Paradise.

Fabulous location. First time a beach front resort had us on the beach. Could not have been closer to the sea. Wonderful staff. Incredible meals. Minimal buffet eating. Very quiet. The pool, restaurants, room everything was exactly what we expected.

Quiet and relaxing resort

Beach-excellent, no weeds and the water was clear and all sand. Drive from airport a short half hour, beach rooms are right on the beach with own patio and loungers. Extra loungers so never a shortage. Next to no vendors harassing you, 1 or 2 ladies quietly offering trinkets. Tour with Captain Sean and he can arrange anything you want on his private sailboat. He will be on the beach everyday by the watersports desk Ladies you will appreciate how immaculate and clean his entire boat is. Location  [... read more]of hotel on a mostly secluded beach is the best feature of this resort. Depending on time of year surf is not an issue. We had calm waters the entire visit in early Decmber. Never feels crowded even at full capacity. We would go back but after trying some new spots in the next few years first.

Enjoyable resort

This was our first time to Galley Bay. We were expecting a GREAT resort due to reviews on Trip Advisor. The one thing that was always mentioned on them was the outstanding staff. Honestly, we were stunned by what we experienced. Although we are friendly, respectful guests, we encountered so many staff who had flat personalities and no smiles. This was particularly evidenced with the morning restaurant crew who were moody. As well, the first night we ate at the Gaugain (sp), not one of the waitre [... read more]sses showed any emotion and were like robots in their responses of "Thank you". It was VERY strange to have such an opposite response to our attempt at interacting to staff. The day bartenders at the bar were also 'blah'. We just shook our heads at the unemotional responses we got when dealing with them. With that being said, we enjoyed our Deluxe Beachfront room. We were right on the beach!! The view was lovely. The whole resort is so beautiful and relaxing. We did the garden tour with Curt, which was fabulous. Also, we went with Shiloh on his walk. Both are highlights at the resort. We commend the resort for its ecological efforts. Guests are given hard water bottles which they can take home. You refill them with ice and water at "Rehydration Stations" The long verandah is fabulous with its Muskoka rocking chairs. The turtle sanctuary is wonderful. We enjoyed visiting the parents and children every day. Captain Sean's sailboat trip is worth taking! Unfortunately, the surf can be wild. We missed out on two days of ocean swimming due to red flags and the day we left, it was still red flags. The pool is nice and the way they have arranged the palapas and sun loungers is great in that there is privacy. Ismay's ala carte was just good--not great. The hype did not live up to what was expected.

Third time visit

Still a great resort, location, service. Disapointment in room (#22) floor state. Tiles broken, loose, worn out, and dirty in hard to reach spaces: corners, along the walls, and around bathroom appliances. Houskeeping time inadequate for tropical environment. 13:00 to 15:00 hrs is not room cleaning time, it's time to reste or nap... Travelling from Montreal via Toronto adds almost 5 hrs to each direction and will be a dealbraker naxt time.