The tourism board of Antigua and Barbuda invited me on a familiarization trip and I was there for 5 days this month. I will share each of the properties that I visited and cover the activities that I did too!

The Admiral’s Inn and Gunpowder Suites is an amazing Boutique Hotel that I visited recently in Antigua. There is a lot of History there and great architecture!

The Admiral's Inn and Gunpowder Suites Antigua

Location

Located in Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour, Antigua in the Caribbean.

History

I can’t say it better than they did on their website:

The main building was planned in 1785 (the year after Nelson arrived in English Harbour as Captain of HMS BOREAS) and was completed in 1788.

The ground floor was used to store pitch, turpentine and lead, and there were offices for the engineers of the Dockyard upstairs. The brick passageway at the entrance divided brick-lined pits used for storing the pitch, which was in barrels. Some original pitch marks may still be seen at the foot of the stairs. The bricks used in the building were brought over from England as ship’s ballast, and it is said that the ballast used on the return trip was mostly rum.

The main floor houses a comfortable reception area, lounge and a charming bar. The ship’s plan behind the bar is of Nelson’s ship, H M S BOREAS (meaning “the North Wind”), a 142 foot 28 gun frigate built at Hull. This plan is a photographic copy of the original Admiralty draft of this vessel. Every ship had to leave a draft submitted to their Lordships of the Admiralty for approval of design. The frame surrounding the plans is of lignum vitae, and is an original door frame from one of the entrances to the building.The round pillars on the grounds once supported a large boat house with a sail loft above. The plans of this building may be seen in the museum. The roof was destroyed by earthquake in 1871, and concrete caps were placed on each pillar to prevent erosion.

The main Inn and the Gunpowder Suites are across the water from each other, but they have a boat that will take you back and forth.

Accommodations

There are several types of room categories available at the Inn and Suites Standard Room with Harbor View, Superior Room with Hillside View, Superior Rooms with Garden View & Patio or Dockyard View, Superior Rooms with Harbor View, Deluxe Loft Suite with Harbor View, and Deluxe Gunpowder Suite with Harbor View, Balcony & Infinity Swimming Pool

Restaurants

They have two Restaurants Pillars and Boom – I ate at both.

Pillars serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
There is a tree-shaded terrace that is a delightful place to sit and eat looking out over the water.
I only had breakfast here but they serve local seafood and use fresh local produce whenever possible.
There is a full range of wines available.

I had Eggs Benedict one day, and an Omelette the other days.

Boom, is a new poolside restaurant at Gunpowder House, there are spectacular views looking back over Dockyard and the harbour. Here you can enjoy delicious fresh lunches and your favorite cocktail or glass of wine.