Accommodation 

As the nature of yachting has changed over the years so has the relationship between the ‘on water’ accommodation and the ‘on land’ accommodation.  In the past, most yachts had accommodation on board, were smaller and had relatively few crew.  All yachts have become larger, many, designed for racing with little or no accommodation.  Also, more families accompany ‘racers’ and some crew and owners now stay ashore. 

Yachtsmen tend to go more for the traditional style hotels or self-catering apartments and villas, many of which have their own websites and can be found on the internet.  A good place to start is at www.antiguanice.com. The best villas are always booked early so it pays to make your choice as soon as you can. Also, the longer you wait the further you will be from the action.
At the more traditional end and within the historic Nelson’s Dockyard is the recently refurbished Admiral’s Inn with its quaint surroundings, historical background and view over the harbour. The Admiral's Inn is one of two Antigua hotels located in the Dockyard and  dates back to 1788 when Horatio Nelson was the Royal Navy’s senior Captain in Antigua in command of the frigate HMS Boreas. Like several buildings in the Dockyard, the Admiral’s Inn was built using bricks brought over from England as ship's ballast. During the time of Nelson, the building served as an engineers' workshop for the Royal Naval Yard.  Whether staying in the Admiral’s Inn, dining on the terrace or having a quiet drink at the bar, this hotel is one to be experienced for those who like style and tradition.
The other unique hotel situated in Nelson’s Dockyard is the Copper & Lumber Store .  The style, finish and furnishings of this hotel transports you back to the days when Nelson’s Dockyard was full of the wooden warships from the Royal Navy. The Copper and Lumber Store was built as a storage facility in 1789 of bricks and hand-hewn wooden posts and beams. Today, it serves as an hotel and its massive brick arches, central courtyard and wooden beams create an atmosphere of quiet comfort and gracious elegance. The hotel has 14 suites fitted out in the style of a luxury cabin and named after one of Admiral Horatio Nelson’s ships or Captains in the Battle of Trafalgar. Antique period furniture and paintings decorate the  fully air-conditioned rooms which have ensuite bathrooms, TV and internet  
Few hotels in English Harbour and Falmouth have direct access to the beach, exceptions being the Inn on English Harbour and the less expensive but very commodious Catamaran Hotel.  Not only does the Catamaran Hotel have its own beach but it also has a pool.  Quietly located, it is very convenient to the Catamaran Marina and only a short bus, taxi or car ride into the centre of English Harbour/Falmouth.  It comes highly rated by those who have stayed there.  The Catamaran Hotel caterers specifically to yachtsmen.  Adjacent to the Catamaran Hotel are two restaurants, one Italian and one pan-European both with bars.

Some room only accommodation is available in places such as The Anchorage or The Waterfront and Harbour View Apartments which has a very small beach. Other hotels include the Antigua Yacht Club Marina Resort which has some self-catering apartments as well as hotel rooms and the Ocean Inn.

Christmas and New Year are popular times to visit Antigua and many a yachtsman, first coming to the island for the sailing, has returned for the Christmas and New Year festivities.  Not as busy as during the regattas, accommodation is generally reasonably easily available but still quite expensive as it is the ‘high’ season. Low season, June to end of October, can be a much cheaper time of year to visit Antigua but the weather is definitely much warmer and there is a small risk of a hurricane. If you  are attending a regatta or just on holiday and don’t mind a short drive, there is plenty of choice of good hotels on the north end of the island.

Villas or apartments are available from agencies, such as Island Rentals,  which have a fine selection of properties to suit all sizes of pocket.  Also Take a look at websites like www.antiguanice.com and www.antiguaholidayrentals.com. Prices vary according to the time of year and some bargains can be obtained out of season. You can rent anything from a 2 bedroom apartment starting at US$1,500 per month (long term) to a 4 bedroom villa at over US$5,000 per week.  A few high end villas are offered privately and a search of the web will produce some very attractive products many of which will be negotiable.  All inclusives are not necessarily suited to the visiting sailor but can be an attractive proposition if attending a regatta but the remainder of the family is staying ashore.  Packages with air fares can work out quite cheaply.