TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We have just returned from a two week stay at this resort. We had a wonderful stay and rest but we have some feedback to share which we feel important to anyone choosing a long haul stay here. The resort is dated in parts and we kept getting told that they have plans to update and some works were being seen to whilst we were there. This should not be used as an excuse when we have and many other guests have paid a lot of money to visit from the UK. We also found that the food and drink constantly ran out several day and evenings in a row and this isn't good enough in a '5' star resort! The resort is an early starter resort and if you're not an early bird then you will find a problem getting a sun bed on the beach and the pool. I am an early bird and enjoyed watching the resort wake up and listening to the waves whilst getting my beach bed but I was always joined by the Butlers (a service supplied by Sandals) and they at times reserved most of the beds by 6am. One day I counted 32 beds by the main pool had gone by 6am and most of the beach beds so you have no chance unless you pay an extra £1400 for two weeks (we costed for our trip) on top of your holiday cost for a service which is just ridiculous and to be honest not worth it . We spoke to a Manager whilst there and she listened and for one day it seemed there were less reserved beds but it returned to the same a day later. There should be a section by the pool and beach for this service and the rest first come, first served. The resort is big enough to do this. I want to give a shout out to two beach and ground staff that I engaged with each morning and watched how hard they work every day with a smile on their faces and cheerful conversation. I enjoyed talking to them each day and wish them well. Thank you Mika and DJ! We found the majority of the staff very friendly and happy to assist but we also found a lot that seemed to be 'just going through the motions' and were not interested in chatting and at times quite rude. If you had a problem or asked for something I found at times I was made to feel like I was a nuisance and it was me being rude when I was checking or asking for something politely and just found this uncomfortable at times especially when met with the main pool bar staff or the Bayside coffee machine staff then talking in their language and laughing - this isn't acceptable. The resort has a selection of restaurants and we enjoyed all of them however the booking system on the APP didn't work and you have to book ASAP otherwise you'll be disappointed. We found the food average taste wise but there was a good selection. We particularly liked Marios and Bella Napoli. Our Mediterranean garden walk out room was wonderful and we cannot fault our room and the ladies that looked after our room for the duration of our stay. Brandy would knock most nights and check we needed anything and our room was daily restocked and perfectly cleaned each day and we loved and appreciated this each time we returned from the day. There is a lot to do at this resort and we especially liked the layout of the resort and the choices you have to either have a more louder time at the main pool with activities all day or a quiet day at the choice of 3 other pools which were in the particularly pretty garden surroundings. The tour offerings on the beach are a good range and we did the Island tour with Kenny and horse riding with Tony. If you stay in Antigua then a day trip to Barbuda is a must. A beautiful Island and has lots of investment and lots happening so do go and visit. The Barbuda ferry is easy to book. We wish the resort staff well and thank you for a good stay and hope some points from guests will be taken on board as you can pass over some things but when they keep happening it can start to grate on a guests stay. We think the sun bed situation, the food and drink shortages and some of the 'going through the motions' attitude with some staff should be addressed. Aside from that we had a wonderful stay and we are grateful for visiting.

March 2026 for my Wife’s Birthday Booked the Sandals Grande Antigua Staff so welcoming Except for the first day when my wife got shouted at in the coffee shop not a great start to her birthday. A bit disappointed that Sandals did nothing for her birthday even though we had a request put in by our tour operator We stayed in room 816 with a swim up pool it was lovely room spacious and newly refurbed The grounds are so lovely and it’s such a big hotel Food was good and we visited most of the restaurants Mario’s is a must Weather was beautiful and we always enjoyed our walk down the beach every day late afternoon We met some really nice people especially our friends in room 813 About 4 days into our 10 day stay a Sandals representative came around the pool talking to guests and my wife spoke to her and said that she was disappointed that Sandals hadn’t made an effort for her birthday then within 2 hours a knock on the door and a card and ice bucket with a bottle of what they call champagne was in our room At first we thought what a kind gesture until we looked in our mini bar and noticed they had taken the £2.99 bottle of brut out of the fridge and put it in the ice bucket we couldn’t believe it Another bad experience was When we arrived we asked the Sandals guy if we could smoke he said yes on your balcony as long as your keep your door shut That was perfect for us Until 3 days before departure and a English guest above our room started shouting down to us about smoking at first we just said ok But 2 nights before we left he shouted down again and we ignored him so he then rang down to reception stating we was smoking weed on the balcony So you can imagine when hotel reception came to our room we was not happy that we had been accused of this We have never smoked weed in our lives so that was very upsetting Apart from those 2 experiences we enjoyed our stay in Antigua and made some good friends especially 813

This trip was the best! We absolutely loved the bar service from Joy and Kadeem. So friendly and personal. The rooms were spotless and the view was amazing. We did the complementary wine tasting experience with Keon and Holden aka KFC and it was hilarious and we learned a lot. I had a facial from the spa which was excellent. Everyone was so friendly and went above and beyond. We did the free snorkeling twice with Jamal and Danielle and saw so many cool things. The food was great. It was so relaxing. The entertainment team was fun. We took a private taxi to Shirley Heights with Dev and he was fantastic and very reasonable and even had complimentary champagne. Would give this trip a 10/10.

We returned back to Sandals Antigua after we had our honeymoon in 2002 after 24 years we were shocked with how bad this resort has become the Caribbean side was dated and in need of updating, 99% of the food was served cold the room service took so long over an hour was also cold but the best bit was we paid a premium for a room with Butler Service we felt intimidated and bullied to give them dollars for a non existent service as detailed on their website certain guests were tipping them daily to make sure they got a special service at the end of the day we overheard Butlers demanding $400 each bearing in mind you have three butlers this is complete corruption in cahoots with the Managers my advice be careful when paying for a room with this service because when the Butlers do not receive the expected tip they are rude and aggressive.

. Sandals Antigua is a beautiful, well-kept resort with pleasant, happy employees. Everyone greeted us with a smile and was accommodating to all our needs and requests. A special shoutout to Chef Jason at Kimonos, who entertained us with great enthusiasm while serving delicious food. Also, Mesha at the front desk, who graciously provided an impromptu photo session—she truly has a talent for photography. And Steven, who gave us a sailing lesson on the Hobie Cats, was incredibly patient and helpful. There were always chairs available at both the pool and the beach, which is quite unusual for a resort. The food and drinks were excellent and prepared just the way we liked. excellent overall experience in our opinion.