My husband and I have just returned from 3 weeks at the Halcyon where we had a fabulous time. We chose not to go AI as we prefer the freedom to get out and about and sample the island life and the beautiful beaches.
If you are planning a trip to Antigua then the Halcyon is situated in a pretty ideal spot for exploring and also for the number of great restaurants nearby.
We found the hotel itself clean , comfortable and staff friendly and helpful (although dont expect speedy responses to queries-this is the Caribbean after all!! ).We had a poolview room which looked directly over the pool and across to the sea-well worth the upgrade.
There are meal plans on offer if you dont go AI but the only one worth doing we felt was the breakfast plan but only for 7 days as there are so many places close by that serve excellent food.
Lots of places have already been reviewed but from our experience the following are certainly worth visiting.
The Beach-good food and bar within walking distance, Coconut Grove-great breakfast and a lovely place for cocktails/dinner in the evening,Pari's Pizza-great pizza but a bit hit and miss to actually get what you want to eat,they had run out of garlic bread one evening!! Tradewinds also does a great breakfast with superb views over the beach and is nice for a drink in the evening.
Further afield Hemingways and Home in St Johns are both fantastic.
If you plan to drive around the island its quite easy but do get a 4x4 as the roads are awful and full of pot holes.OJ's beach bar and Turners beach bar are both well worth visiting for the beaches and the views.
One other place worth a visit is Sandals next door where you can get an all day or evening pass-their food is superb and the staff are great but their newly built Mediterranean (?) complex is grotesquely out of place.
I would certainly go back to the Halcyon as its in such a good position to get around from.

Have previously stayed in the rex in St Lucia,Grenada,thought we would try the rex Antigua.Hotel needs up dating looks a little tired.Most of the staff were friendly.We had a problem with the room, air con,hair dryer,some electrical sockets not working,no cold water, this was supposed to be an upgrade to a superior room.We did get another room which was better.Food reasonable, the Warrie Pier resterant was not up to alacarte dining.Hotel quiet the first week,Fenton the entertainment guy was not very good.Beach towels in short supply.Toilets down at the carib bar had no soap for 1week.One toilet blocked for 1 week.The bar lounge not open.They held a conference on mental health etc,these people took over the dinning room and down at the carrib bar no seats left for guests.Overall i think i would stay there again as Dickenson Beach is lovely,

We went there not expecting much and really all we wanted was a bed to sleep in for a few nights. The staff was extremely friendly from the moment we arrived. They put a roll-away bed in our room, after they realized a room with 2 beds, which we had requested, was not available. Everything was clean and the grounds were well kept up. It wasn't the fanciest place but considering the price we paid it was well worth it. It's great for someone who wants the resort experience but doesn't want to spend a lot of money.

We have just returned from a two week family holiday at the Halcyon Cove. Yes the hotel is a little tired, (and being worked on )and the air con does need changing in some rooms, but you only had to ask and they were more than willing to change the room. What the decor lacks is more than compensated by the great staff. You only sleep in the room, and its only for a couple of weeks, its the people that make great holidays. The food was good and varied and the Chefs are more than happy to cook your eggs any which way for breakfast, and BBQ your fish ( or burgers if thats a preference) to perfection at lunchtime. The hotel was very quiet so the lobby bar was not open, most of entertainment was in the Carib Bar, some nights this was good but Fenton worked hard on the other nights to get people to participate. Buy some "Off" insect repelant when you get there, our stuff didn't work even though it was jungle strength!. The Catamaran trips are fantastic, and if you want to see the island without hiring a car yourself, or going on the organised trips, Call Glentis Cole on mobile 1(268)771-8182 or ask for him on reception, he took us around the island for the day , to Shirley Heights on Sunday evening at the time we wanted to go and leave, as well as trips into St Johns and then sadly for us to the airport. . He is very informative and will do his best to ensure you have a great time, and his rates are very good. We had a great holiday, and would definately return.