TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

The resort is in a great location, the staff excellent and a BIG shout out to to CHEFS. However, the rooms and furnishings are very outdated. The furnishings looks dirty, no drinks in the refrigerator and you have to buy bottled water. Really! We were unable to enjoy our meals at the Topaz Restaurant. There were some many birds flying in and out during breakfast, lunch and dinner. The floor at the Topaz Restaurant was an absolute mess. There were bird droppings everywhere including the chairs, rails, and sometimes on the tables.

Arrived at VC Bird Airport to be met by a BA Agent to tell us our bags hadn’t been loaded at Gatwick. Not a great start but not the hotel’s fault at all. We weren’t going to let it ruin the start to our holiday. Purchased some essentials off we go. Our overall stay was fantastic. We have never spent so much time bobbing around in the sea, we loved the Sea Rings! The sea is so beautifully blue and warm. Our room was fantastic, it was the pool view (cheapest category room), and we loved it, it was in a great position overlooking the well looked kept gardens and we could see the sea through the foliage. Loved having a coffee in the morning on the large terrace. The room was quite spacious and had everything you would need. Breakfast was good, nice choices and you certainly cannot beat that view or the breeze in the morning, perfect. Lunch – the Outhouse is unique such a cool place to have lunch BBQ style, fantastic views and a lovely vibe. There is an Al la Carte lunch in Topaz which is nice or a snack bar which serves lots of fast-food choices. You can use the facilities in Verandah, which we did quite a few times, they also have some nice restaurants it’s so good that you can go in between both resorts, it breaks it up and gives you alternatives. I want to add we had a couple of little problems during our stay and the management staff dealt with them perfectly! Very impressed. One thing – our first few days were chilled and relaxing, and we enjoyed the entertainment and joined in, it was brilliant, but towards the end of the week it seemed there were more big groups (I’m not talking families) who kind of took over and changed the vibe into more of a party resort which we didn’t think Pineapple was. It didn’t ruin it for us, we loved our holiday, and we will return one day. We’ve traveled many times previously with Virgin Staff Travel and this is one of our best holidays. Oh yes Kevin – Food and Beverages Manager – that guy works hard! He’s buzzing around everywhere. Loved chatting to him – Lovely Guy. Anita – Guest Services made us smile and laugh every single morning, such a personality. Rashima and Kyle – Aqua Bar – really genuine nice people. Sanita, thank you for helping us out. All in all, we highly recommend this resort.

We booked the Beachfront rooms, when we arrived we were put in the waterview rooms. Went to the front desk and was told that they had booking issues. There was another couple there with the same situation. We were told that the room we were put in was an "upgrade from beachfront". Beachfront are their most expensive rooms. We were told that they didn't have any beachfront available 3 different times. I asked to speak with the manager.. Within half an hour we were in beachfront as well as the other couple. Quite disappointing that they were not truthful at all about not having any rooms. Would certainly affect our returning to the resort

So I booked this resort on the basis that many people gave it such glowing reviews. This resort has many people who come time after time. When I spoke to people who loved it, they did not care about room, food, entertainment, they were there to relax on a nice beach and that's it. Here are the pros and cons: Pros: * Beautiful beach that DID have sargassum. Luckily it washed up on the sand and very little remained in the water. They hire staffed to clean it up every morning but there was so much of it, this would be a noisy and long thing to do and would take hours which takes away from your beach experience. * Staff was very friendly and overall amazing. There wasn't super long waits at bars. * They has beach waiter service BUT it rarely happened. * Property was small and pretty easy to get around on. * Guest were very friendly. * You had access to the sister property, The Verandah. * Excursions were very easy to plan and change if needed. The service at this desk was amazing. Cons: * Check in was very long and hot. At 5:30 PM, they made us wait for other guests to arrive to have a group info session and then made us wait again to check in individually (not keeping track of who came first so another couple that came last tried to get checked in before us). There is no AC in reception. After traveling hours, this is not an ideal way to check people in. We hadn't eaten in hours due to long travel and missed the opportunity to get a snack and no other options (but cake) were available. * At this reception they let us know about the $24 per day resort fee and $5 per day per pp tax while also informing us we get our rooms serviced every other day instead of daily. A resort fee should INCLUDE daily cleaning. * Our original room had a broken AC and dead bugs all over the floor. Instead of immediately switching us, they made us wait AGAIN for someone to come look at it and say it will probably cool off later. I called and then demanded a new room. * New room AC worked but the room itself was not in good condition. Bathroom is outdated. Tissue box was crushed and clearly used (resort fee can't include a new tissue box at the cost of $1?). It lacked hand soap which we asked for everyday and didn't get until right before we left (they gave us facial soap as hand soap). Bathroom had a toilet with scratches all over...looked it like was 20 years old. It had 2 hot bottled waters and a tiny empty mini fridge with a broken ice box that was lacking a door so frozen solid with ice. Nothing was in the fridge. There were these tiny bugs or ants all over the bathroom. My friend blanket was stained. Lighting was poor. Our outside bulb blew out and after asking for days, was finally replaced just before we left so we couldn't enjoy the mismatched chairs and tables outside in the evening. * Despite being promised room service every 2 days, that didn't happen. We had to call over and over and no one was sent. I took calls over days to get our room done. Everytime we needed something either no one answered the phone or we would be told they would send someone and they didn't. Why should I waste my vacation time waiting over and over for these issues that should never happen but yet we still had that resort fee... * Restaurants- Most were closed and you got a reservation at whatever was open or the buffet (which was not open daily). The buffet was disgusting for both breakfast and dinner. Food was hit or miss. Service was SLOW. It took us 2 hours to eat most evening. They ran out of food on menus and drinks all the time. All of this is unacceptable. * Drinks- Most had very little alcohol. So much so that people kept recommending we take shots. Although the drinks were tasty, don't count on getting a buzz from them. * There was a blackout and their generator did not work. No power for hours. Unacceptable. * Wifi (which is included in the resort fee) only worked in the room. Everywhere else it would come in and out. Unacceptable. * Our TV never looked clear. Every single channel was blurry and when we asked about fixing it was told this is how it is for every TV on the island (Eye roll insert here). I feel bad the people of Antigua never get a clear channel...come on. I wasn't born yesterday. No I don't plan on watching much TV on vacation but late at night when I did want to see it, it should be clear! This is basic stuff people! * Water- they are so stingy with bottled water. My friend needed this for a sleep apnea machine and we were told to buy it (and they didnt even have it in stock). Had to go to another hotel to get it. Supposingly bottled water should be replenished when housekeeping comes, it never was. Be aware this is the only thing you are supposed to get to drink in your room and they didnt even provide that without complaint and constant calling. * I am going to say it- a resort fee (if they insist on charging it despite all of these issues) should be absorbed into a higher upfront price. Then people have an upfront knowledge of the actual cost and can compare and contrast with other resorts. The upfront price is much cheaper and that leads business their way but it isn't once all fees and taxes leave you with a $200 plus bill at the end of a short stay. I was told all AI's charge this- absolutely not. In fact after travelling most of the Carribean and Mexico in AI's this is the FIRST time I had to pay a resort fee at all. It makes it especially hard to wrap my mind around it when everything that should be included in a resort fee is NOT. Antigua is a beautiful island and with lovely people but I will never come back to this resort. I'd rather pay more (upfront) to go to a nicer resort. Pay attention to the the reviews that are honest...not just people who love a (supposingly) cheaper price for a nice beach. PS I do have pics but not able to upload at this time.

Worst customer service experience in my life, thier front desk staff are so unprofessional, uncooperative, and balantantly disrespectfully rude. i was making a call to the front desk to try and get assisitance from another staff in another department and encounter the worst staff their VERNICE, dispite me having to wait as the phone ran for 10 plus rings before getting answer, this unprofessional woman VERNICE answered and just transfers me off into obilivion where the phone just ran out no one picked up. So i hung up and attempted to call back front desk and get help again and still same result transfered to oblivion with no answer. So i call back and told VERNICE what was happening and if i can get a warm transfer instead of been transfered over to a line and no answer, VERNICE flat out told me no she will not be doing that and she cant help me with a tone that was quite offensive. It was 9pm at night on july 20 2024. I then asked Vernice are you not there as customer service and she flat out told shes not assisting me, so i asked her name and she gladly told me and spelled it out as if she knows she can disrespect a client and there will be no reprimand for that. Pineapple i am so disappoint that as one of your first points of contacts for guest or potential clients you have this kind of employee there, your front desk service is failing horribly and i dont recommend anyone coming here if this is the level of respect people are been treated with. Vernice is the employees name and she should be fired as she has no respect and i hope they are able to find the call which should be recored and pulll the call and hear how she handle the companies representation cause it was deplorable!!!