Jolly Beach, Antigua

Terri Garrant

We were looking to find a budgeted girls trip and found Jolly Beach Resort & Spa with American Express travel. We read the reviews prior to going and knew that we would not be vacationing at a 4 star resort. The rooms were small and the twin beds were very close to each other. The bathroom sliding door continually came off of the tracks when opening and closing. The air conditioning was very good. The view of the ocean from the room was outstanding. The room would have been 4 star if it was updated, the view of the ocean and sunset was awesome. Initially, the staff were not very friendly. June became our favorite bartender. We loved the singing lady at the buffet breakfast. Many of the staff did not seem excited and lacked energy, but some did warm up after we were there a few days. Typically at a resort or hotel, the staff is very accommodating and friendly. I have seen other reviews where the staff was described as rude, and unfortunately it is true. Here, they could use training on delighting the customer. The Pizza Factory restaurant was very nice and elevated the dining experience with a very nice wait staff and menu. However, dining at the Pizza Factory requires you make a reservation at 7:30am in person. That isn't too terrible because there is coffee and tea available while you wait. The beach was amazing! There were ample chairs and umbrellas so there was no need to reserve early in the morning. The chairs and umbrellas could stand to be replaced as many were worn. Alex the massage therapist on the beach was fantastic, definitely a bonus that I did not expect. His reflexology is amazing. I think I would try a 4 star resort on my next visit to Antigua for total relaxation and service. I loved Jolly Beach, but would like to experience a 4 or 5 level resort.

Linda Carr

This hotel is horrible and only a good fit if you want to experience the “trenches” at a cost. When we arrived the room was extremely dated and the bathroom smelled like mildew. There was also hair from the previous guest in the rooms; which is disgustingly bad. You have to beg for towels because they do not replenish them daily without a request. I had to shower in flip flops and avoid touching the shower curtain. 🤮 The hotel is dusty and needs to be power washed. If you like working out just know the machines are dated and the one treadmill makes a noise when you run on it, so in other words you will not get a good workout in. Some of the staff is friendly, but others service with an attitude. The glass they use to pot drinks are cloudy and OLD! The two good things at Jolly beach are the food and the beach. In actuality the place needs to close down, renovate, and train their staff on cleaning and customer service.😢

Ka Cris

I must say, it exceeded my expectations! The food and drinks were delicious, the staff were friendly and welcoming, and the beach was beautiful. Although the hotel was fully booked, we were pleasantly surprised to find that it was easy to secure shade and beach chairs, and there were no long lines for food and drinks. We had no issues with hot water or the public bathrooms, which were always clean. We appreciated that the tap water in our room was safe to drink, making things more convenient. The weather was gorgeous every day, with quick and light rain showers that didn't bother us at all. We loved our vacation in Jolly Beach!

Jim E

Let's be honest that this place is great value for food, drinks, pool and beach. But it ends there. Our room leaked every time it rained and even on the first night. We did not complain. But when we PAID for the room be cleaned, we were accosted by the housekeeper in the hallway about keeping our room clean. Actually yelled at us. The staff is so rude aside from a couple individuals. We tipped every drink and meal but stopped that as the staff was still rude. My advice, go visit but do not be nice. If something is wrong, make a complaint and hold them accountable. We spent one night contemplating moving to another hotel. That is the last thing anyone should be doing on their vacation.

Scott

After reading some reviews, we were a bit concerned that we had booked this resort. But after having spent our March break there,it was absolutely a great decision. Honestly can't understand a lot of the negative reviews. Some people are just too picky apparently. Yes the rooms are a bit underwhelming, but we didn't spend a lot of waking time in the room, the AC worked well and the bed was quite comfortable. We also had plenty of hot water for showering and a great view of the beach. The beach was one of, if not the best we've visited yet. The staff were all friendly and helpful especially Margaret and the sweetheart bartender at the restaurant bar(apologies for forgetting her name). The resort grounds were great. The buffet and pool grill were good, but the a la carte was excellent. Drinks were good as well especially the old fashioned rum punch. We will definitely be making a return visit to Antigua and Jolly Beach Resort.