My husband and I went to Sandals Antigua for our honeymoon 11/23-12/03. I had read several brutal reviews prior to our traveling, so I did not know what to expect. My husband and I were quite aware that there would be construction. When we originally booked this trip (March 06), we had been informed that construction would be completed by Oct 06. We had booked a standard room, after reading reviews, fully knowing that they were not "on top" of the construction. That was our back up plan in case construction had not been completed. Upon arriving, we were brought champagne and cold towels, and were given a few forms to fill out. We were then escorted to our room, and hooray, we had been upgraded. Imagine that. We were shown to a room RIGHT ON TOP of the construction. Fortunately, we had seen this coming after the reviews. We ran into several couples at the resort that evening, well into their vacation, that had the same thing happen to them. My husband and I decided to give it a try, just to see how loud it would be. REALLY LOUD. We then had to go down to the front desk, who claimed to have no other rooms available. Then we had to act like stereotypical rude Americans to get ourselves into another room. Magically, they had another room available. It was very sneaky and a truly bad business practice on the part of Sandals.

The food was adequate. The Bayside is pretty horrible, service wise. The employees on the most part are very friendly and polite. I would probably not go back to this resort again. Considering the amount of money we spent, I would choose to go somewhere else. This is not a bad resort, and we did have a very good time there. I just did not appreciate the way Sandals handled "the upgrade".

As for the cats, they are adorable. We almost brought one home with us. I can understand people complaining (non-animal lovers), but they are most likely the reason I only saw one cockroach for all of 10 days. Plus, they are cute when they beg.

We have just returned from our 3rd stay at the Caribbean Village at Sandals Antigua. Arriving very jaded after an 8 hour delay we were greeted personally by Franklyn Eaton the General Manager who had kept the restaurant open specially for those arriving on the delayed flight. The policy is to upgrade rooms for returning guests whenever possible and we were upgraded to to a very comfortable well appointed suite.
Sandals Antigua is a true taste of the Caribbean. There is plenty of entertainment and activities laid on to suit all tastes but equally it is a place where tranquility and relaxation are so easily achieved.
Sure, birds fly around the main restaurant and bar and steal the odd tit-bit and cats scrounge scraps of smoked salmon from those guests only too eager to ensure they are well fed. The main facilities are open to the elements and this is part of the charm; why go to Antigua to sit in an air conditioned glass box?
The majority of the staff are extremely friendly and can't do enough to please. They take their lead from Franklyn Eaton. Where else would you find the general manager greeting guests personally at breakfast and pouring mimosa (bucks fizz) after hosting a dinner for the Sandals' Signature Guests the previous evening? He and his managerment team make a point of talking to guests and are always keen to listen to problems and go the extra mile in putting things right when they go wrong. He is ably assisted by the hotel manager, Cletus Pancham, who always does everything he can to ensure our stay is wonderful up to the moment we have to say goodbye.
For a truly memorable evening it is a must to sample the culinary delights of "Kimono's" at the table of "Sir" Sugar, whose banter is as entertaining as any celebrity chef.
Our holiday was money well spent and we will definitely be going back next year.

My wife and I just returned from 7 great nights at Sandals Grande Antigua in St. Johns. We were concerned before we left because of several negative reviews on this site, but we went without high expectations and left with high praise. Here is an overview of some specific areas:

Accomodations - the resort was in good shape and kept very clean. We stayed in the Honeymoon Grande Lux room between the main area and fitness center. The rooms were very comfortable and we had a small pool right out our front door. The AC worked great and we have very little problems with insects.

The new Caribbean Village looks to be a few months from completion. It will be huge and may have an impact on the beach because of the added users. Once completed, it should be impressive.

Service - the staff were very friendly and many tried to remember your name. The welcoming process was slower than we anticipated but once we got checked in we had no problems. The food service staff were above average as was the food.

Restaurants - Above average food. Kimono's restaurant was good, but what made it better was the good group of people we ate with. The Bayside restaurant was our preferred restaurant because no reservations were required. We did eat out once in St Johns at Commissioner's Grill after several recommendations from staff members. We went with a couple from London that we met. The service there was poor and it was the only time we ate away from Sandals.

Beach - great beach but a little crowded at times. No problem with vendors. Treat them courteous and they will likewise. One guy was trying to sell music CDs to raise money for local youth sports programs. Sandals staff confirmed this is a scam. If you are looking for paintings, check out Alvin's white shack on the south end of the Sandals beach property. He has been there for several years and we got a great deal on a painting that was being sold in town at one of the shops for 4 times the price we paid.

Entertainment - OK as long as resort guests get involved. If you are looking for a little more quiet to visit, go up to the piano bar and sit there to visit. You can order drinks at this location too. The night club (Betty Jos) was disappointing and few people.

Bugs - we had no problems with bugs. I am usually a bug magnet but did not get bit once. Some people obviously did, but I didn't hear any complaints.

Tours - we did the Sunset Cruise and Extreme Circumnavigation. Both were good in their own way, but the Extreme tour was great and last most of the day.

Airport - Not too bad. Reminded us of Puerto Vallarta airport. Don't forget to bring money ($20 per person) to leave the country.

People - we met many people from western Europe, UK, Spain, and USA. We made good friends with a couple from London and look forward to continuing the relationship beyond Sandals.

We hope to do this again in the future. Wish we were still there!

Feel free to email of any questions.

My husband and I spent Christmas week at Sandals Antigua and found it to be a terrific place to stay. Our room was good, and quiet. We were near a "quiet" pool and that was pleasant. The management and staff were very good to us and we had no problem with the wait staff. The food is good and, at times, outstanding. And, the Champagne breakfast was quite delightful. Puts you in a good mood for the rest of the day!

When we first went to the Caribbean we were in a hurry (New Yorkers!) but after a while one learns to calm down and take things in stride. It's too hot to rush! One has to learn to accept "island" time, not New York City rush hour.

Sandals is a great place to stay. We recommend it!