiday is spot on. David Rowan's article "Information Saturation" says it all. (Click here). In this day and age where we are constantly bombarded with information and technology makers push us to do more because we can, we all struggle, to keep up with the machines that surround us, forgetting that they are only machines and never need a break. The human mind however works best when it has an opportunity to reflect, ponder, analyze and imagine. By offing your mind and soul, a break you are really preparing yourself, for a more active and imaginative view of life which is the whole purpose of a vacation holiday. One recharges one's batteries, so to speak so upon returning to the first world one can resume one's life with renewed vigor and vitality increasing all levels of enjoyment.

So in a nut shell, by booking a holiday at Long Bay where we "DO NOT OFFER" TV's, Pones, In -room movies, and the like, you are really offing your brain that much needed recharge. Isn't that what a vacation is all about?

A best friend moves on

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 11:05:04 GMT

Hello all!

Been quite a while since my last entry, although we have slowed down, business wise, the resort has been busy. We have started receiving some new items to be added to our lower level rooms, replacing some of the older furniture and such, adding a few new four poster Twin beds to complete the look and feel of our rooms, along with other new items to enhance the bathrooms, no we haven't made them bigger, that's for the future still.

There is one very sad note to share, our mascot Hooch, has left us for a better place after many years of welcoming our guests, he has finished his earthly journey. I must admit I miss him immensely. I still look for him to wander over and ask for some attention, I hear a noise and think he will be climbing the stairs to my apartment, see him out of the corner of my eye in the car, I know he's not there but something will catch my eye and when I look back I expect his smile to greet me as it did for years. We all will miss him very much.

Hooch's Vet has told me of some pups who will be ready for adoption shortly but I am hesitant to offer to adopt one. After being spoiled by Hooch's almost perfect disposition and personality I would be disappointed to get a less then Hooch replacement.

A thought which occurred to me after Hooch's departure was that there is no living thing that I know of that offers such true unconditional companionship & Love like a good dog. They never judge you, are always near but never in the way, always know when to nuzzle you out of a bad mood, always willing to go for a trip or are just as happy to sit at home a chill never comment on one's love handles or the work you still need to do, as far as a good dog is concerned "IT"S ALL GOOD".

HOOCH thank you for making our world better; because you were part of it.

Chris & Crew.

Click photo to enlarge.

A Different Time

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 14:36:43 GMT

Just yesterday I had a revelation that to some, after reading this, will seem self evident but to me was a shock.

Recently I was chatting to some of our returning guests, at this time of year there are a quite a few, about this and that and it dawned on me that there is not as much personal time, for me or for our guests, here as there was in the past. To explain, back in the "Good Old Days" there was more time to get to know people. As life and the world progresses all of our lives seem to get more complicated. I know the boy's of Madison Avenue would have you believe otherwise but the fact of the matter is life now, with our seemingly unlimited choices, is more complicated. An example in the past a guest would see Long Bay in a guide book, like what they read, write a letter and choose a holiday, after receiving a brochure. Then they would mail a check for the deposit and then arrive on the specified day, stay two weeks or longer and return home after experiencing one of the most relaxing vacations in memory. Now a guest researches multiple web sites, reads guide books, looks far magazine articles, emails us several times, we receive 6 to 10 emails for every reservation, then books a holiday. In order for us to keep all this working, we need to update and maintain multiple reservation data bases, keep our web site current, answer mail, phone calls and email. Far more complicated. And this is only the beginning, besides that, vacations have shrunk to the unheard of length of only 7 nights, just enough time to get into the swing of our kind of life, before returning home, to the Hustle and Bustle of their real lives.

In the past there were fewer choices as far food offerings, location, day excursions, water sports and much more. So everything we offer here has become more complicated exponentially. To many it may sound like I am complaining, which is not the case what I am trying to convey is that where as we used to chat a lot in the past, today we are much busier and we spend an amazing amount of our time organizing lots of events in order that all, receive a whats seems like, effortless holiday experience. We do however sacrifice much of our time to achieve this, which limits our face time.

Personally I feel it is the face time which is most gratifying. Not to suggest that each and every guest is a joy to know but we here, have been very fortunate in that we seem to attract some very interesting and happy people, which are great to chat to and visit with. What I am feeling is it is too bad, that our modern lives, restrict our time to the point where we all are missing out on getting to know one another better.

Hug someone you love TODAY!

Old Friends Arrive.

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 15:48:21 GMT

It is a great week, in fact it will be a great month.

The weather has finally returned to normal, the bay is calm, with a cooling breeze, we can safely open the windows once again and use the new Bay side outdoor patio.

The best part is many of our old friends are returning for their annual visit. It is especially nice to re-welcome past guests to our Special Spot. These are the guests that really make all our hard work seem worth while. After their arrival it takes only minutes to begin chatting about what has been happening with them, while sharing all that has happened to us in the last year. To be overly candid, when one works with people and cares about them and their experience here, there is always a certain amount of apprehension as to whether they are going to fit into our Idea of PARADISE??? Obviously most of our guest do enjoy their visit with us and love our Island Style, never the less, the nervousness and apprehension are ever present in our souls, that our new arrivals appreciate what we offer. With returning guests it is like welcoming a fond family member back into your home. Where they know how the quirky toilet in the mens room works and they don't have to be reminded that our voltage is 220 volts like in England, not 110 like in the USA.

I look forward to the whole month of February as during this time many of our guests have been with us before. It is great, to welcome all of you, back to our WORLD.

Dropped the Ball!

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 13:42:40 GMT

Well I guess I have to face facts. I've been in a miserable mood for the last three days and I know why but I don't know how to fix it.

It actually started when we received, two very poor write ups, on Trip Advisor this week, January 14th. 2006. The comments were fair but the subject matter is taboo in most, if not all circles and the issues are taken out of context. It concerns Antigua's cane rats and to be very candid, that is not the underlying problem, the problem is; that these two sets of Guests did not enjoy themselves while they were here and that, to us here, hurts. Genuinely, all of us here at the Resort, make every effort to insure our guests enjoy their visits with us. We mess up sometimes when guests try and re-make us into something we are not, which is a generic sanitized resort. Mostly I think that both of the poor comments are the result of two; less then stellar guest experiences with us, brought about, by all the previous GREAT guest comments, we have recieved in the past.

We are getting so much good press I think some new guests are choosing us for our notoriety, rather then for what we really do offer. In this day and age many of us don't really read, so with Long Bay being the #1 guest choice on trip adviser for the last 24 months in a row I think some new guests are not really reading our web site or the past guests comments fully. This leads us to welcome some guests that don't really belong here. I am not implying that these guests don't deserve the best possible holiday experience but we are not designed for everyone and we know it. Maybe in the long term, these two less then stellar entries, will bring a balance back to our world.

It is a fact; that here at Long Bay, which offers very open environment on purpose, that nature is going to intrude every now and again. We all smile, when a young girl or boy sees a Soldier Crab crawling across the lobby floor and then giggles with wonder. We delight in the fact that, a lizard just ate the nasty mosquito and that, the pinky nail sized tree frogs, seranade us, just before, it is going to rain. We look in wonder and smile as the softball sized toad sneeks, into the crack, under the indoor limestone flower bed. The women sometimes shreek when the odd, lazy tarantula, ours are very laid back and non threatening, strolls along the garden path, while the men become hero's catching and removing the offensive beast.

So it is not surprising that now and agian an Antiguan cane rat runs through the resort, looking for shelter from the rain or a place to hide. We don't welcome them but they are a fact of Island life, anyone who tries to convince you otherwise, has a bridge in Brooklyn, to sell you. We of course use all avalible methods to insure these unwelcome pests don't interfear with our daily lives.

True storey about cane rats and Antigua. Back, when cane was king, a very long time ago and the whole Island, every square inch, was planted with sugar cane they had problems with the Antigua cane rats. To solve this problem the plantation owners were poorly advised to import Mongooses to eradictae the Cane rats. Well the mongoose hunts in the day time and the Cane Rats are nocturnal, also Cane Rats and Mongeese are very closely related; so guess what ??? the mongeese ate all the snakes their natural rival and did narry a thing to help with the Cane rats. Now we have thousands of wild Mongeese, they live in the willd, no snakes, what so ever and the Antigua cane rats are still alive and well. Every once in a while one passes through Long Bay. It is the price we pay for "Our Idea of PARADISE".

Our mood is MUCH improved.

Sun, 15 Jan 2006 13:34:35 GMT

Good Morning, In fact Great Morning,

Had to write early as it is a wonderful day. As is usual, I am here in front of my computer, like I am every day, printing the News from USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and The London Times, to share with the guests at breakfast. We like to keep everyone a little connected to the real world even if it's in the short form. Some of our guests really are addicted to the daily news of the world. Personally I think it is the same news with the names changed to protect the GUILTY. OK, to the point of this entry, the day is absolutely fabulous, the sun is brightly shining, the wind has turned into a heavy breeze and the day is bright as can be. We here in the Caribbean are very affected by the Sun. We are so spoiled by our daily sunny days, that when we have a few overcast days, the last week has been less then perfect, our mood is changed. So much so that I am sad to write it effects our ability to make our guests feel happy. Not that we change much but when we are not personally up, I think it shows, no matter how hard we try and hide it. It may be hard for some of you to imagine but we here, get a bit down, when the sun is not shining. I think it is very similar to the way sunflowers, who if you didn't know follow the path of the sun every day, must feel on cloudy days. Today with the Sun back where it belongs makes each and everyone of us here at Long Bay feel great and ready to serve our guests.

Amazingly Busy

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 01:06:29 GMT

Hello again,

Well we are amazingly busy for this time of year. Usually after the Christmas Holiday, big push, we get a break for about a week to recharge our much deleted batteries. Normally there is a bit of a lull, as people get back into their own lives after the holidays, this season no such luck. I am amazed, we have about 28 guests in the house at present, when normally we have about 6. They are all great guests, we do attract a certain kind of person, very nice people one and all. I think it is our small size and lack of electronic devices that attracts a nice sort of person. I am kind of sad for our present group, the last few days,very windy and too much rain. It is very sunny and nice during the middle of the day but the evenings are very blistery. The one saving factor is the Beach is always protected so no matter how blistery it gets on the bay the beach is fine. I do hope that by tomorrow we get back to our normal weather, we all feel so much brighter.

At the end of this month and for most of February we are filling up fast. For any of you who might like a short get-a-way, there are a few three & four night gaps, I would love to fill. I don't personally suggest you only visit us for three or four nights, as it takes three days just to get rid of the first world's habits of Go, Go, Go. In the interest of offering what we have I just thought I'd mention the availability. Remember to reserve the short stays you would need to call us direct at (268) 463-2005. The ladies are in the office from 9:30AM to 4:30PM daily. There is a local time clock listed on our web sites home page.

Well that's it for now will write more later.

A Beautiful Day at Long Bay, Antigua.

Sat, 07 Jan 2006 01:51:57 GMT

A perfect day in Paradise.

Today was one of those special days that makes one realize why one lives in the islands. The skies were crystal clear, with just a few puffy, cotton like balls clouds, softly floating through the ski and a breeze so slow it just ever so slightly caressed you skin, keeping one at the perfect temperature. There were very few people on the Beach, no cruise passengers to intrude on our tranquility, it reminded me of the old days when one thought one was the only person who had ever visited or discovered the most perfect beach in all the world.

What more can I write, when it's normal, it's great, when it is like it was today, it is JUST PERFECT!

Thursday Jan. 5th. 2006

Sat, 07 Jan 2006 01:40:09 GMT

Sorry I missed the deadline for Thursday. Here's what happened Thursday.

Was a day for networking, big meeting with a new tourism consultant for the Antigua Government. Myself along with other hoteliers, met from 10:00AM until 1:30PM at Sandals. The discussion was related to a new non governmental tourism authority. Very open and frank discussions were held, I hope Dr. Husbands feels it was a positive meeting. Dr. Hudson Husbands was the facilitator, he is on the Board of the Barbados Tourism Authority and is very intelligent, he intends to guide the local tourist industry and the Antiguan government to new heights in meeting the needs of Antigua's future visiting Tourists, as well as the islands economy. Dr. Husbands sought input from all the hoteliers present, on where we see the tourist industry in the next 5, 10 years. He was gathering information so he may guide us all, into implementing a new Antigua Tourist Authority, which will set policy and market our twin island "PARADISE". Additionally he will seek input from many sectors of the islands existing tourist infrastructure, who are direct stake holders, Taxi Drives, Vendors, Sea Sports operators, Excursion providers, Immigration, Customs as well as others. On a whole I believe the discussions were very informative for Dr. Husbands. We who attended, were also given some insights, by Dr. Husbands, as to how other Tourist led economies capitalize on their positions. Some examples were given from, understandably, Barbados, along with the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Netherlands Antilles, the Cayman Islands and others. I thank Mr. Husbands for his patience and guidance and wish him, and all of us, a successful & smooth implementation of the new ideas that are put forward as a result of his fact finding mission and guidance. I also think it is truly generous, for an expert from another Caribbean Tourist destination, to help guide us, here in Antigua. THANK YOU! Dr. Husbands.

Back to Normal.

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 01:45:24 GMT

Well Long Bay & Antigua are back to normal after the Christmas rush. The small reprieve is a welcome event for all of us here. Time to reflect and recharge our batteries for the next group of Guests.

A few new couples arrived this week Very nice one and all. With only a house count of 12, the resort is as peaceful as ever and the guests are being treated like Royalty, 2 staff members to every guest is a great ratio. Last night Lord Lee, the Calypso singer, serenaded our guests as if they were the only people in the universe. I do wish economics would allow us to always cater to just a few, AH! we do have to make a profit to stay a viable business.

The day started out very windy with, what seemed like, a mini Hurricane at 4:00AM and the morning looked a bit dodgy. Then the sun rose burned all the cloud cover off and it turned into just a delightful day. The bay and beach were both perfect for swimming and sailing so a fun day was had by all.

Custom List: Custom List

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 12:56:17 GMT

Long Bay, Antigua.
Our Web site.
Antigua Restaurant Guide
Where to Dine while in Antigua

Custom List: Helpfull Travel Tips

Sat, 31 Dec 2005 11:27:16 GMT

Helpfull Travel Tips

Where To Stay
Another good travel Link
Trip Adviser
Candid Guest Feedback on Antigua Hotels

Custom List: About Antigua

Sat, 31 Dec 2005 01:12:03 GMT

About Antigua

Antigua & Barbuda Official Tourism Site
Helpfull Info
Antigua & Barbuda Official Gov't Site
Our Leaders and more.
Antigua Nice info Site
Good Paid Info site