The Verandah, Antigua

I have just returned from a week at the Verandah, and I thought I’d share some key highlights from my visit:) Apologies for the length!! I did the ArriveAntigua online form before arrival, but when we got to the airport, the system had stopped working and we had to complete paper copies. I hadn’t bothered bringing a pen since I hadn’t expected any form filling to do (my fault - never again will I forget it!) and the security people from the airport refused to lend me one initially, telling me to ask other passengers in the queue . After trying for quite a while with no luck, someone from security finally (& begrudgingly) went to find me one. It wasn’t the warmest or kindest arrival, and wasted lots of time for something that essentially was a problem on their end - I think next time I’d also do one on the plane just in case. Once we actually went to the immigration desk the woman there was absolutely lovely (& had a set of pens 🤣) and I have to say, I didn’t have another negative interaction with anyone on the island - everyone was just lovely. The resort is gorgeous. Rooms are large and the balcony area is lovely. Yes, there is lots of walking but shuttles are also going around. We chose to walk everywhere to try to offset the fantastic cocktail calories and averaged about 15000 steps a day. For such a big resort, it also has a lovely intimate feel. There’s comments on here about water. It’s an eco resort, so doesn’t use lots of plastic. We got 6 bottles in our room every other day, but we took our Yetis and got them filled up regularly from the bar area or the water dispensers that are all around the site. It’s filtered on site so fully drinkable. Food is good. We loved Sails & Tails and the pizza for lunch, and tried Sails & Tails, and the Italian for dinner. They were ok (I’d avoid the steak at Sails & Tails though…a bit tough!) but the buffet was such good quality, I actually preferred there. They had some great themed nights - TexMex was particularly good - and everything was tasty and well cooked. As everyone has mentioned, the staff team are just amazing. They are warm and welcoming, and enjoy having a chat with everyone. Pool/beach towels were around, but not plentiful. I can imagine that in high season they’d run out quickly. I did spy people sneaking piles of them to their rooms at about 11pm for the next day, which doesn’t help matters 😂 Lovers Beach has the better sand and sea (and water sports - plenty of equipment and kayaks etc) but I preferred the chilled vibe of Rasta Beach. We often had it alone, and it was never busy. But the water definitely isn’t as nice as it was at the other beach - or better still Long Bay, the public beach by the Pineapple. It was literally about 3 mins from the hotel (walk out through the front to the road and turn right). All of the pools were nice. Main pool was really clean. Excursions: We did the Academy of Rum masterclass trip (amazing!Highly recommend) and took a taxi from the hotel to get there. We went earlier and did some of the history areas in English harbour. Dow’s Hill was really informative about the island’s history and worth a visit. We also went to Shirley Heights with the hotel (I think a must for first timers, but I probably wouldn’t go again as I’ve experienced it now) and went on the half day Calypso Cat trip. Although the Calypso Cat is $$$ it’s really worth it. You get to see lots of the fab coastline & big fancy houses, and then have a snorkeling stop where we saw turtles. Then there’s time to chill out in the beach at Bird Island. It was my favourite boat excursion that I’ve ever had. We walked to Devil’s Bridge (use the path that exits from the back right (facing the sea) from Lovers beach and follow it to the road, then turn left. It took about 8 minutes from Lovers beach. The resort would be complete perfection if: - it wouu yours be lovely if there were a few sodas, beers etc in the room. The balcony was lovely and we would happily have spent a few evening hours there, but it took so much walking to get drinks, it wasn’t worth the back and forth. We ended up around the main pool (as the pool bar stays open until 11pm) or the Sports Bar (open until 1am) but would have loved to have just chilled with a few drinks on the balcony. - an app that shows a timetable of which restaurants are open/ menus/trips would be great. One night we arrived on the beach for the buffet bbq to find it empty. It turned out it had been cancelled and the buffet was just as normal, but we had no idea and there was nowhere that it was shared publicly. - room service would be fab. It would have been great to have had breakfast on the balcony looking at the fabulous view of the water. I didn’t want to leave & will definitely visit again at some point! It’s a wonderful resort and a fantastic island ❤️❤️ Read less

Beautiful , very green resort , rooms are spacious and big . We stayed in room 120 facing rasta beach, amazing views . Buffet Food was very good , plenty to choose from, fresh and very tasty . Out thank you to chefs . I recommend the Grill at the rasta beach, always fresh , good menu . Overall we had a very pleasant and enjoyable stay . We rad in a previous reviews about reception staff being uninterested in new arrivals , sadly I have to agree . Checkin was rushed , two girls at the front deck shown 0 interest up on arrival . Check out … please check your final bill !! We were charged 60 dollars deposit for a room keys , we questioned it and they agreed to refund , there was a “ we apologise “ but again we were made to feel like we inconvenient them for overcharging us . We were told that refund was processed .. Shuttle to get around the resort hit and miss , some days we had to wait over half hour to get from A to B Majority of the staff very friendly and helpful . We stayed 2 weeks and only 3 days we had to hunt for the beach towels around the resort Special thank you to Lenon at the water sports , this guy takes his job very seriously and ensures safety on the beach and in the water , Gill at the buffet who was always welcoming , and Nicole P at the Italian restaurant , Would definitely return to this resort , Read less

Wow, what a holiday, we will never forget. Rooms were spacious and air conditioning was a life saver. We had a problem with one of the rooms and the air conditioning which was dealt with really quickly. Food was superb and would rate 10/10. Amazing choice every evening in the buffet as well as selection of other restaurants you can book. Theodore Daisy was an exceptional server who made my husband and I amazing coffee every morning. His smiley face and sunny deposition was the perfect start to the day. Pools were clean and well maintained. We tried pickleball a couple of times and the mini golf was fun! I would recommend The Verandah and will definitely be going back. The only thing I would say is that there were several occasions when there were no towels by the pool and I think an ice cream shop/station would be a good addition to the resort. Thanks Antigua, we’ve had the best time x Read less

Having read the mixed reviews on Trip Advisor we were cautiously optimistic. Upon arrival and check-in, our optimism quickly dwindled. The front desk staff was less than welcoming and seemed annoyed by our arrival, providing rapid fire instructions and information with little patience. That being said, during the rest of our stay, the remaining staff deserve all the kudos for making our stay tolerable. You can tell that the majority of the staff try really hard to make the guests happy. However, a well-intention staff cannot overcome poor management. It is clear that the resort is poorly managed. From the lack of pool and beach towels to the hit-or-miss food service and drink quality, certain aspects of hospitality management are sorely lacking. The room, although spacious, had minimal appeal and stained cushions on most of the furnishings. For the amount of money spent, this resort is operating below its price point. Read less

We went in July so it was offseason. We had no trouble getting a seat at the pool or beach ever. The weather was great & our 2 bedroom pool villa was a perfect set up for our 2 adults and 2 college aged adults. The food was good for an all inclusive. We LOVED "LCD The Band," who was their Monday night entertainment. Best night of our trip! They put on a great show! The grounds are really beautiful and the staff were friendly. As a frequent beach traveler, my feedback would be they need pool drink service, to stock towels more often, widen the bar drink menu, leave the gift shop open later--- just minor tweaks for an improved experience. 4.2/5 * for me. I would return! Read less