The best hotels in English Harbour

Don't panic! There is still plenty of accommodation available in Antigua. But when you do get round to booking, don't forget what the ocean rower in your life really wants...

Antigua. That one word means so much to ocean rowers: both the pinnacle of their achievement but also the end of their challenge. So many have spent so much of their time planning how to get to this one place, safely and in one piece. And when you actually get there, how does it feel?

Already, many of the teams says they are on the “downhill” part of the journey. It’s amazing just how quickly rowing an ocean can go. One minute you are fiddling with your boat in La Gomera, the next you are in the middle of the Atlantic, and all of a sudden, the miles are disappearing quicker than you really want them to.

If you are planning to meet ocean rowing friends and family in Antigua in the next few weeks, wondering what hotel to book, and frankly, starting to panic, this week’s newsletter is for you.

And remember – no matter how many times Ian Couch says it, it’s worth reiterating – don’t book your flights or hotel until you get the nod from the safety team! It could be expensive in both time and money as you never know what happens in the final countdown. I once interviewed Kelda Wood, the first disabled woman to row solo across the Atlantic, and she was gutted to miss her sister in Antigua because the wind direction shifted and she struggled to get in for several days.

The best advice is if you are juggling dates and hotels, pick up the phone and speak to someone at the hotel. People do block book and then cancel, and often rooms that aren’t available on the website actually are. You may, like we did, have to stay in two places. But most of all, don’t panic - there are plenty of places to stay. Here are my recommendations.