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.

Jolly Beach Antigua: Great resort

For a three star resort I think it should be a four star resort just because of how friendly all the employees are. They are all remarkable staff.Rooms are a little dated but who really cared as they were nice and clean. Food was very good. There is not any negative remarks that I can think of. Good resort for your bucks

The Verandah Antigua: Great Experience

We enjoyed our stay at The Verandah Resort. Rooms are clean, spacious, kettle, coffee maker, fridge and microwave. Resort is really spread out, a bit hilly and plenty of walking, not good if you have mobility issues. 2 small beaches. Lots of chairs and towels. Excellent food and choices. Not a party place. Not much to do outside of resort unless you pay for taxi or tours. Would go again.

The Verandah Antigua: Fabulous resort

- Well organized pick-up and drop-off at the airport - Beautiful grounds - Very friendly people - Great accommodations, extremely clean - Excellent food - Nice beaches and pools - Fun entertainment

Sandals Antigua: As always great resort

We had a wonderful vacation, very attentive staff. A+ We did two excursions, catamaran and fishing, lots of fun The only unpleasant thing was the amount/ frequency of “ merchants “ on the beach wanting to sell you tours or merchandise. Sandals does not own the beach therefore they have no control.

Pineapple Beach Club: Girls trip

Just returned from a week at this hotel with my two grown daughters and a family friend . We loved the resort it was fabulous. The staff were very pleasant especially Nathasha !! The food was good and a nice beach with snorkeling right off the shore. A lovely quiet resort for great for relaxing .

Pineapple Beach Club: Wonderful Stay at Pineapple Beach

The over stay was a 10/10. I was overly pleased with the grounds, service, food, rooms, drinks ect. There are no complaints here. My only recommendation is their check in process. For those arriving at 11am like we did, we were told our rooms would not be ready until 3 pm. This presented a predicament as we had to leave our luggage outside// in the lobby with no one to watch our belongings (everyone had access to everything). As well as we had to find a place to change out of our travel attire a [... read more]nd into something more suitable for the pool area where we had to wait for our rooms to be ready. Other then the check in process our stay was 100% amazing. The rooms were kept clean, the public washrooms were cleaned hourly, the grounds were immaculate. The food was amazing, lots of variety for a smaller resort. You can use the Al a Cartes from the Varandah as well to provide even more variety. The beach and pool were kept clean (seaweed was removed from the beach every morning, and the pools were cleaned then as well). We payed 1300$ for this trip and I would say that is a fair price for what you get. I have seen the price increase to over 2000$ during certain times of the year which seems expensive, however anything under 1500$ for this resort is reasonable and fair priced. I would recommend this resort to couples (as it is adults only) looking for a relaxing time and or elderly people who need a smaller resort. ** Request rooms in the 100, 200, and 600's. The 800 and 900 rooms are on top of the hill, its a tad bit of a hike plus stairs, so more difficult to get to those rooms regularly throughout the day.

The Verandah Antigua: Amazing resort for families!

Me and my son had a great time at the Verandah Resort in Antigua. Amenities are great-there is something for everyone. Food was excellent and the staff was very friendly. We will definitely come back!

The Verandah Antigua: Wonderful and relaxing getaway!

We loved our stay at The Verandah! The resort is set on a lush hillside and has beautiful, well-manicured grounds. The 2 beaches were great, plus we went back and forth between the larger main pool area and the smaller, secluded adult pool. There are lots of activities to do, if you're interested (tennis, mini putt, water sports, water aerobics classes, etc) but it is a quiet, family-oriented resort so if you just want to relax and read, it's perfect for that too. We were happy with the food  [... read more]options (the cheeseburgers at the Rasta Beach were the best), and the staff were all friendly and polite. We would highly recommend this resort to anyone looking for a relaxing tropical getaway!

St James Club and Villas: GREAT RESORT

Resort grounds beautiful. Two very nice beaches. Staff, from grounds keepers right on up to management excellent. Suite was large, breezy, nicely decorated and sitting right on the ocean. Absolutely beautiful view. Building itself a little dated, but work underway on upgrades. Fabulous, very large Fitness Center. Good to great food. Did not go to the pay restaurant as we found those included in all inclusive package met our needs perfectly. Love the bars because you get hand made drinks rather t [... read more]han the overly sweet, machine blended concoctions. I spent a week at an all inclusive in Curacao where I could not find a single drink on offer that I liked and they all came from machines.

Jolly Beach Antigua: Fantastic Resort!

The staff are wonderful! Sulaine at the Lydia Restaurant was great, so helpful and fun! Our rooms were always clean. Every restaurant and the buffet had a great selection of food. Beach entertainment was great. Very nice beach for walking. Our guide for the catamaran on the resort beach was very knowledgeable and friendly on our water tour. The beach vendors were pushy and a few of the men beach hackers were extremely pushy. The beach vendor with nickname ‘Cloud’ talked our group in to a d [... read more]ay trip around the island with great promises. He made his tour sound like it would be fun and he would share his knowledge of his island. The only thing he told us that was the truth, was he provided lunch. He was to supply drink in a cooler but it was empty, he said we would drink it all if he bought it all at once. The price we paid, the cooler should have been full! When we asked a question about the island, he would say....why would you want to know that. Never would he tell very much about the island history. His language was vulgar and his attitude was very bad. He even had the gall to stop and buy his dope while we were in his vehicle. He would drive by houses and yell at them looking for someone to come out and sell to him. Worst tour ever! Avoid him! The resort is very nice and the people who work there are wonderful! Highly recommend this resort.

Jolly Beach Antigua: A Truly amazing gem

This hotel is rated low due to be a little dated but they make up for it in service. The hotel may be dated but is extremely clean. I never saw a bug through out the facility during my week stay. We had a king suite and it has the most amazing view from our balcony, you could sit and watch the sun go down each night. The staff there are what makes this place great. From the bartenders, animation team and all other employees they could not do enough for you. The beach is stunning as well as the p [... read more]ools. I would recommend this resort to anyone!!

Jolly Beach Antigua: Great Vacation

We had a wonderful time at the resort. The beach was absolutely beautiful along with the weather as well we did not have many of the locals constantly bothering us during the day and when we said no they moved on. The pool clean and you could always find a lounge chair. The service at the bar was very good and they made sure that they looked after you quickly. We enjoyed one of the bartenders her name was Clovis you could count on a smile no matter what.The others were good too. The pool grill f [... read more]or lunch and an afternoon snack was perfect the selection offered was good.The buffet was very good the choice offered were good. The staff that were there to entertain you were hard working and made sure that you were having good time. Ann Marie did an outstanding job making. We meet on of the staff and his name was Quincey, he had an outgoing personality and was very friendly with a greta smile and time to chat no matter had busy. Thanks Quincy. All round we had a fantastic trip to Antigua.

Jolly Beach Antigua: I’d go back!

The beach was SPECTACULAR with great pools and plenty of sitting areas and huts all around. Although the restaurants and hotel were slightly dated in appearance the great food, staff and entertainment made up for the decor. We enjoy going to the Caribbean and don’t need the big lavish hotels because for us it’s about the beach and the food. We would go back next week if we could and have already recommended this hotel to others!

Jolly Beach Antigua: Amazing beach and spectacular service in a resort

Amazing beach and spectacular service in a resort, I would recommend to everyone to spend most enjoyable time at Starfish Lolly Beach Resort, it is our the best vacation so far. The restorations and buffet are also is very good.. and don't forget to share you love to your beloved one on lobster dinner right on front of beautiful sunset.♥♥

Jolly Beach Antigua: LOVED IT !!!!!

This beautiful resort exceeded our expectations. We will be returning and bringing friends. Do not bother buying EC Currency no one wants it. Take full advantage of entertainment ** new things every night **. Shout out to Dale F&B Manager :) and our fun bartender Zauda : ). Lobsterfest was amazing :). Buffet Dinner on the beach was a great surprise after not being able to get into Lydia's. We had a King Superior room which met our needs fine. A fridge, coffee maker, (some) room service would b [... read more]e a great improvement. A little less attitude from one particular tall female bartender who shall remain nameless.

The Verandah Antigua: Slice of Heaven

My husband and I stayed at the Verandah from April 14-21st 2018 for our 30th Anniversary celebration holiday. Check in was fairly smooth, rum punch drink upon arrival which was much appreciated as we were tired and thirsty. Our room wasn't ready yet so we explored the resort stopping along the way at the Rasta beach bar for a cold beer. Lots of walking up and down hills but enjoyed the exercise. We stayed in bungalow # 185 water front view.........and it was beautiful! Room was spacious with kit [... read more]chenette which came in handy to wash out our bubba cups and other things. Bed was great and pillows fluffy and soft. Rooms always cleaned. Large balcony to enjoy the view of the ocean. We were within steps to the beach bar and grill, definite plus. 2 water bottles upon arrival and a unstocked fridge. Water wasn't an issue as you could fill up bottles in any bar or the buffet. Bring water bottles! Food was really good, lots of choices. We ate mostly at the buffet but had our Anniversary dinner at Nicole's and it was amazing! You do have to pay extra $70 US but worth every penny.They brought us Anniversary cake and sang to us, also received a bottle of bubbly in our room for our special day, nice touch. Drinks were plentyfull and you could get pretty much anything desired. Entertainment was a bit bland but ok. Not a hopping place for sure. Gets cool in the evening, I was surprised by that (bring light Sweater) Beaches were both lovely with plenty of loungers for everyone........not once did we have an issue. Lots of seaweed in the ocean at both beaches. I would suggest bringing water shoes as I found a huge piece of jagged glass in the ocean, just a few feet in. Water was very shallow but crystal clear. Lots of free water sports to try out. Beach towels were always at hand and never once did we go without one.Lots of children at this resort. Pineapple across the street is adults only...we got a day pass at Guest Services and checked it out. Was nice but seemed really busy with lots of people all crammed together at the beach. Overall really enjoyed this resort and most likely will return again some day. Shout out to Carlos!! He was a great guy, very friendly and helpful.