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Jolly Beach Antigua offers a stay that, according to some guests, provides reasonable value with its affordable rates, despite additional fees for services such as room cleaning. The rooms are often described as basic and in need of an update. While the hotel's cleanliness receives commendations, the service reviews are polarized, ranging from praise for staff friendliness to critiques of poor responsiveness.
Its prime location is popular for being close to the beach and local attractions. The hotel's atmosphere is considered lively, though the entertainment quality varies.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Basic
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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We travelled to Jolly Beach with another late 50's couple. They upgraded their accommodations while we chose the basic room. While very old and a little congested, the accommodations were just fine. The mango shampoo tubes are worth taking home! We have pretty simple tastes and spend almost our entire time outside. They however, do not clean the rooms at all during your stay unless you pay a cleaning fee ($10US/day). It turned out not to be much of a concern, as we keep things pretty neat. I did miss having a little stocked fridge in the room. It is nice to have a cold beer occasionally on the patio. Getting an 'ala carte' restaurant can be tough. One has to be up very early to wait in line and you can only visit the restaurant every other day of your stay. There is only one 'ala carte' but it changes menus each night. When we did get a reservation and a spot, those were good nights. Good service, good food, good company. The buffet, I must say, was excellent. So many tasty food choices and and various places to sit. The outside seating area transitions to the entertainment later in the night so its just a matter of turning your chair. There is lots of variety to the entertainment from DJ to Karaoke to bongo bands, to salsa singer to a Canadian country band from our hometown! There is an alternative entertainment/chill area in the outside lobby, if you are not into whatever's going on in the long bar/buffet. The beach is long and inviting with palapas spread out. The pool, the bar and lunch options are all close by. The water was awesome. There are kayaks and paddle boards available so you can check out the surrounding area from the water or on long walks. We felt so safe in Antigua that we ventured out by bus ( vans really) across the country to find a friend's mother's home. That is not something we would normally do but in Antigua, I would highly recommend it. We were treated to a tour of the island by our friends and there were some absolutely gorgeous places we would never have seen at our usual place - on a lounge chair on the beach with a drink. Its old, outdated and I doubt wheelchair friendly, etc. but the beach is awesome, food is good, the staff are friendly and you always feel safe to venture out. We would definitely return.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Get up early and enjoy a coffee while waiting for an ala carte reservation. Go on a personal bus...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I just recently stayed at Jolly Beach for four nights and five days over Valentine’s Day. The resort is as described when reading reviews. It is not a five star resort and no one should expect that, if so you didn’t do your homework or research. It is an older resort that is trying its best to renovate and make repairs as needed. Could it use a full renovation and make over? Yes but then it would be unaffordable like the other all inclusive resorts in Antigua. Does it need some new beach chairs, some touch paint and some tender love and care in some places yes. But overall it is a great place on a great island with a great location and gorgeous beach. My wife and I are beach lovers and Jolly Beach Resort is on an absolutely beautiful beach. The service at the resort is great with friendly and nice staff. The drinks are plentiful and breakfast at Palms and lunch at the Coconut Grill were very good. Dinner/supper wt the Palms buffet had a bunch of selections, not the best meals I ever had, but plenty to not go hungry. The resort is also close 5 minute walk to Jolly Harbor with six or seven restaurants (we went to La Cantina) and a grocery store that we stocked up on for some extra beer and water to store in our room. Every room is on the smaller size but clean and a great balcony view (we were in Dominica building on the top floor). There isn’t much storage space but being there for four nights only, we kept our stuff largely in our suitcase. The shower was small but good water pressure and hot water. They have some bathroom amenities well. They don’t have a maid service for short trips like ours but if you call to the desk, they will replace your shower towels whenever. They also have beach towels that you can exchange and a small store on site. Again we had a great time going in knowing the expectations that it isn’t five star. For what you pay, it is one of the best beaches and experiences we have had.
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Date of stay: February 2025Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Take a back pack cooler as the room doesn’t have a refrigerator and bring your yeti cup for the...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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The beach on this resort is amazing . It is a mile long and the resort owns most of it . You will never have an issue finding chairs or space to hang out at the beach or at one of their pools. You will wont have to get up early to place a towel or newspaper on a chair to reserve it here. The food is plentiful and served throughout the day from 7:30a to 10p. They have a coffee shop w coffee , tea and cake for the earlier risers that can’t wait til 7:30. The staff is extremely polite , courteous and accommodating. This is a 6 star beach . It is also in a great location where you can walk to the Jolly Harbor Marina which has a few bars , restaurants and stores. The hotel’s grounds are very large and has tennis courts , basketball courts and 2 pools. The resort first opened in 1979 so the rooms are not as big or modern as the newer resorts in Antigua. However every room has a balcony with a view of the beach and the rooms were very clean with new comfortable mattresses. If you are looking for a high end 5 star resort with top shelf liquor and Michelin rated restaurants, you should look elsewhere but you will pay 2 to 3 x more money $$$ and you will have an inferior beach. (With all the money you will save by staying at this resort, You can always go to out nearby 5 star restaurant and also buy your favorite bottles of booze from the duty free shop at the airport to bring with you ) I took a catamaran excursion around the entire island of Antigua and this resort has the biggest and best beach out of all the other resorts. The booze served here is of local variety only, but they have so many different mixed drink concoctions that were delicious I will be back .
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Bartenders will fill any size cup that you bring to them. Many ppl brought their or large size...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
While the location is undeniably beautiful, there are many areas that could benefit from improvement.
Firstly, I must commend the exceptional service provided by the bar staff, particularly Karlos & Patrick, their dedication and professionalism truly enhanced our stay. One of these gentlemen should be at your main bar each night!
On the flip side, the rooms, while comfortable, appear somewhat tired. While I personally don’t mind the aged furniture, the patio doors require updating. The shower facilities also are showing signs of age and could benefit from an upgrade. Additionally, the limited availability of Wi-Fi, especially outside the reception area of the hotel. It would be beneficial to enhance connectivity throughout the resort. The gutters on all buildings require attention. The presence of plants in the gutters, coupled with pooling water on balconies and walkways during rain, was a notable concern.
In my opinion, the fact that plastic water bottles are not provided to guests is addressing environmental concerns and water stations are available at every bar. Housekeeping policies, requiring payment for daily service, didn’t pose a significant issue for me. However, the need to request clean towels and toilet paper at the front desk could be streamlined for greater convenience.
On the dining front, breakfast variety was limited but fortunately there was an omelet station and we had omelets every day for a week. The lunch buffet left much to be desired, although the Coconut Grill by the beach offered a limited but redeeming selection. The dinner buffet and a la carte options, while commendable, could benefit from expanded availability. (only one a la carte available and only open several times a week and when the a la carte is available the buffet is not).
The washroom facilities on-site were disappointing, showing signs of rust and inadequate maintenance. Ensuring a consistently clean and well-stocked toilet would significantly enhance the guest experience.
Overall, the grounds are very neglected and need some attention. Uneven paths, dim lighting and exposed electrical wires are a concern.
Overall, our stay was a good one, but the owners and management of this resort really need to step it up. We were told that there is work being done on the resort but during the week that we were there, we saw no significant signs of anything being done and pretty much everyone that we spoke to said that they would not revisit.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Don't go with great expectations.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I booked our trip a bit last min for Christmas 2023. We went into the trip with an open mind after reading the reviews which painted the hotel in a very poor light but the price was right and we decided to give it a shot. We set our expectations appropriately with it being 3 star. We were delighted upon arrival that the check in staff was very friendly. Our room was whatever the cheapest/un upgraded option was and we were delighted to find that we had a large, ocean view balcony. The room was basic but comfortable and clean. The washroom was small but everything worked fine. The AC worked great. Food was pretty good! We found something delicious to eat at every meal and there was plenty of variety . We especially liked Mexican night and one night were they had pasta with a yummy meat sauce. The long bar at sun set was stunning and the bar staff was full of personality and made great drinks. The bar was fun and casual. The beach is beautiful and the loungers are plentiful but I would suggest going early if you want one of the ideal umbrella spots. The pools both have lots of loungers. We found the smaller pool to be in better condition and more relaxing but the beach is the star for sure. All the staff was friendly in our experience. The rooms are not cleaned during the stay but they hotel will provide you with new towels and bedding at no cost when you request it which was not an issue for us. Yes, the hotel is run down however, this did not impact our enjoyment. It is not a luxury resort by any stretch of the imagination but the friendly staff, comfortable rooms, good food and 10/10 location make it a place I would totally go back to! Especially if you are looking for something budget friendly :) the area the hotel is in is very walkable - we often went over to jolly harbour for a iced latte at sea dream which was nice! There is also a grocery store and pharmacy less than a 5 min walk from the resort.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Had a good time we were there for the beach and to enjoy a week of summertime in the middle of winter. Overall Hotel is a 3 star at best Some would rate it a 2.5 because of the rooms. Beach is a 5 star, Main pool is a 3.5 star (Need hand rails ), Food Breakfast and Lunch 3 star I ate cheeseburgers and fries all week for lunch . Those were good.. Dinner 1.5 star from an American food point of view Most of that food had very little taste Pizza Factory 3 star Ate there twice thought 1st time was good 2nd time not so good. We ate outside the resort 3 nights, The food at the restaurants outside the resort was very good Watch your bill they will either try and add things to it or they will ask for a 2nd tip even thou its already added in. Daytime pool bar 2 star They kept running out of everything. everything was bottom shelf or below that. Evening Long bar 4.5 star Best bar best bartenders in the place. they work magic with the bottom shelf stuff they have Short Story.. Ordered a beer it was ok it was sort of like a light corona/carib beer I asked the bartender at the long bar what brand beer are you serving he said it was called Peninsula beer I said, "I never heard of that one" He said, "Neither had he heard of it" but he was pouring it Room had the best one offered Superior Queen 3 star Everything in room worked unlike a few horror stories I did here about. bring an extension cord. plugs are in odd locations with all different styles of plugs. also If you have one a voltage converter with US plug GB plug and Euro plug outlets are marked 110v or 220v at least mine were When it came down to the drinks we knew it was gonna be bad so a tip is to take a short walk to the grocery store a 5 min walk We bought the good stuff filled small plastic water bottles with it and only went to the pool bar with our insulated cups for ice and mixers then added the good stuff from our water bottles on the beach When it came to the beach because its high season you will need to get up early to get a good spot on the beach might not be the case in low season
What I feel is that there just limping the place along until it eventually gets carved up and demolished. Many guests we talked to felt that as well The north section where the better rooms are, the "Banquet/ Conventon building along with the other bar/lunch (the sands) building are abandoned and just waiting to be demolished everyone knew that eventually that section will be demolished and turned into what there saying will be a 5 star resort. That was last year but nothing move's quickly in the Caribbean
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I believe the most important criteria for a perfect vacation in the sun is a beautiful beach, good food, a comfortable bed and friendly staff. Jolly Beach is a winner! The beach is spectacular and there are plenty of lounges and plenty of palapa. The food is good and plentiful with different theme nights. The bed was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. The staff were very friendly, I don’t know how you could disagree with that. If you do disagree perhaps you should try a smile and a friendly greeting yourself. It works wonders. The rooms are small and outdated but very clean as is the entire resort. Things are handled a little differently at this resort. No maid comes into your room every day unless you pay extra; in fact, no one comes in unless you make a request. I found that refreshing. You can ask for clean sheets or towels if you like, no problem. I’m sure you don’t replace your sheets and towels every day at home. And isn’t that ecologically sound practice? I have always stayed at 4 and 5 star resorts - many, many of them. I found this resort, because of its easygoing, friendly atmosphere to be the most relaxing of all. Even the tourist seemed more relaxed for the most part. A special shout out to Clinton, Judith and Daniella. Will I be returning next year? Absolutely!!
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We loved the Jolly Beach Antigua. The rooms were comfortable, quiet and clean. Yes they needed some updating and the bathroom door didn't slide closed properly, but all rooms faced the ocean, and we liked our 3rd floor location. The beach was lovely, the food was good. A few evenings there was entertainment and we enjoyed trying different drinks from the large drink menu. We really liked the beach snack bar that served hamburgers and French fries for a different lunch option. We felt very safe walking off the resort in the day and evening. There is a bar down the road that offered entertainment in the evenings. Or a nice stroll to the Harbour where boats are docked. We took the local bus van into St. John's. It was a great way to get a tour of the land for the cost of a bus ride. You catch it across the street from the grocery store. If you decide to visit St. John's, please bring something for the local dogs to eat. They are so hungry and they would be happy with anything they could get. They looked so sad, and I felt so bad for them. All in all we very much enjoyed our trip to Jolly Beach and would highly recommend this 3 star relaxing resort.
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
After reading some of the feedback, we were getting a little worried, however, we were pleasantly surprised overall. The negative feedback from some people surprises me, did they not do their research beforehand? This is a 3* resort, not a 5* as some were expecting. Let me start by saying we upgraded our room to a Superior/King bed which I believe was the right decision as I heard the standard rooms were half the size and did not have a fridge. Yes, our room was dated, but it was spacious, clean, everything worked (even wi-fi some days), instant hot water, fridge, Ironing board and iron, hair dryer, sea view. (see photo). Food was pretty good really, there was always something for everyone, breakfast, lunch and evening meals. If you didn't want to use the restaurant at lunch time, you could use the poolside bar that served wraps, burgers etc. The only downside of that was the music blaring away. It was local music which is understandable, but there's no need to play it that loud. OK, some of us "older" ones might be getting a bit hard of hearing, but I don't think they were catering for that! The poolside bar also offered a cocktail of the day, which were all very pleasant. The beer was ok too. Someone said the drinks were watered down, no they weren't. They are all local brands, so obviously some of them were not as strong as some main brands. The beach and sea are stunning. I hear people saying it wasn't ploughed every day and never cleaned. It didn't have to be, (ok, there were a few cigarette ends under some of the sun-shades.) The resort covers a large area, some people were complaining the gardens were unkempt. We found that not to be true, with workers constantly cutting the trees, mowing the grass and attending the garden areas, and none of this deterred the Humming Birds in some of the trees/plants. All the staff were pleasant and greeted you with a smile, so I don't see why some people reported that they were not interested and scowled at you. We also found reception very pleasant and helpful, although I see there was a lot of negative comments in that area. So, areas where improvement is needed, and there are a few, but not major. Booking for the Pizza Factory (silly name really) Restaurant . You have to book on the day and start queueing at 07:00 If you have a late departure, trying to extend your room was exasperating. They couldn't tell you if this was feasible until after 09:00 on the day of departure. They told us that we couldn't extend but would provide a storage room for the cases and a shower room with towels (you had to book a time for this). At our allotted time, there was someone in the rooms and when we eventually got to use it, we almost missed our transfer to the airport. The evening entertainment was quite poor but the steel band were very good indeed. Wi-fi was good in the reception/lobby area and the coffee shop, but hit and miss around the resort.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Upgrade your room
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jolly Beach Resort was absolutely perfect and exactly what my husband and I were after. If you want a quiet, laid back resort with an older crowd, this is it. We loved the whole retro vibe. Yes, it is dated, but that added to the charm. Our room was comfortable and clean and had an ocean view. The beach was nothing short of fabulous. What a great way to get in your walking/jogging. There was never any shortage of sunshades and loungers. The temperature on average was 29°C , but with a constant lovely breeze, it was very comfortable. We used the room's AC once. The huge buffet was great with an outstanding selection. No one should have cause to complain, as there was something for everyone. We enjoyed the a la carte restaurant twice during our stay and we also ate at The Grill on the beach. The drinks were very good and plentiful and it was nice to have a serve yourself coffee shop. I commend all of the staff as they were courteous and very helpful. We had an issue with our closest door and we mentioned it at the front desk on route to the beach. It was fixed by the time we returned to our room. I retrieved a large bag of fresh towels from the front desk (told they would have delivered to our room). The towels are softer and smell better than any I have used in hotels in Canada! The offered beach towels were plush and huge. We had run out of tissues and these were delivered within minutes of returning to our room. I witnessed a guest in some sort of medical distress from our balcony. The response time of resort personnel was literally a couple of minutes. Booking your excursions through the hotel was very practical. The service was very friendly and professional.
We would certainly recommend Jolly Beach Resort. We read a ton of reviews prior to our vacation. We always wondered at some of the negativity and the nit picking. If you want 5 star accommodations, then seek out such a resort. It is not fair to complain about extremely trivial things especially when you are not paying 5 star prices. We met some of these complainers, so now the negative reviews make sense. Check out Jolly Beach Resort and take those reviews with a grain of salt.
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Date of stay: February 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I don't think there are any renovated rooms available yet. Mid January there were 3 buildings being torn apart and renovated, will probably take quite awhile. In my opinion their plumbing systems all would need to be upgraded as well. We had a room above the Italian restaurant by the lobby. Great location and views but came with its own problems
There are more places to choose from in the Jolly Harbour area.
PRICE RANGE
S$298 - S$430 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Starfish Jolly Beach Resort - All Inclusive
LOCATION
CaribbeanAntigua and BarbudaAntiguaSaint Mary ParishJolly Harbour
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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