My family and I stayed at the Coconut Beach Club on an all- inclusive basis 20th July - 3rd August 07; the holiday being booked at short notice over the phone with Virgin Holidays. The first view of the hotel is along the driveway, set in open land, leading to tennis courts and outer gardens. The driveway and outside of the hotel entrance are not that imposing, but this belies the extremely tidy, smart and beautifully tended gardens and buildings inside this small complex. Our arrival was disappointing as we were not expected due to a breakdown in communications between Virgin and the hotel. However, the reservations staff quickly resolved the situation, finding rooms for all of us and upgrading my wife and I in the process.

The 37 rooms are set in one block on three floors, separate from the public areas. They are of a high standard - clean, spacious, brightly furnished and well air conditioned. Every room overlooks a short patch of grass with palm trees and beyond this, the beach; each has a balcony and hammock (we had two balconies and a separate bedroom from the lounge dining area due to the upgrade) - very nice! It is quite wonderful to wake up in the morning and hear the sound of the surf on the beach. The Virgin Brochure claimed that each room had a mini-bar with robes etc. This was not the case and the hotel management were a little surprised when the question was raised. Each room has its own kitchenette with crockery, cutlery, pans, kettle, cooker, fridge and micro-wave.

The curved beach is approximately 1000yds long, set in its own small bay closed off at each end by low cliffs. The sand is clean and white with some shells (the shingle mentioned in a previous report); the shells are largely intact. By contrast, we spent a day at Jolly Beach and had to be very careful as many shells there were broken and sharp. Early every morning, a small team from the hotel staff cleaned the beach. All beaches in Antigua are public, so it is possible to be harassed by beach vendors etc... not so here as the only property on this beach is the hotel and as the beach is closed off at each end, the only users are hotel guests.

Due to the location of the hotel, the predominantly permanent North Easterly breeze, blows into the bay and can occasionally make the sea quite choppy and the water a little cloudy due to churning the sandy bottom. The only 'scary' sea creatures encountered were jelly fish which were all around the island. The jellyfish did sting but this was mild and not as painful as a nettle, nor as persistant.

Moving on... the pool size was fine. Despite there being 6 of us, we always managed to find a sunbed each.

All public areas - lounge, bar and (two) restaurants are of wood construction on raised decking and open plan surrounding the pool. The effect is very nice.

Catering - The food was always to a very high standard with a good variety to cater for all tastes. Breakfast and lunch were in the Restaurant by the beach and were substantial. Dinner was a la carte with a choice of 3 starters (soup, fish, other) and 3 main (meat, fish, veggie).A pasta dish is also available for starter or main. Pudding was available for those who could squeeze it in! The Chef and his team were extremely good and brilliantly supported by Clifton the Maitre'D. It is worth noting that some of my brood would win an Olympic Gold for fussiness; the staff were aware of this potential problem and offered to provide something alternative if the menu did not meet their needs. Due to how well presented and varied the menu was, this only happened once in two weeks - a success!

Staff - All were extremely polite, happy and efficient. On the three occasions we had problems, the staff acted quickly and efficiently to resolve them. As the hotel is so small, the staff all know the guests by sight, which means that there is no requirement for the tacky all inclusive identity wrist bands one has to wear in larger resorts.

Medical - One of us needed medical treatment during the first week and the hotel called out a doctor who provided a diagnosis and medication as well as a second visit on a Sunday to provide further treatment. This did not come cheap at $400 US (cash in hand) for the experience!! Having said that, he did sort the problem out.

Facilities - Not many really; two tennis courts, one volley ball area, one canoe, one small lazer style dinghy, TV and library. But that fits in with the quiet, easy going atmosphere of this resort. If you want jet skis, discos, noise, chaos and your day organised by Red Coats, you need to go to the larger resorts or stay in the UK! We used the tennis courts (raquets and balls provided at reception). I saw the canoe used once. Most of the time, the TV was used to catch up on the news.

Entertainment - 3 times a week at dinner.

Outside Activities - Efficiently arranged through our Rep (Daina). Consisted of a round island tour by catamaran (superb), renting a vehicle for four days (not essential, but expands your horizons and helps you see that you made the right decision with reference to the resort!) (St Johns is only about 10 minutes drive.), diving (my perk and good value).

Conclusion - Coconut Beach Club is an ideal place for those seeking peace and quiet. There is no noise, fuss or bother and the hotel is well tended in beautiful grounds and run by a relatively small and dedicated team. Our age range is 14, 16, 17, 23... and.. M&D. All the children remarked on how much they enjoyed the hotel, staff and... Antigua. I was a little worried that it may be too quiet for them, but that is exactly what they wanted. I also liked the friendly interaction between guests.

Look out for - Family of Mongoose living in and around hotel grounds, horses and goats passing through hotel grounds, variety of cheeky small birds who will 'mug' you for scraps off your breakfast plate, Pelicans and sea birds flying in and out of small reserve behind hotel, 'Dfer' the Dog - welcoming committee.

We have just returned today after 2 weeks of paradise at Coconut Beach Club. We felt very very sad to leave. Hotel, surroundings, staff, meal all brilliant. If it is a relaxing break you want this is the place. All staff made us feel welcome, there are 2 Davids who were brilliant as well as Zaulda, Jahilda, Camy, Murissa, Clifford,(cant remember all their names) ladies at breakfast and lunch. Special mention must be to the Dinner chef in the evening - cannot fault it.
On arrival we were greeted with a choice of fruit or rum punch all lovely presented on a nicely decorated table.Lovely
It is an intimate dinner every evening - choice is from a menu, waiter served. Presentation and choice is out of this world.
The beach and pool may not be that big but it is definately big enough for the amount of guests - it was like a private beach - there were sometimes only 2-3 couples on it at times. I had reservations prior to going because of the size of the pool but I didnt need to worry. There were never any problems getting towels changed at any time and they were always clean and soft.
We went on a few exercusions, booked through Daina - Virgin Rep - an absolute gem - she is so so helpful and was always at hand on dates/times she stated, any queries we had she always went and checked it out and got back to us (these were very MINOR things).
A 10 - 15minute walk to Deep Bay Beach is well worth it - sea is a lot more calm etc etc - its stunning.
We went on the Sunset Cruise - AMAZING - highly recommended as well as the walk with the Medicine Man (Vaughn) wear approp footwear (not flip flops) very pleasant walk and very educational (in a gentle manner!!)
Also went on Adventure Safari this included Kayaking and snorkelling - that was also an amazing trip and would recommend as with the Extreme Circumnavigation - WOW !!!!! Ride of a lifetime - not suitable if you have back problems though it was BRILLIANT.
We hired a car for a day which was fine and went to Shirleys heights on the Sunday night, glad we took the car otherwise we would have been there much longer than we would have wanted to be - views and music stunning but a few hours is long enough - evening we went it was cloudy so did not see sunset.
I had a full body massage (booked at reception) with Emelyn - well, what can I say?? I have massages here but NEVER have I had one like she does - if you are into massage - you WONT be disappointed.
We had a trip into St Johns with the shuttle service, was there 3 hrs and that was fine but if you are into retail therapy then maybe you would want to stay a bit longer. If you are into jewellery - its the place to go - BEAUTIFUL diamond rings etc (which I was lucky enough to get!!)
Loved the quiet and intimacy of the hotel, as it being small you can choose if you want to join in with other couples after your dinner or retire to your room. With it being small, everyone appeared to mingle really well and was like a large family without being in each others faces all the time, everybody who passes acknowledges you and vice versa compared to larger hotels when you are lucky to get a nod in the passing.
All depends what you want from your holiday but for us it exceded our expectations by far. There were no beach vendors selling their wares or staff shouting 'Beach Vollyball' or 'Aqua Aerobics etc - if thats the kind of holiday you want - this is not the place to go.
TIPS - If you are travelling with children within the period when they are allowed - be prepared there are no childrens clubs etc etc, its a very quiet relaxing hotel. I wouldnt say it would be suitable for children under 12 unless they dont like doing anything other than lie by the pool or go to the beach. I would say it caters best for couples who are going for a chilled out holiday.

MOSQUITOS - Very bad!!!! They appear to particularily like me anywhere I go but there well........ I was bitten alive. My husband never gets bitten but he got quite a lot also. Tips I got from other guests was to use 'Citronella' you cant get it in Antigua she brought hers over from UK. Vaughn the Medicine Man was brilliant as he gave me leaves from a tree and used the 'sap' on the bites and that worked wonders. I also got a presciption from the doctor before I left UK (prescription only) which was an anti histemine but I was silly and didnt start taking them until I was there. However after a few days the bites were not near as bad after taking the pills. I also bought cream from the little shop at the hotel to help stop the itch which also worked.

If anyone wishes to contact me direct please feel free to do so.

We have just returned from a 2 week stay at the Cocoonut Beach Club to celebrate our honeymoon and only have praise for this amazing hotel. The hotel is situated on a stunning private beach which was fantastic during the day and night.
The rooms are spacious and have the biggest bed we have ever seen, all rooms have their own private balcony complete with chairs and a hammock which we loved sittng in and watching the many boats cruise past. All rooms have a sea view and are cleaned every day along with the staff bringing you new towels each morning.
The pool area was brilliant there were always enough sun loungers to go around and a nice shady area for when it got too hot. The bar and lounge area was also brilliant and we often spent a few hours sipping the fabulous cocktails made by the legendary Zauda and chatting to everyone.
The all inclusive is the best deal, the food is amazing and myself and my husband have eaten the best food we have ever had, for dinner there is always a choice of 3 different starters, mains and deserts along with the daily specials. We loved all the fish dishes such as red snapper, mahi, and wahoo. The flavours in all the dishes are incredible and have to be tasted to believe how good they are.
Whilst we were in Antigua we visited the capital St Johns and used the shuttle bus provided by the hotel, this was a good way of exploring the capital and even though we only had 3 hours there in the heat it was enough to see the main sights and to do some shopping in the duty free area. We also booked ourselves on the jeep safari trip which was brilliant, the tour took us all over the island on roads and off road. Along with this we also booked a catamaran trip to the sister island of Barbuda which has to be seen to be believed, its an idyllic tropical paradise with 17 miles of pristine sand and sea. All of these trips can be booked through your tour rep (ours was virgin) or by the staff at the hotels tour desk.
Everyone is so friendly and willing to help in any way possible at the Coconut Beach club and we have praise for Zauda, Jahilda and Nicolai which all made our honeymoon so memorable.
All in all we had the best time ever and have already got next years brochure ready to book again!
I would strongly recommend this hotel to couples young or old who want rest, relaxation, brilliant food and drink and a fantastic time. Definatly worth every penny!!

The flight from St Martin to Antigua was short with a small propeller plane that made us a bit nervous. We went to the Transport Board at the airport and there was a fixed price of 20 USD from the airport to our hotel.

The smiling staff welcoming us to the Coconut Beach Club (hence CCB) and offering rum or fruit punch made us feel instantly happy and comfortable. Our room was cool and clean and did not look worn at all. We stayed on the first floor with the ocean only metres away from our small porch.

The CCB was brilliant in many was.

The best thing with breakfast was the lady making your eggs just the way you wanted them á la minute. Some days there were pancakes. There were always bagels, juice and great pineapple. Lunch was buffet style and so-so. They had wonderful creamed potatoes and all fish served was delicious but since they quickly ran out of it you had to hurry to have some.
They also had some great dessert and my favourite was the coconut pie.

Dinner was served á la carte with three options for starters, main courses and desserts. They also had the pasta of the day. The food was mostly good. Sometimes the staff seemed a bit disorganised and rushed. When we ordered a different wine from the one offered in the all-inclusive package it took them about 20 minutes to serve it and they seemed confused that we did not start our main course before we had it. Otherwise the service was brilliant and the staff friendly.

The bar was also great. We loved sitting there, listening to the ocean just outside, sipping our Piña coladas, talking and joking with other guests. Being honeymooners, we were particularly celebrated. The best bartender was a lady named Zauda Browne. She kept us happy by always singing, dancing and making us new wonderful drinks. Besides she was very quick and attentive. A young man named Nicolai was not so good. He had the bad habit of sometimes leaving the bar and being away for quite some time, leaving newly arrived guests to wait before they could have their soft drinks our cocktails.

The hotel had a small beach and we loved to go swimming. There was a lot of fish in the water. It was also wonderful to walk along the beach in the sunset.

The worst thing with the hotel was the drinking water. It tasted far too much like pool water for us. Admittedly we Swedes are spoiled with excellent tap water but we could not understand how the other guests could actually drink the water served. Thus we ordered bottled water. After one day the staff had the habit of fetching bottled water when we arrived for dinner, which was much appreciated. It was not that expensive either.

As for excursions we went on four of them. The first one was to St John. There is a shuttle from the hotel to St John that you can take which is the cheapest option. Since it only leaves in the morning and we missed it, we took a taxi which was about 3 USD more. St John was a great disappointment. It was very hot, crowded with a lot of noisy traffic. There was not that much to shop either, mostly souvenirs.

The second excursion was also the best. It was the circumnavigation. We had a brilliant day at sea getting a good look at the island, including for instance the Devil’s Bridge and Eric Clapton’s estate. On board they offered bear, soft drinks and rum punch. We do not believe in drinking at sea but those who did claimed that they made the rum punch very, very strong, so be careful if you are having that. Also wear a lot of sun screen and have some water too. We got to swim and sail some too. Captain Bob was a jolly chap and people were having a great time.

The third excursion was to the market and barbeque at the Shirley Heights, which also was a bit of a disappointment. We went there to see the sunset, but it was a cloudy day. Still we took some great pictures. Also the market place was quite small and very crowded.

The final excursion was a jeep safari around the island. We got to visit the Nelson’s Dockyard and the rainforest. It was a good tour, but bumpy, so don’t go there if you got a back problem. Also watch out because the seat belts were not that clean and stained our clothes.

All in all we would therefore mostly recommend the circumnavigation, but also the jeep safari. When booking these excursions there is a lady named Jennifer who is not that nice since she is very eager to sell excursions, saying things like “don’t you want your honeymoon to be memorable”. We wish to decide for ourselves what will make our particular honeymoon memorable.

Helena had a massage and a pedicure which was 100 USD in all. It was very relaxing in a hut by the sea and the lady was very good.

In sum we loved the CCB and we would very much like to go back there. We highly recommend it to honeymooners and people who are looking for some peaceful and quiet luxury.

As for Antigua, the island seemed more rural and a lot less commercial than St Martin. The communications were however not that great and the best way to travel seemed to be either by boat or taxi, unless you want to rent a car of course. Our hotel did not have that service though. Nelsons Dockyard was a good and beautiful place to see. When we go back, we intend to stay longer there than the jeep safari allowed.

We felt very safe and happy on Antigua – the land of sea and sun, and we are most definitely going back.