We arrived at the Grand Pineapple on Saturday, March 11th and were greeted by an extremely friendly Guest Service Rep. Check-In was a breeze and our luggage was quickly taken to our Oceanview Room. The view was spectacular and the room was immaculately cleaned. Wonderful layout of the room as you have a sink and make-up area separate from the toilet and tub.

If you are planning a trip to the Grand Pineapple, e-mail "Mariako" in Guest Services at (-). Tell her the Colombo's recommended her services. We traveled with two other couples and Mariako made our requests during our stay very easy. She assisted us in special requests for my husband's birthday celebration on the night we arrived, helped us with tours, as well as our dinner reservations at the resort. If she should be busy, any of the other staff will be more than glad to assist you.

Things to Do at or Around the Resort:
1. Walk to Devil's Bridge (either w/ the resort or ask at the front desk for directions.)
2. Take a morning walk up the hill at the end of the street and view the 2 neighboring resorts and the homes on the hill.
3. Go up and have lunch or drinks in the afternoon at Shirley's Outhouse. Great views, frinedly smiles and the food and drink is great too. Pop and Beer only served. Us Bacardi girls took some up with us to mix.
3. Take the Bird Island Tour. (Snorkeling there is not very good at all so I would skip that part of the trip. Better snorkeling at the end of the beach at the resort.) However, the island is cool and the boat ride and lunch is well worth it. You are gone 1/2 Day from resort. Take towels, flip flops or aqua shoes (no heels ladies) and sunscreen, as well as a 1st Aid Kit as the boat does not even have band aides. If you want some fresh Aloe, ask your Captain and he will cut it for you on the island. Also, we were fortunate enough to have Conch fishermen stop by and they gave us some shells which we tipped them for. We sat them on our patio until departure day, wrapped them in our dirty clothes and placed them in the middle of our checked suitcase. Mine did not break, however, one of our friends chipped a small piece. I hear Immigration can stop you from bring them back if they want to so don't put it in your carry-on. Pop, Water, Beer and Rum Punch served at island.
4. Go on the beach catamaran in front of the resort! The windier the day - the faster the ride. You can do this as often as you like as it is included in your all-inclusive fee. Just tip the young man!

Excursions:
1. You MUST go to Shirley Heights on Sunday! Go via cab and the hotel will arrange this. Live Steel Drum Band, great food and plenty to drink. (I suggest eating dinner before you arrive so you don't waste your time standing in a food line or viaing for a table.)This is an old Fort that the British used as a look-out point for intruders as it is at the highest point of the Harbor. Great sunset and band. You can stay as long as you like but I believe they close at 11 p.m. We arrived at 5pm and left at 8:30-9p.m. before the mad dash. One way in-One way out! If you have a rent a car; leave it parked and have the hotel make transportation arrangements for you. Treacherous driving in the dark! Especially after a few "rum punches". If you are a dancer and partier you'll want to stay later!
TIP: Bring a few beach towels to sit on the grass with as seating is limited. AND Don't forget the bug spray for dusk!

2. Go down to English Harbor one day. Best to arrive around 3 or 4 so you can partake in some shopping and view the outdoor museum in the harbor before having dinner. If you just want to walk around and be back for dinner, go in the late morning. There are several great restaurants and bars in the Marina District. The yachts are something to see as well! If you love martinis - go to Skulldrugery's! Espresso or Capuchhino Martinis Chilled and Shaken! Yummy!

3. Anything on the Water!

Airport:

Once you have checked your luggage and paid your departure tax - if you find yourself with an extra 2 hours - go across the street from the Terminal to the new restaurant and bar that (can't remember the name but it is the only one). It views their new sports field and has wonderful food and drink. Like an upscale T.G.I.F.'s with air condition and comfortable seating. Really is nice not to spend your last few hours in the airport with limited eateries.

Enjoy!

This was our first holiday in the Caribbean. We had originally booked for 2 weeks at Hawksbill but on reading some of the bad reviews decided to spend only 1 week there and a week at GPB. In fact, Hawksbill was perfect and we only lasted 1 night at GPB before transferring back to Hawksbill. The reason for our transfer back was mainly due to the incessant noise at GPB - from the snack bar from 7am to the karaokee in the evening and the waft of hamburgers at 1130 pm. We had chosen GPB as it appeared to offer more for our 12 year old. Fortunately he was happy to trasfer back to Hawksbill, particularly for the easily accessible watersports and friendly staff. I have to say that the staff were very accomodationg about our transfer back and also that the waves were great.

We arrived at grand pineapple April 1st to 15th 2006 for a second year because we enjoyed it so the previous year , but last year I was constantly annoyed by staff in the resturant telling me I must wear a collared shirt, I personally wear grandad type shirts in summer and bought all new ones for my visit all very smart ( no addvertising type) but they didn,t like that and after a week I complained to the general manager Guillermo who accepted I was smart and was not complained at after this. So for our return I e mailed the manager who is very pollite and said I should bring collared shirts to meet their dress code so I bought a new wardrobe and went on holliday. Hell the dress code didn,t appear to exist this year at dinner, shorts, appallind Tee Shirts seems like anything went this year even swimm shorts one night. To say I was annoyed after spending my money on new shirts and the manager telling me to do so to meet their standards. The hotel, well some of the staff were far from being friendly one night we sat at our dinning table and waited over an hour for any service however the food is excellent and varied, well done chef,s.
one day we had no towells at all despite telling maid, reception, 2 managers and no one ever answered the phone we still got no towells and dried ourselves with a face cloth each. Location is great a fab beach very swim friendly and good snorkelling with the occassional drug pusher on the beach notably 3 of them so watch your children. All in all though I still enjoyed antigua, no wheres perfect

We visited the island on March 19 for the week. Our first episode was with our rooms we paid for beachfront and they were pathetic we asked the attendant to see the rooms first and after some humming and hawwing she moved us and the other couple (sister and husband) into rooms in the 700 area up on the hill. They were newer but ours had no smoke alarm it must have been stolen only the frame of it there, no safe to store any valuables the lock was busted out of it so we used my sister's safe instead. The room was not the cleanest. Found the service to be lousy by nearly all of the staff great to lure the tourists food was not all inclusive some of the time we could not get any food the area was closed in between meals etc not like the all inclusive we are used to this 4 star hotel is more like a 2 star hotel thank heavens we only stayed for a week the weather was excellent and the water was wonderful pretty expensive trip for what we got don't recommend this one to anybody so much for my air canada vacation it was the pitts!! Grimsby Ontario Canada