Basic and clean resort

Clean resort and the staff were excellent, but the food lacked flavour. It was annoying to have to wait in a line up and sign in to eat, then line up again in another line and wait to be seated...in the buffet. I've never seen this at any other AI and it irritated a lot of people. The room was tiny but you get used to it. Pretty turquoise beach but water is not clear. Location next to the harbour is great for a walk or to eat at the restaurants. Entertainment was geared to older guests and ended [... read more] by 10 or 11. I never want to hear Ed Sheeran again. Would stay elsewhere next time.

Friendly and Great food!

We were a little disappointed when we checked in, as when booking, we requested an upper level with a queen / king bed instead we got 2 separate single beds and we were on the ground floor. The room was close to the main area of the resort, as such lots of noise and 4 days of lost sleep. We requested to change rooms but they did not accommodate us until Sunday, leaving only 3 nights left. We feel we were shorted as people were checking out the next day after we arrived and they could have easi [... read more]ly switched up rooms, but they did not without explanation. On a positive note the food was great, and the staff were very courteous, friendly and welcoming. The beach was beautiful! We would definitely visit Antigua again and stay at Jolly Beach again, ONLY if i knew i could get an upper floor so i can sleep! Being well rested is what a vacation is about.

Starfish Jolly Beach Resort - Antigua

Our vacation was sold to us indicating that the hotel was dated but the beach was fantastic. Our agent could not have been more correct. The hotel is dated, however it is beautiful. Some rooms are better than others and there is work being done,nothing that would interfere with your holiday. The grounds are spectacular. We stayed on the first floor, easy walk out to the pool or beach. The food is great, the staff are lovely people that are more than willing to make your holiday fantastic. Pool i [... read more]s great and entertainment staff a lot of fun. Drinks are plenty. Overall, our experience was wonderful. Would highly recommend a vacation here. Went for Christmas with our adult children

Nice resort

The grounds were kept clean and tidy and the beach was very nice . We were not bothered with beach vendors like some other places . The rooms are small and it would be nice to have a bar fridge in the room . Drinking water and ice is available from the bars . I found some of the food was not very hot unless just cooked on the grill . This could be due to the fact that people left the lids up on the warming trays . Our room was ok but others reported dripping air conditioners in their rooms . Al [... read more]l in all it is good value for the money . I suggest taking insect spray along to help with insect bites .

Good vacation

This resort is in need of some renovations but the grounds are kept nice and the rooms are clean. I do have some warnings!!! Bring insect repellent, sure wish I did. Be prepared to pay for bottled water, it is not supplied. There is no mini fridge in the room and speaking of the rooms, if you pay for a standard room with two double beds you're not getting that, you will get a super saver room with twin beds!

A true Caribbean vacation

Like every winter, we usually vacation in Dom. Rep./Cuba or Mexico. This time we opted for Antigua at the Jolly beach resort and it was a great decision. First off, the island is a true Caribbean paradise. It’s mountains, small bays, turquoise waters and colourful architecture are a feast for the eyes. The jolly beach resort although a 3 stars by Antiguan standards deserves a solid 4 stars anywhere else. The grounds are beautiful, the people, the beach and the food is yummy too. All in all, it [... read more] is more than good value.

Budget Hotel for Antigua

Overall the rating 3.5 star is true for this resort. We stayed in a supersaver room and it was really small, only fit a hard double bed with no dresser. You have to live out of your suitcase. Bathroom was separate from bedroom. The room was outdated but clean, we stayed ground floor and we had no issues with bugs. There was issues with no water on 2 separate days but fixed within 2 hours. The resort overall is outdated but they keep it really clean. Food - we only ate at the buffet as we  [... read more]didn't get up early enough to book the a la carte for each day. The lunch and dinner buffet always had some sort of rice, potatoes, sauté vegetables, chicken and fish. Each day they would introduce an additional different type of meat (I.e. Pork chops, pork loin, beef flank, BBQ ribs and duck). They had 3 types of salad and desserts. Food is better quality than Cuba. Breakfast buffet was good omelettes, breads, potatoes, beans and saltfish. Beach - listed as #8 on the island, it was a bit cold for our liking so we didn't go in much. Service - #1 of all the island I've been to which is Cuba, Turks, DR, Jamaica and Mexico. From Sunwing destination rep at Antigua airport and resort, the resort front desk, server, maid, car transfer, everyone made you feel special and paid attention to our needs. We wanted to see Antigua so for this island, this resort was good for price but if you're looking for a fancy modern resort, this isn't it. We would visit this resort again in June/July if the price was good.

Resort Antigua

Although this is an older resort basically the hotel, food and grounds were good. The rooms were another thing altogether. We had booked a super saver room and weren't expecting greatness, however apart from being small there were issues with the room. The toilet was leaking all over the floor as well as not flushing properly, the first night the air conditioner as well as not being cool , leaked water over the bed on top of my husband.The telephone did not work ,and the draperies were not very  [... read more]clean, it looked like black marks all over them (dead mosquitos I presume) After complaints to representatives there they assured us they would take care of the problems,unfortunately things didn't get better. We asked to be moved and were told they were full. After a email to the manager from my daughter about the room conditions we were moved to another room. Our appreciation to the duty manager for his immediate response. After the room change to a much better room our stay was enjoyable.

Wonderful place

This was our 2nd time visiting jolly beach. Many updates have been made. More sun shelters on the beach, grounds being updated with new plants, larger range for Wi-Fi. The food is delicious. Grill beach has wonderful jerk and fried chicken. A la carte restaurants were lovely. Beach was clean white sand and pools were clean ( can't help leaves blown into pool during the day) entertainment staff was fantastic! Loved Ann-Marie and Elroy! Friendly staff and friendly guest!

January 15-22, 2018....2nd time back

This place doesn’t disappoint. This is the first time we have ever travelled back to back, we enjoyed it that much! Food, fantastic. People, friendly. Beach, spectacular. The rooms, I wouldn’t say they’re run down they just need some TLC. We are planning our next trip already. We met some great people working the beach last year and upon our return it was great to see them again this year!!!!

The place was fantastic

Starfish Jolly Beach Hotel was excellent, the food was good, the people were fantastic, the rooms were clean, the beach was unbelievable. I have no complaints about the place whatsoever, we had a small problem with our room and they ended up putting us in a cottage on the beach with a free massage, they definitely went out of their way to please us we are totally satisfied.

A wonderful reprieve from the cold and ice

We enjoyed our stay at the Starfish Jolly Beach Resort and have no complaints regarding food, employees, or location. The beach is amazing! Our room was clean but definately tired. Certainly worth the price we paid.

Brilliant place

The hotel is dated however they are working to paint & update the whole resort.Spotlessly clean and great basic accommodations. Grounds, pool & beach are beautiful. The beach is the most beautiful in all of Antigua.

Older, but clean; good fun, good food.

I didn't have high expectations, considering we had seen this as a 3 star resort, however, the grounds and beach were beautiful. Our room was clean and spacious (junior suite) with a separate living room and two balconies, both with an ocean view. The buildings and rooms are tired, but kept up by staff fairly well. The bed was a true king, but the mattress was pretty hard. The maid kept the room clean, but on a few occasions forgot to replenish several things which we had to call reception to re [... read more]ctify. I found the bathroom a bit small, but there was lots of hot water in the shower. To end my list of "cons", I have to critique the food. The buffet was fine and well stocked, however, I found the selection minimal. What was available was ample and tasty with the exception of the scrambled eggs and sausage at breakfast which we all found were obviously powdered and tasteless and the sausages mushy. On a positive note, the staff is very friendly and upbeat. The a'la carte restaurants were delicious and attentive to our needs. They had to cancel the beach BBQ due to rain and quickly moved it inside to the buffet which turned out to be excellent. The drinks were mostly quite well made with very few limitations. At certain times you might have to wait in line for a drink due to limited staffing. There were a few vendors on the beach looking to sell their wares, but were polite and left you alone if you said "no thank you". The beach was clean and well maintained and the food at the beach grill was excellent. We enjoyed the kayaks, paddle boards and Hobie cats. I was disappointed that the water at the beach had a sediment which made snorkelling completely useless every day, but rendered the ocean a beautiful colour. There was nightly entertainment or a band of one kind or another. Check in and out was fast and efficient, but I'd have to complain about the fact that we didn't always know or find out when things were happening, which leads me to my last "semi negative" comment. Jolly beaches system of booking for the a la carte restaurants was frustrating and seemed antiquated and nobody could or would explain why it was that way. You can only book specialty dining one day in advance and if you didn't line up well before 7:30 AM, you probably wouldn't get your restaurant or the time you want. It seems to me that the the lady making the hand written lists needed the job every morning and to book to far in advance would give her less to do. We were also told that the Italian restaurant (Bocciolos) had a cover charge, but if you don't order the items which indicate an additional charge, there was no extra charge at all. All in all we weren't disappointed and had a good time. I recommend it for a relaxing week away.

Low key Fantastic Resort

This was a last minute christmas vacation and after soeaking to our trip central agent Tammy we knew would have a good time . Its low key , you go for the weather and the beach whish was the best I have ever been to .Food was great , drinks cold and staff very nice..resort itself is old but our room was clean, new matress and never any hot/cold water issue ..remember you go for the beach 😎🌴

Good Value

Good pools, nice beach, average food, nice people, great weather. My only complaint was the departure was very long and uncomfortable at Pearson. I would go back any day. There are 365 beaches around Antigua.

Great time

We were a little skeptical after reading a few of the reviews but had one of the best vacations ever. The beach was incredible. The food was great. There were always seats available either at the beach or any restaurant. The staff were amazing and never looked for a tip. Did a catamaran trip around the entire island and would recommend it to everyone. What a way to see all the other neighbouring islands. We will definitely return.

Amazing fun!

The beach was vast and beautiful. Soft, white sand and clear, clean warm water. We took a sailing lesson and went sailing a few times on the catamaran. All non-motorized water sports were free of charge. There was a limited number of umbrellas on the beach so we had to reserve our spot pretty early in the morning. The staff were wonderful. The food was okay. Lots of selection. A big English breakfast every morning. The coffee was not too good - no cappucinos. We only went to one a  [... read more]la carte restaurant (there are three.) We went to the Italian restaurant and it was really good. The hotel needs a face lift but otherwise, the accommodations were clean.

Nice resort with the best beach

The Jolly Beach resort is very nice, it is not fancy (this is 3* resort), but everything was clean there (rooms freshly painted, clean, beds comfortable, great sea view, only down side was bathroom, very old, but was clean), food very tasty and was enough choices, entertainment was good also, especially steel drums nights. Beach is stunning there!!!! Great swimming.

Needs some work

The bar outside need to have a better way to wash glasses. It's not sanitary. They just rince the glasses and reuse. Also it's like being in a morgue. The first day they had Christmas carols. I went to the island to listen to soft steel pan music. I told them about the music then they changed it. The rooms r very small. The buffet is not very good.heard about Claude. For the safety of the tourists he should not be working on the beach. Will not return to that resort.