St. James's Club & Villas

We stayed for a week in mid-November in one of the resort's premium rooms in the Hibiscus building. Our expectations were high as we had previously stayed at the St James Club on St Lucia. First, the positives: 1. The food; great variety and well prepared. Not easy given the diversity of countries and cultures that all their guests come from (mostly, UK, US and India). This was true of both the buffet service and the a la carte meals where one orders from a menu. The lobster dinner at the Piccolo Mondo was the best meal we had while there. Also, the baked goods (bread, rolls, and pastries made on site) were especially excellent. Hats off to their baker, Andy C. (2) Service – wait staff at all the restaurants was attentive, friendly and flexible; (3) Activities: we enjoyed using the catamarans and sailing around Mamora Bay, but the highlight of the trip was the snorkeling excursion to Green Island, which has a magnificent beach. On that excursion, our hosts Shaquille and Dejon set out a beautiful lunch when we stopped at Green Island. They also kept the rum punch flowing. They were terrific guides on a great day trip. The negatives: (1) our premium room in the Hibiscus building was on the grungy, worn-down side, with a bathroom that could have used a good scrubbing and some re-grouting on the tiles. There was also a bit of mildew on the wall above the AC unit (see photos); (2) Pink Panther tour: the open-air Jeep had a diesel engine that belched fumes and made the ride unpleasant. Also, very difficult to hear the driver’s narration. We would have done better hiring a driver to take us in a comfortable car to all the sites we saw on this tour (Nelson Dockyard, Shirley Heights, Devil’s Bridge etc.). If we ever return, we will go up-scale on the room and make sure it is in one of the newer buildings.

Review: Appalling Service and Lack of Care at St. James’s Club Antigua My stay at St. James’s Club Antigua was distressing due to the shockingly poor treatment I received after falling ill. On day four, I suffered severe food poisoning and became dangerously dehydrated. I called reception three times and spoke to different staff members, pleading for water. Despite this being an all-inclusive resort, I was refused water each time. I even offered to pay for it but was told that the hotel only provides one 500ml bottle of water on the first day of the stay—an outrageous policy—one 500ml bottle of water per person during a nine-day holiday. You have to find places to get the bottle refilled. Not easy when your very unwell. In desperation, I started walking up the steep hill from my room, wearing a nightdress and slippers, but the pain in my stomach was unbearable. When I couldn’t go any further, I begged a security guard for water. He ignored me, walking away and leaving me slumped over a fence, weak and in agony. On day three of my illness, I spoke with a duty manager. To my disbelief, I was told I should have been drinking water from the faucet in my room. However, the faucet was rusty and corroded, and I didn’t feel it was safe to drink from, especially in my already fragile state. The staff's indifference and lack of compassion were nothing short of appalling. Every guest should be treated equally, particularly when unwell. This experience turned what was meant to be a relaxing holiday into a nightmare. However, a guest told us we could buy bottled water in the gift shop for 4 USD a bottle, and that's exactly how I got a supply of fresh drinking water. I strongly urge management to reconsider their policies and address these issues to ensure no guest is ever subjected to such treatment again.

This is our 5th time staying at Elite island resorts and fourth time at St James club. The weather was beautiful and we were happy there was no seaweed at all. We stayed in building 13 and found it to be centrally located to beach, pool, and main restaurant. Bed was very comfortable and room was clean and updated. Maid service was excellent. Breakfast at Rainbow was very good each morning. Service very good and we saw lots of smiles from our servers. The coffee shop is amazing. During our trip we found that restaurant choices were limited. Most nights we had two choices of venues. The Pico is $75 extra per couple. We had been there before and skipped it this trip. We like the resort for the beach and we are not big foodies, however we found the menu, especially on the buffet to be pretty lacking. Cuban night was someone making beef or chicken fajita-like tacos. The resort appeared half full. It would have been nice on those evenings for the place to offer some shrimp or fish tacos. We were also looking for some tortilla chips but none to be found. The resort gives two bottles of water per room for the entire stay. This became a problem for me for personal health reasons. Supposedly tap is filtered. We like the ocean during the day but there was no beverage cart service at all during our stay as in the past. It was a bit of a hike to the pool or restaurants for a soft drink or cocktail. As others have reported they hit with you with “resort” fees that started during COVID for cleaning and sanitation. Enough already. We had a nice time. Will try something else in the me future.

Start off with the good. The location is phenomenal tucked into a cove with calm ocean on one side and actual waves on the other, it is picturesque beauty. Rooms are dated and we had major issues. Our AC did not work the first 2 days, however, maintenance did fix it but the first two nights were hot sleeping. Toilet in room did not flush correctly and again had to call maintenance, which did not fully fix the issue. Food was ok, not good, not bad just ok, think Golden Corral for US standards. Staff was friendly but way understaffed. Quivern was amazing and was the only true staff member that tried to interact above and beyond. Overall the resort is huge and feels less intimate than others. Food options were sparse and spread out making it inconvenient. Loved the location just not the resort.

Here right now. the staff at Manora Bay Diner are the worst. Twice they’ve been absolutely diabolical. please pay them more or sack them. Someone needs to get their head in the game. Absolutely awful service. I would never recommend this hole