TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Sandals Grande Antiqua did not disappoint and was very beautiful! The Playmakers (entertainers) definitely stood out as being the most friendly and engaging. Some of the restaurant staff was highly positive and engaging while others could stand some additional training. Overall, we are very happy and we booked another trip to check out another one of their locations.

Just completed what could have been a wonderful trip to Sandals Antigua. The food was great at all of the restaurants we visited. Drinks were great and staff were very accommodating. We loved the numerous pools and hot tubs. The beach was very nice, minus all of the locals continuously interrupting your rest to sell massages and other local items. There were no issue with finding lounge chairs at the pools or beaches. Also had a really nice body massage. The evening entertainment was nice and more adult like, including live bands and good singers. The downside of the trip included sporadic internet access and the overwhelming number of cats on the property. Warning, if you have any fear or allergy to cats, this is not the resort for you. We’ve been to other Sandals that had a few cats visible, but at this location the cat population was beyond usual. Unfortunately this limited my spouse’s enjoyment because he has a major fear of cats. This taught us a lesson to ask about the cat population before booking another Sandals vacation.

My husband and I spent 10 days at this beautiful resort. From the gorgeous beach to the sparkling pools, it was breathtaking. Above all, the staff made our stay so memorable. This always means so much in the concept of Sandals as they're not being tipped. In particular, the staff at the British pub-style restaurant were phenomenal! Claudine, Andy, Taraque, Jason, Ashlei, Akiella, and Celestine went above and beyond to take care of us each time we visited. They extended this same professionalism and dedication to the tables around us as well. Wonderful memories were made thanks to them! Our other favorite meals were at Elenor's at breakfast. Mr. Grant's seafood omlette is the stuff dreams are made of and Shanake, Sharon Mae, and Racquel made us feel like royalty. We are already planning to return!!!

This was our fourth visit to a Sandals resort. Antigua had very poor food. So bad in fact, that we had a hard time deciding where to go back to for our seventh night. As an example, the Japanese restaurant is always a favorite, but this time it was such a disappointment. The chef did a few juggling tricks at the very beginning, but that was it. He was serious and silent for the rest of the evening. The chicken was over cooked and the meal was over in exactly one hour. Excellent food is a must at a high end all-inclusive and Antigua failed miserably. We were so disappointed. The gin in our room had been diluted by more than half. We told our butler who apologized and replaced it. He said his manager wanted to see the bottle as he took it away. We thought we might get an apology from someone higher up, but nothing else was ever said. That experience made all other liquor a bit suspect for us. Are the clear alcohols being diluted at the bars too? Do they replace the high end liquors will less expensive brands? The resort was very dated and worn. This is a silly example but one that would be so easily fixed if anyone would just look - at the pub, the dart board was all but unusable it is so old, bent and dirty. There was one crayola marker to keep score with that was so dried out and old you all of the writing on the marker was worn off. There weren’t even 2 matching sets of darts, but a hodgepodge. The pool tables felt was threadbare in spots. The beachfront rondovols were at a fantastic location, but were so small we had to take turns passing between the bed and the table. We also had to step into the tub to take a shower and the water from the shower went all over the floor. It wasn’t a big enough space to be an open air shower. It really needed a curtain. The towels were always a mismatch. The first 2 nights we didn’t have a bath mat, so we used bath towels instead. Hand towels and washcloths were always in short supply. A couple of day there were no wash clothes at all. I don’t know if there are changes for the worse at all of the resorts or it was just this one, but whatever the case, it was a bad enough experience to make us question going back to a Sandals again. We currently have booked 2 more resorts over the next 3 years and may very well cancel. On the positive side, the grounds were beautiful and constantly being looked after. The bartenders were very efficient and worked very hard. Our butlers were very good.

We definitely enjoyed our stay at the Sandals Grand Antigua. We want to give a shout out to Threcia and Michell T in the spa, their massages were amazing and they were both personable and helpful, ask for them during your visit!! We stayed in the Fragpani building which does need some updating, the shower did not have great pressure in my opinon but this is also an island so the amount of water pressure may be more regulated. The service was good at the resort and the staff were helpful and friendly. We enjoyed the snorkeling offered. The food offered was average, nothing too expectional. We did not get reservations at Eleanors but was able to eat dinner at all the other restaurants on the property. The beach was beautiful and the we were able to find beach chairs at both the pool and beach every day. Green flags every day. In my opinion Sandals does need to step up the resort buildings/rooms, service, and food offerings to get back up to the 5 star ratings they promote, but I would definitely still return to this resort.