Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa Review

First of let me say this was our first and last trip to Antigua! This is our third trip to Sandals, twice to Montego Bay, which we loved, and now here @ Antigua Grande. In general I must say we were disappointed in the overall friendliness but it is a different culture than Jamaica. Anyway I woke my wife up early on Monday May 13th, for a walk on the beach, since we were just stepping out and planning to return shortly we didn't do our due diligence and put everything away (lock in safe) but we did put on the red light indicating no room service wanted and would change to greenlight for service after we changed into swimsuits and head for the pool. When we returned to room from our morning walk we discovered the room had been entered and cleaned to our surprise sense the red light was on. Fast forward to the evening when we changed for dinner and my wife discovered her jewelry missing. She always set them in the same spot when we were in the room and the safe when we left, so we immediately began searching the room. When we didn't find anything we called the front desk to report our missing jewelry, while waiting for a manager and security to come we started wondering if maybe they were accidentally were accidentally wiped into the sink drain while they cleaned our room. We searched the room with manager and security to see if weccould locate items, they also searched our luggage, personal items our underwear everything we had and the safe, understandably. We requested to have maintenance come up and pull the sink drain to check, nothing found. They said they would check the door card reader to see who had entered (only two swipes that day one from us and one from cleaning lady) we generally use the patio door which is key lock and I keep the key with me. Head of security Martin contacted us the next day with that info, researched our room and our items and said they would continue to investigate and provide a report for us and if we wanted we could contact the police. Initially I was not going to contact police figuring the security report would provide any info we needed, but after speaking with our insurance company to file a claim we were advised we would need a police report so we requested security contact police for us. Once the police arrived with Martin we explained the situation and Martin advised them that the cleaning lady had said she didn't do it, so we must be responsible for the missing items. At this time they are being to accuse us of stealing our own jewelry and this became upsetting and I had had enough, the police walked off and wouldn't speak to me anymore. I walked to the front desk and requested to speak to the hotel manager, an assistant manager advised he wasn't available but would contact me within 2 hours. There was a returning guest dinner event that night that the managers attended and I was looking to speak to the GM and spoke with a hospitality manager, Alex, who said he didn't want a scene so if I wanted to speak to him tonight I would need to leave the dinner. I also wanted to enjoy the evening and he said he would have the GM contact me the next day. That is today, at 11:30 I had not heard from him so I went to the front desk to inquire, after waiting for 10 minutes or so, Matthew the GM for the hotel arrived we spoke with him for about an hour to be told it is now a police matter so there was nothing else they would do. The items are worth approximately $2000, I have a $1000 deductible so I'm am basically out money. If I were trying to scam it would be for considerably more. Basically we fell in love with Sandals and have enjoyed coming for our annual vacation and have already booked for next year but now I am uncertain about that at this point. They say welcome home you are family but I certainly don't feel that way now!

This is my 6 time vacation at this location and the standards is way down. Staff tripping over cats with trays in their hands

Not As Good As Its' Publicity. Sandals is a brand and much of its facilities represent this. It falls short of true 5 star though, particularly in the restaurants. These could generally have better choice and quality.

NOT worth the money!!! I couldn't agree more with the review below me.. SERVICE IS TERRIBLE & FOOD IS MEDIOCRE (CRUISE CUISINE)!!
When we arrived we sat in the lobby for 30-40 mins waiting to be brought to our room, although we were approached by four different people within that 40mins asking if we had checked in through the ipad & only seemed to be concerned with if we had put our credit card on file. The first place we went to eat after placing our bags in the tiny unfortunate room we had booked had a 25-30 min wait time.. on pizza!!!..and this was at 4:15pm. Once we got the pizza we knew right away that we were in for a commercialized, cruise cuisine for the next several days..That night they had BBQ on the Beach with live entertainment. I was actually looking forward to this, the setup looked as if it was going to be some what of a luau with great food and a fun time. We were highly disappointed in the food & the entertainment which consisted of a lady on a stage screaming "yea mon" who was no more Jamaican or Caribbean then I am.. & obnoxiously screaming at the guest in front of the stage to come to the front & take shots while doing some ridiculous dance moves. It was embarrassing and tacky to say the least & we decided to go to bed early. Thankfully we had a fishing trip booked the next morning completely separate from Sandals, & would be gone for most of the day. Sadly we were sitting at dinner that night counting down the days that we would have to spend at this place. To top it all off the AC didn't work our first night either, nor did it work the second night.. it actually didn't start working until the morning we were leaving, although we called and asked for help to cool off our room three different times... Oh and getting someone to answer the phone in the concierge office... HA! It probably rang 20 or more times before someone picked up...if they picked up at all.. Our wifi hardly worked on our phones, it would go in & out, so we were hardly able to upload any photos while being there on our honeymoon. You had to pay extra for the better wifi!!! I called the concierge asking for information to hook up to the wifi for our macbook and she advised me that someone would be right over to assist us.. 45 mins later I called back to tell her no one had shown up yet. She said she would see to it that they come right away. .40 minutes later, still no one..so we decided to go to dinner. We stopped by the concierge office to inform her that no one ever showed up. She said that she would see it to that they came by later that night or the next morning to help hook up our wifi. NO ONE EVER CAME BY. We were informed that we needed to make reservations at most of the nice restaurants, so when we called to make reservations we were told they get booked up a week in advance, but we could only make reservations once we arrived. I was calling two days in advance and they were telling me that they had no openings. For one of the restaurants we were able to choose from the "leftover reservation slots".. 2 hours before they opened for dinner we stopped by & asked while they were setting up if we could reserve a table closest to the ocean for the sunset view & that we had reservations at 6:30. They told us that they open at 6:15 there should be plenty of tables open to choose from at 6:30 but that they couldn't reserve a table. We got there at 6:20, and there was one table left with the ocean sunset view. We asked if we could have that table and they said it was reserved for someone else. After explaining that we came by earlier to request a sunset view & were told that no tables could be reserved they said they would see what they could do.. 6:45 we were finally seated with a corner table with a corner view. There were so many mishaps on this trip, no one ever caring to fix anything for us. We were told by the concierge & after receiving the courtesy call asking about our stay that a manager would be in contact with us immediately.. WE NEVER HEARD FROM A MANGER. IT was way too much money to be so disappointed.

Sandals is always a fun resort. Best when you come with a group, or you enjoy making new friends. If you opt for the butler service, they'll treat you very well!

Food was great,staff was awesome, everything is first class!!! Had a great time

I was a returning customer to Sandals and had a 7 day stay booked with Sandals Antigua. 3 days before our departure, Sandals notified us that we had to get tested for Covid AND have results prior to being admitted to the island. This is after I had reached out to them once a week for three weeks only to be told they didn't know anything. We didn't get our results back in time (got them the following Monday instead of Saturday) and Sandals refused to give us a refund. We even had their "travel protection". The customer service was downright rude and said I was wasting my time. If you're looking to travel in these uncertain times, spend your money with another company. Sandal's does not have your back and now we have a lot of money lost in airfare (had to cancel the trip too soon to get money back from it) and with the trip itself. It's absolute garbage how this has been handled. Please spend your money at any other reputable resort companies.

Edit for anyone who thought Sandals may have helped after their copy/pasted reply; they have not helped at all and do not plan on helping. Again, avoid Sandals.

Our first trip to a Sandals and it lived up to the hype! We will definitely be exploring more of their properties. Be sure to take advantage of the multitude of dining options! best food I've ever had at an all inclusive.

One of the best hotels in Antigua! Bring your family and come!

It was an amazing trip! Couldn t have asked for a better honeymoon with my wife. Butler service was awesome June hunter and lauricia were all on top of it. Beach was beautiful. Our favorite restaurant was bayside but all of them were just as good. Best excursion we did was the extreme navigation tour around the island. Defintley want to go back in the future. Sandals Antigua is 5/5!

Upon arriving in the room we had no wine/alcohol. This had to be ordered at front desk and then they said we could only have a single bottle of wine. This is contrary to previous visits - this is a step backwards. Staff in general were friendly but not always the best/efficient service. Beach and weather was very good. The resort itself requires some TLC has it is beginning to show its age. Overall, not the best Sandals resort I have been too. Based on money spent on this trip it failed to live up to expectations.

We went on our Honeymoon for 2 weeks; we spent 1 week at the Sandals Regency La Toc in St. Lucia and spent the remaining week here. To say that our stay was disappointing is an understatement at best. I am literally giving the 2 stars to our favorite Sandals Taxi driver, GG because he s an amazing human being.

This resort is D A T E D. Our room (club level #7504) had bugs in the sink, on the nightstands and a few in the bed. We noticed that the screen in the bathroom was broken and was most likely how they were getting in. FIX IT.

We had laundry service done with housekeeping and they claim they have a 9 hour turn around time on it (drop off by 9am and items will be returned by 6pm). We dropped off items and never received them back for over 48 hours; we kept calling and they insisted they d get down to the bottom of it and give us updates, we never received one, ever. Upon returning our clothes, they smelled as if they were never washed.

The best food there was at the 5pm - 2am bar, The Drunken Duck, I think that speaks volumes for itself. Everything from this Gourmet resort was tasteless. The breakfast buffets are the same every single morning. That s a lot of the same breakfast for 7 days.

The staff members literally acted like they d rather be getting root canals than be working. A lot of the lady waitresses were some of the rudest I ve ever been in contact with. Rolling eyes, acting too good, etc. If we are going to drop thousands of dollars, at least ACT like you care.

The GM has GOT to be clueless as to what s going on at this resort or simply does not care. RENOVATE THE ROOMS, DO SOME TRAINING WITH YOUR STAFF & UPHOLD YOUR PROMISES to people paying a lot of money for their special occasions.

Will never be back to this resort but have been in contact with our Taxi driver, GG & we will see him again (again, hence the 2 stars)!

A resort where you can be pampered and have all the amenities you pay for.
It's a sunny island, you will definitely have a terrific time.!

Our stay at this resort did not disappoint, the service was wonderful. Huge thanks to our butlers Sean, Kosi and Dionne for delivering the service that you expect at Sandals. My next trip to Antigua I will be sure to request them.

Great resort on probably the best beach of the island! It's like play sand!

Very clean . Accommodating and very pleasant staff. We didn't want to leave

Very comfortable and enjoyable stay in this all inclusive resort

I loved the atmosphere. The staff was suoer awesome and I am not saying that because I am a local. I enjoyed the ambience and the music

How this resort could be considered 5 star is beyond belief . The rooms are tired the customer service is average . The vehicle for the transport from the airport with the kamakazee driver was clapped out and is not exclusive for Sandals and the room at 15.00hrs wasn't ready with a hotel occupancy of less than 40% . There are only 7 restaurants (11 professed ) and not all open every night .
Their marketing is superb the reality very dissapointing .
Food was very good and the beach wonderfull if you didn't mind the plague of vendors every day .
Finally if you don't like cats avoid , the property encourages the cats which are everywhere .

We stayed for 7 nights in the Sunset Bluff Honeymoon, and it was wonderful! This is our very first visit to sandals, so we have a lot to say, but almost all of it is positive.
This resort is so immaculate and pristine. The grounds are lush. It truly feels like paradise. The beach has soft, white sand, and the waters are crystal blue. All natural beaches in Antigua are public, so there is the chance of being approached by vendors, but a simple "no thank you" usually is enough.
A possible negative for others is that the resort is full of cats. They're adorable, and we love cats so this wasn't an issue for us. But if you're allergic, or dont like cats, they could be seen as annoying. They aren't really in your face, unless you have food near the beach in the evening, like on the patio at Bayside. I asked a staff member about the cats, and they said they were well taken care of (that is obvious as some are very well fed) and they keep other pests like rodents and reptiles at bay. I love that!

We were very impressed with the food selection and quality.
Mario's, Bayside, and Kimono's were our favourites. As well as Bella for afternoon pizza. It took us almost our entire stay till we got pizza, and we regretted it, so don't make this mistake, make sure you get a pizza immediately!
Bayside had great breakfast and lunch buffets, but even better French dinner cuisine, we were thoroughly impressed. Kimono's had awesome teppanyaki, the shrimp was the best part. We also got to taste all 7 flavours of sake. Mario's antipasto was amazing.
The only restaurant that was "meh" was OK Corral. It was truly just ok.
The drinks were plentiful around the resort, personal favourite being the BBC and candy apple martini.
Special shout out to the Cafe, which we visited at LEAST once a day. I got the coconut ice cream almost every evening, it was absolutely amazing. I hope the ladies who work at the cafe didn't judge us for getting cupcakes and ice cream every single day, sometimes twice. It was just that great.

I also visited the red lane spa, and got a wonderful manicure from Polly. I did not see the rest of the spa, but i could imagine it was lovely.

Our room was clean, and house keeping came around twice daily, first time around lunch to refresh towels, remake bed, and general clean up. The second time they came around 6-7pm for turn down, and do the same things. Drink cart came around daily, usually around 2-5pm. We went through a ton of water, and even if we finished after the drink cart was around, we could call for more and it was there!
Room service was quick, usually within 20 minutes. Not always the best, but if you really don't feel like leaving your room, it does the trick.

The room was situated a little up hill, so quite a few sets of stairs. It did not bother us, but keep this in mind when booking. It was central to everything. That was a huge bonus. It was quiet, except for the frogs at night, but the frogs are everywhere so no escaping them.

The only negatives we could possibly find were that the rooms were a little aged. The tv remote didn't work, so we could only watch 1 channel. The tv's are also verrrryyyy old. We brought our laptop and HDMI cord in hopes that we could watch movies, we usually do this at hotels. This tv was so old, there was no HDMI port.
The bed was also not the best. Too firm and worn out for our liking.
The shower and the sink in the bathroom didn't drain great. The shower also was weirdly situated, and every time we took a shower, water splashed all over. I slipped once, skinned my arm. I call it a battle scar now from my stupidity. Still, be careful with the shower.

The staff here are so friendly and reserved. Anything we wanted, it was delivered. We really appreciated that we were left alone unless we asked for something, it kept the relaxed vibe going.

We had such an enjoyable time here, that before we left, we booked another Sandals visit, and got a great price on it. Thank you for it!

Elevator not working for at least a week, despite 7 floors in the building.
Feral cats everywhere, even in the restaurants, doing their business on the grass and public areas, they re meant to be neutered but saw a bundle of kittens with their mother.
Room service food lying in corridors, cats and birds eating at it.
Staff unfriendly, particularly the security people.
Had to be early for food before little left, queues to get even a fried egg.

Great beach, great service, it was a nice stop of the cruise.

I would like to be very honest, giving my opinion about my stay in this Hotel, and I do it in this way because no one in my room, neither workers nor executives, asked me how we felt, first the first day after making such a trip. long and tired, we were seated in the lobby to fill with an ipac the required documentation and when one arrives at the hotel the least you want is to waste time, one wants to rest, for me the welcome in a hotel says it all, the natural areas of hotel, like the beach, are areas of inspiration, they are beautiful, it is the only nice thing that the hotel has. I have spent 7 days in the hotel, from 3 to May 10 of 2018. The food for me the worst, I do not I could eat a fish only had tilapia, coffee that is something to enjoy in these places, at all times was a machine, lunch was pizza, hambergue, chips or hot dog, because the buffet did not have anything to motivate to eat with a salad, not a meat, Barbiquiu that you see in all the hotels of no longer habia.The restaurant facing the sea of fish, at noon all was with bread, and there were lines of 30 minutes.The only restaurant that we could eat was Mario's, we already knew the menu.The other restaurants have the same menu.La cleaning of the room very bad, the lady constantly touched us to clean, nor left us the bathroom sets, soap and shampoo.Tambien note that workers do not feel stimulated because they do not receive a tip, so do not mind giving you good service, total will not have reward, the glasses of the restaurant have an opaque blue color, which does not let see your water thing that I did not like either. Hopefully my dissent serves to help them improve, I have never experienced so many desires to leave a hotel as of this, hopefully have many repeaters, at least my husband and I, I do not think I would return. Thanks

Amazing adults only resort. Excellent food, location and staff.

We loved the place, great snorkelling off boat everyday, great food and friendly staff, especially Odeyne in the English pub!

Lovely aroma and staff. A wonderful place for couples.

Excellent! 5 Stars All the Way

I spent two days at this resort because it was the venue for a company conference. The staff were professional and customer focussed making sure that everything worked and that things were in place as requested.

The meals were excellent and the variety was wide. Conference facilities are also of a very high standard including audio/visual equipment.

The grounds are beautifully maintained and make for a pleasant backdrop.

Good resort on the island. Locals state its the best one. Personally I'm more partial to Secrets Resorts. The food is ok, staff is excellent, facilities are mediocre.

Not too happy with this resort. We booked a two week holiday with sandals. First week at St Lucia with friends, which had lots of dining issues but a great holiday as with friends, then second week here. We arrived here at 10.15am, no welcome as such, and were told our room wouldn't be ready until 3pm, despite also being told the resort was only 80% full. The room first offered was dark as the veranda looked onto the back of the building in front. The second marginally better as looks onto a walkway, we accepted it as we were desperate to get unpacked. Our booking stated a walkout poolside! The bathroom is dark and the sink is in a poky badly lit corner. No welcome greeting despite having 28 days in sandals behind us. Lots of very loud people here. I'm afraid there are better places to stay now and cheaper, than sandals. Plus side, nice beach (if you get up early to grab a sunbed) and lovely sea.

We had an amazing time - staff was very friendly. The resort is definitely 5 star worthy. We were married there - wedding coordinator was fantastic! We'll definitely be back!

We are loving our honeymoon here at Sandals Antigua! It is the perfect romantic vacation spot! The food is delicious, the staff is so warm and friendly. It's a large property but easy to walk around. It feels so private and special. My only hiccup would be that you have to wake up at 6am if you want to get an umbrella on the beach, otherwise the butlers reserve them all for guests ( that sometimes don't even show up). But other than that, one of the best hotels I've ever stayed at!

We loved Antigua! Darren and Vanessa are amazing Butlers! Make sure you have your photos taken with Joshua. Beautiful beach!

Off the charts! You must go there. Relax and enjoy....oh yeah do a couple massage!

The staff were amazing. Beautiful views. Clean beach. Lots of choice at restaurants and they handle allergies well with options.

This place is paradise! The staff are awesome and the guests are so nice to each other.

5 stars only has the price !! Horrible restaurants !! Poor Service !!

ok food. food is better at the Whitehouse. great people. great butlers. small resort. not a lot of excursions to do.

Very nice people working at resort..good food nice service overall..rooms OUTDATED..also had butler service..most of the time attentive..could have called me without having to call them. To check in..butler's are nice and courteous, but I feel the service is way overpriced. As I spoke with many others who felt the same. Overall had a pleasant experience. Will be going back to a newer. More modern sandals to try out. And will not be getting butler service. As we can enjoy our stay without..

The water here was not as clear as we would have hoped. Not sure what the name of this beach was but it is only one of 365 for the whole island. I would come back only after I visited all of the other beaches first. We came in and were directed to sit down, almost forcefully in chairs that the very same person came by a couple minutes later telling us we owed him $22 to sit on each chair. $44? Nope! Because of the resort, it was difficult to find a spot to set our things where we wouldn't be told that we had to move away because we weren't from the resort. You can call me cheap all you want but, I paid to go to this beach and it should not be that hard to get relaxed.

Finding a bathroom was also difficult and the inside of the ONE we were allowed to use was absolutely nasty with a mixture of lots of sand, urine and ocean water coating the whole floor. We couldn't use the resort bathrooms, once again because we weren't staying at the resort. We paid for the excursion to this beach, shouldn't be that hard to feel comfortable and relaxed.

Finally after all of the craziness though, we were able to relax and enjoy floating in the calm water in front of the Sandals restaurant where we had to hide our stuff where noone would hopefully say anything.

They were absolutely amazing there. All time best experience on vacation. If you're there and want some fun, just look for "Mr. Sunshine" he's on the right end of the beach and his wife does massaged right on the sand with the ocean in the background.

Well kept resort, friendly staff, great food, awesome drinks. The beach was fantastic, the atmosphere phenomenal.

Great holiday, lovely resort kept spotless, food excellent and staff were so pleasent and helpful all in all we loved it, would revisit again.

So far food is excellent! beautiful weather, not crowded staff is very friendly ..Doug

The location is great, the beach is very nice but a public beach so the vendors are tooo many. We have been to 6 other Sandals so I expected 5 star rooms and service. We did not get that the service was not good very little pool service or none! At restaurants you wait about an hour to get your food except Eleanors. The resort needs to be updated especially rooms and main pavilion. The elevator button in the Mediterranean was broke the whole week told the staff and nothing was done. Entertainment was not good except Super Bowl night and beach party.
We did go there 7 years ago and was a 5 star at that time don t know what happened. If your going you will enjoy yourself just don t expect a 5 star resort.
I hope Sandals addresses these issues as many guest felt the same way as we did.

Didn't disappoint. Friendly staff couldn't do enough for you, always with a smile.Food top quality and varied. Best beach on island. Very relaxing

Beautiful, very clean, excellent food !!!! Butlers Marlene, Karen and Kevin are just great !!!!! The place is heavenly and the people very nice!

Synonymous with elegance and luxury ... great food, clean rooms and the whole village excellent .. the best part besides being a paradise is all the staff, warm welcoming always cheerful, then becoming friends .. the best

My husband & I got married here. The staff went above & beyond for us & the guest we had attending the wedding! We cannot wait to go back!

It s quite a long beach, and the scenery is fascinating. Especially when the sun goes down, don t be embarrassed when the sunset is beautiful!

Always been a great luxsury hotel. Perfect for vacations wedding and private dinners and party. lovely ambience

We booked our honeymoon to this sandals. Just got the email that it will be cancelled and that we will get a free night when we change locations. Well our free night is going to cost us an additional $242.50. After spending two and a half hours (no exaggeration) on the phone with the Antigua helpline I gave in and we decided against doing the additional night.

Add in that switching your flight is a huge pain and we spent another hour on the phone with expedia trying to change our flights. (Sandals says they will pay for the switch) This is ridiculous!

Sandals Grande Antigua is on the beautiful Dickenson Bay with stunning scenery

Awesome couples place, the people here are definitely very warming and make you feel like family.

Exceeded Expectations!!!

This was the first time that I had vacationed at a Sandals Resort, and after the spectacular time we had, I can say without a doubt it will not be our last!
This place had everything you could think of. Water activities, fire pits, lawn games, plunge pools and swim up pool bars, vast amount of quality dining options, and nightly entertainment. Not to mention just walking around the resort was breathtaking.The spa here is great as well! It was by far the best facial I have had; they really listened to what I wanted.
The staff is what really made our stay truly special. Everyone was genuine, friendly, and went above and beyond.
An unforgettable trip with memories to last a lifetime. I would highly recommend staying at the Sandals Grande Antigua Resort and Spa!!!

We used the beach adjacent to the resort and it was probably the best beach I have ever been to. Clear blue water, smooth sand and family friendly environment. It was 40 for four chairs and 2 umbrellas. Loved it! Some locals trying to sell tours and crafts but for me that adds to the charm Sorry about the feet in the pic lol.

Poor service by waiting staff. Sandals reps always wanting to sell more massage, spa services, butler service and more..

This is an incredible vacation, absolutely beautiful, best experience and loads of fun and relaxation.

My wife and I just got back from Sandals Grande Antigua, Feb 25- March 4, 2018. The good parts are from the Airport only 15 minute drive, the staff was the best customer service I ever received, rooms were beautiful, and the grounds perfectly kept. The employees will remember you each night and would try to do anything to accommodate your experience.
The disappointment is that the pictures of the beach does not show the accurate size nor the age appropriate groups there. Antigua is definitely now a 60 year old and over atmosphere. Not meant for couples 40 and below. It is very quiet and relaxing though if that's what you seek. Since the hurricane the beach has been washed away. Over half of it if not more of the beach is gone and nothing shows Sandals is going to fix the problem. I believe up to date photos should now show the appearance and size of the beach. When high tide came in the water took over the beach and the water spilled past the Sandals walls onto the resort, leaving you with no beach.
The horrible part of this is though I am an animal lover, I do not like stray cats walking into and around the restaurant while eating. I was told there is a cat hotel near by that spade and neuter the cats but I still felt that was disgusting while I am eating.
Lastly, the amount of money paid to go to this resort, myself and several other guests routinely complained about the food. The staff again who was great noted our complaints stating it has been a problem and one of the most common complaints. No matter what restaurant you went to the food was barely eatable. Stomach pains by the end of the night every night. It isn't the cooking that's the problem it is the type of food being brought in. If you eat at Mario's you are eating beef a roni meals, chef boyardee, and ragu all dressed up with parsley. It is equivalent to eating at a Dennys, Applebees, or a run down dinner all week.
Hope this helps, I am not one to complaint about food since I can tolerate just about anything, but this was terribly bad and the food does not equally represent the rest of the resort.

Adult, couples only all-inclusive. Relaxing fun times.