The good:
- Huge room with lovely balcony
- Big bathroom and plenty of towels available
- Good airconditioning
- Friendly staff (apart from a waitress at Barringtons who seemed grumpy that we turned up half an hour before closing)
- Beautiful beach at resort and plenty of space for your own place in the sun
- Excellent breakfasts - yummy omelettes and -plenty to choose from

The bad:
-Unfortunately there is nothing happening in the evenings at this resort - the karaoke and casino are virtually non existent. So really - you need to leave the resort for entertainment
-Wouldn't rave about the food at the restaurants at Grand Royal- Went to Galley Bay (resort down the road) a couple of times and the food there was superb
-TV reception not that good

All in all I would definitely recommend this resort to stay. It is great value for money and has lots going for it. Hopefully business will pick up for them, as it did resemble a bit of a ghost town. If you're budget conscious you'd be happy.

with a wonderful beautiful beach surrounded by hills.

Hotel renovation is to start in April, not to say that the hotel is all that bad right now while rates are reasonable. Upon entering the lobby you feel the hotel if from say the 50's, kind of an art deco look that needs livening up. The entire hotel/ resort is clean, the grounds far outdo the rest with well attended foliage and beautiful palms facing a lovely lagoon and beach. The rooms are large, confortable, clean needing some updating. The service is generally very good. The food quality is excellent. Some services that are supposed to be in place, aren't, such as a shuttle to town with the actual cost of $30.00 rt .Only 1 restuarant was open at a time. We did opt to eat at Chez Pascal one night, where we found the food not to be anything special and felt like we were taken by paying more than twice as much as eating at the hotel where the food was sometimes as good or better. At this point would rate the hotel at a 3 star level but it does grown on you.

This hotel is definately the place to relax. Never have I stayed at a hotel where the only place I wanted to be was the beach, it's an absolutely beautiful, idealic and serene setting. There really isn't much to do in the evenings - not for the resort lack of trying, but it is currently under used so... not too many people to gamble with or disco with. The staff was definately friendly, the food - good (again you can't fault them for having only 1 resteraunt open at a time, given the numbers)and the rooms - always clean and plenty of hot water and towels. The staff at the beach were available to take you for a ride on the hobie cats and walking tours (this is a must because you gain some valuable information about poisonous plants on the walk to Fort Barrington) We found that you could arrange most outside activities through the front desk (quicker and cheaper than through our tour host). They have good access to rental cars and they have a great deal for taxi service to Kings Casino (it should work out to be free). We had a great family holiday - our two young adults travelled with us (but for them it was too quiet) and you should have no worries about vacationing at the Grand Royal Antiguan

I questioned my travel advisor because of all the negative reviews of this resort but decided to give it a try. We had a great vacation and would go back again. The resort is going through a management change and a major upgrade. The room we had was in good condition with a few dings in the dresser top and the bathroom needed a new mirror (faded) but it was far better than other 5 star hotels I stayed at. I give the housekeeping staff a "10" for cleanliness and hospitality. If we asked for something it was there in 10 minutes. The room looked like we just arrived everyday after they cleaned up from my mess!
The staff was very friendly and most knew your name within a few days. The food was good and plentyful. Because of the low occupancy only 1 restaraunt was open at a meal so some people were upset with the buffets. I tried the different fish and enjoyed all but the kingfish. I felt the variety of foods at the buffet were good (steak, fish, chicken with plenty of salads and desserts).
The beach is a short walk from the hotel and is beautiful. The water was clear and calm even though the wind was strong most days. The hobie cats were fun to ride and it is included in the AI. Ask for PappaLes or Kendalle, they will ensure you have a good time. Beware of others who will charge you to take you out.
The manager was available through the week and seems to be very excited to hear guests input, don't miss the managers Thursday cocktail party, good food!
If Rueben says he will help you do anything don't hold your breath, I waited 3 days for him to set up a golf trip and he was always in a meeting.
In all I would definitely go back, especially after hearing about other resorts that were worse off. This place is a great place at an affordable price.
Thanks to Alicia, Helen, Jocelyn(both of you), Georgia, Donna, Iran, Andria, Koreen, Prudence, Emma, Daril, Gayle, Steve, Jermaine, PappaLes, Kendalle and most especially Sonia! I miss my afternoon Banana Daquiri!