I stayed at the Jolly Beach Resort between 9th July and 23rd July, and have to say that I had a fantastic holiday there.

The hotel is right on what I believe to be the best beach in Antigua, I did a boat trip around the island and after looking at the other hotels beaches they are nothing compared to Jolly Beach.

I found all of the staff really friendly and helpful and they did really appeciate it if you took the time to speak to them to say hello, as some of the other guests who I saw were not very polite to them and I did notice that these guests then ended up waiting longer at places like the bars to be served.

The food was amazing it was always presented really well and was delicious. There seemed to always be plenty of options for different peoples tastes and it included a fair amount of food for vegetarians. The restaurants were great and you really did feel like you had gone out for the evening rather than you were still at the hotel. I booked up the restaurants for a few days at a time rather than booking one day at a time, but I did find that you could just turn up at the restaurant if you hadn't booked and if they had space they fitted you in anyway. The buffet was really good as well so it wasn't as if you needed to go to the restaurants just for a good meal.

While I was there I did go on a few trips and went on the Eco Tour around the North Sounds of the island which I booked through the hotel, it was a great trip and I really can not recommend it highly enough to anyone who wants to see the real Antigua and how beautiful it is. I also went to Barbuda on the Excellence boat where I saw the most impressive tropical beaches that I have seen in my life, it was a good trip but the sea was a little rough and the 1 1/2 hour journey was difficult for some of the passengers on the boat.

I also went to Shirley Heights, which was nice but mainly full of tourists rather than local people. The views over English Harbour were worth going for though. On my last day I went to St Johns by the taxi that the hotel runs, it is more expensive that the local bus but in the heat it seemed easier as it didn't keep stopping and took me straight there and back. I found St Johns an interesting place to wander round and do some shopping and all the time that I was there I did feel very safe, I would stay that for most people unless you have something special planned 2 - 3 hours there is plenty as it is fairly small.

If anyone reading this site is considering going to Jolly Beach by themselves as I did, it is a good place to go. As the hotel does not charge a single supplement on the rooms there were a number of other single people there and I found them all to be so friendly, I would definately recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a beach holiday and would say that if any single girls like myself are looking for somewhere to go in Antigua this is the place to go.

Visit July 17 -24.
When first arrived we were in a King Superior room which was very nice but, a bit far from the pool and Hemispheres -the only restaurant open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. After the first night we moved to a Junior Suite- room 3002. It was only $20 US a night extra and really worth it. Corner unit with an amazing view of the the beach from a huge walk out deck/patio.
Overall we had a great time. If I were to make a complaint I would say that requiring a reservation by 4pm for dinner is a pain. A couple of nights we actually ended up having to pay for dinner at nearby restaurants because we did not get back from excursions to make a reservation at one of the resort's restaurants before the deadline...
The food we ate at the resort was very good. The Italian restaurant was the best.
Would we go to Antigua again? Yes. Would we stay at the Jolly Beach Resort? Probably not because there are many other places on the island that I would like to try. However, I would recommend it as a place to consider if you are going for the first time or you are looking to try something else.
The grounds are beautiful and the staff were very helpful if you asked them for something. Otherwise they left you alone. Which is nice. I spread some tips around but, I did not feel like I had to do it.
The bellman TiYou was very helpful and I gave him $20 US the day we left.
Mark and Carla from England-never got your email and I have pictures for you. Drop me a note if you see this.
Took a day trip on The Excellence to Barbuda. Barbuda is beautiful but, it is to far and was not really worth it since the beaches are similar to Antigua.
Enjoy yourself!

WHaYMMi = We Have Your Money Mindset ...who cares about you now!!!!!

The service is rude and lazy, the food is TERRIBLE for the all-inclusive price you pay. And there is nothing like waiting in a long line (with only one bartender who operates at a snails pace) for a dixie cup of a drink. I will never go here again and can certainly not ever recommend this resort. I'm sorry I went here.

Jolly Beach was a perfect place for our honeymoon! The beach is incredible, the natives are very friendly, and the room had a tropical ambiance to it. My husband and I enjoyed the food and drinks, as well. It's a great Caribbean get-a-way and we would recommend Jolly Beach to anyone wishing to experience paradise.