I have been with my husband and my 4 children for a 2 weeks vacation at Jolly Beach Hotel resort In Antigua and with joy I have to say we will never return there.
We are a family that decided to have at least 2 trips per year, usually at March break and summer, giving up other pleasures because we think a vacation is the best break for everyone.

I would like to start from the kids club and the amenities of the resort while for the food is useless to express an opinion, because I concur with the worst reviews (one star) that you can find on trip advisor. I am fully surprise of some reviews decanting the food and listing every single items of the menu like the “amazing food resort”. I am not a picky or fussy eater. I usually eat everything but at Jolly Beach I went into a diet, most of all for the uncleanness, a very low quality products and low quality cooking.
The management and staff has low education and poor attitude with a cordiality of cougars.

The kids club was a very bitter surprise .
My Husband and I from the first day we felt very uncomfortable to leave our kids of 5-8-10 years old. We did it anyway just to try.
The first concern was where the Kids Club is located.
The Kids club is very far and is placed in an area that looks abandoned, just at the confinement of the resort. I found it a little bit scary and not secure for my children.
Another concern was the smell inside the kids club coming from the bathroom.
The first day I did not pay attention but the second day the smell was stronger, I asked to the only staff member that is running the kids club , about the smell.
I found out that there is no air conditioning, not water supplied directly and they don’t serve drinks either, only at lunch when the driver bring the meals for the kids.
I went into the bathroom and I cannot describe how disgusting.....…..,
how many kids in one day can go without flushing the toilet? I told to the staff member in charge for 12 kids (that day), Why They don’t correct this matter, she was enough “kind” to tell me that they come by every 2-3 days to load the water. I left my kids because I did not want to disappoint them, the day after I was happy because they preffered not to enjoy the kids club. I decided to avoid the kids club, with sadness because vacation should be a little bit vacation also for parents.

After 3 days, my kids asked me to see the kids club again and see if they could play there.
Of course I said yes and we took our shoes and we started to walk toward the kids club. Once Arrived the smell was the same but unsurprisingly there were no kids. Of course my kids didn't want to stay and I was happy about their decision, I didn't like the kids club in the first place.

Besides the above, the cleaning service was very lousy, rooms are very tired, (often not cleaned properly)
And we found those animals......
……cockroaches in the rooms and bathrooms.
The entertainment is very low profile, is usually performed from the waiters/waitress of the resort. You must pay for super alcohol.
Glass cups and plates are often dirty, ( I noticed that they don’t wash it properly)
bring wet wipes with you and Kleenex in case you have little ones with you.
I am not a clean maniac (with 4 kids would be impossible) but I like clean places and Jolly Beach is not.
However at the end we didn’t want to ruin also the feeling of our vacation and we adapted to the rude and unclean way Jolly Beach staff and facilities are running the resort.
One thing is sure you don’t pay for what you get. No value for the money you pay.

One star is an accurate rating.

I am sorry that I didn’t pay attention to some “bad reviews”, but “very true” on trip advisor. Initially I thought were too bitter and I thought was just a bad luck or picky people, then I followed the good reviews describing Jolly Beach amazing!!!paradise!!! best vacation ever!!!
and unfortunately I booked the vacation at Jolly Beach in Antigua.
I have been in a 4 and 5 stars resort only once and Jolly Beach is not close to the 2 stars.

How ever good luck and enjoy your vacation !!!!


Joanna Pitsburgh