We deliberated for ages over whether or not to book a holiday at Cap Juluca. The hotel brochure and website looked fantastic and the climate was perfect given we wanted to go the last 2 weeks of November, but reviews on this site deterred us. In the end we found out a colleague whose opinion we respected goes practically every year and he raved about it so we booked.
We did have a good time but most of the negative points raised here ARE valid. First and foremost there IS a dispute ongoing over ownership of the lease, not the land (which is owned by the govt) or the property itself but the lease.
In typical Caribbean style it is hard to get firm facts but without question this is a major factor prohibiting investment in refurbishment. That said, we were quietly introduced to a Swiss gentleman at management drinks who it is understood is soon to take over managing the property and that alone may alleviate some of the slightly disappointing elements of the service (mainly the concierge and room service as we generally found service in Georges and Kemia to be excellent).
But there is no doubt money needs to be spent to bring this property up to the standards of other 5* resorts in Europe and the Far East.
The villas themselves structurally are fine. The biggest problem is they have a wonderful position on what is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful horseshoe shaped beaches in the world and they have huge doors which open up onto balconies and patios which give marvellous views onto this beach, but the doors are solid wooden doors. As the previous reviewer mentioned, the moment dusk arrives you HAVE to seal off these doors completely or you will be invaded by mosquitos. The great shame of this is that after the sun has set at 6pm, if you spend any time in your room, you have no view and could be anywhere in the world. Every other hotel I have ever stayed in has at least had glass patio doors which enable you to enjoy the view, even if you can't or don't want to have them open.
Elsewhere in the villas, the shutters and mosquitos nets on the windows are old and worn meaning they don't provide sufficient protection. This all needs replacing.
Our first night was a complete nightmare and we were bitten to death but from them on, we doused the room with the provided Baygon spray before going out for dinner, sprayed again on our return and then covered ourselves in Off before going to bed and that did the trick, but was a bit annoying.
The bathroom in our villa was great in that it was huge but the whole thing needs to be renovated. The fittings are clean and serviceable but very dated. We also felt it could have been done with a bit more care and attention. The pipework behind the bidet for example was just boxed in with chipboard which must have looked tatty from the day it was done, not just because it is now 15 years old.
The property also could do with a spruce up in the communal areas although this is a factor we have noticed everywhere we have visited in the Caribbean. By way of example at Cap Juluca, when we stood on our balcony and looked at the beach, the view was magnificient but if you just turn your head and look at the scrap of land between the villas it is litered with old bits of wood, pipe, broken deckchairs etc. It would take very little effort to clean all this rubbish up to make it really spick and span.
And speaking of deckchairs, there is no doubt a resort of this quality should have better beach loungers. While we were there they were replacing many of the beach umbrellas which did not seem to us to be too old, but the loungers are, and they are just plastic frames with strips of plastic across, whereas most 5* resorts have lovely big wooden frames with proper mattresses on. We did find after 2 weeks of sunbathing on them that our backs were aching and we are relatively young and healthy.
To summarise, we still had a very good 2 week holiday. The beach is truly amazing and we really liked the island (lots of places to eat out at and some nice other spots to visit) but we would not go back to Cap Juluca until some serious money is spent on it. This will have to happen though as the new Regis resort opening next door has the first golf club on the island and this will steal a huge proportion of Cap Juluca's trade if they don't invest.
As long as you are not hugely fussy about the quality of the room's fixtures and fittings and are prepared to deal with the mosquito issue, you should have a pleasant stay but I do think you can get better value elsewhere.
People have mentioned problems with ants - we saw none. We did see a couple of jellyfish washed up but never saw them in the water and weren't stung in 2 weeks despite swimming all the time. And yes it is true the westerly end of the beach is MUCH windier and so the sea is choppier and the sand blows around but there is no obligation whatsoever to occupy the patch of beach immediately outside your villa. It takes no more than 5-7 mins to walk down to the easterly side of the beach which we did every day and always had a very pleasant experience.
And finally, while some aspects of the service were a little disappointing (we ordered ice a couple of times which didn't appear), overall we found the service markedly friendlier than on other Caribbean islands and thought the Anguillans in general a very friendly and welcoming people.

December 19, 2006

We visited Cap Juluca Dec 8- 15, 2006. To give our evaluation perspective, we’ve spent a week or more at the following places: Little Dix Bay (recommend subject to changes made since our visit in 2002); Petit St. Vincent (don’t recommend: No a/c, bug bites, attitude of owners, difficulty of round trip travel, spotty service on ineffective flag system); Four Seasons, Nevis (recommend); Four Seasons, Costa Rica (mixed bag). Additionally, we've stayed at the Four Seasons Maui and the Mauna Lani on the big island of Hawaii. We enjoy the Caribbean beaches, snorkeling and 4-5 star resort vacations.

We stayed in Villa 1 Suite 5- Junior Suite. Excellent Room, Great Location. The suite was located on the second floor, which we prefer to avoid the screeching of wrought iron chairs across tile floors and the pounding of heavy footsteps above us. The aging rooms, chipped tiles and lack of bright reading lights did not bother us. The view, comfortable beds, his and her sinks, bathtub built for 2 and other amenities far outweighed the shortcomings. The shower needed holders for the soap, shampoo and conditioner, but my wife engineered a platform, jamming a washcloth between the wall and one of the shower heads which served us well. There are no televisions or cd players in the rooms, and this added to the tranquility of the resort. It was soothing to hear the waves at night instead of someone's television. We always make requests in advance and were pleased with the number and placement of tissue boxes, clocks, towels, yoga mat, and other things we requested. High marks for housekeeping which was excellent throughout our stay.

Villa 1 is closest to the Water Sports, Main House, Gym, Pimms and Kemia, but the gap is sufficient and you aren’t bothered by noise, traffic, odors. In fact we liked the closeness to the Main House so we could handle things ourselves when the concierge failed to, and were not at the mercy of the golf/transportation carts. One evening we were walking the grounds and passed a couple outside Villa 14 waiting for a pick up. 10 minutes later when we passed them on our return they were still waiting. They were dressed up (something my wife and I never do on our vacations—and avoid at other times where possible) and couldn’t walk to the Main House which is quite a distance from Villa 14.

Villa 1 is on the west side of the Resort. Villa 19 on the east Side.
While this isn’t precise, the wind picks up as you move east. It’s quite windy at the higher number Villas and much calmer at the lower 8. I’d say Villas 1- 8 are calm windwise, 9-15 acceptable, and 16-19 not so. Also the beach thins out in the middle. So from Villa 1 to around 8 or 9 the beach is wide and very comfortable. From approximately 9-12 it’s narrower and guests squeeze into more confined areas. The beach widens again at the higher numbers in the eastern side, but the wind is strong and the sand blows. Regardless of the temperature, the soft sand on the beach never gets hot, making a walk from one end of the nearly 2 mile stretch to the other, a heavenly aerobic pleasure.

I recognize that individual preferences vary and we each tend to think of our experience as the one others should emulate, but give the wide beach, soft breeze and distance from Georges, I can’t see how anyone would prefer any Villas other than 1 through 4. Do not stay on either side of Georges (breakfast, lunch, dinner) as the continuous noise and odors are intolerable. Thus, I would not stay in Villa 7 (which seems to get the worst of it) or in Villa 6 even if they comped the rooms. Also, a path in front of Villa 6 provides a shortcut from Georges to the lower Villas and increases pedestrian noise.

Mosquitoes, particularly after a rain, can be a problem so bring some insect repellent with you (Deet 29 works well). The hotel does provide Off in the rooms, as well as a spray for crawling insects, but I’m pleased to say we did not have a mosquito or any other bug problem, although we’ve read others have. If you avoid the rainy season between May and November you’ll dodge most of the mosquito issues. Mosquitoes can’t fly in a strong breeze and the ceiling fan in the room was effective. Caution: If you are taller than 6 feet, be careful stretching your arms upwards as the low seated fan could remove a finger or two.

Don’t miss the nature path on the Cap Juluca grounds. It’s the same path as the Herb Garden, about 100 yards east of Georges, but you should follow the signs to the Pond. There are several rest spots and a place to sit and watch the birds. Go during the day of course.

There were many excellent staff but you don’t want to hear how attentive Carol the Villa manager was or Terence the beach guy setting up our umbrellas (no need to rush down and reserve spaces like you do in Hawaii as there are plenty of chairs and umbrellas to go around—at least down in our area, the West End), cold water (plus there’s a large cooler nearby from which you can take iced water bottles at any time), iced towels, dry towels (also stacks of them if you need additional towels), and 4:00 pm gelato (which is referred to as sorbet). Also, the complimentary scones served around 4:00 pm at the Main House were really tasty.

You can snorkel off the Cap Juluca beach near Pimms but you won’t see much. I did see one interesting Sea Anemone which retracted when I came near and reappeared as I moved away and 4 translucent Angel fish (I think), which I’d never seen before.

The beach, water, air, breezes, people are great. However Anguilla is not one of the better snorkeling spots we’ve visited. While interesting enough and a definite plus, the snorkeling does not compare to the Virgin Islands (US and British), the Cayman Islands, Tortola or Belize. That said, the full day snorkeling trip was extremely enjoyable. We first snorkeled at Prickly Pear, ate lunch at Johnno’s in Sandy Ground and then snorkeled at Little Bay (not accessible by land unless you’re willing to scale down a very steep and rugged incline). Little Bay was a unique snorkeling experience and should not be missed. You swim amid a floating carpet of hundreds of thousands of minnows, set against beautiful limestone carveouts (which looked to us like lava rock), beneath which there are schools of other fish. Caution: Pay attention to where you are as you could snorkel under a limestone overlap and lift your head up into solid rock. It’s more of an outcropping than a cave which one could easily drifted under while intently focused on the marine life. There were young children snorkeling in this tranquil cove (Little Bay), so don’t worry too much. The all day snorkeling trip usually offers a barbeque lunch on a different island, but because there were only 2 couples, and the “restaurateur” won’t bring the food and staff for less than 3 couples, Wayne and Eddie (great guys) on the TW (TradeWinds) took us to Sandy Ground, doing us an enormous favor. We’ve had barbeque hundreds of times, but never tasted the great food served ad Johnno’s on Sandy Ground (which can be reached by car within 15 minutes from the hotel). I had the best conch ever, and could barely finish the huge portion they served. I highly recommend the conch plate although our companion couple thought the fish was out of this world. Eddie recommended the fish and the waitress recommended the conch. My wife had a good shrimp scampi but admitted the conch was a once in a lifetime experience.

The food at Pimms was great. Except for the weak egg dishes at breakfast, the food at Georges was good. We attended a wine/food event at Pimms where a vintner introduces the diners to different wines during each course of a meal. We are not oenophiles nor do we have the patience to sit through a 4 hour production of speeches about the wine and winery between long gaps in food delivery. Although the food was excellent, the wine was definitely not to our liking, although the vintners were so amiable, I’ll omit their name and chalk it up to different tastes for different folk. We left after 2.5 hours and never made it through the last 2 courses.

We had a "regular" dinner at Pimms on another night and the food was memorable. We were able to get a table on the waters edge which made for a great view. We even saw a stingray drawn to the light of the restaurant.

The chef cook-off at Georges on Monday nights where 3 chefs serve an assortment of dishes and you vote for your favorites, was inspired. Dining tables were set up on the beach and we sampled Caribbean, Indian and Asian variations. The personable chefs spend time explaining their dishes to each diner (if you want, if you don’t it’s easily avoided—they don’t come to your table).

Chef Jerome's rack of lamb on Prime Rib Night at Georges was superb.
Unlike the extraordinary assortment of succulent fruit on many other Caribbean Islands, the limited fruits offered cried out for a different purveyor.

I’d recommend a rental car (it’s not difficult to drive on the left and there’s not much traffic anyway) and a drive to Upper Shoal Bay. Once there ask for Elodias. Parking is free although there is a three dollar charge elsewhere. For $10 Elodias provide 2 beach chairs and a table. You can snorkel on the reef off the beach. The best approach is to walk to the corner (right as you face the ocean) and snorkel out to the reef (closest point is that corner) and then to the left. It’s a bit rough and the waves break on the reef so I wouldn’t recommend this site for beginners. However it’s not as turbulent as many other places and anyone who has snorkeled before should enjoy it. You can skip the famous Uncle Ernie's which is entirely overrated. Known for their delicious (?) coleslaw, they generously provide a teaspoon of it with your meal consisting of the smallest ribs I’ve every seen and mediocre quality food. We didn’t eat at Elodias, but we heard it was pretty good. There are other restaurant choices and it’s fun to walk around that area. A full circle would take about 15 minutes.

Unfortunately all is not perfect at CJ, so be prepared for some minor aggravation:
When we arrived at the airport in St. Martin, there was no one holding a Cap Juluca sign as promised. We found the man easily by asking the first person we saw, but we expected better. Luggage was quickly loaded onto the van which drove us to the dock to take the boats to CJ. Unfortunately for one couple, when the van unloaded their luggage was not on it. This was a real screw up. The last we saw they were rushing back to the airport to find their luggage. I suggest you never take you eye off you luggage and be sure it’s moved when and where it should be. We never saw that couple again (which happens a lot at CJ as it is sizeable, fairly private, and lots of activities keep people apart) although given the honest character of the people in this area, we believe the luggage was probably just sitting on the curb and the driver neglected to load it.

The wait staff at Georges ranged from good to poor especially at breakfast. It was difficult to get anyone to attend to us except when they were good and ready to visit the table. Service people stood on the perimeter ignoring our waving arms imploring service. We have several stories to tell about trying to get water but we’ll only relate one Gunga Din tale. After observing how inattentive the wait staff was once they brought the food, we next asked for 2 glasses and a pitcher of water (their tap water is drinkable and tastes good; why people waste money on bottled water there is beyond me—note the resort provide lots of free bottled water in the room and on the beach—but charges for it in the restaurants). The waitress brings 2 empty glasses and a pitcher. She pours the water from the pitcher in the 2 glasses using up the full pitcher, leaves the empty pitcher and walks away.

I asked that the NY Times supplement be slid under my door in the morning. The Guest Services person said ok. I won’t take you through the 4 calls it actually took to get it, but at one point she said “Well you do get it with your breakfast.” When I asked her what if we didn’t eat breakfast, she capitulated and it only took 2 more calls to get the supplement.

On the day we planned to use the rental car included in our package, I called the concierge for a weather report. She responded she hadn’t checked yet and would call me back. We never heard from her.
We ordered a cab to take us to Picante (fantastic Mexican restaurant a 20 minute walk or 5 minute drive from the resort—and we’ve eaten Mexican food in Mexico and Los Angeles, so we know good Mexican food). The Concierge said the taxi would pick us up at our villa in 15 minutes. It did not arrive. We called again. “It’s on it’s way.” It didn’t arrive. One more call. Same result. Finally my wife walked over to the Main House and got the cab.

The day we departed they said the bellman would come at 11:00 am to gather our luggage. He didn’t. 3 more calls (honestly) during which we were promised he was on his way (it’s one minute from the Main House by golf cart). My wife walked over to the main house and got him.

The worst experience with the Concierges dealt with the snorkeling trip I raved about earlier. It would take too long to go into and involved many calls leading up to this: At 9:00 am the morning of the trip (leaving at 10:00 am) we received a call saying the trip was cancelled. “Didn’t anyone call you.” “Gee they were supposed to call you yesterday.” This, despite my calling and checking personally at the desk twice a day for 3 days and even seeing our name along with two other couples on their computer screen the evening before and being assured the trip was on. Ultimately they took us because apparently if you are on a package and reserve in advance, they have to. But (and again, I’m really not delving into all the aggravation leading up the “The Cancellation,”) what they put us through was unnecessary and inexcusable.

Misc: People say Blanchards is a world class restaurant. We didn’t have time to try it.

The package served us well and we recommend it for first time visitors.

The massages were great!

The resort charges for yoga, beach fitness and other sessions which surprised me. Wind surfing, kayaking, snorkeling are complimentary.

There are no railings to hold as you descend steps, large coconuts fall from trees, and safety measures common in the US are non existent in Anguilla. We noticed more than a few people at the airport in wheel chairs, crutches and casts.

Sound carries. You hear voices of staff people, wafting music from boats which are allowed to pull into the harbor and disembark screaming children who can freely use the public beach (all beaches in Anguilla are public). Noise is generated from loud picturesque birds, leaf blowers, and the slamming of Villa doors (Trick: if you pull the lever all the way down before closing the door and after it hits the resistance point gently pull it closed--it won’t slam—unfortunately it seems to take people a while to catch on to this and the banging of the doors early morning and late night can be disruptive). Nonetheless, I’d describe the resort as mostly quiet. There aren’t special facilities or programs for children outside of holiday periods.

We didn’t use the gym—swimming, walking and snorkeling our way to fitness, but it did seem well equipped. Also, it had the only scale on the grounds which, given the quality of the food on the Island, may or may not be of interest to you.

Overall: We loved our week at Cap Juluca and would recommend it for future visitors. It’s worth noting that the resort was just sold and no one knows how the new owners will change it. Will they add more rooms and equip them with media centers (as Little Dix Bay did subsequent to our visit) or will they improve the breakfast menu and service at Georges?

If you have any questions, we will try to respond to email: joellev33@hotmail.com. Please enter “Cap Juluca” in the Subject line so we know it’s not spam.

Anguilla is an amazing place. With 13 of the most beautiful beaches, this is a small slice of heaven. Cap Jaluca is rated as a "Top 500 Hotels" by some magazine. So we expected that type of service....and we were mistaken. You will not get Four Seasons service here, but expect to pay the same amount.

We had problems with our room being a half mile away from the couple we traveled with. Our bags were late to show up and the Management was going to take responsibility for them, but ended up dropping the ball (our bags spent the night in St. Maarten). Spa people had a hard time confirming the location of our services. Concierge has no idea our Scuba trip was cancelled and was unable to confirm until we waited for 30 minutes.

Besides the small troubles we should not have had, I am not a fan of the full door plantations doors. You have to open them if you like light, and then the bugs come in.

We had the Junior Suite which had an incredible bathroom.

The pool is awful, don’t plan on using. In fact there are no chairs around it!

The best thing about this hotel is the beach. Rumor suggests that this hotel is being acquired, so hopefully they bring in some renovation money and better management. Then we would consider returning.

This hotel is, old, tired and has terrible service! This famous hotel is on one of the most beautiful beaches on earth. The property should be magnificent. Instead the grounds are in shambles, the pool is badly in need of work and the service and food are terrible. This hotel is too rundown to be so expensive. They have you pay in advance to keep your money when you want to leave. We won’t be back.