We have recently returned from a one week holiday staying all inclusive at the Rex Halcyon Cove and had an great time. I was a little apprehensive after reading some of the negative reviews on this site but I don't know how anyone could find so many faults with this hotel. It is a little dated and in need of a refurb, but we had a standard room and it was fine. It was basic but clean and we hardly spent any time in the room anyway as we were always out at the beach or out in the evenings.

The location is fantastic. The beach is gorgeous and was just a 20 second walk from our room, but watch out for the jellyfish especially as the tide is coming in as there are a lot of them about and I got stung on my first day which was not the best start to the holiday!

The food at the hotel was better than I expected. The breakfast is really good and the BBQ at lunchtime is also nice but I agree with some of the other reviews that the evening meals are a bit bland and pretty much the same every night. There is only one restaurant to go which is included in the all inclusive so it would be better if there was a little more choice. We ate at the Warri Pier twice during our stay and were very impressed. It's a really nice romantic restaurant and the food is much better than at the restaurant in the hotel but it is a shame that this restaurant isn't included in the All Inclusive package.

We went to Shirley heights on Sunday night and would recommend everybody do this as it was really good fun. You get an amazing view of the island and it is a really good party with a good BBQ and a steel drum band and reggae band.

Overall we had an excellent holiday. There probably are nicer hotels on the island, but the location is what you pay for and we thought the Rex was excellent value for money. We would definitely recommend this holiday to anyone.

I'll start off by saying that I have never seen a more pristine beach ever before. It is absolutely breathtaking. we were literally about twenty steps from the sand with an amazing view of the bar, the pool, and the beach. Be aware though, I was seriously mislead with the rooms. The photos they showed of the hotel rooms depicted the beachfront rooms with a nice balcony to sit and enjoy the view. NOT TRUE!! When we called the front desk to ask about a balcony, they simply stated that only the pool view rooms have balconies. So I must have just imagined the beach was actually the pool in the hotel photos. Anyway, the room was very simple: bed, TV, closet and bathroom. The room (Deluxe beachfront was pretty small). I definitely agree with other reviewers that the hotel needs a major renovation. Our shower was falling apart and our toilet was on the fritz since day one. When our toliet finally went caput, it took a duo to fix it all day!

The food really was a hit or miss, I enjoyed breakfast and lunch. Breakfast you can enjoy made to order omlets. Very good. Lunch included burgers and hot dogs. Very tasty. Dinner was beyond mediocre. The buffets were bland. I usually found one food i liked out of about 10 and just overloaded on that. One night we went to the Warri Pier and it was very bad. My husband's lobster was ok, but the chicken that i ordered was not what came out. The chicken was really dry and hard to swallow. I almost got it lodged in my throat. I actually got sick from the food that night and when i got hungry later(around 10) I was out of commission in trying to find something else to eat. Beware, there are no gifts shops open later than like 6 pm and no vending machines, so if you are hungry, the front desk will tell you to hop a cab in to town and grab food in there. Not exactly what i wanted to do. Don't get me wrong, I have very healthy appetite and love most foods but not here. I had a really hard time especially with some weird aftertatstes associated with the food. I was upset that there was no fresh fish. I mean really come on.

As for activities, my husband and I enjoyed the kayaking, the peddle boats and wave runners. Very fun. It's best to do those right at 9 am when they open because soon after the water skiiers come out and its hard to avoid them sometimes. Also at 9 the sun is not as strong. Quick word of advice, I tan very quickly and very rarely burn, yet I used spf of 45 and tanned very nicely.
Also, we went snorkeling with "Miguel's Island Aventure" tour. Highly recommended. you have about 6 hours to soak up some rays on this cute little island and they'll give you a very nice lunch. All day you can snorkel with their equipment. Actually the lunch on this tour is nicer than the food at the hotel. Also, there is an event at Shirley's Heightnon Sundays. It's very good. the concierge at the hotel will charge you $20 which just pays for your ride there. It's a 40 minute ride. However, the concierge will not tell you that it's really $15 ride and he makes 5 dollars for doing no work at all. It's only $5 but such a scam. It may be best to talk to taxi drivers and if you have another couple to go with you can cut your prices by negotiaiting with the taxi driver directly. Also, at Shirley Heights there is nothing to do really. There is an incredible view of the island. and there's a couple bands playing. If you are on an all-inclusive plan eat before or after the event. because the food there is really, really expensive. Also, if you can choose what time to do, go around 6. Don't listen to anyone telling you to go at 4. I wanted to jump off the cliff. And it's good to leave around 8.
Also, if you tip the housekeepers early on they'll have your room cleaned early in the day, otherwise you may be waiting till like 5-6.

Just make the best of your vacation and try to relax. I hope this helps anyone.

We stayed for two weeks at the Rex Halcyon Cove in June 2005, the hotel itself is an average 3 star hotel, the room was clean, but the bathroom needed renovating. The beach was wonderful. The hotel swimming pool was small. We booked on a room-only basis and found that there's a shortage of restaurants and bars outside the hotel and the one's we did find were quite expensive. The hotel restaurant was very expensive for breakfast and dinner. The city of St John's is a 10 min taxi drive away (14 US dollars return) it's seems to be geared up for the cruise ship trade, with the prices expensive near the harbour. It's a small city with a few bars scattered around. Summing up, it was a relaxing beach holiday with a low key nightlife, Dickenson Beach area is mostly geared towards the all inclusive holidaymakers, but the rum is particulary good and cheap at four pounds a bottle in the supermarket. cheers.

Recently back from Halcyon Cove. We did all inclusive (although we ate out nearby for lunch one day). The food was excellent! While this resort can use a little touch up here and there, everyone on the staff went out of their way to cater to us. The beach is one of the best I have ever been on. We would go back again. We did rent a car at the resort (a Jeep-type vehicle-very reasonable) and did our own sightseeing, which was well worth it. Antigua and its people have alot to be proud of. The roads are not the best, but it was still wonderful to be there.