We spent the week of Jan. 10-17, 2004 at the Rex Blue Heron and we loved it. It was a small resort, only 64 rooms and set on a beautiful and secluded beach. Beach chairs were readily available and the beach was not at all crowded. We are used to the mega cruise ships and giant all-inclusives where you can't get a drink or beach chair and there are massive crowds. Food was good, breakfast is cooked to order and lunch and dinner is a buffet, and there is afternoon tea. There is not an over abundance of food as with most all inclusives so we did not feel as if we overate or gained weight which is nice. We went on the Wadaldi Cats Catamaran Cruise all around Antigua sailing and snorkling, we would definitaly recommend it. Nightlife is very low key. If you're looking for a quiet, relaxing vacation on a beautiful beach this is it.
If you want crowds, party atmosphere, massive amounts of food, loud music, this is not for you. We will definitly be going back.

On arrival at the Rex we were greeted by a guard in a grey uniform, at first I thought we were being checked into colditz. The room was clean and functional, that was it !!! I had seen better rooms in B&B's here in the uk. The food was bad news all round, burger chips and sausages hhhhmmmm dont we get that here?? maybe I have it all wrong if I holiday here in the UK maybe Ill get Antiguan food. The staff really did look like they wanted to be beamed up and taken away from it all, at the beginning of our holiday they were quite friendly, towards the end they were not. We had just come from Barbados where we were married, so the trip was supposed to be our honeymoon. The air-con in the room sounded like a small private jet ...doing fly-bye's past the bed. I liked the bathroom and the cable TV though. The entertainment consisted of a group of local children one night doing a few dance routines, a Pan Band ...and a couple of guys with guitars ..they were cool, with only 1 bar being open in the evenings there was a clique of people sitting around. If you did not belong to the clique you had had it really. In the middle of our week in Colditz we met a guy who said he could get us out of there, there was the Canadian airman and a guy who did bird impressions. By the time the tunnel had been dug almost under the perimeter fence.. our time in Antigua was over and we flew back to Barbados...PHEW !!!!!My advice...excellent location...START AGAIN!!!
New staff ...new management local cuisine ..need to entertain the guests ...glass washing machine at the bar...not a bucket of soapy water. 1 Question. where does all of the money that the holiday makers pay for the hotel actually go?? staff? NO amenities...NO ....hhhmmmm review.. we would not go there again not even for free.

My husband and I picked this hotel after reading all the tripadvisor ratings. The beach at the hotel was one of the prettiest on the island, uncrowded, long and secluded. We opted for the all inclusive because it was not that much more expensive on expedia. However, one should know that only breakfast is cooked to order. Breakfast is decent--eggs, pancakes, french toast. Lunch and dinner are truly mediocre at best. If you are expecting, tasty fresh food,or any decent service, you will be sorely disappointed. The lunch and dinner are bland, overcooked school cafeteria type food--boiled vegetables, mushy rice and various meats and fish. I am admittedly somewhat of a food snob, but this food was intolerable. We ventured out of the hotel and found some excellent restaurants-- Abracadabra, a fabulous italian restuarant in English Harbor, Papa Zouk,a cute carribean restaurant with excellent fish.
Don't miss C &C wine bar in St. Johns-friendly owner Cutie will direct you to the best spots on the island. She told us about Harmony Hall--where we had the most fabulous italian lunch overlooking the beach. Diving wise, please be warned that the Rex will refer you to the nearest dive operation called Jolly Dive which is convenient (they will pick you up on the rex beach), however we had a horrible experience with them. The dive master and instructor were unfriendly, downright mean and insulting at times and seemed to be biased against Americans.
We cancelled our second dive with them and headed to the other Rex Halcyon Cove and signed up with Antiguan Divers who were much more friendly, helpful and fun. Overall, the beach is the only positive thing about the rex blue heron. I would probably suggest staying elsewhere on the island.

We picked the Blue Heron from reviews on the web and were not disappointed with the result. We spent 4 days here prior to crusing on the Seadream Yacht Club (this cruise is a must) and enjoyed the very private beach and the excellent staff. We had a smallish oceanfront room with a balcony and a beautiful view (even from the bathroom). It had AC and a TV and was adequate. The grounds are quite nice and the whole complex was quiet at night. The food was average and could use some Caribbean influence. It was basically all buffet except at breakfast where you could order. Unless you drink beer or Antiguan rum, the booze was terrible although the nightly gatherings around the small bar were a lot of fun. You cannot really snorkel at this beach as it is quite rough although a dip in the ocean and then one in the pool was very invigorating. The pool area is nice, right on the beach, and is very lively. We were the only non Brits there but met some nice people.
All in all, the Blue Heron is average Caribbean accommodation and decent value for the buck.