On our first visit to Antigua, and indeed the Caribbean, we booked St.James's Club based on two other recommendations by acqaintances, who said we would "love it". I'm happy to say we were not disappointed. We probably took more photo's of the resort than of the rest of the island, it's that picturesque. The accommodation was a good standard, service was very good in all respects. The main restaurant, Rainbow Garden, was our favourite, followed by Coco's, with the Docksider trailing, mainly due to the very high standards of the other two. The feature restaurant, Piccolo Mondo, served even better food, but the service was just too suffocating. Our teenage children enjoyed the main pool, the beaches and the watersports. It was the first time I'd sailed or kayaked - but we all felt safe in the sheltered bay. The whole place was relaxed and homely, and though expansive, it never took long to walk anywhere, and never seemed crowded. The highlight of the holiday was, without doubt, the circumnavigation of the island on the catamaran "Excellence" , including a barbeque on a remote beach, where snorkelling or swimming were optional.

All in all, a great place, and a very special holiday.

We arrived in Antigua and found the airport a tad chaotic. As we were independent travellers we needed a taxi to get to St James Club. You have to go to the taxi dispatcher stand and he takes your order. You can’t just hail a cab. It costs $32 US for 4 persons and each additional person is an extra 25% plus $3 per bag.
On arriving at St James Club, we thought it was beautifully located, though very isolated. The grounds are immaculate with lots of gorgeous flowers and the wildlife was fascinating too. Whilst there, we saw hummingbirds, pelicans, lizards, weasels and hermit crabs in the grounds.
We tried all of the restaurants apart from Piccolo Mondo. We found the food pretty mediocre. It was rather repetitive with the same mix of vegetables every day, ribbon courgettes and carrots, or a bit of broccoli or beetroot. The breakfast buffet was adequate, but again not much variety. Regrettably, as mentioned by previous reviewers, we did find the service poor. It was so slow (I know it’s the Caribbean but it was painfully slow). Also, the staff in the restaurants were rather surly. We noticed the one or two waiters who smiled at us because it was so unusual. We thought the restaurant staff could really benefit from some training in hospitality and customer service.
The water sports facilities were good. We tried out the water skiing. Lessons are free, but they get booked up quickly, so best to reserve these at the water sports desk as soon as you arrive. Our children tried out the knee boarding which was $20 for 15 minutes and good fun. If you want to do go sailing on the hoby-cats you can only book these on the day, so ring the water sports desk early, (x 200) they open at 9am.
We hired a car from the desk in St James Club. We were surprised to find there was an excess of $1000 even with CDW and the car supplied was in a shocking state, bald tires and bent wheel rims. However, it was good to get out of the resort, which was like being in a bubble. The roads were full of potholes and badly sign posted, but we managed to find Nelson’s Dockyard, worth a visit for the views alone, which are stunning from the quayside. We visited St Johns, which was very busy then went on to do some jet skiing on Dickinson Bay. There are no jet skis at St James Club, which may be a blessing to some, but our children love them.
We took the tour up to Shirley Heights on Sunday as recommended by everyone, but we were disappointed. The place is like an unfinished building site. The steel band was fun and the views great. But we had to stumble across broken concrete and pay a $4 entry fee for the pleasure, a bit of a rip-off.
If you like horses, try out the Reliable Stables. We were picked up from our resort and taken to the Dickinson Bay area to pick up the horses. We were guided by a charming man, through a little village to deserted beaches around Dickinson Bay. It was fabulous. Be warned though, they didn’t supply riding hats.
Overall, we had a great holiday, but thought St James Club was over rated.

My husband and I went to The St James' Club in February 06.
Hotel is just lovely .
It isnt for those wanting lively entartainment , either during day or in evening , it is the perfect place to relax.
Unlike a lot of AI hotels , at this one you dont have to wear wristbands.
Whatever you order on beach , you just give your room number. (some rooms are HB) So much nicer.
The atmosphere at the hotel is very chilled , the staff are attentive without being intrusive and the 2 beaches are lovely. The one beach does water sports but water ski ing doesnt go on all day , and you can get free tuition.
Kayaks , pedaloes and cat sailing are free all day but you often need to book in.

Food really good , definatley go to the Italian , its worth the extra.
Evenings are quiet , occaisional live music , crab racing (great fun) cocktail night . We were happy at the bar and in the casino! If you stay at The Club at St James' the AI is limited and you dont get the premium drinks. If you stay at St James' club its all inc . even Champagne so check what part of the hotel your are booking. We had a lovely premium room , huge bathroom , double sinks , marble finish etc very good.

Definatley go to Shirley Heights , but dont like us forget to take enough money for food as well its too late to eat when you get back! Reggae bands are great and a fab atmosphere!
The only other trip we did was horse riding. Just the two of us had booked , went early morning down on the beach . Was very romantic , then you go through the town , amazing to se how they live. So many churches and gospel singing on the Sunday morning.
Only thing was , I felt sad for the horses , looked a little old and tired so they dont go at full pelt. If you want a stallion , go riding at home!! No helmets are given unless you ask , but the guy that comes with you , rides side saddle barefoot and when you end the ride there are two kids about 6 waiting to ride horses back . You should try it . Just nick a few carrots to take for them!

Weather is lovely at this time of year , still high 80's but a gentle breeze. Apparantley in June its stiflingly hot.

Take some good books , relax , order your drinks from the drinks buggy that comes along every hour and forget work at home.
We cant wait to go back.!

Its the best hotel on the island , gated entrance , perfectly safe and if its good enough for all the Virgin crew and captains ....

Tip . The airport is a large hangar really , so make sure you have some water for when you get the other end. You arent flying into Gatwick for shops or amenities !!

My wife and I have been guests at the St. James's Club resort for the last six years. We find that it is an excellent break from the cold Maine winters.

It is a place to relax and take life at a much slower pace. The accomodations are very comfortable and the all inclusive is the way to go. If you are looking for a vacation jam packed with sports and entertainment you may be a little disappointed. A good book and a cool drink go a long way.

It is very clean and the people are kind and heplful. But remember, it is Antigua and the speed of service is at a comfortable pace for both the customer and the server.

The food is above average and the Piccolo Mondo menu rivals
most mainland restaurants. The casino seems to pay out a little more than your average casino, which makes it fun and easy to play often.

Mike And Sarah Morin, Yarmouth, Maine