Orrie's Beach Bar Hotel

Orries works well for travelers who want an uncrowded beachfront inn and a base for exploring Antigua, without paying for a full resort experience. It’s a locally owned six-room property on Turners Beach, with large, clean, basic rooms and spacious balconies facing the ocean. The sunsets are spectacular, swimming is delightful, and the beach never felt crowded. Room #6 had a comfortable king bed, dining table and chairs, mini-refrigerator, coffee pot, microwave, utensils, a large walk-in shower with strong pressure and hot water, and a built-in safe. The walls were thick enough that we didn’t hear other guests. There’s a full bar and restaurant, and the owners can arrange meals onsite. The food we had was delicious, but waiting about 60 minutes for almost any meal was the main drawback. The seating area is useful for relaxing, games, or meeting friends, and two other restaurants are within easy walking distance. WiFi is available in the bar and restaurant but was unreliable in the room. The walk to the rooms is uphill, around 50 steps, so accessibility may be difficult. Valley Road runs between the inn and the beach, meaning you can notice traffic below the balcony, though it wasn’t intrusive. A car is helpful for exploring, with Downtown St. John about 20 minutes away, English Harbour 30 minutes, Stingray City 45 minutes, and the airport 30 minutes. Shawn & Venicia are often onsite and offer useful local knowledge. We’d happily visit Orries again.

Waking up to the beach and sea from our room was an amazing part of staying at Orrie’s. Shawn was a wonderful local host and made us feel at home. We liked the freedom of being near local restaurants and supermarkets, especially compared with an all-inclusive resort, and enjoyed making simple meals before watching the sunsets. The tropical gardens, adorable tortoises, and lively beach bar with its fantastic rum punches made the stay even more memorable.

We stopped by for lunch and ended up feeling like part of the family. The owner welcomed us warmly, cooked everything from scratch, and gave us a tour of the beautiful property while we relaxed with a rum punch or two. The views are impossible to beat. I highly recommend staying and dining here.

The relaxed atmosphere and delicious food made Orrie’s one of our favourite places in Antigua. Steve, his wife, and Shawn were exceptionally welcoming, and our room had a wonderful view of one of the island’s favourite beaches. Behind the hotel, the garden showed so much care and thought, with the tortoises being a particularly cool addition. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the place, and we’ll return to Orrie’s if we’re in Antigua again.