Pineapple Beach Club

What a gem of a place! We stayed nine nights and had the best time. Rooms were clean and spacious and the beds were super comfy. The gardens and grounds of the resort were beautifully kept and well tended. Everywhere seemed to be well maintained. We stayed in a Garden View Room and it was quiet and perfectly located - close to the beach and the restaurants. The resort is quite 'compact' so you never feel you have to walk forever to get anywhere. The food was first class - even the buffet - each night was a different theme - they even served up roast dinner one evening (beef and lamb with Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes), always beautiful salads - spoilt for choice. The Pelican Grill was good for a snack or lunch time bite to eat - all made fresh to order. The Pineapple Grill restaurant was really good and so was the Italian restaurant. Menus change every couple of days so if you decide on a re-visit either of these the menu would be different. We visited the Outhouse up the hill. The food wasn't amazing but the beautiful location and quirky/ unique place made it worth a visit. The coffee shop with their extensive coffee menu, delicious cakes and pastries and ice-cream became a daily visit (or two!). The people at the bars work hard making sure everyone is served and the cocktails are great. The entertainment in the evening was really good. Again, the entertainment staff work hard to make sure everyone is having a good time. We were there for the street party. The staff work so hard transforming the place and the result was a vibrant well planned out eating and partying experience. We would have loved to have experienced the Beach party but our holiday dates didn't coincide with it. The beach party is weather permitting so not always guaranteed. We used Marvin on the beach to go out on an island tour- it was great - and cheaper than the hotel prices BUT they only take cash (no cards) so if you plan to do some trips and use the 'beach boys' then take a few more dollars with you. We sat on the beach each day. The sea was absolutely beautiful, loved the rafts out in the sea to relax on and apart from the first couple of mornings (when the grounds people worked hard to clear it quickly) there was no seaweed. Clean towels were never an issue and the sunbeds were all new. The beach has plenty of shade - whether it be tables and umbrellas or the palm trees. It did seem busy and my only gripe was the 'beach bed battle' each morning. Very frustrating when you come down to the beach at a very reasonable hour in the morning and find towels strewn everywhere and not a person in sight!! We were very aware that many of the people are regulars at the Pineapple Beach Club and I can see why. I would recommend this resort in a heart beat and I think if I was to return to Antigua - I would choose this resort again. Why try anywhere else when this one seems to tick all the boxes?! Read less

We were first here 16 years ago and just as lovely now if not better I cannot find fault with this resort the accommodation excellent no matter what your level the food out of this world my hats off to all the chefs and kitchen staff everyone very helpful and friendly nothing is too much for them to make your stay comfortable. You can always find sun loungers whether at the pool or beach and you can always find a quiet spot should u just need to chill. From reception to waiting staff, bar staff, entertainment team the ladies who look after the rooms, everything excellent service thank you so much pineapple we will definitely be returning in the near future Read less

I really wanted this to be a wonderful place. It was all snowy and icy back home and getting away to a warm ocean paradise is what I expected. I got the warm and the ocean....but paradise, not so much. First the good: It was beautiful! We stayed in the 2 story buildings by the pool. Room 508. They were recently refurbished. Ocean view right out your sliding doors! Fridge and coffee maker in the room, new tiled bathroom, large closet, and a safe. No water though. The coffee place was wonderful...with nice people and great coffee! Our room attendants were amazing, friendly and helpful! Pools were nice, as was the little beach area, but clean pool towels were hard to come by. The pool bar had frozen burgers, hot dogs, fries, wings, etc. They were put on the grill one at a time, as ordered, and the wait was kind of long, but the food was good. Now the bad: The food. Breakfast buffet was good, with lots of fruit, and smoothie, waffle and omelet stations. Oatmeal, yogurt, desserts, breads, etc. But breakfast was the only good meal. Lunch and dinner varied between food that looked wonderful but either had no taste, or was so spicy that you couldnt eat it. Now dont get me wrong...its not that everything was bad, but the vast options were very limited if you wanted something tasty. Specialty restaurants: We went to the Italian restaurant....it took almost 3 hrs for 8 of us to eat...and only 2 of us were happy with the food...the osso bucco was apparently very good. The rest of the food, not so much. It took forever and the restaurant only had 2 other tables of people there. The chicken parmesan, for example, was not breaded, and there was neither sauce, nor cheese on it. The Pineapple Grill, another specialty restaurant, had amazing lobster for $35, seafood stew was great, but the beef was awful and dry, and the gnocchi tasted weird. We arrived 5 min early for our 6pm rsvn. No one would even acknowledge us until 6pm. The bartender looked the other way. We were 12 people and were seated as 2 tables of 6. Not near the beautiful balcony, but inside, on this raised area that had a huge ceiling fan, but no light other than a tea light on the table. We ate with the lights on our cell phones on to see the food. There was no bar service poolside, or at the beach...you had to go to the bar and get your drink yourself from the occasionally cranky bartender. The gift shop had a woman working who was perpetually on her cell phone. Any questions were met with an attitude that made you feel like you were annoying her. I wanted a fridge magnet. I asked if I could put it on my room as I didnt have my wallet with me. She tilted the phone away from her head and said, "Yes." I handed it to her to ring in. "Room number" was the answer. " flight number" I didnt know it off hand and got a big sigh. I ended up just putting it back. She went back to her phone call. The bathroom, for some reason, has a frosted glass door. While you cant really see inside, you can see light. Each bathroom has a small window and 2 vents. Outside the window is a bright light from the outdoor hall. So, basically, the bathroom is well lit all night. This in turn, lights up the entire bedroom. It took me 2 days to find an amazon bag that I could use to balance on the window sill to block the light and get some sleep. Bad planning for sure. And now the worst part. Our shower. We had NO water pressure other than a drip for 5 days. The sink wasnt much better with a tiny stream of water. In order to take advantage of the dripping faucet you needed to put yourself right up against the wall. It stinks when you forget you're up against the wall and put your head back to rinse your face and whack your head on a tile wall. AND if you have the dripping on full blast the water comes out scalding hot, so you then need to turn it down even lower! I normally would have asked to switch rooms, but they strung us along.....1st day we got in late....ran out to dinner, then went to the room, unpacked, and went to sleep. Day 2 we went on a cruise, played pickleball, and then the pool. To shower before dinner, we realized the shower had noooo water, just big drips. It was after 5, so we dealt with the drip because we had 10 people waiting for us at dinner. We went to customer service, which was closed. In the morning we told our room attendant who immediately called someone and was wonderful. She said the engineer would be by in a while. We went out. When we came back, again before dinner, the light was on, so we knew someone came......but nothing was fixed. Again, after 5, so no one around to complain to. Also, it was day 3 of our 5 day trip and a little late to change rooms now. Next day I complained to the people at reception. They called and said the head engineer would come by. We went on our day trip, and once again...light on, someone came by, nothing fixed. My last night there, I went up to reception, and once again told them we had no water. This time, a manager was called. He apologized and said he was unaware of the situation......of course he wasn't...there was absolutely ZERO communication here. He offered me 3 days of our resort fee as a refund. Thats $72. We were also told that Saturday was a very busy day at check-in, so it would be best for us to check out the night before to avoid the rush in the morning. We were told by the manager that $72 was all he had the authority to reimburse. But in the morning, another manager might be able to do more. We said ok, and checked out. The next morning, a manager came and found us by the bar as we waited for our taxi to the airport. We discussed a different number as a refund and he said that was totally reasonable. Then he said, "Oh, you checked out already?" Get this....once checked out, no further refunds are possible. SO the manager last night, should have told us not to check out, but instead encouraged it, knowing that we were no longer eligible for any further compensation. Other people in room 509 had no air conditioner, and our friends in room 523 had their air conditioner dripping on the floor all night. It was not only a slippery mess, but they also had to listen to the drip all night. These rooms, also in our building were all recently refurbished??? We were all in the same group of people who went together.....and none of these issues were fixed all week. I was at an all inclusive in Cabo a month ago and could not begin to compare how helpful and wonderful the people in Cabo were, to the apathetic people here at the Pineapple Club. Between the water situation, the "eh" food, the long waits, and about half of the staff who were totally disinterested, I will never go back there. You can get a nice view, nice pool and good coffee for way cheaper than $500 a night. Read less

We had a great time. Thank you: Antoinette in Reception; Clinton who helped with our bags; the ever-present Kevin, who manages everything; Sonia, Arden, Bash & Maritza at the Main Bar; Delta, Judith, Joyce & Monetta; Clementina & Renee at the Coffee Shop (which is now open 24 hours); the talented Lizette who rendition of "That's What Friends Are For" brought a tear to my eye; Sherri-Ann at the sack bar; Arlene, Nicole, Kimbolee, Tieniqua, Stacy-Ann; Jo-Ann & her magic spatula; the smiling, dancing Bobby & the Hobie cats; Lorissa for drink orders on the beach; Desyra in housekeeping & so many others who make this resort our happy place. We got the room we requested. No problems except for low water pressure at the sink faucet some early mornings. Two umbrellas in the closet. The grounds are well-maintained. The red bougainvillea bush, intertwined with yellow & lavender flowers & visited often by hummingbirds. The beach is also raked daily. The beach umbrellas & tables got repaired & a new coat of paint. New beach chairs & towels. This year, the pelicans entertained the guests with their diving & gliding & landing on the nearby boat. I'm gonna miss those birds. The beach party was combined with the wear white party night on Fridays & held at the Topaz when the weather did not cooperate. They had lobster & shrimp which went fast. No street party while we were there. The food at the buffet was good, varied, something for everyone. chef Pietro's was a bit of a disappointment with slow service & a different menu from last year's menu which we liked. We left when they seemed to forget us. The Pineapple Grill had Dwayna at the bar, which was a very good thing. The ginger cat sat at the railing while we ate which reminded me of the pack of cat treats I forgot on my kitchen counter. Entertainment was also fun during game night, karaoke & Karisma Duo & the lovely Ann-Marie. As always, our thanks to Sanjay & Amber who make good things happen. Rob Barrett passed away last year. In years' past, guests would encounter him when he was at PBC, which was his baby. He would start the plants at Pineapple up in his nursery on the hill. So it wouldn't surprise me if, during a very early misty morning hike up the hill, one would get a faint whiff of cigar smoke or catch a fleeting glimpse of a white-haired man with hat & cane &, of course, a cigar. After all, PBC was his baby & our Goldilocks resort. Read less

This was our first visit to an all inclusive. We discovered that AI is not our vibe but we enjoyed the PBC. Our arrival at PBC did not start well. The security guard could not find our name on the “list” despite showing her our confirmation. It took several minutes and finally we were allowed to enter. When we got to reception we had to “pre-check in” by using a QR code. We went through the drill and completed the form which was redundant because this information was already in our reservation record. When we stepped over to the front desk, the clerk asked if we had done the pre-check. There was no one else in the lobby and she watched us do it! There was no welcome, offer of a cool drink, hand towel. We were also informed if we did not return both key cards we would be charged. It was such an awkward check in. Definitely not the friendly welcome we expected. We were thrilled with our 2nd floor waterfront room. We had great views of fishing pelicans each day. Despite being recently renovated, the bathrooms were not 100% finished- not a big deal but don’t expect perfection. The wall hairdryer wasn’t hung; caulking on the fixtures and floor; missing trim boards. Our housekeeper, Jermie, was excellent. She greeted us each day with a bright smile and hello. Our room was spotless. Our impression with the food was a focus on quantity over quality. There were plenty of options but nothing that blew us away. There was a lot of seafood the night of the beach bbq and for the Mediterranean buffet. The waitstaff was fantastic- very attentive. Suggestions: Take a travel clothesline to hang up your wet clothes/swimsuits. There is a small drying rack on the deck but it is small. Make your dinner reservations when you arrive. I only knew about this from the Friends of PBC forum. We were allowed to make reservations for all nights but for the first 3 nights the only time slots were 9PM. You can only eat at the Pineapple Grille 2x during the week. The same applies to Pietros. Grab your beach towels in the morning -they tend to run out before beach chairs. If it is windy they do not put up umbrellas out of concern they will blow over. There was some sargassum -The ground crew tries to keep up with it. If you are looking for quiet, check out the “Quiet” pool area. It is peaceful and protected from the wind but seats fill up early. Do not miss the coffee shop! Highlight of our trip…the staff is super friendly and genuine. If you are an animal lover bring some treats. Ginger and her friends will be delighted! Bring a refillable water bottle. There are several water refill stations & the drinking water is really good. Bring an insulated cup for your mixed drinks. Adjust your expectations- no top shelf liquor (eg Gordons is the gin served), 1 local beer on tap. Check out the 1/2 day tour with Pink Panther-Anna and Joy were great and shared lots of history and information about Antigua. Tipping….always a conundrum! We tipped but did not see others tipping regularly. Read less