Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa - Antigua

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Ours was a horrible honeymoon. Visited: May 2009 Posted by tyler_louk This was the worst trip of my life. The staff was rude, and the accommodations were horrific. I cannot believe Sandals can charge the prices they do for such sub par accommodations. 0 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a great vacation. Visited: March 2009 Posted by redcleo3 This was our second trip to Antigua, and our first stay at the Sandals here. Our first time in Antigua we stayed at the Jolly (a nightmare). This trip was great. All the construction talked about earlier is done. We stayed in the older section, but the rooms were spacious enough and clean. The beds were very comfortable. We had a small patio outside our room, and a pool and jacuzzi right beyond that. Hardly any people used it, so it was almost like your own private spot. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The food was good. I just didn't like having to make a reservation for dinner every night. We had no problems with mosquitoes, unlike our last stay in Antigua when I had red welts on my legs for a month after I got home. I enjoyed the entertainment at night, but by midnight the place was pretty much quiet. I definitely plan to return. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Scuba divers beware. Visited: November 2008 Posted by fredwat My vacation to Sandals Antigua was a big disappointment. One of the primary reasons I came here was to scuba dive. My wife and I have been to a couple of the Couples resorts, and had very pleasant experiences. We decided to try Sandals because of the hype - and the fact that you promote free scuba diving twice a day. I’ll first begin on my experience with scuba diving and then go on to the other issues with the resort. Since by the time we arrived on Monday, 11/3 it was too late to book a dive the next day (I am open water certified.), I went early the next morning. I was told from the manager (in a very unpleasant fashion) that since I had not dived in six months (it was six months and five days), that I had to take an orientation course. I said "Fine. When today can I take it?". He told me I couldn’t take it until the next morning, and that I wouldn’t be able to dive until the afternoon of the next day. They schedule the orientation dive at 8:30 am, and consequently no one who arrived the day before would be scheduled for the dive the next morning. It became obvious to me (and every other diver I met) that it was set up this way so most divers will not be able to dive the first day. Most divers usually don’t dive regularly, and many have probably not dived in the last six months. If you were trying to accommodate guests, you would schedule the orientation dive later in the morning so people could have time to go to the dive shop, register, take the orientation course, and go out that diving afternoon. You don’t know how many divers I met that were so upset with this arrangement. 7 users found this review helpful. 12 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was the best two-week holiday ever. Visited: February 2008 Posted by mickinwsm After reading some of the moaning on here from our cousins from across the Atlantic, I had to write and say that from the moment we left the UK to the moment we returned the whole package was excellent. We were in the Med Village on the ground floor. We had our own patio and unrestricted views of the resort out to the sea. The staff was nothing short of brilliant - especially if you took the time to chat with them. They were very pleasant and seemed proud to be working for Sandals. They couldn't do enough for you. All the top shelf brands were available, and the restaurants and food were brilliant. We were married in the gazebo in the gardens, and it was the best day of our lives. The wedding staff made a big effort, and were our familly for the day. They organized everything and all went smoothly - even the weather. My one tip would be to research the restaurants, and book the first couple of nights dining as soon as you arrive. We ate in the Cricketers the first night, and our concierge organized the rest of our bookings for us. I would say believe the photos, and make an effort to treat the staff as you would like to be treated in your own country or state. Then you will get a smile, and find someone who can't do enough for you. As holiday makers from the UK, we were slightly outnumbered by some other nationalities. However, we had no issues with any of the staff or facilities whatsoever. My thoughts are that some people are never happy unless they are having a moan about something. Just enjoy the laid back lifestyle, and the holiday will be one to remember forever. 10 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a perfect 30th anniversary here. Visited: January 2008 Posted by mrjeb Book it and enjoy! My wife and I were here January 17-26, and we had a fantastic time! We went for our 30th anniversary, and the whole trip could not have been any better. The entire staff was fantastic. I never met a single employee who did not say "Hi" and smile. Donovan Dobson, the Director of Guest Services, is an outstanding host and really takes pleasure in making sure his guests have the perfect experience. The grounds were beautiful, and the food was very good. We stayed in the Med Village section, but we had the opportunity to see several rooms on the CV side, and they looked very nice, too. It was very romantic on the CV side, and there were lots of secluded spots and pools to enjoy. The MV side was also very nice, but was bigger and not quite as lush as the CV side. The entire resort was 100% booked for four of the nights we were here, but it did not feel crowded. We were able to get reservations to all the different restaurants as long as we were flexible with when we wanted to eat. 15 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I was extremely disappointed in Sandals Antigua. Visited: November 2007 Posted by dreamcrazy I visited this resort on a work trip and was extremely disappointed. I had read several reviews, and many of them were true. The one redeeming quality the resort had was the butler service in the Meditterranean Village. They were outstanding! Other than that, the food was definitely lacking; and most of the employees were cordial, but did not have answers to any questions. A large handful of them were very rude and unhelpful. A small handful were above and beyond pleasant and helpful, though. The resort and the rooms were also infested with mosquitoes - who seemed to love the tourists. Also, there were several power outages on the Friday night I was here. The power outages were to the entire resort, which left us in the dark for several minutes. Since I didn't pay for this trip (was work related), I suppose it was acceptable (and beyond my control). However, had I paid upwards of $2,000 to travel across the nation for a wedding or honeymoon, I would have been seriously disappointed. I can't speak for any of the other Sandals resorts. But if you are looking for top of the line treatment and great food - this resort is not the place to be. And yes, the pictures shown of the resort are amazing. However, they are deceiving. 12 users found this review helpful. 18 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I don't recommend this hotel. Visited: November 2007 Posted by kcdh2002 I just returned from Sandals Antigua. I thought the service was slow and understaffed. Also, there was no top shelf alcohol. The main pool was closed for a private function, and the guests were never notified. My room never not cleaned before 4:00 pm. In addition, the beach was dirty and not very big (maybe a 1/4 mile long). They advertised it as one of the best beaches, yet I could not even see through the water to the sand. The beach rooms need to be renovated. Fortunately, I was on the Mediterranean side, where you pay to stay at the adult-only hotel. Then, I found out that the beach was public. I feel this hotel is overpriced for what you get. 13 users found this review helpful. 8 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was horrible. Visited: September 2007 Posted by caymanbound Keep your money and stay at a Motel 6! We went for our honeymoon. We stayed ten days, but wanted to leave after three. I got food poisoning, we had bugs in our room, and rain leaked in window. The food was horrible. We could not get any seafood except fish (i.e. no conch or lobster). The only redeeming quality was the dive staff and a few of the support staff. Most of the guests we spent time with had similar or worse issues. 9 users found this review helpful. 9 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I suggest you stay away. Visited: September 2007 Posted by ruxl I would highly recommend against anyone considering staying here. During our stay, my wife and I were constantly lied to and given misinformation. Our room was robbed, with little effort to resolve by the hotel security manager. They provided a safe, which did not function, and they never showed up to fix it, after multiple complaints prior to the robbery. Management, in general, was completely inept. We spent two to three hours per day complaining about a variety of issues - all of which have gone unresolved. This was our wedding and honeymoon, and the happiest moment of the entire trip was when we finally arrived back home. 13 users found this review helpful. 6 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Beware of the lies! Visited: July 2007 Posted by joegiggles We booked through Sandals. We were called one week prior to our stay, and were informed of some "minor construction". We were told they were going to give us a free week to make up for this. I thought this was great. I was told the stores were just being stocked, and they would open the second day we were there. One did, but it didn't even have bug spray...just some clothes! There was also one resturant that would not be open. I asked, and was told that there was no major construction, no jackhammers, no cranes, no dump trucks...lies, lies, and more lies. We pulled up to see the entire front was still being built. We had a great view of the villas being built, there were only about 15 rooms that were open in the entire hotel. One of the elevators dropped two floors, and the people were stuck for over an hour. There were fire stairs by our room, but the door was locked since it wasn't done yet. There were also spots for fire exit, and hoses but none were there. We lost power every day, and woke up to singing construction workers and the romantic hum of a jackhammer. We had to be careful not to trip over buckets of paint while we walked around. When I complained to the front desk, all I was told was about how nice it was going to be. I agree it's going to be amazing - but for at least three months, please stay away! The old side was very nice, but they didn't have enough staff. Every day we saw people gettng the tour, and no one had a clue what was going on! 17 users found this review helpful. 5 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Why open if it's not done? Visited: July 2007 Posted by bvenable76 I planned for eight months to stay at the new Med Village - and even called to make sure it was complete on July 10th. After talking with with the resort, I was told it was at 99%, and by the time I got to the resort it would be at 100%. The resort sould tell people the truth! They only had six rooms opem when I checked in, and the pool was closed! 13 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was definitely worth the money - it was amazing! Visited: March 2006 Posted by star_mel I absolutely loved this trip. I was worried because of some of the reviews I had read. However, Sandals Antigua was great. The tours were a lot of fun. I really recommend the Extreme Circumnavigation. The restaurants were really yummy. I could have done without the Japanese restaurant. But the Italian restaurant was phenomenal. Our room was really nice (we stayed in the Fragipani block). Our bar was restocked daily, and they provided us with a small newsletter daily. In addition, the spa was a definite. Overall, this trip is one not too miss. We are certaintly planning on heading back! We loved it! 10 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was not what they said it would be! Visited: March 2006 Posted by shanna3000 We looked into a lot of resorts, and decided to go with Sandals because we could do our wedding and honeymoon all in one. Then, it all went downhill. The wedding went fine, although I did not know from day to day if we would have water or power - that's nuts. Also, we heard nothing but construction all day long. In addition, we were in an upgraded room that apparently was not upgraded at all. We met people who stayed in simple rooms that had more than our room had. The management and staff didn't seem to handle situations very well. The grounds were beautiful, and it was the restaurant, entertainment, and bar staff who seemed to keep it going. It was not the management. They did not seem to be skilled, and it was sad because it was all about our wedding and it was so scary. I wish that we knew ahead about the construction, and how we could have had a better location. But our travel agent never let us know anything. In fact, they tried to upgrade us more after we were already upgraded - and it was not what I thought it should be for a honeymoon room grande luxe. It was not good. All in all, the management just needs to be more educated. If we are asked back for our trip, I will go to another resort through Sandals and re-post my trip. 7 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was my worst holiday experience ever! Visited: June 2005 Posted by apstarkey We were on our honeymoon, and chose Sandals for their reputation. From our arrival, it all went downhill. We were made to wait hours as as room was not ready. When we were taken to our room, the metal handrails leading up the staircase were completely rusty as were the air conditioning units. The wardrobe doors and window shutters were falling off, and there was no view whatsoever as the balcony was overgrown with trees. It was like a dungeon. We went days without hot water, then waited days to be moved to another room where (again) we were without hot water for a further two days. We compalined on many ocassions, and the management did not seem really interested. The general manager's attitude to us was like "if you don't like my resort, then go home". Luckily, the food and the other staff were very good. Sandals Antigua was not worth visiting under any circumstances and certainly not worth the money they charged. All we heard continuously were people complaining. 5 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was the worst four-star hotel we have stayed at - it was well overpriced. Visited: March 2005 Posted by info8 We stayed in a honeymoon concierge suite, and we paid a lot extra for this facility. We found the bathroom facilities were pathetic, there was a small bath, the shower didn't work properly, there was no bidet, and the toilet flush handle was hanging off. Also, there were cracked tiles, a very small vanity area one small bowl, and the wardrobe was directly behind blocking access to bathroom. In addition, the mattress was badly stained, the patio area in the front of the room was filthy, the minibar was not filled up regularly, and the reception staff had a attitude problem. We didn't think the food was up to standard - we sent three meals back cold. There was also a poor menu selection - only four main courses which were the same for two weeks in each restaurant. In addition, there were no parasols on the beach - or any other form of shade. The Jacuzzi outside our room was too hot to use (108 degrees). We certainly won't be returning. We found it to be a very tired hotel, and a poor value for the money. 6 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Butlins at the Caribbean Visited: October 2004 Posted by vassotzo We stayed at Sandals for five days. We were told that the room we were given was an upgrade to the room we had as our flight had been cancelled and we arrived there a day late. The room which was an improvement on the basic room was adequate in size however, a 5 minute walk from the beach, grimy, with thousands of mosquitoes and we had cockroaches every night! I have been to the Caribbean 8 times and I have never encountered a cockroach in my room, nor had such a huge mosquito problem. The solution seems to be spraying regularly enough to keep them away... Sandals was not prepared to spray near our room to keep the roaches out. Further to the roaches, the shower had no hot water and it was never fixed for us. The remote for the TV broke twice. The air-conditioning leaked in the room and made the most horrendous noise. The staff had their dinner with the guests. The restaurant had cats jumping on guests whilst they were eating and the walkways were hardly ever swept from the falling leaves. The resort was certainly all inclusive, everything was provided for in terms of food and drink, and the standard for catering for such a large number of people was OK. Sandals also offered as part of the all inclusive a number of "couply" type of activities which seem at all times forced and not very much fun. I mean how many couples would you think out of the 400 naturally play ping pong in the middle of the day?? Or pool first thing in the morning?? After 5 days of being there I had consumed all the watered down coke I could stomach, had listened to over 30 guys explain to their wives that they should leave potting the black ball last and I had exterminated over 10 cockroaches. After hearing the last of the worst drunken karaoke I was more than relieved to hear that my flight home would not be delayed. 4 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We loved it! Visited: September 2004 Posted by jlme8 We had our "weddingmoon" at Sandals Antigua this September. I was almost expecting to be disappointed, since it looked so wonderful in the brochures, but it was exactly as imagined. From the moment we got off the plane in Antigua, we were spoiled. A porter retrieved our bags, and we were whisked off to the resort, and served champagne as we checked in. We stayed in one of the Rondovals right on the beach (at the far end) - it was perfect. We could hear the waves crashing at night. The food was much better than expected (except for maybe the Italian restaurant) and the service was great (once we got used to "Caribbean Time"). The staff was friendly, helpful and somehow with a booked resort, managed to remember our names. I was also a bit nervous about the whole wedding, but it turned out exactly as I dreamed it would be! The officiant was excellent, my flowers were gorgeous, and the whole ceremony and "reception" went very smoothly. Again, I was skeptical about the quality of the photos, but they all came out absolutely beautiful. All in all, it was absolutely perfect, and we're looking forward to our next Sandals vacation, Antigua or another location. We've even picked out our next room in Antigua! 3 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? BAD MANAGEMENT Visited: June 2004 Posted by dutchmon We stayed here and our wedding and stay was ruined becuase of bad management. It's a beautiful island and the grounds and beach are beautiful. However, when management is bad, the rest of the resort reflects that. Most of the staff were rude. The front desk was horrible. We had one problem after another. Too many to express. I would go to Anigua agian, but I will never go to another Sandals again. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had an awful experience. Visited: June 2004 Posted by dutchmon This resort was the worst travel experience I've ever had. I thought the beach was beautiful and the food was good. However, the service we received was awful! This resort needs new management to fix the other service problems. My wedding was ruined. Our preacher yelled at my father-in-law and my brother. I never saw the CD I made or the wedding flowers. They wouldn't turn off the sprinklers at our request, so I had to walk through the water in my wedding dress. Our server at dinner didn't give us steak knives for our steaks or refill our drinks. This was, of course, just the wedding day (there were many other problems). When I complained, they seemed to brush it under the rug. If I can prevent one person's wedding from being ruined, I'm glad. 4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a disappointing trip, very disappointing. Visited: May 2004 Posted by abyss2020 After 23 years of Naval Service I was looking for a restful vacation with my wife who works as a lawyer. We work hard for our money and just wanted a rest and have some time away from long hours and the New York way of life. What we got was something more to the tune of what should not be done at a resort, and how not to treat people who pay the big bucks for a five-star resort. We booked on the reputation of the Sandals Resorts and on the advice of our travel agent. But based on our trip, the reputation and what our travel agent told us, were way off by a lot! There was construction and demolition of four buildings right next to our room, loud bands at night, poor service at meals, and no refrigerator in the room. There were also cats running around begging for food and fornicating while we were eating. In addition, dress slacks had to be worn in some restaurants even when the weather was extremely hot, and there were many mosquitoes as dinner guests feeding on us while we ate. Also, there was no ATM, no computer service to speak of and the entire place was in need of a lot maintenance - which went on while we were here! They also had the worst dive gear I have ever seen and I have been diving for 20 plus years. Resort personnel seemed to not care at all with the complaints that we made. We did manage to speak to Joseph Kelly, the resort manager, who stated he would look into these problems. I will not hold my breath on that, and will never use the Sandals chain ever again. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

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