Antigua

My family and I recently stayed at the Royalton Antigua, and unfortunately, our experience was far from what we expected from a resort of this caliber. Upon arrival, the property appeared beautiful, and we were initially excited about our stay. However, the series of issues we encountered during our visit were concerning and disappointing. After checking in, we proceeded to our room with our luggage, only to find that the electronic key did not work. We returned to the front desk, where the key was reprogrammed. Upon returning to the room, I was alarmed to discover luggage placed inside the room, and we could hear women's voices coming from inside. It was obvious that the room was already occupied by other guests. We immediately left the room and returned to the lobby with our luggage. The staff informed us that we had been assigned the wrong room, and the key reprogramming had only granted access to an already-occupied room. While the staff apologized, this was a troubling start to our stay. After this, we were given another room. However, by this time it was approximately 6:30 p.m., and we were tired from a long day of travel, hungry, and in need of a shower. When we entered the new room and prepared to shower, I noticed that two tiles had fallen off the shower wall, leaving an unsafe condition. We immediately went back to the front desk, where we were told that the issue would be addressed the following morning when the manager was available. Unfortunately, no follow-up was made on Day 2, and we were still unable to use the shower. On Day 2, we raised our concerns with the island representative, who assured us the issue would be resolved that day. At around 4:00 p.m., we were informed that we would be moved to a third room, which, thankfully, seemed to meet basic expectations. Regarding the dining experience, we were disappointed by the limited variety at the buffet, which often included a lot of rice, beans, and potatoes. The stations for grilled meat and fish were inefficient, with staff cooking only a small number of pieces at a time, causing long wait times. On several occasions, we found that popular items, such as shrimp or hamburgers, had run out. This was particularly frustrating, as we expected a higher standard from a resort of this price range. The à la carte dining experiences were also subpar. At Hunter Steakhouse, I attempted to order an upgraded ribeye steak and lobster tail, only to be told that both were unavailable. I settled for an 8oz NY strip steak, which arrived dry and overcooked, far from the quality I had anticipated. Throughout our stay, it was evident from the expressions of some staff members that morale was low. Some openly shared that they felt mistreated by management but were reluctant to speak out for fear of losing their jobs. The staff seemed overworked and underpaid, which likely contributed to the overall decline in service quality. One of the most disappointing aspects of our stay was the lack of any formal apology from hotel management. Despite the numerous issues we encountered, there was no effort to acknowledge the mistakes or offer any gesture of goodwill, such as an apology card or even a complimentary drink. This lack of acknowledgment of our concerns was deeply frustrating. In speaking with other guests during our stay, it became clear that we were not alone in our dissatisfaction, with many others reporting similar problems. Based on our experience, I cannot recommend the Royalton Antigua to other travelers. There are certainly other resorts in the area that would offer a far superior experience, and I would encourage others to consider alternative accommodations. This experience was a significant disappointment, especially given the high cost of the stay. I hope the management at Royalton Antigua takes these concerns seriously and works to improve both the condition of the property and the quality of service.

Our room was lovely and much larger than we expected. The view from the balcony was beautiful. Although we had asked to be on the ground floor and were initially disappointed to find we were on the second level, we soon adjusted. As an older couple, we found the stairs a bit challenging, particularly at night.

Overall the resort was good. However, improvements are needed for rooms, room cleanliness and food.

Our stay at sugar ridge was wonderful, we had the breakfast plan which was great food was really good, fell in love with the coffee. Took the short shuttle to the beach everyday, best beaches we have ever been too as far as clear and calm water. Used our plunge pool to cool down after the beach, tried a variety of restaurants for our dinners.

Pros: Food was very good with good selection. Staff were friendly and polite. Housekeeping was good and prompt. Housekeeping did a great job, as everything was neat and clean, No restriction of alcoholic beverages and great bar tenders. Building maintenance responded to complaints but are overwhelmed by the condition of the rooms and buildings. AC was effective and quiet. Grounds and pool were well groomed and maintained. Cons: On arrival to the room, we had no towels, face cloths, etc. Went to reception and requested towels and we were given bath towels only. Next day, the towels were removed and at 4 pm went to reception for towels, etc. We were given 2 face cloths (by special request only) and towels were to follow. At 8 pm, went to reception for towels, were to be delivered. At 10:30 pm, still no towels, went to reception again and got towels from the attached office. Two days later, a few towels were replaced but shorted one bath towel. Next day the towel was replaced. We did not place used towels on floor for the rest of the week so we knew we would have towels. Room condition: Where the AC piping and TV Cable came through a 3" open hole in the outside wall which kept us busy with insects at night. Louvers were badly misaligned and had more entry for insects. Sliding door to patio deck was misaligned and crooked, would not lock and had a 1/4" space for about 1/4 of the door ( more insects). The TV worked some times and on the last day would not work at all. No security chain on the entry door. Nice patio deck but no chairs. Only one room chair. No drinking glasses in the room. No tissue in the tissue dispensers. Beach chairs were very few and old but when cruise ship passengers came to use the beach, newer chairs came out and were removed when the cruise ship passengers left. Almost all water sport equipment was missing and not replaced since storm in September.

I booked this hotel knowing it was a 3 star but based on the price we paid I cannot complain, nor did I have high expectations. The hotel is very dated and requires alot of TLC. The beach however is unbelievably beautiful. Checkin was quick, our room was dated but it was acceptable other than if they provided refrigerators it would have been a bonus. Room was clean, safe is extra so be prepared to pay, which is $15.00 US for the week. The buffet is repetitive and boring for breakfast and lunch, but with that said breakfast has all breakfast items we normally have other than yogurt. There are themed dinners every night, however we ate at the 3 al la cartes every night. All 3 restaurants were very good. They have 2 pools however we stayed at the beach every day because of the ocean which is spectacular. Shaded areas go quickly so you need to go down early to secure a spot. Nightly entertainment is not that great, could definitely use improvement. The hotel is rated an appropriate 3 star, however with some renovations, update on the rooms and improvement in the buffet this hotel has the potential to move up in rating. I don't recommend this hotel for teenagers looking for a party time. Great for families and older couples.