I booked our honeymoon at Sandals Antigua after having an incredible experience at Sandals Montego Bay a few years ago. Montego Bay was genuinely one of the best resorts I had ever visited. The service was exceptional, the staff was welcoming and friendly, and the entire experience exceeded my expectations. Because of that, I felt confident choosing Sandals again for one of the most special trips of our lives.
Unfortunately, that confidence was completely misplaced. Sandals Antigua did not come close to the level of service or hospitality I had previously experienced with the brand.
Our issues began the moment we arrived.
We booked a Club Level room, yet neither the television nor the room phone worked upon arrival. The phone was particularly important because it was necessary to access certain Club Level services we had paid extra to enjoy.
Additionally, we had indicated that this trip was our honeymoon through the online check-in process 30 days before arrival and mentioned it again when we checked in at the resort. Despite this, there was absolutely no acknowledgment of our honeymoon. After bringing it up yet again, someone finally scattered rose petals on our bed on day 3. At that point, the gesture felt like an afterthought rather than a genuine effort to celebrate our special occasion.
The housekeeping and maintenance issues only made matters worse.
On our first night, my husband became sick. After stripping the bed, I called the front desk from my personal cell phone, since our room phone still wasn’t working, and requested that housekeeping come early to replace the sheets and thoroughly clean the room and bathroom.
We left our room at 11 am, and returned around 4 pm, only to discover that housekeeping had never come. Our phone and television were also still broken. I had to ask for a third time to request that these issues be addressed.
When housekeeping finally arrived, the bed was remade, but the bathroom had not been cleaned as requested.
Frustrated, I walked to the Club Level office to explain the situation. Since our room phone was still not functioning, they provided a WhatsApp number so I could communicate with the front desk. After expressing my frustration through WhatsApp, our phone was finally repaired later that evening, nearly two days into our stay.
Our television wasn’t fixed until day 3.
Even after these initial problems, housekeeping continued to be an issue. Over the course of our 10-day stay, I had to contact the resort on 5 separate days just to request housekeeping service. At a resort that markets itself as a luxury, all-inclusive experience, guests should not have to repeatedly chase down basic services, especially when paying for an upgraded room category.
What disappointed me most, however, was the complete lack of care or accountability from management.
I eventually spoke in person with the assistant manager, Nico, and explained the numerous issues we had experienced. I also emphasized that this was our honeymoon, a once in a lifetime occasion that we had spent a significant amount of money to celebrate.
Rather than apologizing, offering assistance, or showing any genuine concern, his response was simply:
“Well, that’s life.”
I was honestly stunned. That response perfectly summed up the lack of hospitality we experienced throughout our stay.
Unfortunately, the attitude wasn’t limited to management. Out of all the employees we encountered during our 10 days at the resort, I can think of only about 3-5 people who were genuinely friendly, welcoming, and accommodating. The majority of the staff seemed annoyed, uninterested, or bothered by our presence. It was a stark contrast to the warmth and hospitality I remembered from Sandals Montego Bay.
Perhaps the most telling part of this experience happened on our final day.
Despite everything, I was still willing to consider booking another Sandals vacation because my previous experience in Montego Bay had been so wonderful. The Sandals Insiders office had contacted our room asking us to stop by, so we made a point to visit before leaving.
When we arrived, however, the employees seemed visibly irritated that we had waited until our final day to come in, despite being the ones who had invited us.
I genuinely wanted to give Sandals another chance, but it’s incredibly difficult to justify spending thousands of dollars on another vacation when the very employees trying to sell you that experience seem annoyed by your presence.
What makes this experience so upsetting is that this wasn’t just another vacation. It was our honeymoon.
This was a trip we had looked forward to, planned, saved for, and trusted Sandals to make special. We weren’t expecting extravagant gifts or constant special treatment. We simply expected the level of hospitality, service, and attention to detail that Sandals advertises and that I had personally experienced at another Sandals property.
Instead, we spent far too much of our honeymoon making phone calls, following up on unresolved issues, requesting basic housekeeping, and feeling as though we were inconveniencing the staff simply by asking for the services we had paid for.
I understand that things go wrong, even at luxury resorts. What matters is how those issues are handled. Unfortunately, Sandals Antigua repeatedly failed to address our concerns with any sense of urgency, care, or accountability.
I wish I could brush this off as one disappointing vacation, but I can’t. This was our honeymoon. It’s a once in a lifetime experience, and those are days we will never get back.
We left feeling disappointed, frustrated, and genuinely let down by a brand I once held in such high regard.
Sandals Antigua didn’t just fail to meet my expectations. It negatively impacted what should have been one of the most memorable trips of our lives.
And that is something no amount of rose petals on day 3 can make up for.
