We did not book to stay at the Verandah but were given the opportunity to stay there due to an overbooking.
I have read the comments already made and can report on what we found during the past 10 days.
In no particular order.
There are now 2 whites 2 reds and champagne offered in the main restaurants.
The information centre was open until 11 pm
The management team took a genuine interest in any comments made and documented them
I could not fault any member of staff who seemed genuinely please to see you or be of assistance.
Yes there are lots of hills and the climb from the beach to the pool could be called heart attack hill, but my fitness improved.
The food was of a high standard, well presented and good choices.
The spa was very good.
The rooms are well furnished and presented and kept very clean.
The Kids Club and play area were excellent I would be more than happy to leave my grandchildren there.
The adult pool area is now open.
Yes there is some building work going on, and there are plans for a further restaurant and deli down by reception, and some additional timeshare buidlings but I am sure it will be worth it in the end.

It seems that some of the previous reviewers were only on holiday in order to find fault. Does anybody look for the positive thing sin life any more.

OK, there are a few steps to the beach. OK the beach bar closed at 4pm and the music wasn't always great but for heaven's sake look on the bright side.....

We experineced great service from 97% of the staff - attentive, humorous, willing to spend time and talk.

The place is spotlesssly clean and the people have such pride in what they do.

The food was of a very high standard albeit the difference between the different dining rooms was not that great. However, if you take time to talk to the people providing the food and the service, the whole experience is enhanced. It was also wonderfully fresh.

We were there with 2 kids (10 and 8) oustide of anybody else's school holidays it seems but we more than managed to remain absolutley charmed by the place and the island for 2 weeks.

2 days car hire, the occasional excursion and getting involved in whatever was going on in the resort meant that we had a memorable holiday.

Believe us, do not worry about the newness of this resort it is already very, very good and is only going to go 1 way.

Andrew, Carole, and the boys.

While this is still a new and growing property (as some is still under construction), I found myself wondering many things about this resort during my stay. Examples include: 1) why is the main lobby so removed from the rest of the resort? You have to take the shuttle from the entrance to the resort itself, yet the resort property doesn't have a working "main desk" where you can see a manager, book trips, etc. There is an office off the pool, yet I never saw anybody there after 5pm. The sister resort where we stayed after the Verandah had figured out that the first desk was for checking in/out only and had another well staffed main desk where the resort property was located; 2) why isn't there any computer for guests who didn't know enough to bring their laptop (since the website didn't mention that there was wireless internet around the pool)? The only internet access was having to use the staff computer in the activities office, which was only available from 9-11pm! Given that, there was a significant line and no chance to use Skype or any programs for phone calls, only briefs emails; 3) Why do I have to bend down to get the paper towels in the bathroom and lay on the floor to open the safe? The running joke my wife and I had for the 4 days we stayed here was that the resort was designed by a graduate student in architecture and that he/she only got a "C" in the course. The rooms are stark. The bathroom needs a fan, the room itself needs another ceiling fan over the bed and a window by the bed to allow cross ventilation. Otherwise, you use the AC which is only for the bed/living room and leaves the bathroom stuffy. The balcony (see the many pictures from previous reviews) has a viewing area of about 3 feet, as the ceiling is too low and the railing too high; 4) How are you going to get that stroller up the stairs? The reality is that the resort is built on a bluff, meaning that there are many inclines that must be walked, including the stairs from the beach (which, if not man-made, is one of the least spectacular beaches on the island). For a family friendly resort, there is much walking to be done; and 5) why did the beach bar close at 6pm and then open again from 10-12pm when there was nobody there? Made more sense to keep it open later for an option for dinner/drinks. I got an after dinner drink there at 10pm and asked "does anybody ever come here?" The answer was "no".

Still, for the $, it is not a bad value. The food is average, liquor is included and you can ask for brand names, and the overall price for high season in the caribbean is pretty good. Watersports are included, which is good to explore the bay by the main beaches. The resort is not near anything else on the island (except for the short walk to "devil's bridge"), so if you go you should expect to stay as going into town for dinner is out of the question. In addition, the service was generally good and the staff was pleasant. After a long-delayed flight, we got a very nice greeting from the manager and staff who had arranged a late dinner reservation for us at the restaurant. As had been mentioned before, the difference between the 2 dinner restaurants was not significant. Also, the menu changes weekly, so those staying here for a long period of time will likely be bored with the food as the week goes on.

Lastly, the pool was nice, there seemed to be a good kids club, and there was a "casino" consisting of many slot machines, although we never saw anybody playing. There is also a beach by the main lobby, although at most I saw 2 people there at any hour of the day. As the resort gets complete and parts of it go timeshare, this beach and tiki bar will get busier.

We just returned from our first time at The Verandah Resort and had a wonderful time. We were quite concerned as we read several medicore reviews just before our arrival. I would not agree with most of what I've read. They're still building and working on improvement but none of it interferred with our stay. The grounds were amazing. Well landscaped and lush. I'm sure in a few months it will even be better. They're building a new restaurant on the premises and another "adult only" pool. The staff was very friendly and couldn't do enough for you. Constantly asking if we were having fun and was there anything they could do to make it better.

The food was better than average for "all inclusive." There were so many great staff it's hard to remember all of them. But hats off to Tyrone (server), Jodi (watersports) Felisia (bar) and the duty managers we met. They were always available. The rooms were spacious and comfortable with a great balcony overlooking the bay. Yes, there were some homes across the bay being repaired or closed but nothing that bothered our view. Watersports were plentiful and activities were always available. We took part in a couples kayak race were they gave out a bottle of wine to the winner. Paddle boats, Hobie cats and kayaks were plentiful. They have walking tours to Devil's Bridge which is a top "tourist" spot and Long Bay beach was also nearby. The taxi rides were pricey on their own and often included in whatever excursion you chose to do. The tour desk was available to book trips each day. We went horseback riding on two lovely beaches. We made arrangements with a local to tour all the hotspots on the island for a full 4.5 hours for a reasonable fee. I'm sure this was added money in his pocket but we had a great day and enjoyed learning all about the island from someone who grew up there. The weather was perfect, warm and breezy (sometimes a light sweater is necessary in the evenings). Great entertainment in the evenings yet we didn't see alot of it as we're early birds and tend to turn in early and get up early in the morning. The spa was awesome and the gym was complete with fresh towels and a water cooler and new equipment.

The service charge of $25 at Nicole's is being waived until May. The restaurants were not open every evening but almost always 2 of the 3 restaurants were open. Although Nicole's is a bit more upscale than the other two restaurants I wouldn't consider the $25 service charge as "worth it". It was a more elegant spot with very attentive service. The food was good but not worth an additional $50 per couple. They may have to add something more to make it worth the extra surcharge.

All in all we had a great time and would recommend it to everyone. I do think it is a very "family" oriented resort but it didn't bother us. We requested (prior to arrival) to be placed in a "adults only" unit to be sure to have more peace and quiet next door to us. We're in our early 50's and would consider returning in the future. Have fun and look forward to an awesome vacation!