TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

I will start with the good parts following our 5 night visit all-inclusive visit to The Verandah, Antigua: Property is stunning, this includes the grounds, pools, beaches & rooms. We were in a superior oc...ean view suite, couldn’t fault anything on this front. However it is worth noting that the “Bus Stops” that are identified on the resort map are not there, they appear to have been made into ice-machine shelters. We even asked a few staff if they knew where the nearest stops were, and they didn’t ! Restaurants & Food: One evening we were advised that Sea Breeze (main buffet restaurant) was closed as they had moved the restaurant and it’s catering to “the beach party”. We were not advised that some of the restaurants closed on some days/evenings, as this was not explained at any part of the check-in process. This led to us having to try and grift a table at one of the speciality restaurants, which you are supposed to book in advance. Most of the food offerings were good, but just to advise that we didn’t try Nicole’s due to negative comments we had heard/read, advising that it was the same food served in other restaurants! It was hit and miss if you got offered drinks with your evening meals, this included trying to get a drink of water on a couple of occasions. Now to the really poor aspects of this resort: check-in was rushed, impersonal, not very warm nor welcoming. We were offered a drink on arrival, but were then told that the shuttle was waiting for us to take us to our room, there were two other people in the shuttle waiting to be transported to one of the restaurants, so we were conscious we didn’t want them to be delayed so this resulted in us having to leave the drink. Check-in took around 3-4 minutes and no information was given about the resort at all, which is poor given what is supposed to be the “front line welcome to a reputable hotel ! Guest Services - you are advised that they are staffed from 7am so you can book restaurants, excursions etc. On 2 of the 5 days we were there, Guest Services were not available with a clock displaying that they were out of office until 8:15am, which was then extended to 8:30am. Overall, we came away with the impression that the hotel was “staffing down” due to it being low season, and this was evidently impacting on the customer experience.

The Verandah was recommended by our travel agent for our just the two of us destination wedding, what a fabulous place. Special thanks to Sanjay who organised the whole event, Huwleesa and Michelle from cu...stomer service and our escort to legal affairs the lovely Wendy from Pineapple resort. Back to the resort, The Verandah is spread out which involves a lot of walking or alternatively jumping on a golf cart, if walking they will ask you if you want a lift, in the main we preferred to walk. The grounds are continuously maintained and beautiful. On arrival the shuttle took us to our room advising us about the resort and showing us the pools, restaurants etc. The restaurants are Seabreeze for the buffet, Sails and Tales near lovers beach (our favourite), Portifino the Italian, Nicole’s we had as a complimentary wedding gift and the beach bar and grill, the catch of the day is very nice. The food was really good as was the service, veggie burger in sails and tales was the best I have had. The buffet had a lot of choice with some great pastries, the choc chip cookies were great. The beach bar grill night was definitely worth going to with live music, brilliant night. The pools, there is the main pool with daily entertainment, my only criticism is that a few umbrellas would be a good addition, their are shelters around the pool which are claimed pretty early as are the pool towels. The other pool we used was the Rasta beach pool which was lovely, special mention to Ashley who would take drink orders with a beaming smile. The other pool we saw was the fountain pool but we hadn’t used this one so unable to comment. There are two beaches, Lovers and Rasta, Lovers beach has Watersports and a beach bar, by far the livelier of the 2, Rasta has the beach pool and the beach bar and grill. The best beach was Long Bay, get a day pass to the Pineapple resort to enjoy the whole beach and make sure you go to reception on arrival for your wristband. The resort also has a tennis court as well as Pickleball courts, we are now Pickleball converts and plan to play now we are back. There are a couple of pool tables, table tennis and a crazy golf course. All the kit required to play is readily available. Devils Bridge is located a short walk from the hotel, we went early morning and were the only ones there. We also took the shuttle into St John’s, book this at the tour office, if you want to stop off for refreshments, Hemingway’s just outside Heritage Quay is lovely. Our room was large, it was a Waterview suite with stunning views, an American Kingsize bed and plenty of storage space. The bathroom has a good shower and two basins, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and a bar of soap. There is also a hairdryer in the bathroom. A small kitchenette with coffee maker and fridge, ask at guest services for refills. Rooms were cleaned every other day and this was ample. The bird watching was great, Bananaquits, bullfinch, hummingbird, King bird, brown pelicans and the Grackles. The drinks at the resort are good, the beer is locally brewed and plenty of cocktail choices, we stopped at the main bar, beach bar and beach bar and grill, there were some lovely staff manning the bars.

After reading some negative tripadvisor reviews before we set off, we were worried our choice of hotel was the wrong choice, however we were delighted with the Verandah resort and are hoping to return ther...e next year. Hotel check-in was really quick, once you have completed the registration form that you get by using the QR code in reception. It was then a matter of minutes before a golf buggy picked us up to take us to our room with a tour of the hotel on route. We were very pleased with our room and the spectacular view from the balcony out to sea. We were fairly central, so walked most of the time, although it was a bit hilly to get to Rasta beach, so for that we usually called a buggy. We found the food to be excellent with plenty of choice. We ate in every restaurant with the exception of Nicole’s as didn’t feel the need to pay the extra charge for this. The staff in all the eateries were very welcoming and friendly. We didn’t have any problems getting served at any of the bars and we found all the bar staff friendly. The beer is brewed onsite and is very drinkable. The wines in the restaurant were fine and we enjoyed a number of different cocktails during our stay, which were all well made. We always looked forward to seeing Theodore and sharing some banter with him and his dodgy cockney accent. Rasta beach was so peaceful, and the food served there was great, especially the jerk chicken. The pool at Rasta was also excellent and very peaceful. It was a shame about the amount of seaweed that seemed to be present a lot of the time on this beach despite the best efforts of the staff who were there endlessly trying to clear it. It wasn’t a problem as you can swim in the pool at Rasta, or if you want to swim in the sea then go to Lovers beach. We went to Shirley Heights on a Sunday evening and had a great time listening to the steel band, drinking rum punches, and watching the sun set over the harbour. We would definitely recommend this trip. There was a barbecue, but we ate at the hotel before setting off so didn’t try the food, although it smelt great. All the staff work really hard to make sure the guests are looked after, the hotel is clean and the grounds are immaculate. Unfortunately, during our stay, one of us became ill and we had to call out the local doctor. Vanessa, the duty manager, was outstanding in helping us navigate a difficult situation and ensuring we were looked after. She went well above and beyond to make sure I/we were ok. She really was a standout star and was a constant presence around the hotel making sure everything was in order. All-in-all, despite having to call out the doctor, we had a fantastic time at the Verandah Resort. We will definitely visit Antigua again and almost certainly stray at the Verandah as it has everything an all Inclusive, adults only hotel should have. April 2026, here we come.

We recently stayed at this resort in one of the Superior King Oceanfront rooms, and I’ll start by saying the rooms themselves were lovely—spacious, clean, and with beautiful views. The grounds were immacul...ate—you could see the staff working diligently every day trimming trees, picking up fallen leaves, and maintaining the landscaping to a high standard. The property itself is stunning and well cared for. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. The food was, without exaggeration, absolutely terrible. We didn’t have a single entree we could say was even “okay.” Even the sodas were hit-or-miss—some nights you’d be lucky to get one, and other nights you’d get some off-brand seltzer that tasted like flavored dishwater. Bar drinks were another disaster. Not only were they watered down, but it became a guessing game depending on who made the drink—you might order a margarita and end up with a rum punch (if you’re lucky). It’s clear most of the bartenders haven’t been trained at all. Customer service was consistently poor. Wait times for food and drinks were unreasonably long, and many of the staff clearly did not want to be bothered. That being said, there were a handful of employees who were kind and tried their best, but they were unfortunately the exception rather than the rule. Another major issue is the size of the property. While it’s beautiful, it’s so spread out that getting around requires waiting for a shuttle (golf cart). One night, we waited 45 minutes—which is unacceptable, especially for a resort that markets itself as luxury and convenient. What’s most confusing is how many glowing reviews this place has. Either they were written by staff or guests who have never been to another all-inclusive resort. We are very understanding travelers—we respect different cultures and adapt to local norms and cuisines—but this was just unacceptable by any standard. We’ve traveled to many resorts in different countries, and this is the first time we’ve ever felt compelled to leave a negative review. Beautiful resort, yes—but beauty can’t mask poor service, inedible food, and a lack of basic hospitality training. We wouldn’t return or recommend it.

My girlfriend and I came here for a week with two other couples. This was a fantastic experience. The private beach is lovely, it was very simple to arrange travel to other parts of the island, and the roo...ms and amenities were fantastic. The biggest highlight was the lovely staff. If anyone from Verandah reads these reviews, I would like to specifically mention Shontel and David at the main pool bar, Risa and Algernon at the Wicket, and Audre at the Lazy Pelican. These people are absolutely lovely and, beyond the exceptional service, wonderful to talk to. Overall this has been a fantastic experience and I’m very sad to be leaving in the morning!