Jolly Beach Antigua: Great Spot

Won't be disappointed with this resort unless your looking for a 5 star but didn't book one. Not a single complain, expected a smaller somewhat dated room and it was better than expected. Great service and the a la cartes are amazing!

The Verandah Antigua: Great resort for all

Picturesque resort with enough to do. Quality of food, staff and atmosphere is great. I would have no problem returning. Went just prior to March break 2018 and left mid March break so it got a little busier but it seems like a quieter property providing both tranquility and fun at night.

Royalton CHIC Antigua: Great week away!

My wife and I were there March 6-13 and had a really good time. Yes the resort is older and could use some tlc, but our room was clean and provided everything we needed for the week, a place to sleep and change clothes. The rest of the time was spent relaxing on the beautiful beach and swimming in the gorgeous water. Breakfast and dinner buffets were good. Not a huge selection to choose from, but what was there was very good. Lunch grill by the beach was good everyday as well, lots to chose from [... read more] as well. Beach bartenders were good and never had to wait very long for a drink. All in all we would go back for sure.

Royalton CHIC Antigua: Excellent trip

Despite some negative reviews of this resort, my husband, two teens and I went for a week. We had two rooms and upgraded to garden view rooms with king beds and fridges. The rooms were beautiful, with views of the garden and the perfect blue sea. We were in the main lodge, and only about 30ft to the beach. We loved the food, the friendly service, the steel drum band, the Antiguan dancers. The beach is epic, the views from Warri Pier at Sunset are incredible. The resort is not as polished as some [... read more] others, but if you want to see Antigua, this is a fantastic place to stay. Liz, the AirCanada rep at the resort, is a worth her weight in gold. She knows everything, and made sure our trip was safe and fun. We did the land rover safari, the catamaran snorkel trip and spent a day wandering around Saint John’s. The locals are friendly and helpful. Antigua is beautiful beyond words.

Jolly Beach Antigua: Amazing resort

Everything was great beach was perfect and the restaurants were great. The staff was wonderful. What to go back. The location was great. The entertainment was amazing. Very clean and wonderful resort.

The Verandah Antigua: Great location, beautiful beaches

Great location, great resort, great weather... a very restful vacation. The beaches are beautiful, with clear and calm turquoise water. You never need to "reserve/save" chairs at the beach or the pools, there are always chairs that are available even when the resort is at full capacity. The resort is much smaller than most in Cuba, the Dominican or Mexico, so it's also logical that there are less restaurants, bars and nighttime entertainment, but that was perfect for us. The only things t [... read more]hat could be improved to make it perfect is: 1 - The level of service is nowhere near what you get in Cuba, the DR or Mexico. 2 - Although the Antigua airport is beautiful and very modern, their customs and security check points and clearance are a total annoyance (we waited 1h30min in the security line on our way back) - and you have to clear two customs check points on your arrival - it's not a very tourist friendly way of operating. For that reason alone, I will not go back to Antigua.

St James Club and Villas: Beautiful resort

One of the awesome and unique features of this resort is two long stretches of sandy beach, one on the Atlantic side, and one on a large bay, where the calm water is ideal for kayak, paddle board, paddle boat etc. Service was excellent, staff very friendly and efficient, rooms exceptionally clean, food very good, lots of variety in activities, great entertainment. Would like to have had more shade on the bay side and at the main pool.

The Verandah Antigua: Complete Package

This is my fourth visit! What can I say, it was the complete package! Great location, beautiful views, never crowded, clean grounds, clean beach, friendly and helpful staff, good food. I had a great relaxing time!

Jolly Beach Antigua: 3 Star

Stayed 7 days Feb 28, 2018 This is an older hotel with acceptable rooms. It is not always clear the type of room you are booking. ie. Super Saver, Standard, Superior and type of bed and amenities will vary. Linens were fresh Ocean views are beautiful. Beach is beautiful. Two excellent pools. Food was good and well prepared. Friendly staff.

Jolly Beach Antigua: Wonderful Holiday

My husband and I enjoyed our week at the Starfish, Jolly Beach Resort. The beach was beautiful and that is where we spent our days. When we first arrived we were taken to our room. I did not like the room as it was in a noisy section of the hotel just over top of the buffet. Within ten minutes we were upgraded to another room in a quieter area and a nice view of the ocean. The food was very good and we ate three nights in the Italian and two nights at the seafood restaurant. The resort is d [... read more]ated but was very clean. All the staff were wonderful. All and all it was a wonderful, relaxing holiday and we would return.

Jolly Beach Antigua: Awesome

Jolly Beach surpassed our expectations. The location and layout of this resort is one of the most beautiful of all the many islands we have visited. All rooms are ocean front with stunning views and sunsets. Staff are friendly with wonderful sense of humor always smiling and go above and beyond to ensure you have a great vacation. Food in all restaurants was comparable to any 4 or 5 star we have stayed at. Only cons were the rooms are old and tired but super clean with lots of hot water and umb [... read more]rellas around the beautiful pools are non existent. Lots of Palapas are available in the beach but you have to get up by 7 am to reserve them. We absolutely loved our 10 days at JB and are already planning to go back next year.

Hawksbill Resort Antigua: Quiet resort with limited options

This is a perfect spot for a quiet get away......if you are looking for action this is not the spot for you. If you are a "pool" person this is not the spot for you as the pool is very tiny. Grounds are beautiful overlooking the Caribbean, with 5 beaches. Buildings are in need of some maintenance....there is some rotting wood, flaking paint, holes in screens, shutters that won't close tight. We were without water for our first 3 days; although this was blamed on the drought in Antigua, s [... read more]ome units had plenty of water and we were provided a key to a room with water in order to have a shower after a day on the beach. Some staff were very friendly, but others were on the surly side; it was frustrating having to track down a waiter for a coffee in the morning. Perhaps one coffee station could be opened for guests to serve themselves instead of waiting to be noticed?? Although there are 2 locations for food....only one is open at a time. The food selection was good and the quality of food was good. They did not have Baileys but had Mollys which was a good substitute. Ourselves and many other guests frequented Eden Beach.....unfortunately there were not enough lounges and very little shade......it would not take much for them to put up more palapas or umbrellas. In addition there is no excuse for the resort to not provide drinking water for that beach. All in all, this resort (with Eden Beach) was a good alternative to not being able to travel to St. Martin.

Pineapple Beach Club: Good with room for improvement-an honest review

First visit to PBC but not to Antigua. Have stayed at two other resorts on both the Atlantic and Caribbean sides. Positives: Proximity to airport, down from the main road, no traffic noise, beach and views, pelicans flying and fishing off the beach daily, floating ocean loungers in shallow water, and nightly entertainment. Beach had good swimming if you are like us, and venture in even when not green flagged. All sand, no shells or rocks, clear water when waves weren't too choppy. Beach was [... read more] not particularly long for walks - could go down in back in 10 min if strolling. No hyped up dress code so yes it was laid back in that sense. (Husband appreciated being able to wear shorts to dinner). “Outhouse” had the best view of all. They had bottled beer as opposed to the main bar that ran out after our first few days and served only draught. Ribs and chicken were saucy and tender. Staff there were also friendly and nice. The rest may sound negative but it is our honest review of what we experienced. Room was in 500 ground level section (waterfront rooms). Central location and without the hilly walks. Fairly sound proof but that depends on your upstairs neighbours. Spectacular view of both resort and ocean. Privacy on the balcony as you don't see neighbours on either side. Can hear people come on and off the balcony / they heard us as sliding glass doors was a little sticky. Night time lounging on the couch out there was spectacular with a drink just listening to the waves and looking at the moon and night sky. No bugs but could have been time of year and because we were not near the sandy part of the shore. These rooms are closer to the water, with rocky shoreline, and a breeze. We typically have been in December and April. No counter space at all in the bathroom, just a tiny glass shelf. An issue for the ladies. Quick fix would be to add more shelving somewhere, anywhere. The shower was roomy but the curtain doesn't provide any barricade for the water. Floor was constantly soaked hence we used our towels to mop up. (Didn't play into the enviro friendly attempts being made by PBC for unnecessary towel usage/change over) Bed was pretty hard and a little squeaky, pillows quite soft. Renovations and upgrades continue after the new management takeover in November so perhaps ours wasn't quite completed yet although listed as such. A/C functioned well. Ceiling fan great if you didn't want A/C. Good tv channel selections. Two bottles of water upon arriving, nothing more. A few beers in the fridge and some snacks would go a long way to upping their game. Food was decent, the grill was nice to snack anytime during the day. I ordered a veggie burger one day in an attempt to stay “on track” while in vacation mode and was surprised when it was cooked in the deep fryer. Rest was standard snack bar fare; burgers, fries, nachos, ice cream, wraps and salads. Staff there was friendly. Buffet was just that. Although was pleasantly surprised with a good Jamaican style beef patty one day. Enough variety overall for a week stay and healthy enough if you made the right selections. Quality of coffee could be easily rectified. Wine selection not great. If you are drinking white wine ask for the Pinot Grigio if they have it on hand. That seemed to be the best out of all of the white selections but was not available everywhere. Restaurant and bar staff we found were hit or miss. Unfortunately. We understand that service industry jobs are not easy. Pasting on a smile sometimes is hard but many seemed unhappy and not very communicative - at least with us, and we tried. The job got done but service felt a little awkward. There were some who would make an effort if you chatted first. They didn't seem understaffed at the buffet, and at least two bartenders at the main bar at any given time. Reservation one night was lost completely for a restaurant booking at the sister resort, Verandah. No one had us listed and the one restaurant mentioned to me while making the reservation was closed. We had the shuttle driver take us to three different locations. He attempted to solve the mystery by making some calls but to no avail. Finally we were accommodated by Caril who was professional, kind, polite and graciously seated us. (She also tried to figure out the error, again with no results). We came to find out later, the 2 ladies at the desk booking the day before, didn't give us the "white slip" that was needed to show/confirm we had a reservation. The protocol is, they check the restaurant by phoning first which I witnessed and then book you in, give you the slip as a reminder but we think it just never got booked at all. We were sure to get a slip for each of the 3 final bookings we made. Annoying but mostly disappointing for what should have been a simple dinner reservation. Frankly speaking, we spent thousands of dollars to visit and getting lost and forgotten doesn't make one feel welcome nor appreciated as a guest. Activities twice were listed on the board however just never took place. One was the pool tournament (would have been something to do as it was raining that afternoon) the other was the dance lesson. Gerry for aqua aerobics was pretty good and it was a better work out than expected. Gym was decent. Two pools were small but nice for a dip. Many Americans, mostly British of course, with a sprinkle of Canadians. Swimming, food, room all were good enough for a week getaway if you are not expecting 5 star. We saw PBC listed as 3 star and would agree as per the wine and some other details listed above. Although, we have stayed at other Antiguan resorts with higher star ratings and paid the same price to stay here. Staff, not sure, maybe a training issue or the management style that affects their demeanour. We don't need much to keep us happy, nor do most. People just want the good solid basics for food, rooms and service. So would we recommend ? Overall, yes.

Jolly Beach Antigua: Delightful first time in Antigua

We read many reviews of this resort before travelling so we knew to expect dated guest rooms and a stunning beach. What we experienced was much more. Although the room was dated and there is a little polish required in some other common areas, the Starfish Jolly Beach actually exceeded our expectations in many ways and provided good value for the cost. We had a ground floor Queen Superior room in a quiet end of this sprawling resort which is beautifully landscaped and full of flowers. Housekeepi [... read more]ng kept our room very clean and did not delay in providing us with extra items as requested. The a/c unit was new and strong. The food was very good to excellent - truly something for everyone. Staff went above and beyond to deliver high quality and authentic service. The entertainment was definitely 4+ star with steel drum bands, dancers, fire limbo, etc. The pool area requires more sun umbrellas but is well-kept. The beach is stunning and (along with the staff) is absolutely the #1 reason to go.

Royalton CHIC Antigua: Rex (Reck) Halcyon

Lower than our standards but we made the best of it & had a great vacation. Le Carta restaurant on pier is nice (3 times per 1 week stay) lots of mosquitoes. Rooms very basic Linens old but clean. No safe, hairdryer, coffee pot, iron etc. Beach was not the greatest even at Sandals next door. Rocky with seaweed & debri. Antiqua Village further down has the best beach. Beaches in Antiqua are public. I would be very disappointed if we had paid top dollars but considering the price it was [... read more] okay & I was pleased we had come. Would I return to this resort again...... no probably not.

Royalton CHIC Antigua: Basic but beautiful!

It is a dated resort. The location is very good and the proximity with the wild hill is beautiful. The beach is nice and long (perfect for running and for walks) although water is not always calm. The food is simple but good. The rooms are large and clean but not fancy at all, they are dated but they have the basics. Most of the rooms have a very nice view of gardens and from the balcony you can also see the ocean! The staff is nice. You pay for what you get. I really enjoyed my stay here!

Jolly Beach Antigua: Beautiful Resort

The hotel itself is aged but the staff are currently working to bring the hotel back to its vibriant self. Staff were great and helpful, thanks to Kenya for arranging a private taxi for ourselves (four adults) and seeing the entire island as well as stopping in St. John's for a quick shop and an excersion with the sting rays...amazing. Food was good, watch they like their spices but always good. Room was clean and the cleaning lady was there everyday and helpful, but again aged and I would  [... read more]like to see it refreshed. (painted and cleaned out in the corners, dust on the ceiling lights/fans) just makes for a better first impression. Beach is what you pay for...beautiful. Great hotel for the money paid...look forward to coming back

Pineapple Beach Club: A 10 Day Stay is Perfect

We were very happy with our vacation. We read all the reviews and knew in advance that the rooms needed updating (so were not surprised), that Mary's was the place to go for lunchtime BBQ, that the beach was good and that the staff were really friendly. I forgot that the Atlantic side of Caribbean islands are windier and the first 6 days were unusually windy with the red flag up every day. Of course the weather went back to normal as we were getting ready to leave. The food was good. We ate [... read more] breakfast at the buffet, lunch at Mary's or the outdoor snack bar and dinner at the Grill or Chef Pietro's. You have to book early and it is usually not for the same day so plan ahead. The bar staff were fun and able to make all kinds of delicious slushies. Try a BBC - Bailey's, Banana and Coconut Cream - like a milkshake with punch. If you book a Westjet package, make sure to order and pay for your lunch/supper before leaving home. Take lots of American $1 and $5 bills for tipping the staff during your stay. The egg lady at the buffet is wonderful. Natashia at the Bar is terrific and Odessia at the booking desk has lots of patience for uncertain guests.

Jolly Beach Antigua: Value for your money

Outstanding beach resort with clean rooms, personable staff and 2 out of three superlative a la carte restaurants. The buffet is best for breakfast, great for lunch and acceptable for dinner. The night time bar and entertainment is average with the beach BBQ being a better bet at lunch. This is NOT for youth; a seniors paradise that roles up the sidewalk at 10:30. If you are looking for good value and like to go to bed early, you'll get maximum return.

Jolly Beach Antigua: great vacation

the beach at jolly beach is a 10 out of 10. food at the resort is a 8 out of10. the resort itself is only a 5 out of 10, this resort is quite rundown and in need of updating. rooms were clean, and the people at the resort were very friendly. overall this was a great vacation as Antigua is a beautiful country.