Jolly Beach Antigua: Simply Lovely Retreat from Canadian Winter

Not having high expectations (we generally stay in 3 star Cuban resorts), we were pleasantly surprised with Jolly Beach Resort. Similar concrete block construction and minimalist rooms was the only commonality to Cuba. The resort is blessed with a stunning west-facing beach for gorgeous sunsets and sun-filled days of sapphire skies over aquamarine water with gracious, friendly & attentive staff, good quality evening entertainment, and tasty food. Many excursions easily accessed or take a long [... read more] stroll along the beach to Jolly Harbour to gander at the lovely sailboats moored there. Don't miss a chance to sail with Treasure Island Tours and snorkel at Cades Reef - we saw multiple sea turtles and an octopus!

Jolly Beach Antigua: What a GAS UP wooooooooooo!!!

Beach was just beauty. Most of the staff are very friendly and sometimes kinda funny. Loved all the meals served as well as the A la cartes. Rooms clean but for the price We weren't there to complain we were there to GAS it up with the Wadadli.

Royalton CHIC Antigua: Friendly Resort

Upon our first arrival I was greeted with a drink and a friendly smile at the front desk by Aretha, who checked us in quickly and efficiently. The hotel is really dated and the rooms are in need of some repairs, however the bed was very comfortable and we had plenty of hot water, clean towels, and the staff were very helpful, friendly and accommodating. There were plenty of activities and we were always encouraged to join in. I really liked the morning workouts in the pool. The food was really g [... read more]ood, we enjoyed the two dinners on the Pier, the Tuna Steak was delicious! The buffet dinners were amazing, Roast Beef one night with Yorkshire Pudding and all the fixings. Italian another night. Lunch could have had more variety, but it was consistently good with Burgers, fries, salads, fix your own sandwiches, and always fresh fish each day. Breakfast had a variety of food, fresh fruit, oatmeal, eggs cooked any way you wanted with a variety of bread and pastries. There was a wide variety of drinks at the bar and they had tea, coffee and cookies every afternoon. Our Air Canada rep, Liz was there every day and always answered any questions we had. The beach was beautiful and long enough to go for walks, Sandals hotel is right next door. We had entertainment every night and it always ended around 10:30, so it was never a problem getting to sleep at night. All and all good value for the money!

Jolly Beach Antigua: GOOD BANG FOR THE BUCK

WE ENJOYED OUR 2 WEEK STAY AT JOLLY BEACH RESORT .YES IT IS SOME WHAT DATED NOT A BAD THING THERE STAFF WAS AS FRIENDLY AND ACCOMMODATING AS ANY WERE WE HAVE BEEN PROBABLY MORE SO .WE FOUND IT RELAXING QUIET .SURPRISINGLY THEY HAD ENTERTAINMENT EVERY NIGHT.FOOD WAS GOOD LITTLE LIMITED BUT ENOUGH VARIETY FOR US . BEACH AND GROUNDS WERE GREAT CLEAN AND GROOMED..NOT ONLY WOULD WE GO BACK WE ARE GOING BACK NEXT YEAR .FOR US IT WAS AND IS WHAT WE LIKE .ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK JESSICA PICHE FOR HER H [... read more]ELP IN GETTING THINGS SET UP FOR US .WILL BE CALLING YOU NEXT WINTER THANKS JESSICA

The Verandah Antigua: Beautiful resort

My wife and I loved the location and the resort. The suite was spacious and the balcony was huge with a beautiful view. The guest density is low as the cottages are spread out over a large area which thought was great. The food could be better and we disliked the fact that one of the a la carte restaurants had a fee and the others were only open occasionally. But we still ate too much.

Royalton CHIC Antigua: Antigua

While the hotel is run down and in need of repair, everything else about Rex makes up for it. The food, staff and beach were fantastic. The wifi in the lobby worked well (but take bug spray because the mosquitos are really bad in that area). We didn't spend any time at the pool so I can't comment on the pool area. We took a taxi into town with no problems. The beach is public so vendors try to sell things but after saying no, they wish you a great day and move on. It's about a 10 minute ri [... read more]de to/from the airport. I can't wait to go back!!;

Jolly Beach Antigua: It was ok

The resort was ok .. it had very small rooms with a very uncomfortable bed but overall the room had the basic needs. The beach view from the room was amazing. The beach was pretty and weather was amazing. You could not snorkel off the beach tho due to merky water. The food was good..the a la cartes were good but if u didn't line up super early to book u often didn't get a reservation. I would not go back to this resort .. but it was ok for the money spent.

Galley Bay Resort and Spa: Fabulous Resort

We have been to Galley Bay several times and can't wait to go back. The staff have always been a pleasure to deal with, we feel part of their family. The accommodations are nicely decorated and well maintained. They are constantly up grading the resort without disturbing their guests. If you are looking for a quiet location with great food & service, Galley Bay is the spot.

Jolly Beach Antigua: Nothing fancy but fine if on a budget

Jolly beach is nothing fancy close to a two star resort the food was average the drinks were average not enough bars and the super saver room is smaller then a prison cell and if u have a bad back the mattresses are very uncomfortble and non supportive But the beach is beautiful the staff for the most part is friendly if you r looking for a 5 star do not stay here but antigua on a budget it works fine the locals are wonderful and there is a grocery store around the corner u can walk to if u nee [... read more]d something buy bottled water as u do not get any in your room bar does not open till 1030am entertainment at nite wasnt bad bring bug spray lots of mosquitos and the pictures on the Internet must be 15 years old

Royalton CHIC Antigua: Simple resort

The grounds of the hotel were okay. The rooms were not good at all. Our room was not good at all... Our tv was so badly damaged, our safe had to be fixed, the pipe from the sink to the drain was completely missing they did repair it, the closet doors were missing and after being asked they did replace the bedding with a new one. The food was okay but not much of a selection. I would not return to this resort.

Royalton CHIC Antigua: Ok Resort

Nice small resort. No coffee maker or bottled water in the room. No snack bar for if you get hungry after dinner or anytime of the day. Beautiful weather and ocean. Nice pool. I recomend the catamaran cruise it's a blast. Make sure you sit up front cz when the carribean sea meets the alantic ocean you get soaked by the waves it's so cool. Also took the island tour by taxi. Got to see alot of culture and history. Stopped at a cpl of nice beaches to swim and had a nice carribean lunch. Staff very  [... read more]friendly and they had nightly entertainment and stuff throughout the day. All in all a very nice trip.

Sandals Grande Antigua: Above and beyond excellence

The resort was amazing from top to bottom, amazing Staff from the GM, Mr. G to food and beverage manager Gus and all the staff at the Aqua centre, Fern, Alex and Kieran to name but a few. All the employees were very friendly and always had a smile to offer. We will definitely be back sometime in the future.

Jolly Beach Antigua: OK hotel. Great Beach

Hotel and beach were pretty much as most people say. Hotel is older but reasonably maintained. Its clean, the food is ok based on what we paid. Beach is awesome and big, Staff is good.Not the greatest hotel but if you want to go to Antigua on a budget this is the spot.

Royalton CHIC Antigua: Amazing resort

The hotels location is perfect. The beach is perfect ! All the staff are amazing. Go out of their way to ensure your satisfied. Food is very good - changes constantly. Hotel and rooms are tired. These need a facelift.

Jolly Beach Antigua: Friendly Staff, Great Beach, Mediocre Food

Plenty of reviews have already noted that this is a 3 star hotel at best. To add to that, the food in Hemispheres restaurant is more or less run-of-the-mill standard fare, nothing to get excited about, but of course there is plenty of it to go around. The extra US$20/person to eat at the Italian restaurant was definitely not worth the expense; meager portions sizes and exceptionally slow service; dinner should not take in excess of 2 1/2 hours from start to finish. Having to ask 3 times to ha [... read more]ve your water glasses refilled is inexcusable. Nightly entertainment was provided by a variety of bands but could they please update their music selection from something other than the 1960's? Steel drum band and the fire-eating limbo dancer were exceptional performers. Rooms are adequate; bathrooms are very much in need of updating. Concierge service was outstanding in arranging for a full day island tour with a side-trip to Stingray city. Lastly, much is forgiven with the beach, and it truly is an amazingly long one.

Jolly Beach Antigua: My wife and I returned to Jolly Beach after 8 years and found we should have stayed away.

There were many issues with this trip and unfortunately most of them lay with the resort. I have documented most of them below and while some were minor, the constant issues diminished the value of our vacation. My wife and I returned to Jolly Beach after 8 years and found we should have stayed away. The resort is showing its age and very dated. Part of the issues could stem from the changing of owners; however, that is little comfort for the guests. We were downgraded to a standard roo [... read more]m for the 1st night and told we would be “credited” back the difference. Of course nothing was mentioned about compensating for the lost day (Monday) while we waited for your room to be changed. The Good: The beach, most of the staff, the weather and we got a blanket when we asked for one (there was only a sheet on the bed). Issues: · Over-booked room categories even though the resort was NOT busy · Too many surcharges (safe $15US/week, wifi $10US/day, food $15-$25/item, wine $10US/bottle, etc.) · Food was poorly cooked and lacked any variety · Nearly impossible to “book” reservations as required at the restaurants · Renovations happening without any warning signs (i.e. painting walkway side rails, rooms torn apart) · Noisy A/C units (one guest told us they had an A/C that actually started smoking!) · Undrinkable tap water and huge surcharge for bottled water. · Foul odor throughout the property during mid-day SUNDAY: We arrived and after over 20 mins waiting in line to check-in (only 3 clerks) I was told I needed to speak to the Manager. They had "accidentally" over-booked the Queen Superior rooms and needed us to move to a "Standard" room for the night. My 1st question was if they meant a "Super Saver" (closet sized) room and was assured no it was a regular Standard room and we would be credited for the difference in rates between them. The next question was when we would be moved to our booked room category... "well check out is at noon so we will try to have you moved by 2". At this point we don't have much choice so off we go the "Standard" room. As expected no dresser, no mini-fridge, shower only bathroom, concrete furniture (yes that is NOT a typo), an old tube TV unit (again, not a typo), basically a slightly larger version of the "Super-saver" room. Obviously we can't unpack so we use our "just in case" shorts/shirts from our carry-on. We go get supper at the buffet (you need to per-book the other three restaurants the day before) and are asked if we would like a bottle of wine for only $10US (so much for all-inclusive!) MONDAY: We are told by our rep that the room water isn't really safe to drink... we figure our Brita filter bottles should work... we were wrong! As we burn through time waiting for the room change... while walking around the resort we run into some wet paint (no signs) and since I brushed against it I just ruined a pair of $80 pants! We also discovered that the block of rooms just down from us were all under renovations and completely uninhabitable (again, no signs and not blocked off). At 1:30 (after lunch) we check on the room move and are told to check back between 3 and 4... burn through some more time... at 3:30 we are told "room changes happen after 5pm" at which point I ask to talk to the Manager. The Assistant Manager pushed getting our room ready and was upset about the paint issue (he called the grounds supervisor and did some chewing) but didn't offer any compensation. We went back to the old room and got things ready for the porter who took us to our new room at the other end of the compound... 4pm on our 2nd day and we can finally unpack! The room was nice (six dresser drawers, a mini-fridge, tub and shower, flat screen tv), it did not have the king bed we requested but we could live with that. The TV remote didn't work so the desk sent 2 maintenance guys to look at… they called a 3rd and finally got it working after about 15 minutes. It stopped working again the next day so I just programmed my tablet to work as the remote. The A/C was very loud and the ceiling fan kept "clicking" but we can live with that... TUESDAY: We are both feeling a bit off so we decide to go off property to buy some bottled water now that we have the mini-fridge. The toilet handle breaks so we couldn't flush it without pulling the flapper by hand... they replaced the toilet, but the new toilet had a leaky flapper so the water would run to top up the tank every 8 minutes... we can live with that. WEDNESDAY: Water issue gets worse... yellow water coming from the taps and it is clearly NOT good to drink. We could buy bottled water from the bar for $2US for a 1 liter bottle but we know it is cheaper off property. We bought the bottled water off property for $2.50US for a 5 liter bottle! THURSDAY: We tried to book one of the restaurants for dinner on Friday but by 8:30am they were “already full except for the 9:30pm sitting”. As this was too late for us we decided to give up on eating anywhere but the buffet. Then while speaking to one of the staff they arranged for us to have a 6:30pm table at the same restaurant we were told was fully booked (thank you to the staff). FRIDAY: Not the resorts fault but... while at lunch someone came along and moved our beach chairs, which had our towels and books on them still, into the sun to take the shade spot we had left the chairs in... they wouldn't move when we returned... some people are just rude! At dinner, the one we were able to booked thanks to the helpful staff person, we noticed the restaurant was only ½ full… and it was still only ½ full when we left an hour later… so much for “fully booked”! The A/C noise reaches the point where it is just too much... so I turn it off about 11:00pm and go for a walk, to the front desk. I ask them to fix it the next morning. I also discover that at 11:30pm there is NO PLACE TO GET EVEN A POP! SATURDAY: The resort ran out of glasses (plastic actually) by 3pm and were serving in the small disposable plastic cups. That is fine for a pop or beer, but not for a mixed drink or Pina Coladas. We hadn't received our exit documentation by the time we returned from dinner. Having changed rooms we 1st went to see if it was stuck in the door of the original room, it was not, then we went to the front desk to ask about it... they had it in the back office. The "fix" the staff did for the A/C was to turned down the fan to low. At this setting there were two issue; it isn't strong enough to cool the room during the day and when set to "Cool, LOW" the unit will not turn off when the set temp is reached (I tried setting it to 30C when the room was 25 and it still kept running). We just let it run all day but at night with the outside temp lower it actually had the room down to 22C (it was set for 24C) by 11:30pm when I turned it off after we woke up chilled. SUNDAY: We checked out and I got a bill for $40US... $25 for the "surcharge" for one meal and $15 for the "safe lock rental". I asked where I send the bill for the $80 pants that were ruined by the wet paint and the assistant manager did offer to pay the $80 if I left the pants with the resort (I did!). ================================================================= Needless to say this vacation did not come near meeting our expectations. We have been on over 25 Caribbean and sun destination vacations ranging from 3 star to 5 star resorts as well as self-cratering facilities and this was the most disappointing trip.

Royalton CHIC Antigua: Great Resort!!

Rex Halcyon Cove is a small resort with great friendly staff and good food. We found that we were able to get around the resort easily and it also allowed you to get to not only know the staff but all the great guests. You can keep to yourself or meet new people. The beach was amazing. They only have one pool which is a nice size if that is what you like. Fenton the entertainment supervisor was fun and always trying to get the guests to try new things or just get moving whether it be aquatics in [... read more] the pool or bingo or trying cricket. The resort is a bit tired but is being worked on and updated. I would recommend staying here. We met people that have been going there for years.

Jolly Beach Antigua: Very friendly staff

The resort and the rooms could use some upkeep, but this is a 3+ star resort. It was high season (Dec 25 - Jan 1), and the resort was surprisingly empty. No problem finding pool chairs or beach chairs on any day. The staff is incredibly friendly. The nightly entertainment was good. The New Years Eve party was exceptional.

St James Club and Villas: Very Nice Resort

Overall the resort was very nice. The staff were very pleasant and helpful. We had a beach/ocean front room which had a great view of the ocean and steps to the beach :-). The room was clean and spacious. The beaches were beautiful. The food was fine. There was lots of variety. Quality was ok. The resort had lots of activities. We arrived on a Wednesday but didn't receive a list of all the activities until the Saturday, so we missed some activities we wished we had known about earlier.  [... read more] The pools were fine. The website advertises six pools, but unless you are in the royal suites, you actually have access to only two pools (Reef and Coco's). Two of the pools, including the waterfall pool, can be accessed only if you are in the royal suites. One of the six pools is a children's pool. Wifi was very up-and-down and since we were using it only in the common areas, was a bit frustrating. Overall, a very pleasant experience.

St James Club and Villas: Wonderful resort

Beautiful well kept grounds, pride is taken care throughout the property, cocoa beach was not swimmable due to high winds but pretty to look at, mamora beach was nice but water was more lake like. Service was hit and miss in the cocoa beach restaurant and rainbow restaurant. We ate mostly at the dockside restaurant where service was more friendly. Entertainment every night was very good. Rooms were nice and clean, with amazing views as we were on the beachfront.