Me and my partner stayed reluctantly at the Halcyon after reading the mixed reviews. We decided that as long as it was clean and comfortable with good food we didn't mind.

We arrived and there was a little delay in showing us to our room but we had some fruit punch and had a little look around. We found the hotel to be fantastic as we had gone away to chill out and relax which is just what we did.

We walked along the beach and found a lovely restaurant at the end which served food and drink all day, this is uncommon in the caribbean as every hotel is normally secluded in it's own grounds. There were lots of trips to go on and plenty to do during the day at the hotel.

Over all I would recommend this hotel to anybody wanting a peaceful relaxing break. The food was good and hotel staff were really friendly and funny and our room was comfortable and clean.

.We are a family of four who have just returned from a two week stay at Halcyon Cove in Antigua. First things first. If you have booked this resort for a holiday in the near future, cancel it now, and book somewhere else. I really wish I had taken heed of the negative reviews I had read before we left. Unfortunately, I was stupid enough to give Halcyon Cove the benefit of the doubt, big mistake.
It is in lovely location, on Dickenson Bay. The location is about the only up side I'm afraid.
On arrival, our rooms (we booked two superior, which were requested months ago as interconnecting) were not ready. We waited about half an hour until we finally got the key to only one room. On arrival at the room, we found that the interconnecting door was locked. Handy! About an hour later we finally received the key to the second room. We then waited two hours for towels, then the power failed for over an hour. Various other problems arose which I won't bore you with. I might add that these problems were rectified to the best of their ability but it left a sour taste.
We even contacted the Thomas Cook rep to request a move to another hotel, and were told it would cost us over £2000!!!!!!
The cleanliness of the rooms was questionable to say the least. The bathrooms could well dol with a complete bleach pressure wash!
We found the staff on the whole pleasant. The restaurant supervisor and her staff were all lovely. However, the MAJOR attitude problems lie with the two main bar staff in the Carib bar, whose manner was almost intolerable, and problems were also evident with the reception staff, who treated the guests as a major inconvenience.
Beach towels were hard to come by. The Carib bar had a constant stink of vomit. The best meal of the day was breakfast, Orlan does a great job and always has a fantastic smile for everyone. The rest of the meals left a lot to be desired, oh, and they were constantly running out of sprite, beer, orange juice.
We raised certain issues with Chris, who is a guy from England brought over to work for Rex Resorts. His job is basically to keep the guests happy, and sort out all complaints. I don't envy the job he has. He was a really genuine guy who did his best for us.
We will never return to Halcyon Cove. It was a real disappointment for our second time round in Antigua.

Loved the hotel, the food was good. I've been to lots of hotels in the Caribbean and have never met friendlier staff, from the Manager, to receptionists, to restaurant staff.
The beach is beautiful but being the Atlantic the sea is not crystal clear, but it is safe and calm, no jet skis to worry about. Plenty of shade and sun beds.
The only downside is the rooms. They need upgrading, we changed rooms three times in a day which wasn’t ideal, but the staff did all they could to make sure we were happy. The first move was an offer to upgrade, then the sink blocked and we had to move again.
Even with the issues around the rooms I would be happy to go back, it’s such a friendly atmosphere.
We went in September, the hotel was only half full, not sure I would like it so much if it were full. The entertainment in the evening was a bit basic, but was fine for us.
Overall a nice holiday and a good choice.

Looking for a chilling out experience?
Then the Halcyon Cove is for you.
We stayed here the last 2 weeks of July 2007.
Weather wise it was fantastic the first couple of days it rained and then after that we hardly saw a cloud in the sky.
Food was excellent but the lunchtime barbecue did get a little much after 2 weeks. I do recommend you go AI as it saves a lot of hassle and its good value for money.
I do agree with all of the reviewers who say it needs some renovation - it does but the rooms are kept very clean!
I really recommend the Hobie Cat down at the watersports hut. Ask Ken to give you a lesson and you will be able to go out again and again on your own or take your family. The kayak racing was fun too!
Go on do it!