Royal Antiguan Reviews

Prior to departure I read some very negative reviews of the Royal Antiguan. My expectations were therefore not too high especially consdering that I paid only £1,800 for the package for two adults and one child with scheduled Virgin flights during the school holidays. It should be said that I opted for room only as opposed to the all inclusive option.
I took advantage of Vigin's twighlight check in at Gatwick which was superb in facilitating a hassle free departure and minimal waiting around at the airport.

The flight itself I found to be distinctly average. At over six feet tall there were the usual cramped conditions back in cattle class. Somehow I was led to believe that with Virgin, things would be better but alas not. It'll take more than a bag of cheap and nasty freebies to convince me otherwise.

Upon arrival at the hotel lobby, first impressions were of something left behind in the 1950's. Large swathes of concrete painted in sky blue and yellow. The hotel is however considerably more modern than that.
The room was very tired and in urgent need of re-furbishment. One of the sliding wardrobe doors was missing, tiles were cracked in the bathroom and there was a musty smell. It was generally clean spacious and served its purpose.
This tiredness also extended to the pool area which was also shabby with numerous cracked tiles and a very abrasive floor.

My family and I found the dining experience in the three restaurants generally acceptable with a wide choice of dishes clearly intended to appeal to British and American tastes.
Normally on holiday it is our preference to dine away from the hotel occasionally and to experience a taste of the local culture. This however is not easy at the Royal Antiguan as it is completely isolated from any other establishment. Unless you make a real effort you become part of the captive audience that is the all inclusive crowd, happy to stay in one place for the duration.
The capital St Johns is a 10 minute ($24US return) taxi ride away. There are some good eateries but options are limited.

A little further away Jolly Harbour has a few decent restaurants.
The beach at the Royal Antiguan is just what you would expect in the Carribean, - soft white sand falling in to an idyllic warm turquoise sea.
Free watersports (non-motorised) are available to hotel guests.
To sum up, we found the Royal Antiguan to be pretty much what we expected taking into account the price we paid and its three star rating.
Despite the cosmetic issues we had a lovely holiday and met some fantastic people.

Its shortcomings are imminently due to be rectified with a multi-million dollar refurb. This should get the place back on track and make it an excellent holiday venue.

authentic food ,lovely staff 'wonderfull beach,antigua how it should be with no false facade just sheer fun.