The Verandah Antigua: A good resort!

Resort: is situated remotely from StJonhs and any shopping areas. The best way to transfer is by taxi, it usually can be arranged through hotel reception- depending on the distance they may charge you differently, but there was normally a $20 US fee per person. The check in at the resort went by very smoothly, the room was good and clean. The grounds are nice, many plants to explore, and give you the opportunity for some good walks, lots of uphills and downhills. Beach: is relatively small,  [... read more]white sand, but not crowded. For swimmers they have to really go far to reach a certain water depth, this is a bay that is shallow, good for kids, calm waters, and thats why there are many watersports, kayaks, paddle boards etc provided. Snorkeling is suggested given the variety of fish and many plants at the bottom of the sea. They have another beach, smaller than the main one - did not use. Food: was sufficient and ok, not fancy and not rich, but there was some variety from one day to the other - typical british style in the way the table is set up, type of food they cook etc. Sad for me there were no bagettes, lemons .... We paid extra $35 US per person at Nicole's, in my view not worth it! We ordered lobster, it was not cooked well, chewy....i couldn't eat it. Staff: i would say 50/50 my satisfaction with them. They don't expect you to tip them, however its hard to get them to serve you with a smile, they do the bare minimum and it does give you the impression that the resort may have some staff motivation issues. The bar at the beach hardly has any staff there- to get an alcoholic drink you will have to go two floors up to the next bar and grill. Drinks: The beer, most of the time, was not cold. The wines included in the all inclusive package are good. You can drink tap water. Expressos are ok but you have to guide the staff as to how you want it, they may serve it in a big cup .... Language: they speak english, however with a mix of british and antigua accents and they talk too fast and not loud enough, so although english, for some, like north Americans, it may be a challenge to fully understand them- a good idea to ask them to talk slowly. Excursions: We did the Shirley heights - spectacular views! However, if you are not for the loud music and crowds of people you may want to avoid sundays. We did zipline, it was ok, 12 zip lines in the rain forest..... they dont allow you to take pictures so they can sell you one at $12 US.

St James Club and Villas: Family friendly Verandah

Our vacation at Verandah Resort and Spa went very well, no major complains or issues. The grounds were well kept and clean, the service friendly, prompt and polite, the food delicious and with more than enough variety to please the pickiest children. The pool was a favourite spot - I just wished they provided more lounge chairs, so people would not have to sit on the beach towels when all the available lounge chairs were taken. The beaches were nice but I believe they are more suited fo [... read more]r younger children who would be more interested to splash in the shallows and play in the sand. It was difficult to actually swim, as the water was shallow for a large distance and the bottom was covered in seaweed. The whole beach experience was lovely though (especially on the smaller, more secluded Rasta Beach) - "sun, sand, drink (or book) in hand" truly describes the spirit of this relaxing vacation experience. The rooms were spacious and the individual bungalow design ensured privacy and quietude. I'm not sure if the floors were actually cleaned (washed with some sort of ceramic cleaner) during the daily room maintenance, as the soles regularly turned black/dirty if going barefoot.

Jolly Beach Antigua: Amazing Beach with Beautiful Views!

Spent a week here with my husband and two kids (age 17 and 20) on July 27 to August 3. Arrival at the airport was very organized as bands and room keys were handed to us before the ride to the hotel. Upon arrival to the hotel which was before 3pm check in, they ensured we had lunch and drinks waiting for us. First impression of the resort was that it seemed very dated. The rooms we stayed in were in the Barbua building including Standard (hotel) rooms with one room with a king size and the k [... read more]ids with two single beds. The beds were very comfortable and although the rooms were small and outdated they were very clean and had a nice view of the beach. There was a problem once with the bath towels, as they did not replenish our old towels with new ones and we had to wait over a half hour for them to bring us new ones. I must mention that one employee did come around on the beach one afternoon to determine if we had any issues with anything on the resort. I did indicate to her that the kids air conditioner was not working and I didn’t have a hair dryer. By the time we got to our room that evening, the air was fixed and a hair dryer had been delivered, which I was very pleased with the service. Moving on to the food/restaurants, the al la Carte restaurants were all delicious and has a very good selection on the menu. We tried each al la Carte including the Seafood, Italian, and Mexican. We never had a problem getting a reservation. We ate at the buffet Hemisphere, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday and provided a variety of different foods. The only issue with the buffet is that if you eat outdoors, the seagulls are very aggressive and will attack your plate, as this happened to my son. I do believe the birds need to be controlled, as it is a problem. The beach grill which served hamburgers, hotdogs, jerk chicken, and fries was also very good and close to the beach. Moving on to the beach. There are no words to describe the beautiful shades of blue in the ocean. It was breathtaking and amazing views of the mountains on either side of the beach. You can walk from one end to the other but the beach is public and not private. From the time you arrive to the beach, there are people trying to sell you things and excursions or sea doo rides everyday. We did do the kayak which is included with the resort, which was a nice experience. There was a good amount of palapas available to use at the beach, although you need to go early in the morning if you want to reserve closer to the water. The beach towels were available everyday if you needed fresh ones. We did not use either of the pools because they lacked cleanliness and the seagulls would bathe in the pool fountain. The small pool looked like it had algae in the bottom and cracks in the cement. Therefore, we would only use the beach every day since we are beach people anyway. The weather was nice but cloud coverage everyday. The temperature would not go over 30, but it would be very windy and would sometimes rain for a few minutes. We would recommend towel clips for your chairs because the wind would blow our towels away. The evening entertainment was lacking and it could have been better. They did although have theme nights, steel bands and live music playing sometimes. The free access to wifi exceeded our expectations because it was often available in different parts of the hotel, including the beach. The strongest place that the wifi works was in the wifi zone in the lobby and sitting area off of the Mexican restaurant. Overall, we had a great family vacation and believe that it was good value for the money, that is if you are not particular on the aesthetic of high end luxury resorts.

St James Club and Villas: We were rerouted to the Pineapple resort due to seaweed

Pineapple resort experience were overall beautiful for the most part. On our first day one of the staff were abrubt and rude, telling us that its policy to wait at the desk... We did not have a problem doing so but its all about the approach. The grounds were beautiful. The rooms and most of the staff were inviting as well. Michelle was (Fantastic)

Pineapple Beach Club: Great resort.

We just returned from the Pineapple Beach Club Resort in Antigua and had an amazing time. The resort was wonderful and we had no complaints whatsoever. The food was amazing and the staff were fantastic. We would return to the PBC in a minute and likely will next year.

Pineapple Beach Club: Quaint Resort and well run

We enjoyed this resort and found the staff to be helpful at all times and friendly. We liked the amount of activities they provided each day as well. The buffet and the a la carte restaurants were quite good. The wine however was very sub par with our dinners. That is my only complaint. If we wanted decent wine we were required to pay for it in an "all-inclusive" package. That was disappointing. Otherwise, a very lovely smaller resort which is what we prefer.

Ocean Point Resort and Spa: Great 3 Star Resort Experience

My husband and I enjoyed our week in July at the Ocean Point Resort and Spa on an all inclusive plan. The resort is a well done 3 star resort which met all of our needs with a welcoming and attentive staff team. The rooms were simple, comfortable, clean and well maintained in all aspects. The resort is small with a combination of ramps and stairs throughout the property. The beach was difficult to enjoy due to influx of seaweed, however the pool was close by and very enjoyable too. We took the d [... read more]aily shuttle to Dickenson Bay on 2 days to enjoy the clear, turquoise waters with a sandy beach. The hotel has everything you would need with sufficient variety and quality to meet most expectations. The restaurant provided a buffet of mostly Italian and fewer Caribbean foods for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner. Coffee, drinks and food were provided throughout the day based upon a set schedule which was easy to accommodate for us. The daily fresh pasta offerings were our favorite dishes among many fresh, healthy and tasty offerings. The entertainment staff provided interesting, but typical tours, games and nightly entertainment. Generally, the English speaking staff were more comfortable engaging English speaking guests, while Italian speaking staff were more comfortable engaging Italian speaking guests.The resort's guests were couples and adults, however, the property's management choose to host a couple of young families for a few days during our stay. In our experience, this is unusual for an adults only resort, however, this situation didn't hinder our enjoyment or relaxation during our vacation at Ocean Point. Thank you for a terrific stay.

The Verandah Antigua: Houses in Jungle

The hotel Verandah consists of separate houses (for 2 rooms each) that are located on hill slopes coming down to the ocean. The room is clean, very spacious with a huge bathroom, fridge etc. There is a modern AC unit that doesn't produce noise. We are very pleased with accommodations. The houses are surrounded with palms and other tropical plants. The grounds are large and well maintained. There are two beaches on the opposite sides of the resort, large swimming pool, a couple of small ones, min [... read more]i golf. All is very nice. We like possibility of nice walks around the resort. There are plenty of places to sit, relax, have a drink and enjoy... Due to large territory there are no crowds at all. Food was excellent, good selection every day, we didn't go to the 'premium' restaurant with additional fees. Everything is family friendly. Bars have good selection of drinks, service is fast and friendly. Coffee was not great. Nightly entertainment is good enough, but nothing special. There is not much nearby the resort, except for Devils Bridge (15 min walk from the main pool). There is a sister resort Pineapple for adults only across the street, it is possible to get access to that resort for a a day, but honestly Verandah is better. No any public transport around, taxi to St. Johns is US$52 round trip + tip. All excursions are overpriced. It is worth visiting Nelson's dockyard. We like this resort and definitely would recommend it to our friends.

Pineapple Beach Club: Amazing resort

The resort is great, it is small and easy to access everything no matter what room you are in. The rooms are very clean and comfortable, we stayed in super saver which had its own bar and pool which was nice as we were a group of 8 so it was like our own little party. Staff was friendly and it was nice that everyone speaks english. The food was delicious, different theme at buffet every night, the snack bar is delicious and the outhouse has fabulous ribs and fish. Nobody in our group had any  [... read more]complaints about the resort.....highly recommend it.

Ocean Point Resort and Spa: i will return asap

while I was looking for a nice place to relax-and do nothing but relax, Ocean Point came up on my Sunwing search. The information that was provided about the resort was exactly what we got. It lacked nothing. It was a very quiet resort that is not a chain so I loved the attention to detail that was offered. your drinks were in an actual glass and not a plastic cup, the room was spotless everyday, the towels were so soft and large it could have wrapped all four of us at a time. I cant say enough  [... read more]about the food. This was incredible every day. Lunch and dinner was never ever the same. There was an amazing chef from Italy ( my family is Italian so this worked quite well :) but if you are not Italian the food will stun your pallet nonetheless. The owner of the resort was very friendly as well as all the staff that worked there. Lots of places to sit and have a drink. The pool was lovely and very clean. You would never find pool or beach chairs to be an issue as there was plenty. It reminded me of an Italian villa with flowers everywhere and landscaped property. They even have a resort dog named Mimi that is the guest services supervisor. All the guests loved this dog. At night time the resort was lit up with lights of different colors and make sitting outside very tranquil. The only thing that I could comment on which is no fault of the resort was the beach. it was not its usual beautiful blue color but more of a seaweed tinge. This is because the hurricane was brewing and had brought a lot of seaweed with it. Again, this was not an issue for us as the hotel arranged for us to go to another beach which they did not have to do at no charge. They cannot control the weather but can control what was offered to its guests. if you are thinking this resort to relax and have a quiet week from your usual hectic schedule back home, this is for you. if you are looking to party like its 1999, this is the wrong island. Thank u very much to the staff at Ocean Point for an amazing vacation...I wish we did not have to leave.

Pineapple Beach Club: Great week!

Hotel was great! Food was even better than we’d expected and the beach was amazing. We stayed in a beachfront room, which was so well located and just steps to the water. Bathrooms were in serious need of an update, but overall was an amazing stay and we would love to go back someday.

Ocean Point Resort and Spa: Relaxing

This resort is small (which is what we like) and very nice, the food is good and the staff couldn’t do enough for you. I just wish we could have gone in the ocean, but due to the seaweed it wasn’t possible. Entertainment at night or even just music for dancing would have made for a better vacation.

Jolly Beach Antigua: Relaxing Holiday

Stayed 1 week at Starfish Jolly Beach. The weather was great, be prepared to sweat. The premises and rooms are very dated/worn indeed but don't let it put you off. The staff are great and the food is tasty. Definitely try the Italian Restaurant - top notch. The grill at the main pool serves wonderful jerk chicken, hot french fries and tasty burgers, so teens will be well pleased!. Hop outta the pool and you're onto the beach. Beautiful turquoise water - perfect for swimming and kayaking. One war [... read more]ning, the gift-shop onsite is exuberantly over priced... 1.5 litre bottle of water = $6 US... OUCH... there is a grocery store just minutes beyond the main gate and you can get it there for a buck! I learned my lesson on that one. Also buy your liquor and souvenirs at the grocery store... cheapest place... Ex: $2 for a mini rum punch which is $5 at the duty free... Most of all, remember to leave your western world expectations at the door... you're on holiday and just enjoy yourself.

The Verandah Antigua: Good Resort

Ground: Excellent Landscaping Public Areas: OK Rooms: Our room was big and very good, Ocean View. Dining: It was OK Food: Tasty but not much varieties. Desert was just OK. Service: Excellent. Beach: very small,

The Verandah Antigua: Great resort

Beautiful resort ,landscaping is great villas are quite nice and very clean . People are friendly,Staff are helpful,friendly and courteous. I loved walking around the facility. It is a little harder for seniors to keep up and down the roads . Beach area smaller than I expected . Food was great. Thank you to all the staff in The Verandah resort.

Hawksbill Resort Antigua: Nice place

We enjoyed pour vacation once se moved to à room with air conditionning. Overall everythig was ok and the food was good. Nice Beach. The shows were great. We wanted to do some excursions but it was way tout expansive. Nothing under 100$ us per person.

Jolly Beach Antigua: Don't be Fooled!

At first glance you may want to run. The rooms and facilities are dated, tired and could use a good renovation but give it a chance. Our first day started out rough- our room wasn't what we had asked for and we were tired and hungry. After a long trip we just wanted to unpack and eat but we needed to get the room problem fixed. It took a couple of calls and finally speaking to a great Manger by the name of Brusella to fix our issue at no extra charge. One this was done we changed rooms (still  [... read more]a dated room but bigger). Next was the food- first night we were not impressed by the buffet but I have to say looking back it was just the fatigue. Travel tip for coffee drinkers- Antigua is not known for their coffee- Bring your own- especially if your like me (can't function without). We were unaware of the coffee situation but once we learned that their was a grocery store a short walk away the problem was fixed. With good coffee and a nice breakfast in our bellies it was time to really look at the resort. So, they have a saying at the Startfish Jolly Beach- "We are a 3 star Resort but we strive to give you a 5 Star service" and indeed I would agree. Our maid Maria amazing- our room was always spotless and filled with tons of extra towels. The best bartender Alvin aka "Billy the Kid" makes drinks with passion and love! The restaurants were good, above average- better than Cuba by far but not as good as Mexico. The selection is less than most resorts I've been too but I was never hungry or felt like I was missing anything. The lunch Grill Awesome. Service was great- don't be afraid to ask they are very helpful. Brusella, Elroy and Anne Marie make the animation fun and entertaining. If your going to book any excursions look for Dave on the Beach he's one of the greats people we met- honest and friendly. Jetski go see Javii- young guy who's got a great attitude. Now the best part of the whole resort.... THE BEACH- Better than Any beach I've been too and I'm a beach girl! The white sand and clear aqua blue waters- it's breath taking and beautiful. I cannot say enough about this beach, pictures don't even do it justice. All this being said- I was asked " Would you go back?" May answer- "AHHHHHH YEAH, Ididn't even want to leave in the first place" So like the title says- Don't be fooled- Open the book up before you judge it by the cover!

Nonsuch Bay Resort: Not a 5star

Staff were great as was the variety of meals,those 2 aspects saved the trip from being a complete write off . Hotel at one time must have been amazing but our room although very large now worn and dated ,Roman blinds needed to be replaced as well as all lamp shades blinds torn and stained lamp shades very stained and old,may not bother some but it took away the higher end appeal . I am not sure if other suites as as seen on computer site were more up to date or just the same as upper ones. I di [... read more]d ask for higher up room not knowing what a steep walk,we are seniors luckily in good shape. We should have asked for another room. One large jug of water in fridge no pop or beer,had to buy water when gone or use filtered fridge water,did not work. Jacuzzi tub used once leaked out all over floor,we had extra beach towels mopped up. Tried TV last evening did not work. Beach could not be used because of seaweed nothing can be done about Mother Nature ,but smell was so bad upon arrival we would have left next day if I could have found a flight.No activities there other then water sports and they were limited as well due to see weed.Entertainment 3 times a week in the evening for short time. Trips to island provided, nice place to swim just no shade Pools were very nice.Up side for us was a bottle of champagne a lovely fruit plate and lobster dinner to celebrate our anniversary. Resort not in same 5star category as larger known popular brand names. Nonsuch Bay Resort would be great for someone needing a total relaxing holiday as very quiet during the day ,and evenings are done by 10:00.Rental cars available as well as Taxi trips.Resort was just not we expected for a 4.5 to 5 star as stated,

Jolly Beach Antigua: Loved my vacation at Jolly Beach

So yes this is a three star hotel because it’s dated. However this is NOT a three star because the service, food, drinks and beach make it a five star! Toured many parts of the island and in my opinion Jolly Beach is the nicest and it’s so big! I would go back in a heartbeat! Hopefully at some point rooms get updated but that will mean the price will go up. For the amount of time spent in the room it didn’t bother me at all. It was clean and cleaned every single day. I really don’t [... read more] have a complaint. One of the best vacation experiences I’ve had. The water is indescribable and the sunsets were absolutely amazing! My advice to travelers that go there is the bring plug converter. We had one plug on 110. I will definitely go back! Thanks Jenn Black you described this resort perfectly.

The Verandah Antigua: Just what we wanted

The Verandah Resort is exactly as presented by reviewers and the Verandah website. What made it wonderful for us was the walking as the Verandah is lush and green and very peaceful. Being there in their off season it seemed we had the resort to ourselves. At some points in the day , we were literally the only couple on the beach. We were upgraded for free upon arrival. A lovely view of the second beach. We were worried about the chalets being duplexes, but we rarely heard our neighbour, so no [... read more] concerns there. On the most part, the food was delicious. We didn't expect Nicole's, Bucaneer's and the Seabreeze to all be in one building, probably sharing the same chefs but with the availability to go to the Pineapple Resort across the street and eat there as well, there was no limit of options. We had a problem with our air conditioner,(rattled during the first night) and upon reporting this to the front desk, we had a repair man at our chalet 45 minutes later. Great service. Great tour of Antigua arranged by our rep from AC as well as trip out on the catamaran docked at the second beach in the Verandah arranged at guest services. A wonderful excursion to Bird Island and snorkeling. Fantastic trip, would definitely recommend.