we recently went to sandals antigua for our honeymoon. we booked the honeymoon on line at sandals.com. we chose a room in the caribean village that looked nice online. when we arrived we were very dissappointed with the room. what the website looks like is not what we walked into. we had this picture of what it would be like and it was not even close. don't get me wrong we were in paraidse and it was nice but the room was not what we expected. we immdiate took a walk and came across the medaterianean village which is right next to the carabean village. it was 100% a different world.. we went to the front desk asked to move to the medaterrian village. three days later we got a room there ( they were booked) and it was amazing. we are defentily going back and can't wait. if you read this its worth the money. it was paradise. palms trees everywere. just make sure if you go you pick the Meditteranean Village to stay, it is definitley worth the money. If you are a smoker, we highly reccommend that you bring cigarettes with you, they only sell 1 brand in the store and they are about $9 per pack. also be prepared to wait at bars the antiguians are a very laid back people and a sence of urgency is not one of there strong points. everything in the gift shop such as tums, lotions, asprin ect... are very expensive so pack well. regardless of all that we pointed out this was the most amazing vaction we have ever taken and we plan on going back very soon.

have fun!!

We have just returned from a weeks stay at the New Sandals Grande Antigua....The place is beautiful..no argument there. Like those before us we received a washcloth to freshen ourselves and a couple glasses of champagne while all the paperwork was put together......and your not going to believe this..we knew as ssg members we would be given an upgrade ...we had no idea that it would be 6 levels up!!!!!!! We hit Gold. we were in the new MV . We booked the CV side.....Honeymoon Gr Lux and we were given a room on the ground level...not sure what it was called but we enjoyed our patio...it was hugh compared to the very, very tiny balconies of those above us.. We had a jetted tub and a free standing shower, double sinks and a fully stocked bar and refegerator which they stopped by daily to replenish...always leaving Champagne and flowers on the bed and towels. hubby enjoyed the flat screen...thought not as good as the one at home. but nice to have while on vacation.anyway hubby loved the CV side because it was so lush and seclusive and I loved the MV side....just because :) I must admit that the MV side was a little boring at times...most of the entertainment took place on the CV side...they did have music from a live band playing every evening outside the Cricketeers club..so when there we just sat and listened and drank....not my idea of a fun evening...they had some newlywed games that was funny to watch...Musical hats & bingo on the CV side as well as limbo dancer who also put on a show using fire, there were professional local dancers and dance lessons...midnight seafood buffets & chocolate buffets which actually took place at 11 p.m.
The Beach was beautiful, just as I had remembered it from many years ago, snorkeling wasnt that great to us because we have done this on some of the most colorful reefs in the caribbean, but we still enjoyed it, the zero entry pool on the MV side was beautiful...but be WARNED you will have to get up at 6am in order to achieve your goal of getting a chair pool or beachside ESPECIALLY if you need one near some shade or an umbrella
we did the jet ski's as well as parasail loads of funnnnnnn
we took a trip to St. Johns and did some shopping......$19. us for a carton of cigarettes!!!! We bought some great gift items for both ourselves and family members...loads of fun
we want to thank our new friends Mike & Ida from Long Island as well as our West Coast, California buddies Don & Rose and the always friendly jim & jackie from Kent England you made this trip a trip to remember ! John & I look forwad to visiting you all in the new year as well as our next vacation all together in JAMAICA!!! Dunns River! I know they celebrate Thanksgiving LOL

Oh before I forget....every early evening...they fog the entire complex so try to be away from the area or indoors until it disapates..usually just a few minutes (photos to come in the next few days or so ) We have over 400!!!!!!!so I have to be selective.

try not to be inpatient....because you will need to be patient
the average wait time for your dinner after being seated and ordering is 1 hour and it doesnt matter whether you are at Marios, Barefoot by the sea or the Bayside...they just move slower on the island...maby its the heat ....dunno....there working...were being waited on.
We had breakfast at Marios our first morning and never went back...instead we ate at Bayside much nicer we thought to be outside overlooking the ocean with all its sounds. Marios did have a nice buffet lunch...dinner was a nightmare 2 hours...with long wait periods in between appetizers and our entree Yikes!

if you didnt hit the pool bar at the right time it could take a little while to get a drink...or was it because we were thirsty and sitting in the sun???? after a couple of days we setteled in and got on the slower pace of the island and
"everyting was good mun" The drink is th BBC .....bailys, banana's & coconut, pina colads, Banana darique (?) grasshopper, antigua smile and the house wine was ok we mostly drank pinot & merlo...ordered from the wine list twice because we wanted a better grade of wine...but it was ok....

the venders on the beach are social and polite never once did we have any issues or problems with ANYONE not taking no for an answer....they may forget that they have already asked you and hit you up again on there return trip from walking to the end of the beach and turning back around...no thank you still works!
Oh one last thing I wanted to clear up......both sides of the resort have roaches..we killed two in our room as well as a spider the size like I have never seen! we killed them and went on our way to continue to enjoy our stay...just be sure to shake out everything befor packing to come home and you;l have no worries.
you must expect some bugs as well as mosquito bites
it is the CARIBBEAN people!
feel free to contact me here on the boards or privately. I will do my best to answer your concerns & questions honestly & candidly.

Visited this resort on a work trip and was extremely disappointed. I had read several reviews and many of them were true....

The ONE redeeming quality the resort had was the butler service in the Meditterranean Village...they were OUTSTANDING!!!

Other than that, the food was definitely lacking, most of the employees were cordial but did not have answers to any questions.

A large handful of them were very rude and unhelpful.

A small handful were above and beyond pleasant and helpful.

The resort and the rooms were also infested with mosquitoes - who LOVE the tourists :) And there were SEVERAL power outages on the Friday night I was there. Power outages to the ENTIRE resort....which left us in the dark for several minutes....

I have traveled all over the world in all types of hotels/resorts/hostels with all types of people.

Since I didn't pay for this trip (was work related) - I suppose it was acceptable (and beyond my control). However - had I paid upwards of $2000 to travel across the nation for a wedding or honeymoon I would have been seriously disappointed.

Can't speak for any of the other Sandals resorts - but if you are looking for top of the line treatment and great food - this resort is not the place to be.

And yes - the pictures are AMAZING - but deceiving.

Check out some pictures here :
http://dream-crazy.blogspot.com/2007/11/antigua.html#links

Please feel free to contact me if there are any questions...would love to share more if it will help!

I had a wonderful time at Sandals Antigua from 23 November through 26 November. We just returned last night and we're still talking about our highlights. My husband and I travel three to five times a year for pleasure and my husband travels overseas 3 or 4 times a month for business. So we are very particular about accomodations, food and service.

This is the place to go if you are interested in relaxing and spending some quality time with your significant other. I would not recommend it if your interest is nightlife and partying.

We stayed in the one bedroom villa in the Mediterranean Village and enjoyed the accomodations. Everything was clean and it was great having our own plunge pool (really cold) and jacuzzi right in our little "backyard". The bed was comfortable, the sheets were soft and towels were plenty. My only complaint about the room is that the bathroom lighting is a bit dim for a woman trying to do her hair or makeup. Our butlers were Maureen and Clifford. I cannot say enough about Maureen. Your experience with the butler service will depend on who you have (at least that's my observation). Our room stayed well stocked with the drinks we preferred and ice.

Maureen was heavenly. she has a pleasant demeanor at all times and a no worries, get it done attitude. We absolutely adored her. From the surprise hot bubble bath with flowers, champagne, and our love songs CD playing that was waiting for us on Saturday night when we returned to our room, to the cabana by the pool she reserved and served us breakfast and lunch in - Maureen made our stay wonderful. She was attentive to our every need. I only met two other butlers (Clifford our second butler and another woman Maureen sent a message through). I understand there are 12 butlers total. So having met 3, I have to assume the other 9 are outstanding. I can only wonder why Maureen is not the head butler.

We had the couples spa treatment on Saturday. I had Keron and she is absolutely OUTSTANDING. She was so nice and accomodating. She had such a warm and pleasant personality and paid attention to everything I filled out on my registration form. Keron was also very attentive after our massages and even talked me into buying some products (a rarity for me). My husband very much enjoyed his massage by Beryl. He said it was one of the best massages he's ever had.

I arranged for my husband to have a pedicure since he generally abuses his feet. Polly had him in sandals shape in no time. She was very nice and my husband made it a point to go all the way back to our side of the resort to get her a tip and bring it back. I was admiring his feet all weekend.

I requested a last minute shampoo and blow dry on Sunday and the spa accomodated me. Sheneka was great and kept me laughing the entire time. She is the person to see if you just want a quick and simple do with no fuss. She will do what you ask her to do. I would definitely ask for her again. One thing funny I noticed is that the hair salon had no black hair care products. I am sure they cater to whatever their majority is as far as guests. But come on Sandals - you are located in a country where the majority is people of African descent and you can't provide a couple products for use in "ethnic" hair. Sheneka did tell me that she would bring in some things for me (from home or a local store) if I gave her some advance notice of my hair appointment. I thought that was wonderful and that it said a lot about her committment to guests.

We ate at the Italian restaurant the first night. We thought it was OK but it was made great by Maureen who filled my husband's special request for a particular dessert. The buffet at Bayside was not bad to me. There were quite a few options and it was comparable to what I have found at other resorts for a dinner buffet. The experience was made so nice by a young lady who served as our waitress that evening (brining drinks, cleaning the table, etc.) I only wish I remembered her name.

Room service breakfast was great on Saturday morning. It was served by one of the room service staff. My hubsand mistook him for our second butler who we hadn't met yet and tipped him $10 which he accepted and quickly left. So much for the tipping is strictly prohibited policy.

Dinner at Eleanor's was good. Our server - Stacey who doesn't normally work there was a gem. She was the nicest person and very attentive. We tried to stay to say goodbye and thank her properly but she was so busy - we didn't get to see her. It was just so nice to have such an attentive waitress - especially since she doesn't normally work in that restaurant.

The food at Kimonos was good. George was our chef and he was pretty funny. Don't expect authentic Japanese food. Expect Japanese stype with a Caribbean flare. We were having a great time UNTIL...my husband and I and the other couple eating with us decided to leave. We had gotten into a very lively conversation and remianed after our meal was finished talking and enjoying the company. When we walked out of our dining room, the rest of the restaurant was completely dark. We had to feel our way out - inclduing a trip down a steep set of steps with two ladies in high heels. Not very safe at all. We were shocked that no one had told us they were closing up. They just left us there. The lower level was very dark and we thought we might be locked in. Fortunately, we were not. I plan to write the management about this. One of us could have been hurt.

Quesadillas at Barefoot by the Beach could have been better with the option of sour cream, guacamole, and salsa on the side. But they were OK for putting a little food in my belly. My husband enjoyed the pizza.

The breakfast buffet at the Italian restaurant was pretty good. Though I was disappointed when I got to the waffle station and the cook pulled out a previously cooked waffle and warmed it on the grill - obviously not the fresh waffle I wanted. But the fruit was good and I enjoyed my eggs made to order. Our server Kerry Ann was a sweetheart, clearing dishes away quickly and brining fresh drinks. I wish I could explain the look she gave my husband when he asked if they had hot chocolate. But she quickly recovered and said, "no but I can make you some," which she promptly did. In general, most of the staff we encountered had that same attitude.

All in all - this was a good trip and we would definitely go back. Again - this is a trip for romance...not for action. If you don't particularly like spending lots of alone time with your signficant other - this is not the place to go. But if you want a serious amount of romantic and relaxing alone time - this is the place. Most of the staff was friendly and greeted us as we walked around the resort.

If you get a butler room - ask for Maureen!