Wonderful family vacation!

We had a wonderful vacation at the Jolly Beach Resort. My husband and I travelled with our 4 young adults (18-24) and everyone had a great time. The staff are warm, friendly and helpful. Our rooms were very basic but clean, the AC worked just fine and the water was hot. Our rooms all had balconies and looked out over the entertainment square and the beach. The food was great and there was a good variety at lunch and dinner. We ate at the Italian and Mexican restaurants and everyone enjo [... read more]yed their meals. The entertainment was excellent - steel drum bands, live bands, dancers, a bonfire on the beach and a fire-eater/limbo performance - all well done. We used the kayaks and the paddle boards and were easily borrowed. We did 2 snorkelling excursions and enjoyed them as well. We had no complaints at all and everyone in our family would happily go back.

Stunning beach, views and sunset

2 reasons why I would return: 1) staff is awesome, caring, happy, polite and truly want us to enjoy each moment of our vacation from reception, to duty manager, cleaning lady, barmaid, animators, restaurant staff. Have not seen one single worker not nice to guests. This makes us feel very at ease and home. 2) location is stunning. The hotel sits on 3.5 acres of land and takes a big part of the bay. The water is turquoise and beach out of this world. Went to turcs and Caicos, Cuba, Dominican [... read more] Republic, Porto Rico, St-Lucia and prefer Jolly Beach for the quality of the water (no weeds, no jelly fish, waves are Smooth) and quality of beach (nice shells orange, pink...), no sand bugs at all), can take long walks. Nice views on mountain with tropical climate, lots of exotic birds... On a con’s side: the hotel will eventually need updating but found it very clean. Food is good but don’t expect gastronomy.

Great fun in the sun!

My wife and I had a great week. Staff couldn’t have done more to make it any better. Beach was clean and lots of it the resort was sold out and we never had an issue with finding beach chairs and ample seating around pool. The room was small and dated but very clean,no issue we only used it to sleep at night. I could on and on but definitely looking forward to visiting this resort again.

Best vacation Ever!

Hotel is dated but clean and good food. The staff are all wonderful!! Never have I been to a friendlier hotel. (Big thanks to Lisa and Sharon in food services!). The long beach is beautiful for walking and the marina at the end is lovely. DEFINITELY will be back. One small thing-we had a fridge and coffee maker but no water for making our morning coffee we so love to have on balcony. You really should supply something in fridge. Hope Sunwing Travel group don't change the prices too much and co [... read more]ntinue to value the staff they have there. They all are worth more than they probably get paid. God bless them all!

Fabulous beach one mile long!

The hotel is a 3 star rating however it has a 5 star charm. From the moment you arrive the staff makes you feel welcomed. They go the extra mile to make your stay a memorable one. The resort has the best beach that is 1 mile long. I will definitely come back. Best holiday ever!

Beautiful location!

A beautiful beach and a awesome background. The people are hardworking and i had no real problems with anything. Pros beautiful beach, great food and service. Lots of entertainment at night. Cons.. not much for the money i paid. They need more towels and glassware. The coffee could be better. I loved it here and would be happy to return.

Amazing people!

I just returned from a week in this beautiful country and had a great time. The rooms are dated but I didn't go to spend my time in my room. The beach is gorgeous, the staff are so friendly and the drinks are endless. It was an amazing week.

Starfish jolly resort

Just got back from vacation from starfish jolly beach resort. It had its pros and cons let me start with the pros. The beach was beautiful nice clean water. Management the staff and the entertainment staff were super nice. The hotel itself plus the grounds were nice and clean. Now the cons the room that my husband and I got was super small I think those rooms should be used for single people that come by there selves. The food was always a repeat in the morning afternoon and super. There  [... read more]wasn’t a variety to choose from. A lot of locals on the beach coming to sell you stuff every single day which was a little annoying. The bars should be open a little later than midnight and not enough entertainment. Every night there was a band playing which was ok but it gets tiring listening to the same music time and time again. Antigua itself is super expensive I don’t know how people survive living on this island with prices so high on groceries and clothing. This resort is more for couples and not children cause they don’t have anything for children to do

Great resort!

There was always a spot available on the beach. Absolutely beautiful ocean. The beach was clean. Staff was so welcoming and entertaining. The rooms were a little outdated but had everything you would need. Meals at the buffet were great. There was a variety of foods all delicious. We would definitely return to Jolly Beach

Amazing beach!

The hotel itself needs to be renovated specially on the bedrooms but is super clean, the people that works there is nice and very helpful. The beach is AMAZING a lot of sand to walk and is so large the hotel so you can have a nice walk The food oh lord!!!! I cant say it was so bad but the must have more variety, or simple choices as grilled chicken, fish or salmon, they have chicken but with sauce all over at one point you really get tired of eating that. The same cheese all the tim [... read more]e breakfast, lunch and dinner. The live music is good but sometimes they sang too much music we didn't know so it was boring..... also they lack of animation, after 11:30pm there is nothing to do but drink at the bar with a bunch of drunk people boring.... no disco, nothing after 11:30pm Overall we did have a nice vacay, but definitely we wont go back for sure once is enough.

Just Awesome !

The hotel is weathered, however the smiles, friendliness, service and location in my opinion is a five palm tree resort. 🌴 The air canada rep was very friendly and gave excellent information on the resort and surrounding area. We decided to take the local transit which was safe and friendly. The trip into St. John’s was exciting and the urban hiking we did was very safe and interesting. We recommend this resort, it is a must visit. The staff made our week feel like home. A special th [... read more]anks to all the staff, but one person stands out Zoda she went out of her way to service us with excellence. Thank you, for an amazing week. We shall return, The Randall’s

Fun in the sun!

This is our second visit to this resort this year ( February & 28 Septmber to 5 October). 3 star resort with 5 star service! Food was plentiful, good assortment. The smothers red wine in the Caribbean! Grounds were clean. Beautiful beach with turquoise water. We upgraded to a suite (3010) & the view from both balconies was amazing! Special thank you to Blondel, Manager, for your assistance!!!! Cannot wait for our next visit!

First time visit

well their are not enough words to describe this Hotel Great fantastic wonderful friendly charming etc. the food was always great with no complaints the location and beach were a jaw dropping experience

First time in Antiqua

I really liked that we got our bracelets as soon as we got of the plane. We didn’t have to go in line at the hotel. Went to the room right away at the hotel. It looked very nice, just as the pictures. The room was big , clean and a comfy bed. The cleaning of the room got done a bit late tho. We like A shower and a little snooze around 4 in the afternoon. And most of the time the room wasn’t cleaned yet. I was not impressed with the beach. A lot of people gave it a 5 out of 5 But no one c [... read more]an beat the beaches in Cuba People at the resort are friendly, but off the resort not so The night life was done at 10, a bit early Nothing going on after that And it is a expensive island The bars don’t open until 10:30 am So before that u can only get water coffee or tea The are very interested if u have any suggestions, I like that It’s an old resort, it could use an overhaul Nitely entertainment was a bit boring Wednesday nite we had a pool party which was very nice I was impressed Would I go back? No I don’t think so

Excellent service from waitstaff

While the rooms and dining facilities are in major need of an overhaul, the cleanliness of rooms and public areas was excellent and the polite and attentive service provided by dining and bar waitstaff was above and beyond. The beach is fabulous. It is well kept and there are plenty of newly constructed palapas for shade. Loungers are in need of an update but were mostly all in good condition. Beach towel service is also excellent. Buffet food was always delicious. The seafood a la carte was  [... read more]our favourite experience dining on the beach and the food was excellent! The Italian à la carte was good food as well, but ambiance fell short. Mexican à la carte was great ambiance but menu was hit and miss. I certainly hope the owners will put serious effort into updating rooms and furnishings, but overall, I would return for the service and the beach!

Spend more, to get a better hotel.

the grounds were beautiful, the beach was a 5 star. however the rooms were clean but horrid. out dated and almost too tiny to move in. a bug problem for sure. the food was horrible. we had to continue to leave the resort to find food that was even worth eating. I can live with outdated rooms but can not live with food that is terrible. the only good tasting food was in the burger shack. Sunwing and Hotel staff were great !.

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.

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.

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!

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.