Jolly Beach Resort & Spa - Antigua

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My stay was great. Visited: August 2005 Posted by donnalee4969 Jolly Beach Resort was recommended to me. So, I stayed here while attending a family member's wedding. The standard rooms were very small, but I had an amazing time here. The birds were around, but only at breakfast time. The local dishes were great. Please try the conch soup! The entertainment here was fantastic. Also, the staff at the front desk and the gift shop were okay depending on who you dealt with. I thought the elderly lady in the gift shop was a pain. I did not want to come to Antigua in the first place, but I'm glad I came. I met my "soul mate" during my vacation. Jolly Beach was a great place to visit. I will be returning in October. 3 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Terrible & Traumatic Visited: July 2005 Posted by christian_jones Jolly Beach was a complete waste of money. The hotel rooms were extremely poor and most staff had a distinct lack of social skills. Was not made to feel welcome and was just not able to relax. Some locals went out of there way to intimidate holiday makers however some of the vendors were quite pleasant (Guy who sells fresh fruit on the beach was cool). Night entertainment was too repetitive and was limited to one bar. Overall very dissapointed and amazed at the attitudes of some of the people seeing as the countries main source of income is from tourists. I will not be returning! 4 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? MORE THAN DISAPPOINTED Visited: July 2005 Posted by abtross This was far from a vacation. It begins with a 2 hour check in, 1 hour in line and 1 hour wait because our room was not ready at 5pm for a 12pm check in, 1 hour to check out..again because of the line. Broken a/c 3 times in 100 degree heat. A severe bug problem, food covered in gnats/fruit flies, mosquito problem at night. Staff was very unfriendly. Birds eating off of your plate as soon as you step away from your plate and walking across the table before you sit down. Not to mention the "mess" they leave on your chair. The food was awful. Pool only open 9:30-6pm, no bottled water after 6pm. Liquer/water/soda in very small juice cups. I suggest hitting the grocery store to buy clean snacks and brand name liquer just to get through however long you need to be there. Here's the kicker...FLEAS/RED ANTS infested rooms and bed. They should pay you for a visit to this "resort". I very cordially spoke to the manager re: my concerns, she could've cared less, Her response to my pool hours issue to open earlier because the a/c didn't work was to "go swimming in the ocean". My response, it's my vacation, if I want to swim in a pool I should be able to! Do yourself a favor and go to another Island. Wouldn't let my dog stay there. Travelocity was also useless in assisting us in getting out of that nasty place and I will never book through them again!!! 5 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I thought it was despicable! Visited: July 2005 Posted by crysteena21 After waiting over two hours to check into our room, I knew that customer service was going to be lacking. Once we finally were allowed to get into our room, we found the room to be very disappointing. We purchased a standard room, and we found it to be a lot less than a standard room. The air conditioner kept shorting itself out. When it did work, it only blew hot air. We called the front desk several times before someone finally showed up to look at it. The rooms were very old and not kept up. The bathroom, overall, was unattractive. The tile grout was dirty, there were broken tiles and old faucets that didn't work correctly. I never felt clean after I showered. We also had an ant problem in the bathroom as well. I called the front desk to report the problem and they sent up the maid with a bottle of bug spray. Needless to say, this was useless. The black ants were back the next day. We also had a problem with what the maid called "sugar ants". These were found all over our room - including in our bed. When I reported these to the front desk, again they wanted to send up the maid with bug spray. I refused and demanded that they move us to another room. The new room was no better. This time we found a roach on our bathroom wall. As far as customer service went, we found none at this resort. The front desk people seemed unprofessional and did not respond to the customer's needs. They were never once apologetic for the problems that I had encountered, which made me feel like they dealt with these same complaints on a daily basis. The waitstaff was no better. We were not made to feel welcome. We got the sense that we were putting them out if we ever asked for anything. I've been to plenty of other resorts and I have never been made to feel unwelcome like I did here. It seemed like the staff did not enjoy their job and it pained them to even be there. The best thing going at this resort was the pool. The only problem was that it did not open until 9:30 am and closed at 6:00 pm sharp. The pool bar closed at 5:00 pm sharp. The night life was also lacking. There was one bar open until 12:30 am. The only problem was that it was outside and the mosquitoes were unbearable! All the restaurants were located outside. During the day, birds infested the Hemisphere's buffet. Birds walked all over the tables, chairs, plates, etc. It was very disturbing. Also the food was covered with flies. It was very unappetizing. Checking out was just as painful as checking in. We waited in line a good 45 minutes to be checked out. I cannot believe that I have wasted my hard earned money to spend a week at this resort to be miserable. This vacation was anything but relaxing. It was nothing but stress. 4 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was simply amazing. Visited: June 2005 Posted by headnheel316 I didn't come here expecting five-star accommodations, but what I encountered was well beyond its three-star rating. The staff was excellent, the food was great, and they served a fine local beer. The rooms were small, but I didn't spend much time there anyway. Also, I can't say enough about the people of Antigua. I'll definitely be back to the island and to Jolly Beach Resort! 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This is a great choice for Antigua vacation. Visited: May 2005 Posted by rachelthomasgrinch We booked a standard room, and we were a little taken aback by the concrete furniture. It was basically a concrete desk and some concrete shelves for clothes inside the closet. However, the room was clean, and the maid left fresh flowers, cold champagne and flower petals on the bed since it was our honeymoon. One night, our air conditioner started leaking, and maintenance came immediately to fix it. Also, the bathroom window was just a screen. And there were screens with plantation blinds on the doors, so if other guests were noisy returning to their rooms at night, we definitely could hear it. That was the only part of the room that I really did not like. Everything else was fine after the initial shock, but I didn't like being able to hear everything outside. The grounds were beautiful. The landscaping, flowers, trees, beach, pools, etc., - everything was great. The beach was beautiful and clean, the pools were clean and cold, and everything on this end was perfect. The food was really good, but if you stayed longer than one week I think it would get tiresome. We did the Italian two nights (I had the shrimp encrusted snapper both nights and it was excellent). The antipasti bar was also great in our opinion. We also did the seafood restaurant two nights, and I had the surf and turf both nights. The steak and lobster were outstanding, and I didn't mind paying the meal supplement for this meal. We also did the Indian restaurant one night. I'm not into Indian food, so I didn't enjoy it. But my husband thought it was good. We didn't eat breakfast except for the mornings we were going off property, and it was fine. It was a typical breakfast fare. And for lunch, we did the poolside grill every day. Again, I was done with burgers and chicken patties at the end of the week, but it was so convenient to climb out of the pool, eat in a wet bathing suit and hop back in. In addition, the bars were good and they made lots of fun frozen drinks to try! The people of Antigua truly made our vacation so special. Many people on staff would ask how we were enjoying their country and asked what we had done so far. If we told them we booked a tour, they'd give us tips and things to look for. And it seemed like they really cared that we had a good Antiguan experience, which was amazing to us. 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a great time at Jolly Beach Resort. Visited: May 2005 Posted by juliafer Before we went to Jolly Beach Resort, we read a few bad reviews so we were a bit worried. We need not have been. We had a standard room which was not too small, and it was cleaned every day. It was a bit basic. So, if you want luxury, go to a four- or five-star hotel. The food, however, was mostly a four-star standard - especially Lydia's seafood and the Italian restaurant. The staff was very polite, and we found the service to be excellent. However, we were here in the low season. The taxis were expensive, as there were just the two of us and most taxis could carry six people. Trips we would recommend are Wadadli Cats circumnavigation - which was a real party boat; and Sting Ray City, where you can make friends with the non dangerous rays. The beach was lovely, and if you just say "No, thanks" to the vendors, they will leave you alone! The sea in this bay was cloudy, though. You can do as much or as little as you like. And if you want great value, go to Jolly Beach - but take a good insect repellent! 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Lighten up everybody, and go have fun! Visited: April 2005 Posted by jwebber22 We loved this three-star all-inclusive resort in April '05, and we are returning to Antigua (to timeshare unit at Jolly Beach) in November '06 with our teenagers. We thought the staff was friendly and very accommodating. They were always smiling, and knew us by name by weeks' end. We enjoyed the cool, moist hand towels they gave us at lunchtime to refresh; the best jerk chicken by the pool; shell collecting along the beach; jet skiing; and beach volleyball. Oh, did I mention beautiful beach and clear turquoise water? Without a doubt, book the Wadadli Cat island tour from Wesley on the beach. It was the best, and they served a great lunch on-board! Stop your complaining. Or better yet, stay home to complain and leave the island and resort to those of us who love and appreciate it. I recommend the resort and the island of Antigua - any day! 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was fantistic! Visited: April 2005 Posted by cioc1713 A group of four of us visited the Jolly Beach Resort in April. After reading reviews about the resort, we had some reservations about having chosen this resort. Everything was wonderful, though. The buffet, although not one of the largest I've seen, was very good. We had no problems getting reservations at the restaurants, which were excellent (we did not try the Indian restaurant). The nightly entertainment was very good as well. The drinks were also very good - contrary to some of the reviews. And the service was very good, too, even without tipping. Our room was small, and an upgrade was not available until the next day. After spending a day and night in the room, we decided it was quite adequate and we remained there. The beach was beautiful. Probably the only disappointing thing was that, although the water was very blue, it was cloudy from the sand stirring in the waves. But it was very pretty and warm. We usually like to travel to differnt islands, but would return here if we had to re-visit an island. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was only an okay stay for us. Visited: April 2005 Posted by monica_talcott I have to say, after reading reviews before I went to Jolly, I was greatly dissapointed. I will say the beach was beautiful, and the food was great! The rooms were small, but clean. The problem we encountered was the customer service. Three out of the four full days we were here, we needed to call after the maid had come and ask for towels, because none were left. On one of the days at 5:00 pm, we had to call because the maid never came. Do not expect anything to be open on time, either. Dinner was supposed to start at 6:30 pm, but never was ready until 6:45 or 6:50. The host staff made me fell as though I was bothering them every time I went to sit down to a meal. Although, the wait staff was very nice. I am not sure why you need to be seated for an all-inclusive buffet, but that was one of the many strange rules around the resort. Also, the gym was open at very odd times, and the majority of the time the person opening it was 15 minutes late. Overall, my vacation was more stressful than relaxing, and I was left with a very bad taste in my mouth for Jolly Beach Resort. I would not recommend it - or return myself. 3 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We found the resort to be unfortunately, very loud and noisy. Visited: January 2005 Posted by valerieb The room that we had to spend the first night in had no ceiling fan, but it did have an air-conditioner. Also, there was a cockroach in the corner of the room. This was the very first time I had discovered cockroaches in any room. Others have written about bugs in the room here, but on our other trips here we had never seen any bugs. The second room provided for us was just what we had expected and it was lovely. We only booked a standard room as there was only the two of us, and a standard room was fine for us. We only used our room to sleep in. I did kill a one-inch spider in the bathroom and it was four days before the housekeeping cleaned it away. There was a room safe in each room and the rental fee for the lock was $15 each week. This was only a three-star resort. But the food was wonderful. There was such a variety to meet everyone’s tastes. If someone wanted a “Nouveau Cuisine” meal placed before them, all of the ingredients were available for that type of meal in the buffet – assemble your own plate. There were three other restaurants (in addition to the buffet). An Italian; an Indian (Uvsak); and a seafood (Lydia’s). Suggested clothing at these restaurants would be long pants and shirts for men and appropriate dressing for women. The beach here was so wonderful. At the north end of the beach was Jolly Harbour and the Marina, and at the south end was Coco’s. The pool was very noisy. We never used the pools, but the visiting young children enjoyed it. The pool was where the very noisy “entertainment” group was. Music blasted out and loud speakers yelled all day long – there was no peace and quiet in this area. And unfortunately, it was so loud that the noise covered all of the Jolly Beach Resirt beach area. The staff at JBR and in all of the resorts in Antigua made Antigua so special for us. It was the Antiguan people. They were always smiling and so very happy and friendly. Will we return again to Jolly Beach Resort? If we decide not to, it will be because of the noise. 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Our stay at Jolly Beach was very relaxed. Visited: October 2004 Posted by susan_sc We just returned from a lovely stay at Jolly Beach. We upgraded to a Superior room and were about ten feet from the beach, which was great. Our room was 101 in the St. John building. It had great air, there was plenty of room to move around and there was plenty of storage. Our room had a coffee station, hair dryer, and a small refrigerator -- which was great to store Cokes in. There was also an in-room safe that we never used and a iron and ironing board. The water pressure and heat were iffy at best---but we were out in the sun all day, so a cooler shower was no problem. In addition, it was very quiet at night. Sleeping was good. There was a patio to sit on if we wanted. Yes, definitely bring some insect spray for dusk and night. I got about five bites during the week, but didn't hear a lot of complaints. The food was above average for an all-inclusive. We loved the buffet dinners in the evening. The Coconut Grill for lunch had awesome burgers and fries, jerk chicken and other items to choose from. There were self-serve soda, juice, coffee, and drink stations by the restaurants. Wine was offered with lunch and dinner. The sports hut had a lot of non-motorized things such as hobie cats, kayaks, etc. They also had big blue foam floater mattresses, which I loved to use to float in the calm sea foam green ocean or in the pool. That was a favorite. Also, the pool was huge and wonderful. The pool bar was really fun, too. Employees were just the best. The beach was very beautiful and was great for walking. It had nice sand, and there were some shelling opportunities. The ocean water was beautiful, warm and calm. Views were very peaceful. I would definitely return to Jolly Beach. This resort is about 20 years old and is now owned by the Bank of Antigua. You can see how they are constantly working on the upkeep. It is very, very clean and well maintained. That said, in the Caribbean, all properties--unless at the highest $ and luxury level--are going to show some wear and tear. Seems to be a given. But at Jolly Beach, I feel with all the amenities, wonderful staff, beautiful grounds, beach, pool, and good food, this resort is a very reasonably priced vacation and great value. I didn't wish for anything while I was there and would return again--although we're off to Mexico in January. Don't hesitate to book Jolly Beach---but do upgrade to Superior Room--if a tiny room is going to bother you during your stay. 2 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Overall, it was just wonderful. Visited: August 2004 Posted by heatherbyle We just arrived back from a two-week stay at Jolly Beach. We just loved it! The staff was wonderful, the food was excellent, and the beach was one of the best beaches I have ever seen in my life (and I travel five times a year to different islands). I would call Antigua enchanting. This was only a three-star in the books, and I didn't think that was fair at all. All the reausturants were great. There was lots to choose from on the menus, and the staff was always more than happy to please us. Even our maid was wonderful. The rooms were a bit small, but who stays in the room much anyway. If you have never been to Jolly Beach Resort, you haven't lived life to the fullest yet! The pools were great, as well. The big fantasy pool was so nice, and then if you wanedt it quiet, the other pool was just perfect as well. There was lots of fun at night by the bar, and the British were so much fun to party with! We Canadians just loved it. 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was so great and relaxing! Visited: July 2004 Posted by terri13990 Wow! I went July 28th through August 5th and I wish I stayed longer. If I was to tell you all the things about the hotel, this review would be massive! But honestly, just check out the website and believe every word you see. This place was Heaven on earth and that is no lie! 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Soak up the Caribbean vibe at Jolly Beach Resort! Visited: June 2004 Posted by hambidgem I stayed at the Jolly Beach Resort at the end of June/begining of July 2004 with my family and boyfriend. Before going, I read some of the reviews, and was a bit worried about what the hotel was going to be like. However, as soon as we landed in Antigua, my worries dissolved. The island was enchanting! The journey to the hotel from the airport took about half an hour and it was a great way to see some of the island. My first impressions of the resort were good. We checked in pretty quickly and found our rooms to be clean and cool, with a lovely balcony and sea view, through well-tended grassy areas with plenty of palm trees and exotic flowers. The rooms all faced onto the beach, with some looking onto the dining area with the beach beyond that. Our room was one of these and, although the beach was slightly obscured, the atmosphere during the evening was good, as the steel drum music drifted up to our balcony. The staff was not overly friendly, but they weren't rude and simply got on with their jobs. The food was really nice at Lydia's (seafood), and the staff there was by far the friendliest. The seating area was on a decked platform on the beach, which gave it such a romantic atmosphere! The Indian restaurant was good as well, altough the Italian food wasn't amazing and we only went there once out of ten nights! The Coconut Grill on the beach was greasy and basically served fries and burgers; not very veggie friendly! In fact, there wasn't very much choice for veggies at all, but plently of fish choices. Drinks-wise the 'Antigua Smile' and coconut rum and coke went down a treat. The breakfast buffet was excellent, but the lunch and evening buffets were a little hit and miss. All the beaches had public access, so once on the beach new faces were spotted very quickly by people trying to sell excursions, jewelery and all sorts! These people were very persausive, and didn't like the word no, but after a couple of days they would walk past and simply smile and say "hello", once they realized we weren't interested. Things to definitely do are the dolphin swim and the KoKomo Katamaran cruise, which were excellent. The crew on the cruise was so friendly and the food was stunning! Although the water was choppy on the Atlantic side of the island, I thought it was great fun, and quite exhilarating. And the views of the coastline were unmissable. Hire a 4 x 4 and discover small, quiet stunning beaches like Half Moon Bay! Jolly beach was nice, not luxurious, but still lovely. The Caribbean vibe was amazing and I have never felt so chilled out in my life! And watch out for mosquitoes and sandflies. But don't bother with 'Off' spray, only citronella oil works! 0 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The name says it all. Visited: March 2004 Posted by deemorson Jolly Beach is really jolly! As a single traveler, I had lots of fun. I met other single travelers and had many amusing evenings. The service, accommodation and location were great. The only downside was the food - repeated meals disguised as something new (e.g. mash potatoes with yellow colouing!). Also, the lack of real Caribbean cuisine was a disappointment (a tame spicey version for tourists). But that aside, it was a great place to stay. Also, there were some good restaurants nearby (e.g. Coco's - a must try!). 0 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? JOLLY BEACH IS REALLY JOLLY Visited: March 2004 Posted by deemorson Jolly beach is really jolly. As a single traveller, I visited in February 2004 and had lots of fun - met other single travellers and had many amusing evenings albeit with the naff entertainment. The service, accomodation and location was great. The only downside was the food - repeated meals disguised as something new e.g. mash potatos with yellow colouring! And, the lack of real caribbean cuisine was a disappointment (a tame spicey version for tourists) but that aside a great place to stay...there are some good restaurants nearby e.g. Coco's - a must try! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Nothing to write home about Visited: January 2004 Posted by patrickbuse I've been to a few islands in the caribbean including Aruba, Bahamas, and Dominican Republican. Overall I'd say that Jolly Beach was okay considering we got a good deal, but I would not go back. Here's some Pros and Cons Pros: Calm blue water, white sand, lush mountains. Large property, new fitness center, large free formed pool, decent food. Cons: Although the water was blue, it was not clear - could not see my feet once water was waste high. Staff was not very friendly - gave attitude when you asked for a beverage, liqior was horrible and only have one kind of beer, landscaping bad, rooms and building were run downm and bathrooms even worse. Jolly beach has potential because it's in a nice geographical location. However, they need to fix up the building and grounds cosmetically and hire friendlier staff. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? curious Visited: January 2004 Posted by morningl I haven't gone to the Jolly, yet, but after reading all the reviews I don't think I'm coming. Question, Why doesn't anybody ever say what their trip costed from their home? 0 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was all we expected and more. Visited: December 2003 Posted by paula_herriot Over Christmas, I spent two weeks at Jolly Beach with my husband and three children (ages 20, 16 and 13). Everyone had a wonderful time and would return tomorrow if we could. The rooms were clean, comfortable and well-equipped. The beach was the best we've seen, and the pools were very good, too. Everything was beautifully maintained, and the staff was very obliging - if not effusive. My pretty daughter got too much attention for comfort on the beach, but it became easier once she made a few friends. The two boys found plenty of things to do, with volleyball, soccer and other sports. Both Eli's Eco-tour and Franco's glass-bottom boat were a lot of fun. Swimming with Dolphins was great. St. John's was charming and we felt very safe there. The food at Jolly Beach was acceptable, but not great. There was plenty to eat, but the quality was so-so. Exception was the beach grill, which always had fresh-cooked and good. The island was unbelievably beautiful, and the climate was unbeatable - hot but with steady breezes and occasional showers to cool off. We did not need air conditioning to sleep at night. Alex, MaryAnne and others went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable. We didn't notice any bug problem, just an occasional ankle bite. There were lots of kids, but they weren't in the way at all. An additional treat was that Santa arrived by boat. I would recommend this resort to anyone. Take enough money to take some tours, and spend the rest of the time on the gorgeous beach, and you will have a perfect vacation. 0 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

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