My husband and I are in our forties. We stayed at the Blue Heron the second week of march. I researched this resort among many on the internet. Prioritizing my wish list, I chose this hotel. I was not disappointed. With a beach front room we watched the sunset every night; the sea is brilliant, the beach is beautiful and the mountains surrounding the area are lovely. Sure the hotel is aged, but the new manageress is working steadfast at bringing this hotel to another level.
The food: my husband thought it was boring and that the food seemed to be the same every night. I do not agree. Using all my willpower I refrained from having one of everything each night. The chef had three types of meat, a rice and a potato, veggie, soup and salads. By choosing one meat and one carb each night, I did not get tired of the food and the chef did a tremendous job with whatever his budget would allow. Lunch was buffet or a la carte and breakfast had variety.
The serving and housekeeping team: housekeeping was kept busy all the day long. Sometimes it would take a little longer to get your room towels. They send them out to be washed and then back to the hotel to be dryed. A polite phone call to reception should remedy your delay. Chuda was most helpful in this department.
Upon your arrival, Telemaque will likely bring your bags to your room. Although he is security, if he sees that you need something, it will be done. He is helpful, friendly and professional. Cory is the bartender, fast and efficient, West Indies future cricket star. Duane is quiet and reserved, therefore misunderstood. Once you penetrate that cool resolve, he has the sweetest laugh and an informed opinion. He went out of his way to make us feel special on several occasions. Sweet Seiko is quiet, polite and efficient at the bar or in the dining room.
Just a few to mention. All the serving staff were great. Although there is a manager around, the staff seem to make this resort run smoothly. They are all gracious and efficient.
The local beach vendor Oka(long name shortened)was very helpful. She did good business with us and saved us a trip into town.
Antigua has had more rain than usual, so the sand flies and mosquitos are abundant. Bring insect repellant and after bite meds. DO NOT FORGET!
The weather was terrific. Only one day of rain. It may get a little overcast at times, but don't let your sunscreen guard down. The sun will still penetrate the clouds. This is a welcome break from a very strong sun.
A strong majority of the guests were British, and marvelous to party with. The guests do adhere to the dress code, gents...long pants and collared shirts, ladies...usually dressy to semi-formal.
Near the end of the afternoon, we would gather at the beach bar for cocktails and conversation with the other guests. Then back to the room to shower and dress. This led us to the lounge for a quiet drink before dinner. After dinner, it was back to the lounge for some local entertainment and conversation. The bar closes at eleven.
Sweet, quiet and quaint....I found my little piece of heaven.

We have just returned from 2 weeks at The Blue Heron, and knowing we were going to a "2 star" hotel, we were more than satisfied. Whilst a bit of paint, here and there, and perhaps some replacement showers wouldn't go amiss, there are no complaints. All of the staff, with a particular mention of Cory (Bars) were excellent, and by all I mean Restaurant staff - supervision/waiting/kitchen/egg chefs/"behind the scene" chefs,room maids etc, and the always friendly and helpfull receptionists. Cory (previously mentioned)is a great barman and when his busy schedule allowed,is an extremely pleasant conversationalist, and very caring. The whole hotel is kept very clean, being a difficult job, when some parts are somewhat aged. Also worthy of mention is the new Manager - Carleen Adams, after just a few days, improvement could be seen, in some areas that "were drifting" I can see a new star on the horizon for the Blue Heron. Incidently, there are more than adequate beach sun loungers (shades could do with re thatching),and no getting up early to reserve !!,also plenty of beach towels.I consider the hotel is more for adults than children, looking for a relaxing time also I could say "don't go to this hotel", and keep it a secret, but that would be selfish - so I have to say "Go", and enjoy - we will return.

We stayed at the Blue Heron Hotel from February 22, to March 7, 2006. Things have improved since our last visit in 2004. The food is better and the quantity available has been increased. The hotel was about 30 to 40% filled so we don't know if the overbooking problem we saw 2 years ago has been corrected. The room we requested was the room we got and housekeeping was very good. The staff were much more friendly than on previous visits with the exception of two bar tenders, Duane and Yolanda. They definately need guest relations training. Halfway through our stay the manager was replaced and the new manager seems to be very interested in maintaining acceptable service in this beautiful little hotel.....we hope so.

We've just returned from a week all inclusive at this hotel and we really enjoyed ourselves.
However, the hotel itself in terms of fixtures and fittings is definitely tired and in need of a face lift although all the rooms are kept very clean.
The location is superb - the hotel is situated right on Turner's Beach which has beautiful white sand, bright blue sea and great views of Montserrat, Nevis & Redonda.
Within easy walking distance are 3 or 4 good places to eat which is very useful to know before you book ( if we were to go back again we would not choose all inclusive) as the food at the hotel is pretty poor. We had expected and were looking forward to eating fresh, local food especially fish and shell-fish dishes but the buffet style meals at the hotel didn't really deliver this and the variety offered was very limited (the same inocuous fish served every day in slightly different sauces which inevitably became pretty dry as it was left out on the buffet). Breakfast was the best meal of the day - at lunch time you can ask to see a different menu at the pool bar and on that are some excellent club sandwiches.

We did not want to be in a big resort with an animation team etc which is why we chose Blue Heron and on that score we were absolutely not disappointed.
The atmosphere was perfect for what we wanted - the hotel was quiet but because of the wonderfully friendly, happy staff (and indeed other guests!) we never felt at a loose end or bored. In fact I didn't manage to get past chapter 1 of my book!
This is Antigua and as such the pace is a lot slower and more relaxed than in other countries - so maybe the staff don't come rushing to take your order but you're not left for long - & you soon relax into the pace of things. All the locals are friendly, helpful and generous hearted. At no point did anyone take advantage or try to 'rip us off' - it's not in their nature which is incredibly refreshing.

In summary if you want a quiet, friendly 2 or 3 star hotel in a beautiful setting then Blue Heron is ideal - just be aware of its short-comings and don't limit yourself to only eating at the hotel.

PS the standard rooms are VERY standard with no view, a/c, TV or balcony. If you want a cheaper room that you're just going to use to sleep and leave your stuff in then this may be an option, but if you think you're going to spend any time in your room make sure you get either a superior or beach front room.