Latest Reviews for Jolly Beach

In jolly harbour itself there is very little. When we were there only 2 bars and 1 restaurant was open. You can do a trip with caribbean helicopters over to montserrat to the volcano which was fantastic, expensive at around £160 each fo 45 minutes but worth every penny.

For a 3 star the jolly beach resort is very good. The pools were very nice, the beach fantastic and the staff very friendly. The food was good for a 3 star all inclusive. We had a standard room and although they were quite small and basic, they were adequate, all you really need your room for is to shower and sleep. Entertainment was not up to much, a bit boring really, but there was something going on every night. The grounds were kept nice and clean, only thing we didnt like was lots of birds in main restaurant during the day.

We went in January 2007 for a week. We wish we had booked two weeks. The resort has everything for everyone and is constantly kept clean and tidy. The pools are lovely and most of the staff were very friendly.

Outside of the complex there are very few shops so it was difficult to find gifts to take home.

The food in Hemispheres is good and there is a great choice (don't leave your plate unattended because the birds will eat your food whilst your gone, this includes inside as well as outside) and the Indian Restaurant food was excellent with very friendly staff.

We went to the Italian for one evening and were very disappointed with the quality of food and left after the first course. Although we're not keen on seafood, we heard from other visitors that the seafood restaurant was excellent.

The beach is absolutely beautiful. Beware of people selling excursions (someone staying at the resort paid £50 to go on a trip that didn't exist). You are better off booking excursions with the holiday reps even if it costs a few quid more.

The time it took to get through immigration on arriving in Antigua was ridiculous (it took 2 hours)and the airport seemed rather disorganised (the staff were sitting in front of computers which were not switched on and they wrote everything by hand. On leaving it was almost as bad.

Accommodation - we stayed in a standard room which is small and very basic (cracked tiles in the bathroom, not enough wardrobe space, only one pillow each) but it did have air conditioning and it was very clean. We found it very noisy during the night (due to large air vents in the door and bathroom window so we felt we were sleeping outside). If we were staying for 2 weeks we would have paid for a room upgrade but as it was just a week we made do.

Overall we had a lovely holiday with great weather. We would recommend the resort but would advise a room upgrade.

this was our first time in the carribean and hope it wont be our last! We went for our son`s wedding and renewed our wedding vows whilst we were there.

Rooms;
we stayed in the super economy rooms which were cleaned every day, certainly adequate, and air conditioned. Ample space to hang clothing and free tv and a spacious balcony.
Our son, prospective bride and 2 children had a free upgrade as part of the wedding package which consisted of 2 double beds and other comforts which were far better than our rooms.

Hotel

all staff were friendly and, as expected, laid back (this is the carribean!!). Free transport to and from the local golf course (£40 for a round of golf and a buggy).

Restaurants

stay away from the italian!! This was booked for our evening meal on the night of our son`s wedding and the food was awful and the service far too slow. This was the only down side of the whole holiday.
The indian and fish restaurants are both worth a visit serving excellent food with friendly and efficient service.
Hemispheres is the main restaurant serving a variety of good quality food.

Wedding
what can we say? Beverley, aisha, and elvis are all extremely friendly, helpful, and accomodating. The day went off perfectly but we would recommend anyone getting married has the service in the gazebo by the pool which was where we renewed our vows. The resulting vid and photos are worth it. 11 guests at our wedding (including the bride and groom`s 2 children!!!!) Who all enjoyed the day along with other guests looking on from the sandy white beach.
We certainly wished we`d married in such a lovely place 25 years ago.

Beach

lovely long white sandy beach but the sea becomes quite deep quickly and you may be stung by something in the water, but whatever it is appears quite harmless. All pools are lovely and there are plenty of sunbeds both by the pools and on the beach. Many beach vendors but they do not hassle you and, if you haggle, you`ll get a bargain.

We have been on all inclusive holidays before but this has to have been the best by far. Nobody in our party was ready for home and all wish we were still lazing in the hot carribean sun!

We went to Antigua to celebrat a 40th Birthday and it was our 1st all inclusive.
The resort is very well maintained as the grounds are an excellent backdrop for wedding photos. Hemispheres restaraunt was a bit hit and miss with the qualiy of their food, but the Italian and Indian restaraunts were both very nice , if a little limited in the menu. The watersports were fantastic with the staff there so friendly and extremely hard working. The bar staff are very friendly and would sometimes have another drink ready as you finished one off!!!!. Watch out for Robin, a bit of a Ladies' man :) Neil and Joyce were fantastic, always happy to serve you. The excursions are a bit on the dear side, but we did the Excellence catamaran tour round the island which is great, especially when you get round the Atlantic side nd start bouncing oer the big waves. The Jeep safari was good too with some great characters as drivers/guides. We also hired a jeep and drove round for a day. Watch out on the roads as some of their drivers seem to lose their ";laid back Caribbean Coolness"; when behind the wheel of a car :)
By the time we had done the excursions ans driven round, I think we had seen most of the island. It is a beautiful place and the people are so nice.

I would definitely go back but maybe only for a week just to relax in the resort.
I would definitely recomment the Jolly Beach if you are looking for a comparitively cheap resort. Just don't expect 5 star luxury from a 3* resort.

We stop at the Jolly Beach resort from 25 Aug - 08 September 2006 for our wedding, 8 of us went all together and im so glad i got married here.

The Wedding
The best! we got married on the beach side gazabo it was amazing, it was so relexing and the wedding staff counldnt do enough for us. after the wedding and the photo have been do you get between hour to hours half before you meal but we have booked the italian so we just got the wine which had been given and sat on the beach and watch the sunset. after our meal i had to change out my wedding dress as i so hot, when we got back to our room there was petals over the bed, in the sink, bath.

The rooms

We booked the standard room but got upgraded to the kings room as we think if you get married there you get upgraded.

Our room was massive the bed was massive and had a seating area, fringe, tv, coffee machine, iron and board.

our family stop in the supersaver room which are quite small but our family was fine about said there was big enough for them.
all rooms had air con

All the room where being decorated when we was leaving.

The food

All the resturant was good, there was eight of us and to find something what everyone like it hard. I liked the indian and my husband like the seafood best. there do range of different foods in each resturant and all the staff are so friendly and everytime you said thank you they say your welcome and there very big on lady frist.

The pool bar we ate there nearly every day for lunch try the jerk chicken is so nice.

The beach
The beach is paradise like what see on tv. there are underbella but need to up early to get one and the go quick and there all english that get up early to get one. the few stalls on the beach and few people that go up and down try sell you thing. if buy one of one them and just say no they will leave you alone, we got quite friendly with the beach vendors and there all so nice and end of day there all just to earn a living like the rest of us.

The jet ski the yellow one are the fasters but on the red one are good for people who never been on one.

The Trips

We went on the excellent which takes you all around the island pick people up from different hotels and then stop off at private beach which only cant to by boat, the sevre a meal on the boot to it was very nice. and there drinks for everyone, just been careful as i burnt really bad!

Shirley Height

We went to shirley height but didnt go with the hotel trip, we actully went with one of the locals from the beach (he called sound say hello from us if you see him) you get free drink voucher and try the rum it so strong, we didnt get see the sunset as it was to cloudy but it didnt matter that one of the best nights we had. with steel band everyone dancing.

This is best holiday we been on and we booked it again for July next year same place same hotel and i always said i never do that.

Just returned from the Jolly Beach, a resort that if you want to spend two weeks in 'Chav Heaven' is the right place for you!

Flights with Virgin Premium Economy in the upstairs cabin of the Jumbo - absolutely excellent.

King Superior suites were of a poor standard. Obviously the builders weren't paid to finish anything off properly, because the bathrooms were very scruffy, containing chipped sanitary ware, so the whole effect was one of shoddy workmanship. Heaven help the people with the basic rooms, which we gathered had even less facilities and no wardrobe space.

If you want to watch an endless stream of people getting married, then this could be your ideal resort. I suppose the epitome of this was watching a new bride pushing her baby buggy, complete screaming child, from the wedding gazebo, with a fag on. In the entire two weeks, we saw only one tastefully done wedding. The real down side for us was that they all had enormous families, and unfortunately the traits which were found less appealing in these people were sometimes multiplied by the 50 or so relatives they brought with them.

Having to book the restaurants in advance was not too onerous, although we did have trouble getting in to the Italian restaurant sometimes. They served half decent food, but not authentic Italian, and the Indian, whose food was about as ethnic as a BNP party rally! The general restaurant (Hemispheres) always managed to serve something we could eat, although the food in general is nothing to write home about. We found the fish restaurant a disappointment as the choice was not what we would have expected in a resort surrounded by the sea!

Outside the hotel, we found taxi fares extortionate, and little to buy as presents for folks back home.

All in all, a very expensive holiday, which had it not had the saving grace of a 5* beach, and some lovely people we met from Derbyshire, would have been a total disaster.

My husband and I stayed at the Jolly Beach resort for 10 nights in November.( Our first Holiday without our teenage kids!!!!) The staff there we extremely helpful and fiendly. Some of the rooms could do with a revamp, but were very clean and maids called daily and were very nice.

All restaurants on site are very good and the standard of food served is excellent. Hot and cold buffet breakfast was superb, the choioce as follow; cereals, porridge, bacon, eggs, freshly made to order omlettes, fried potatoes, beans, cold meats, cheese, toast, rolls, croissants, pastries, pancakes, fresh fruit, tea, coffee, juices and just about anything else you could eat first thing in the morning!!!!! (No wonder I put on 4 pounds in weight!!). Suffice to say, the lunches in the hemisphere restaurant were just as lavish, with different choices of hot dishes, fresh fish, soups and salads etc. For any fast food junkies, the barbeque near the pool, served burgers (Chicken Beef and fish), Jerk Chicken, Honey Chicken and fries, with all the relishes you could muster !!! All drinks are free, including cocktails and you should try as many as possible.( The jolly Beach Cooler was my Favourite; A cross between a pina colada and a strawberry daquiri). The Indian, Italian and Seafood restaurants are good, but you need to make a reservation at least a couple of days before, as they get full up quickly. (Lydias Seafood Restaurant on the beach has a fantastic Sunday Lunch Buffet, which should not be missed.) I am a vegetarian and don't eat meat or fish, but I have to say the Jolly Beach caters superbly for Veggies. They even put on a vegetable and nut loaf while we stayed there !. My husband is a big meat/fish eater and loved the food in all the restaurants.

We took the catamarans out every day and also tried the canoes. (both Free). There are also plenty of excursions on offer (Costed) and you should try Shirley Heights on a Sunday, which is where all the locals hang out for food, live reggae and atmosphere. There is also entertainment in the evenings, which is a bit Butlins, but next door to the hotel, there is a Casino with bar etc, for the night birds. A trip into St Johns the Capital, should also not be missed as plenty of tax free shopping and a look at the massive Cruise Liners docked in the port.

All in all, I would say the Jolly Beach is an ideal destination for any couple, family and group. We noted four weddings on our trip, so the resort caters for all. Just a note that there are 5 catagories of rooms. If you want a fancier room you could pay the supplements, but to be honest, most of the time you aren't in the room anyway, so a waste of money really. If you choose the Jolly Beach for your holiday....Have a Lovely Time!!!

We were not expecting too high a standard, considering the previous reviews we had read. We were pleasantly surprised, our rooms were clean and comfortable, the majority of staff were very pleasant and helpful, the food decent standard, especially the seafood restaurant.

We also ate at Peter's Steakhouse at Jolly Harbour one night, this was excellent.

Okay the service is slower than some people would like but hey this is ";Antigua time";, part of your holiday

The watersports were good, the beach great, we did not experience any vendors hassling, saying No politely worked. It has been much worse in other places we have visited.

It is well worth taking the helicopter over Montserrat if this interests you, very good.

We also took a taxi from reception ";King Jango"; to St Johns for the shopping which was good and the driver of the taxi very informative and reasonably priced.

We liked Antigua, the airport was a bit crowded and slow on the way back but we hope to return one day.

We feel we have to speak up for Jolly Beach Resort after reading a couple of negative recent reviews. We found the staff happy including Ann-Marie, Nikki, Terry, Glentist, Vernon, Charlie, Joice, Marvin, Christelphen, Patricia, Louis ( and we apologise to a couple of dozen more whose names we can't remember ) all with smiles as wide as the Humber Bridge anxious to help and make one's stay a happy one.

We are really sorry some people thought the food was poor and inedible. There were 7 of us there for 2 weeks, all with varied tastes and not one of us had a problem picking a meal in fact we all found the opposite that there was so much choice we never got to try everything that was on offer and as for the cakes and pastry with every meal well the choice was just amazing AND tasty. No shops? I wish, the ladies in our party found more than enough just in St. John's, a short taxi drive away. The Island itself is beautiful, a tour of the island from the sea on a Catamaran will make this so blatantly obvious, probably why such mega rich celebrities (who have enough money to build a home anywhere in the world) as Eric Clapton and Ophra Winfrey have their homes here.

However, I digress, back to the resort, maybe their could be a few more umbrellas around the pool and on the beach, it does get hot, perhaps the owners would listen to a constructive suggestion like that , we could not pick any major faults with the resort, all our three rooms were standard rooms and plenty comfortable, you even have satellite tv in the rooms should you wish to travel 4500 miles to watch tv although we all admit to watching the film channels on two half days when the heavens opened.

All in all we all enjoyed our stay at Jolly Beach ( for the 76 year old it was her second time here ) We haven't even mentioned the included water sports , sailing, kayaking, canoeing, pedaloing. There's a 5500 yard golf course next door attached to jolly harbour that the three men availed the use of.
Except for one of us, our first time to Antigua and Jolly Beach and in our minds no reason not to go back to the island and the resort.

I stayed at the jolly beach for two weeks, which was much too long, seven nights would have been long enough.

There was no one staff member that stood out as none of them would really acknowledge you. Entertainment would be a band playing in the evenings and a show for an hour that was not worth watching.

The brouchure says five bar but there would never be five open at one time and three of the were in restaurants so you wouldn't really use many of them. The three a la carte restaurants would never all be open at one time and had to be booked in advance as the were often booked up early. The buffet restaurant hemispheres had such little choice and that that it did serve was usually not edible in my eyes.

The island was very poor and there was nothing to do there. There were hardly any shops, just locals trying to sell you things on the beach at very high prices. The beach was nice but there wasn't enough umbrellas on the beach which is needed because it is so hot and you have to get up early to get one. The pool didn't have umbrellas over loungers but, this didn't matter as much as you could be in and out of the pool which would cool you down.

Went on the island safari which was good, but would have been better finishing earlier.

Jolly beach is definitely not worth the extremely high prices you pay to go there as I believe it is not at all luxurious. There are no little extra or anything special about this resort. Other guest tended to have the same views and I would advise to go to a different carribean island if possible.
Don't waste your money going to jolly beach!