We just returned from a 5ngt stay at this resort, and actually cancelled our reservation and flights to Excellence Playa Mujeres (previous guests there) to visit this highly rated resort. For the most part, it was a very good experience, but there were a few things that, imo, kept it from a 5 star rating as we had fully expected it to be.
Location- the resort itself is beautiful- the grounds, facilities, restaurants, and most of all the villas and their views. We had a waterfront villa and it was just as expected- quiet, clean, spacious, and had the perfect view. The resort is located in a cove, which we knew going in, but the air flow in the cove is almost nonexistent so it felt very hot with no breeze most days. Also, the road leading down to Hammock Cove is an absolute mess so drivers have to go extremely slow, which is kind of annoying when we are wanting to arrive quickly either from the airport or an excursion. The beach is very small, which we also knew and thankfully due to the small size of this resort along with the fact that it was only at 40% capacity when we visited, the beach never felt crowded. However, you do share the cove with the Verandah, their sister resort, which I didn’t fully realize until there. We did a day trip around the island and were able to see and visit other resorts and beaches, and for that reason, we would not return here due to all the other beautiful options for far bigger and natural beaches with true white sands and clear water.
Dining- as expected, the food here was very good to excellent, which was one of the main reasons we cancelled our plans to Excellence for this resort. We did not have a bad meal here, and most were outstanding. There were a few breakfasts where our eggs were overdone and not prepared to our specifications, and all service, especially room service, was very slow. Not a huge deal except for the day we had a spa appt and we had to literally scarf down our food and run to the spa. Also, and not a popular opinion, but the bartenders are not what we would call “mixologists”. Yes, they make beautiful cocktails, but we never got consistent drinks, and they never quite knew what their drinks were called. When we would order what would be considered a typical drink anywhere else, they sometimes didn’t know what it was or how to make it. And if we let them make us something, and happened to like it, it was hard for them to duplicate it the next time we visited that bar.
Service- here’s where I feel like this resort needs to improve greatly and is what kept us from giving 5 stars. The ambassadors are very inconsistent, and while they were all polite and professional, they were sometimes hard to get a hold of and did not fulfill our requests for various items. We were not given a charger for their phone so it almost died on us because we didn’t have that type of charger and it took multiple calls to finally get one. As stated before, room service, which you place with your ambassador, was late, and communication was just lacking for everything, from spa appts to excursions, we had to follow up on everything. They told us they were short staffed due to the time of year, but there needs to be a minimum in order to maintain a certain level of service. Also, aside from a few excellent servers at the Lighthouse and Sir Rob’s, as well as Gabriel at the rum bar, none of their staff seemed happy to be there, and it showed in their service. The beach service was hard to come by, and when you did get someone, it was a long wait for anything (drinks were half melted by the time we got them, I never got any condiments for my burger one day after asking and they brought it 30min later when I was done because I didn’t want to eat a cold burger). This was where our previous experiences with Excellence properties, especially in Mexico, blows this staff away, as those workers are quick, plentiful, and always have a smile on their face. I realize Antigua is a different country with a smaller population, but a high level of service still needs to be met if they truly claim to be “luxury”.
All in all, we had a wonderful first visit to Antigua, and it won’t be our last, but we likely won’t return to Hammock Cove, as I feel like there are other islands that we want to visit first before returning Antigua.
