Best bang for your buck

It was my first time staying in Antigua, and it won't be last! Everything from the room to the food, to the beach were outstanding. The staff is what made my stay truly enjoyable. They are very friendly, helpful, and willing to make sure your stay is unforgettable. BEACH is very clean, and merchants do not hassle you. FOOD - selection of the buffet or A la carte : Mexican (I thought was the best), Italian (books up quickly), Seafood ( has a great location - on the beach). ROOM is a bit dated, [... read more] but they are clean and has a great view of the beach (most of all the rooms are beach view) The staff are wonderful! They are what make the little "flaws" the resort may have disappear. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a relaxing all inclusive vacation. NOTE: It is not for someone who is picky, or someone who expects a 5 star hotel. After all it was a great price, you cannot expect to get everything and a good deal.

It was fantastic!

It was great food with lots of picks! Jerk chicken was one of the best. Their seafood resturant was fantastic. Their staff was so pleasant. The beach was beautiful! Bed so comfortable. Great view from balcony! Did not have to walk forever to get anywhere. Everything easily accessible! I am absolutely going back there!

Jolly Good Time

The resort is positioned on one of the best beaches in the West Indies. Beautiful white firm sand, minimal rock and coral to stub your toe and steady even slope to wade out into the wonderful Caribbean waters which were calm most of the time. Be prepared to get up around 5 am if you want to reserve an umbrella and chairs on the beach though which was a bit maddening. Otherwise you will be baking in the sun. The grounds were very clean and well maintained. There were two nice pools to take a dip  [... read more]throughout the day which were not very crowded since most of the vacationers were on the beach. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The rooms were small but accommodating; they were not meant to be over used. The food was okay and too plentiful at times. I think the resort itself could use a fresh coat of paint to spruce things up. It is like an old worn but comfortable shoe. The power catamaran, aptly named "Excellence", proved to be an excellent excursion providing an enjoyable ride around the picturesque island; a must-do on your check list. The resort also had a lot of fun nights of entertainment including a Full Moon Dinner, Limbo Man Show (my personal favorite), Karaoke Night, Name That Tune and 80's Music Night. All in all, we had a Jolly Good Time at this well named resort!

Great resort

This resort was very nice. We stayed in a super saver room. It was small but good enough to sleep in. The shower didn't work properly when we first got there but they sent maintenance to fix it the next morning and it was fine after that. The resort was clean. The staff were really friendly. The food was good. The nightly entertainment was mediocre (except for the fire show). The beach is gorgeous. The kids pool is dangerous. It has these random humps in the pool. We all came out with cuts and s [... read more]crapes on our body. Overall, I would recommend this hotel.

Good for the price

Beautiful beach, great staff! Breakfast was great, beach BBQ also quite good. Could use a little more variety at dinner, food became very repetitive after a few days. Need to improve the reservation process for a la carte restaurants (waiting in line each day was bad enough but then only to be told reservations were full is terribly frustrating) Would recommend this resort to anyone looking for a real budget vacation.

Great beach and lovely people.

This resort is definitely no more than a 3 star, but two things that are outstanding are the staff and the beach. The staff try hard and the beach is glorious. Food is fair to occasionally good in the buffet, seafood restaurant was very good, mexican good, Italian although a buffet and a real chore to get a reservation was, once there, good. Room was small, dated and had a tiny bathroom, Cold showers on 3 occasions, but the king size bed was comfortable. Pillows too hard for my taste. Room was [... read more] clean but stained in places, walls, floors etc. NO BUREAU, or chairs. Weird. We knew this in advance so brought plastic baskets for storage and extra hangers. We were on ground floor and there was a nice patio with two chairs and a padded bench that you could actually lie on. Maintenance issues included, dripping water from ceiling and non - functioning AC. Drip was fixed, AC not. There was no outlet near the mirror for hair dryer, but they did provide a long extension cord. It had to be put away after each use so as to avoid a tripping hazard. People seemed to enjoy excursions, we did not make any as we have been to Antigua many times. Beach party was nice, but lines were horrendous and that made it less than pleasant. Some entertainment good, others not so much but you cannot get away from the sound because it is so loud and I find 11 pm too late for my taste. Still, other people seemed to enjoy it. Reservation system cumbersome and began at 4 in the afternoon, but people lined up at 3 so it essentially wrecked a couple of hours each day because you can only book a day in advance. Italian restaurant was beyond hard to get into and they do not give you the straight story on it. Finally, and most annoyingly, there is not enough shade on the beach or at the pool and people were quite literally reserving chairs in the middle of the night. I am not kidding. 6 am was too late. My friend started going out around 5. Ridiculous!!!!! This is easily rectified with the addition of more umbrellas. Surely not an overwhelming expense. One last thing, do not get in room internet as service is very sporadic at best, and there are problems with apple products especially.

Starfish Jolly Beach Resort far exceeded my expectations as a 3* resort

This resort far exceeded my expectations for a 3*. Beautiful beach to walk on. We upgraded to a Hotel room as the Supersaver rooms are good for one person not a couple. Rooms were dated but very very clean and the bed were very comfortable. A comfortable bed is very important to me. All staff were extremely friendly. Lots of activities to do around the resort every day. Mexican, Italian and Seafood A-la-carts were very tastey. Buffets were good. Lots of selection. I would definitely recommend t [... read more]his resort to my friends. Well worth the $$$s. Sue & Dale

Very laid back, comfortable,

The "first impression" was o.k... but once you settle in for the first couple hours, that changes. hotel is older and remember, they weather the storms. Very clean, I had standard room, very comfortable, plenty of fresh white clean towels and face cloths. plenty of soap and shampoo for the week. All rooms have ocean view which is a bonus.. Staff are most pleasant making sure your stay is relaxed and pleasant and will attend to all your needs.. 3 great restaurants, Mexican, Italian, Seafood/fi [... read more]sh, aside from the buffet area with great food. Also has BBQ Grill near pool area. .Pool area plenty of lounges. The beach is very, very clean and pleasant packed white sand for walking. end to end walk is about 30 minutes. , . Ten minute walk away from the resort, is a market / boating for sails, real estate, good restaurants, coffee shops, etc. and super market . neat place to walk to and meet locals and other expats and tourists. One thing I did notice at the resort is they truly practice the elimination of plastic and paper waste. Including the buffet, you will always get a linen hand wipe with your utensils wrapped inside- no paper napkins. No plastic throw aways that litter all over,.. there are some paper coffee cups at the outdoor coffee location in case you wish to take it to your room … If this resort can do it, then a lesson for other resorts to follow suit. impressive.! I would definitely return to this resort - very safe for solo travellers. The people of Antigua are wonderful and very caring.

Jolly Beach!!!

This has been our 2nd time visiting a island of paradise!!! This is our go to place, with a staff that is amazing for entertainment, food, and smiles. The resort runs along a scenery that is fulfilling to the eyes and heart! Had a beautiful time as always! Exactly what the mind and body needs! Thank-you Jolly Beach!! See you next year

Real 3 star

good food but very little selection small old clean rooms very nice beach and very little shade good entertainment staff is very good have little vans to pick you up at air port the resort is a safe place

Great resort

the grounds were kept up nice, public areas were good, beach was amazing, chairs and shade was plentiful. beer was good but could be colder, the alcohol was crap bottom of the barrel. Food was good and plentiful, enjoyed the gym , the rooms were small but clean

Great Resort

We loved our time in Antigua. We found the resort clean and the beach was the best!! The rooms were clean but small. We had a nice view of the ocean. The people were friendly and any problems were addressed immediately. The bar service was slow and people tended to butt in. We have done Caribbean vacations for the last 10 years and this was by far our best! I would definitedly return!

Lovely

No bells and whistles where the rooms are concerned, but it is clean, grounds are well kept and the staff, simply amazing! The beach is comparable to Turks and Caicos.... 2nd time there in a year, we will be back!

Good value

Great resort with all rooms being ocean view. Nice selection of resteraunts and good buffet. Lots of beach chairs although the water can be rough. When staying request room away from breakfast and evening entertainment area as it can be loud. Beds were short but good. Would be nice if italian restaurant has expresso or if you could get expresso somewhere .

3 star price, 5 star experience

This was my first stay at a 3 star resort and I was pleasantly surprised. This is not a modern, new resort but the location, service, views, beach (huge and zero seaweed), ocean, entertainment and staff were all excellent. All rooms (I think) have true ocean views though we were down-sized to a standard room where the mattresses were tired. The 3 restaurants were all very good and the buffet always provided delicious options even though selection may be less than those found at more expen [... read more]sive resorts. If your idea of good food is Domino's you will be happy with the fries, hot dogs and burgers always available.

Awesomest Resort!!!!

We spent seven days here and wanted to extended our stay for 10 days. The only reason we didn’t do so, because a meeting can up back home.the resort is absolutely adorable and beautiful. It’s huge, but don’t feel crowded. The service is above and beyond!!!! A+ staff! They are doing everything to make your stay pleasant and fun! Also, they are very well prepared for ALL food allergies. My husband is severe Celiac and didn’t have any issues. We loved Jolly Beach Resort and Antigua itself [... read more]. We will definitely coming back next year!

Awesome beach

3 star resort with 5 star service. Staff could not have been more friendly and helpful. They sing a 'good morning' song several times every day at breakfast. Food and drinks were very good. Beach is excellent, wide white sand and plenty of room for walking. Lots of palapas and chairs. 2 pools, one activity and one quieter. Rooms and buildings need some work, and they are renovating slowly. Still a ways to go. Everything is clean, but dated and not everything works all the time. Do not e [... read more]xpect luxury, but good basic accommodation.

Could have been great

Stunning location, probably one of the best beaches I have seen and the staff were really helpful and polite. The whole atmosphere is laid back and relaxing. The resort its self looks a little tired but for a three star rating its good value for money. My biggest beef would have to be paying for a superior room and on arrival being told we would have to down grade with no real reason given. The room given had noise from the nightly entertainment until around 11.30pm and then noise from the  [... read more]kitchen crew arriving around 5am, as we had only booked for a week we just didn't want to spend our time complaining to get another room but it spoiled the stay enough that would not go back.

Great resort!

The resort was huge, a lot of walking on a mile long beach of white soft sand and lots of sunshine. There wasn't a lot of shade to be had but it could be found if you looked. The meals were good, lots of variety. Something for everyone. The staff of the hotel couldn't have been nicer! So polite and accommodating!

Best beach I've ever been to

I normally don't write reviews but when you go to a resort with an incredible beach like this, it's hard to be quiet. The water was warm and had a beautiful turquoise blue colour that looked like a vivid dream from your imagination. The hotel room was a bit dated but to be honest, we were in the rooms just to shower and to sleep. The staff was friendly and the jerk chicken by the grill close to the beach was incredible. Loved it!!