my husband myself and friends marg and alan spent 2 great weeks at halcyon cove in october,like most others we were very wary after reading reviews but were offered very good deal.we were really keen to holiday in antigua and this was affordable.we are so glad we went.we were upgraded to a beach front suite as the high floor we had requested was not available in a superior room which we had booked.These were very spacious,very clean and had fantastic views and just a few paces from the beach.We found the food very good and the staff were so helpfull and friendly.Entertainment could have been better but we made some lovely friends{Hayley&Matt,Paul&Claire,&Steve&Liz}If they read this,it was great to meet you all.Get in touch.If you go to Antigua dont miss trip to Barbuda.Fantastic beaches and a really good day out.Would do it again!.Had island tour with very good guide;worked for Virgin but works independently on days off.mobile no[--].he was highly recommended to us and had awealth of information about Antigua.The new manager Chris was so helpfull and supportive to us when my husband had some very bad impending news from home,going way beyond the call of duty to help.We would not hesitate in going back to Halcyon again and would advise anyone who is unsure but wants a fantastic beach setting on a laid back carribean island at an affordable price to book up .PSGuide used for island tours name is Marcus on number above.

Ok, I admit to reading tripadvisor before going, and this hotel had some worrying reviews.... but a friend was getting married at Blue Waters and this was just around the corner, so for the sake of convenience we booked here.

To say the hotel was a bit run down is a frankly like saying lions are, by nature, a bit bitey. Clearly there has been no serious maintenance for many years - sorry guys, a bloke in a rasta hat tapping nails into a doorframe does not make for a "widespread renovation program".

Our room was pretty run down with shabby 1980s furniture and a patio door hanging off the frame. The bathroom looked even older and had hot water roughly every third day.

The maid service happened at some point during the day but there was often several hours between the bedding or towels being removed and replaced and often cups/glasses and coffee machine were not washed up.

The restaurant was a real let down - the food was basic and pretty boring to say the least and my wife found the vegetarian selection even worse.

Without a doubt, the worst thing about the hotel was the staff who were almost entirely disinterested and unhelpful. When our room safe jammed, I had to wait 2 hours for the maintenance guy to drill it open and 10 days later it had still not been repaired or replaced. The duty manager (Reynolds) had assured me that this would be done the same day, grudgingly apologised and said "well I suppose we could let you have a complementary dinner at the Warri Pier". The voucher she provided contained a long list of foods that were excluded from this, er, most generous offer. She needn't have worried too much about the purse strings though, because when we tried to take this offer up, we were told that they could not possibly fit us in, even when we explained the circumstances. All accompanied by the shaking of heads and bored looking facial expressions endemic amongst the staff.

After having our 8 month old daughter eaten alive by mosquitos one night, we asked if the room could be sprayed. This was not done and my wife was asked "well haven't you got any spray?" Er, no, that's your job since this is a hotel.

To cap it all, having not used up all of our "meal deal" on the last day we asked if we could have lunch rather than dinner as we would be leaving for the airport early - you can guess what the answer was.

I don't want to sound too negative. Antigua is a beautiful island, full of friendly people. There is so much to see and do, but in the name of all that you hold dear, do not spend 2 weeks stuck in this dive of a hotel.

Get a 4WD and explore the island, go diving and get out to some decent bars and restaurants, Shirley Heights, English Harbour, etc. Within 5 minutes drive of Dickenson bay you can go to the Coconut Grove, Pari's Pizza, Waterfront at Hodges Bay all of whom have fantastic food and great service. Essentially the exact oposite of the Halcyon Cove.

I would not stay at this hotel again if I was paid to, it really is the worst I've been to in almost 20 years. If you're going after the upmarket image, running a 2-star service is not the way to impress customers. How on Earth this is being used my major tour operators I do not know.

Unless you're feeling brave or lucky, give this hotel a miss.

Summary:

We had a lovely holiday which was mainly due to the lovely staff and great location. The food is average though got better during our stay. The buildings are 70's Bond and need some sustained investment.


We went with our three children aged 8, 6 and 4 between the 4th & 19th Jan. We stayed in a interconnecting room with a view to the pool and the sea beyond. The room was clean but the bathroom was dated with a loo that occaisionally blocked and the mixer valve on the shower that come off.

The staff were very friendly and our youngest daughter was fussed over and made to feel very special. Big up to Derise, Malvia, Veronica, Serene and La Shawn. One employee who won't be winning the 'Smile of the Week" is Dwayne who occaisionally works behind the Carib Bar.

Breakfast at the Wari Pier is a must. It is incredibly relaxing to eat your breakfast as you look out over the sea. We were amazed that so few people used it.

Afternoon tea at the Pier is also great.

When we were there a new manager took over and we noticed a difference immediately. I expect that the Hotel will continue to improve under his leadership.

The biggest problem the hotel faces is the lack of maintenance which has clearly been carried out on a shoestring for many years. To give a couple of examples around the pool area some tiles have been replaced with standard domestic tiles. So what you may say. Well speaking as a surveyor, these tiles do not have the same slip resistance when wet which increases the likelyhood of you or your (non-swimming child) slipping over. Also on one of the footpaths around the pool has exposed steel reinforcement which could cut a childs foot badly.

Rex needs to get it's checkbook out and spend some serious money here to bring the buildings up to scratch.

If you like sailing be warned that the sailing guys will not let you sail if there is a swell in the sea due to the difficulty getting the boats in and out. This can be incredibly frustrating.

If you want to learn how to windsurf go to windsurfantigua.com which is based near Sneaky Pete's. Patrick (Ex-pat Brit) is excellent.

My wife and I arrived on the 4th January 2008 and left a day later. The room whilst big and undoubtedly quite something 2 decades ago was tired, dirty and the furniture was in need of replacement. The shower didn't work but that didn't matter because we had no hot water despite a visit by the site engineer until we told the manager that we were leaving. The air conditioning didn't work and even the fans were struggling to circulate air because the filters were blocked. The staff were surly and distracted.
Quite a shame because the beach is beautiful and with some loving care the resort could be lovely. There is some refurbishment in progress but even the evidence of this work is left lying around the site. Other guests liked the resort although we did encounter others on the island later who felt the same as us. Overall, poor value for your hard earned money.