The Verandah, Antigua

This was my first trip to Antigua and it was beautiful. We were originally supposed to stay at some hotel across the street from the Verandah but they were closed for renovations. We had the option to move the next day but we didn't take it. We loved this hotel. It was beautiful. We were offered drinks once we arrived. So tasty. They had 2 or 3 beaches on the property. (Can't exactly remember the number of beaches, as I'm late in posting this review). We only found one to be the better one. But it also depends on what you're going to the beach for. We wanted to be in the water and one was more rocky so that wasn't for us. The views from the restaurants and our room was just unbelievable. The staff were friendly all the time. I got pure jokes when we went to the dining room. The buffet had a wide variety of local and international dishes to choose from. Everyday was a different theme which I loved. Just a few things we didn't like were simple things. First, we didn't see a life guard but the water was deep so that could explain that. Everything else is really 1st world problems. The AC unit was directly over the beds which we've not experienced that before in a hotel. No, hooks in the bathroom and the amount of garbage bins in the room. Like I said 1st world problems. It didn't affect our stay. We still had a great time. One more thing I forgot, we had the best golf cart drivers. Always polite, smiling and friendly. I would definitely recommend this hotel and I'm already looking to return. Read less

Went with my two daughters and we loved it. Definitely a great couples place if you enjoy spending time together. The food was excellent, the staff was amazing. There was quiet beaches or poolside entertainment. Fun music at night, paddle boarding, kayaks, sailing, a booze cruise with snorkeling(extra cost) mini golf, pool shuffleboard you name it. The restaurants which required reservations were great including their sister resort’s restaurant at the Pineapple. Negatives-service is slower than other all inclusives and they do run out if things especially during winter months according to staff so if you are not patient or cant improvise might not be the place for you. Notes bring lots of singles and fives. We tipped one dallar per mixed drink, five a person for buffet and twenty and the sit down meals. The calypso cat boat and snorkeling was about $120 a person but so much fun picks you ip at their beach. Get up esrly and make reservations you can only book two days ahead. We went to sails and tales, chef pietro and pineapple grill and they were all amazing!!!! We had the pizza almost everyday for lunch takes a while to cook but its pretty good. Read less

Let me start by saying this resort is so beautiful, people talk about it being hilly as a negative but the views are out of this world. That’s definitely the best part of this resort. When we got there, our first few days it was really quiet. Food was pretty amazing for an all inclusive tbh. I have to admit that as it started getting busier the service and quality did start to go downhill. We did notice inconsistency. For example our first night was Asian night and it was incredible. We went to Asian next the week after and it just was no where near as good. Also the restaurants are open on different days and sometimes closed with bad weather meaning we didn’t get to try sails and tails. But in the day, the views were amazing for lunch. We went to pineapple for dinner and lunch. I’d definitely recommend the day pass, the out shack for lunch is definitely worth a visit. They also had a snack bar with burgers and wings and fries that you could take to the pool or beach which I thought verandah was missing something like that. The beaches are really nice, HOWEVER it’s not crystal clear blue water like a lot of beaches in Antigua. However still nice, especially lovers beach. Some days it was really clear. Bear in mind I went in May where sargassum is more of an issue. Saying that, you can get a day pass to pineapple or simply walk to long bay, which is such a stunning perfect beach! Especially the public side which is literally 2 mins from verandah, great for snorkelling. Generally buggies came quick, except when it started getting busier we’d be waiting a while sometimes. One thing about them though, they can’t use them in the rain. This meant when we came to reception from our day out and had to walk to our room (it’s a massive hill) in the torrential rain wasn’t ideal lol. View from the room was amazing, we had waterfront rooms. The rooms come in twos, I’ll insert an image so it makes sense. And they gave us our 2 rooms together which has a joining patio door which we had open so was just one massive patio which was perfect for us. However, I found our room to be dated. I was under the impression they renovated. Either we didn’t get renovated rooms (123/124), or they just aren’t great. What I loved though is how each room has a name too. Ours was called Soursop. A downside is little things like not stocking the fridges, you don’t get any cans or anything put in your fridge nor can you get them at all unless you pay. Water wasn’t stocked either unless you asked and even then sometimes they’d forget. Booking restaurants would be done at guest services, would be great if they had an app. Coffee shop… gotta get there at the perfect time for the beef patties, they’re amazing and they go quick! Also the blended mocha java is amazing, I still miss it! The buffet is pretty small but there is a variety, they never had fries though? Everyone loves fries! Sun loungers at Rasta beach are really comfy and at the pools, but at lovers beach they really need updating too they’re rubbish. Those same beds are at the beach at pineapple, so if you’re deciding between these hotels that’s a thing to think about. It just made it look cheap and they aren’t nice to lay on at all. Also I did find it’s much easier to find a nice spot at the beach/pool compared to pineapple. One thing I found was the entertainment to be pretty awful. They have no real place for it. The white party was really good though, it was a buffet on the beach with pretty lights and a singer. Mini golf next to it which was fun to play after. Entertainment generally seemed better at pineapple, but it’s nothing like the Royalton if that’s the type of place you like. Speaking of Royalton, we drove past on a boat trip and the beach there is out of this world! (Incase your deciding between hotels) The catamaran trip was booked on long bay (pineapples beach) with the guys there, we also booked stingray with them. I’d recommend doing this rather than booking with hotel. I really recommend you do both these trips. The catamaran takes you down the west coast and you snorkel and it’s just breathtaking. Would i return to the verandah? If they sorted out these little niggles, definitely. I think the main thing this hotel is missing in my personal opinion is that perfect Carribean sea. But if you aren’t that bothered about a perfect beach, or happy to walk to long bay for it, then definitely go for it. I’ve never stayed at a resort quite like it. Great experience. Read less

We have just returned from a week's holiday at this wonderful resort. Our room was very spacious in a little twin bungalow close to the main pool. We had a lovely balcony with a sea view. It was cleaned every other day to a good standard. Our main impression of the hotel is the staff. Everyone is so friendly and most speak to you, even when passing. The duty managers are always visible and make a huge effort to find out how you are. Special mention goes to Patricia who always had a welcoming smile. The main pool is lovely and clean with plenty of shade. It was low season so there were days when we pretty much had it to ourselves. Leslieann and 'Devan from Heaven' made sure that activities ran on time. They were not at all pushy and you weren't nagged to participate. The bars were great and we had lovely cocktails each day. Leon and Andre were particularly attentive. The food was absolutely fantastic. We really loved the wide choice of food at breakfast. For lunch, we liked to eat at Sauls and Tales and were lucky enough to spot a hummingbird. The serving staff were outstanding. The grounds are vast and so beautifully maintained. You can visit the Pineapple resort with a day pass. We did this once but it wasn't to our liking and we didn't return as we preferred the peacefulness of the Verandah and felt that the pool was cleaner. The beaches are stunning with lots of shade and towels were plentiful. This was a fabulous holiday. We don't tend to go back to resorts but we would definitely recommend this one. Read less