St. James's Club - Antigua

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This is a wonderful holiday spot for a family. Visited: November 2007 Posted by maddog I'm not sure that others reviewing here stayed at the same resort as us...it seems impossible to have such wildly differing views! We had inter-connecting ground floor rooms (palatial). They were no more than 20 meters from the ocean via a private deck/verandah and then, palm trees and beautiful white sand. We would wake and go straight out to swim in the sea before showering and dressing for a wonderfully varied buffet breakfast. Our two boys would frequently watch the cartoon channel and wonder why two adults would want to spring out of bed on holiday at 7 am to swim, before joining them for breakfast. The staff was kind and friendly, albeit laidback, but that is the Antiguan way and if anything, it made the holiday more enjoyable. The meals were all of good quality. Although, after two weeks, it was getting a bit 'samey'. There was a noisier extended family that appeared in the second week, but the beauty of two beaches is that we frequented wherever they weren't to escape the five-a-side rather loud games taking place with a distinct brummy 'twang'. Overall, this was a great holiday, and we would do it again in a heartbeat. 2 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was fantastic. Visited: June 2006 Posted by alexmike We stayed at the St. James Club in June, and we loved it. We thought the staff was very friendly. There were a lot of guests from the UK, and we got into watching the World Cup Tournament on the big screen TV. Our room was great. We stayed in a one-bedroom suite which had been refurbished. I would highly recommend this property - we were a couple and loved the adult pools. It seemed like the children we saw on the property were very happy and always busy. We also went out on a catamaran trip. I highly recommend this, as Antigua is beautiful by sea. 12 users found this review helpful. 19 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We were not happy guests. Visited: March 2006 Posted by realprop This was the first time I ever checked out of a resort early. This resort seriously lacked everything I had expected from a vacation. We found the villa accommodation was very run down (we were told this was the resort's most luxurious room). Also, we thought the food was awful in all the restaurants. The general feeling here seemed to be that nobody really cared. I do not recommend this accommodation to anyone. 22 users found this review helpful. 10 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? My experience here was dreadful! Visited: February 2006 Posted by prudenti This was, without question, the worst resort I have ever been to! Everything was a disaster. My villa was in poor condition, and the food was awful! I found nothing luxurious about this resort. 23 users found this review helpful. 5 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I loved it! Visited: July 2005 Posted by chelseaplayssports This was the best resort I have stayed ever stayed in. The people were amazing. The watersports people were extremely friendly, too. I just loved it. I will definitely come back for my tenth visit. 4 users found this review helpful. 23 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was a tired, unpleasant, overrated hotel. Visited: July 2005 Posted by pgp This was the biggest disappointment yet of our 15 years holidaying in the Caribbean. We found that the St. James Club had very tired facilities, dirty beaches, noisy kids, poor management, and indifferent staff. We do not recommend it. Actually, we cut short our stay and went elsewhere after six days because it was so bad. The casino was dead, and what little entertainment provided was third rate. We found it was certainly not worthy of its inflated 4four-star rating. Avoid staying here. 22 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Good food, decent beach....accommodations need much work Visited: June 2005 Posted by charles_schubert We spent five days at the St James club for a friends wedding. Overall the property was probably no better than average when compared to other resorts we've stayed at in the Caribbean, especially considering the price. First, the good...thought the food/service at the various restaraunts was very good. We did not dine at Piccolo Mondo, the nicest of the restaraunts, but all others offered good selection each evening for dinner. Would suggest dining early as they tended to be out of certain menu items when we dined late. Choices for lunch/breakfast were decent as well. The resort itself is quite nice. Grounds are well kept. Two beaches are available, one on the ocean side and one on the bay side. All water activities are on the bay side which, b/c of a lack of breeze, can get quite hot. If you're just laying about the ocean side is a better bet. Plenty of water activities to participate in. Did find it a bit odd that you had to pay for water skiing if you knew how to ski, but that they would teach you to water ski for free. Accommodations were a dissapointment. We stayed in the Hibiscus rooms. Our "premium" room with an ocean view was barely an ocean view. The room itself was in need of serious updating. Lots of cracked tiles on the floor, grout was an absolute mess. Obvious in a lot of places that they had fixed things with a patch rather than really fix them. Rooms in the Bougainvella area have apparently been updated more recently so would suggest requesting accommodations there if you're booking a club or a premium room. Just not on par with other places we've stayed, particulary given this was one of the more expensive resorts we've stayed at. Of course many will not worry as much about accommodations given the surroundings outside the room. Overall we enjoyed our stay but would think twice about returning. 8 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It is a fabulous a "home from home" in the Caribbean! Visited: May 2005 Posted by klcresswell We come here every year - twice a year. Why? The location is great, the staff treats us like family now (even coming to my impromptu beach birthday party on their day off!) The food has changed beyond recognition from several years ago, and the management actively encourages comments which are acted on within 24 hours! The best thing for us, though, is the kids club. Our son of eight years sulks if he has to leave kids club! This is definitely one of the best family-oriented resorts. If you make an effort to know the staff, they will respond with genuine affection. Also, book a standard, Beach Club front room. They are on the first level, and the ceilings are extremely high so the room feels light and airy. That way you don't get disturbed by a "herd of elephants" walking around the room overhead! 6 users found this review helpful. 15 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We were disappointed! Visited: March 2005 Posted by realproperygrp We were very disappointed with this resort. We found it to be very run down. Also, the food was so awful, we actually lost weight while on vacation. I really can't think of one good thing to say about the St. James Club! 16 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? St. James Club was not worth it. Visited: February 2005 Posted by mck6388 We visited the Saint James Club in February of 2005. We were "upgraded" to a suite by the bay, which we found to be old and dingy. The plumbing was outdated, and there were mosquitos all over. We found the staff to be rude, lazy and unaccommodating. The food was just okay, and a few of the restaurants had surcharges. The sports bar was dead, and so was the tiny poor excuse of a casino. The entertainment was dull. The beaches were nothing special either, and there seemed to be a lot of seaweed each day. I've been to much nicer, cleaner, livelier resorts in the Carribbean for a lot less money than St. James Club. This is definitely not worth your money, and we did not think it was a four-star hotel. 17 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We were miserable here. Visited: February 2005 Posted by user743019 The St. James Club was very run down and poorly managed. The villa that we stayed in was very old and not well maintained. We thought the food in all restaurants was dreadful. The location was great. However, the resort was a horrible vacation for us! 18 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was one of the best! Visited: December 2004 Posted by maitaitane Having been to some of the most expensive and exclusive resorts in the Caribbean (including Cap Juluca, Parrot Cay and Caneel Bay). I must say that St. James Club approached the levels of the these resorts. It was great for relaxing with plenty of watersports including snorkeling, windsurfing, etc. They had a very well kept tennis courts as well. With four pools, there was never a crowded area. Also, the restaurant food was very good and the service was excellent. If you don't like something on the menu, you can make a special menu request the day before for just about anything and they will make it for you. Bartenders were very friendly and always willing to make something special for us. The casino was small, but a very friendly place to play. The waterfront restaurant was beautifull at night and fun during Caribbean or calypso nights which they had music and dancing. The two-bedroom beachfront villa was absolutely fantastic. It was beautifully decorated and right on the beach. If you go during the summer - yes, it is warmer than usual, and yes, there will be children. But any reasonably intelligent person would already know that. Overall, this was a great place to visit, and we are going back again in 2005. 3 users found this review helpful. 16 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I think it needs work. Visited: August 2004 Posted by swils45 I spent a week with the girls and really just wanted to read and relax --- however, there was absolutely nothing to do! There were two beaches, one with a nice constant breeze and another which resembled a lake. The traditional beach had no water sports, no beach bar and a cracked sidewalk to get to it. The lake-like beach was blazing hot and many little, noisy kids. The only bar that was open was the one by the pool. There was a drive-by cart, but it only had sodas and beer - no pina coladas and the traditional fun, beachy drinks. They advertised tennis courts and a pro shop and an on-staff pro. After three days of trying to get a hold of him, I found a staff member decked out in a tennis outfit, sound asleep in the two-by-four "pro shop." He told me it wasn't tennis season and nothing was going on tennis-wise and went back to his nap. Our rooms had old bedspreads and curtains. I called home (USA) six times for 10-minute (if that) conversations and was billed $150.00! The meals were just okay. Buffets are to be avoided at all costs! The casino was absolutely dead. Not counting employees, there were maybe five people in the room using slot machines. There was no entertainment at all. If you're used to beautiful Caribbean resorts with lush landscaping, you won't find it here. Even the grass was brownish. I suggest you go somewhere else! 11 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This resort had beautiful scenery, but the worst food I have ever had. Visited: April 2004 Posted by lauradrops My husband and I visited this resort for ten days on our honeymoon. We booked an all-inclusive vacation only to find out when we got here "all-inclusive" did not mean that at all. Upon our arrival, we were told that we would have to pay for any meal with steak, shrimp or lobster. Even if we were willing to pay for a lobster,there was only one night out of ten that they actually had it(and they only served guests a half of one). Also, the only restaurant with decent food was not included(Picolo Mundo). While we were dining at one of the restaurants, we actually witnessed the server bring a lobster to a table, watched the guest take a bite, saw the guest return it for some reason, and the server picked it up and served it again to someone at another table. At that point, I got up and told the person at the other table before they could eat it. We did talk to management and his response was to offer us a free shrimp dinner one night. It's a shame about the food. This resort had beautiful surroundings, but even that could not make up for these shortcomings. If you are happy paying for all-inclusive to eat chicken, goat, and buffet, this is the place for you. 13 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? St. James Club is always a winner. Visited: February 2004 Posted by plant I have visited St. James many times over the last two years. The only problem I have with the resort is that they have closed the diving operation without warning. I turned up in February along with all my dive gear to find that the management had decided to close the dive centre. Some prior warning would have been nice. So, if you are a keen diver and like to have your diving close at hand, I am afraid St. James is no longer an option. 4 users found this review helpful. 11 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Disappointed ... Visited: January 2004 Posted by realprop My family was looking forward to this vacation. We were extremely disappointed ...the property was very neglected and old ...Food was awful. We have been to many island resorts and have always been very happy with our resort selection, however, this time was a big diappointment!!! 10 users found this review helpful. 5 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Not exactly what we paid for Visited: November 2003 Posted by rayandanastasia My husband and I contacted our local travel agent to find us a "quiet beach resort with gourmet food and few children" as we wanted to have a quiet and relaxing vacation. What we got was something of the opposite. There were plenty of children here (which is not a bad thing if you are looking for a family vacation). The food was so terrible we would go off the property most times even though our trip was "all inclusive". The restaurants for the most part were clean, except there was mold growing on the walls in Coco's restaurant (gross). Also, since you have to make reservations well in advance for the "good" restaurant, we never were able to eat there our 10 day stay. We were also under the impression that we wouldn't have any buffet meals, when, in fact, most of the meals were buffet. Also good luck trying to find a courteous bartender,waiter, or any staff member in the food & beverage department,we didn't find any. They acted "put out" to see us. The accomodations were clean, but nothing over the top. Over all I would rate this hotel 2 stars because what I was told and what we got were two different things. I would suggest this hotel for the family traveler, not couples looking for seclusion and privacy. 11 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was a dream come true. Visited: August 2003 Posted by ladyddb1 I have to say I was a little bit nervous about having my honeymoon at the St. James Club in Antigua after having read some of the postings online. Having just returned, I felt compelled to write in because our vacation was so very different from some of those accounts here. We stayed in one of the beachfront villas, and every morning was like waking up in the middle of a dream. We spent most days lounging around the beach, and being pampered at the spa, though we found time to take advantage of the activities. I loved kayaking and scuba diving! The service was impeccable, we really did receive the royal treatment. I can't recommend this resort highly enough. 2 users found this review helpful. 11 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The view and people were great, and the food was brilliant! Visited: July 2003 Posted by xander8891 I have just come back from a ten-day stay at the St. James Club. It was wicked! St. James Club was absolutely breathtaking, the best holiday of my life. The water sports were fabulous! The food was brilliant - I recommend the Piccalo Mondo. The Jacaranda's Bar was a great place to chill out, and the Docksider Restaurant on Thursday was fun when they had limbo dancing and fire-eating. I know it was great for kids, as I am one myself. I made so many friends that I will keep in contact with. I recommend St. James Club. Go there! If you don't, you'll miss out on a lot! 2 users found this review helpful. 11 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? An excellent hotel and location. Visited: July 2003 Posted by sally_cockle We just returned from a ten-day holiday. The hotel was excellent. We had a premium room with wonderful views. It had recently been renovated and was very comfortable. The service was brilliant - the people could not have been more friendly. The food also was very good - especially at Picolo Mondo. The drinks were also excellent with as much champagne as you could want! Altogether, we had a wonderful holiday in a wonderful place. I would highly recommend it. 2 users found this review helpful. 6 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

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