The Verandah Antigua - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

5180 reviews

• 

  Very poor service

  Unfortunately we were very disappointed with The Verandah resort due mainly to the attitude of the staff. From our arrival we found them to be generally miserable and at times rude. They consistently did not action requests or even engage in conversation and seemed uninterested in their jobs and the guests. I had to request things several times on several occasions. I must add there were a few people who were ok but these tended to be more experienced and older staff. No one was interested in helping from complaining about housekeeping (they came to the room every other day and ran out of towels saying I should ask housekeeping to send more). On two occasions our balcony doors were left unlocked even though they stipulated on a sticker attached that they should be kept locked at all times. Even on check out day they couldn’t locate a key for the courtesy room and we had to wait half an hour before they eventually broke the lock. The food was below average in freezing cold restaurants. Even the restaurants requiring a supplement were pretty average. I asked for a guest feedback form three times with various excuses they couldn’t give me one. Eventually they said they were going to rely on Trip advisor feedback - well mine will be pretty brutal. We were never referred to by name, merely the room number. No member of management ever tried to speak to us even though the staff would have known we were not happy. I would say it is a 3 star resort at best and lacks any style or sophistication. Even at the airport the Antiguans seemed to have little respect for the traveller. We have visited the Caribbean many times and have never experienced customer service like this. I would not recommend it to any British traveller

  Apr 15, 2025
• 

  A Must Stay Property

  Just returned from my vacation at The Verandah a week ago and had the most amazing time. From the Duty Manager Vanessa, whose warm and welcoming spirit made us feel like we were home, to the ladies at Guest Services, to the servers at Seabreeze, Sails and Tails, Nicole, Portofino and the Beach Grill with their world famous Jerk Chicken with Potatoe Salad and Cole slaw (one of the best salad and slaw ive had in a very long time) the Widget ( our after party late night spot🤗🤗) to the best bartender Lasandra who drinks were on point and conversation had you smiling/laughing that you found yourself looking for her every time you visited the bar, to the guys/ladies from the Water Aerobics who had us entertained with Water Aerobics, Salsa dancing, Beer pong, Bingo etc (shoutout to Devin from Heaven) to Mr. Dale , Chef Paul, and server Theo at Seabreeze, and a whole lot more, thank you for an awesome vacation. The layout of the property while vast is very well kept and if it feels like you're walking in your own neighborhood . Overall, I would definitely recommend and look forward to visiting in the near future.

  Apr 13, 2025
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  Quiet, spacious, great food, private bungalows, friendly sincere staff... a wonderful resort!

  Returned for the second year in 2025.... loved it even more! We stayed for the second time at the Verandah in April 2025. We really enjoyed the laid back and spacious atmosphere and food last year, so we decided to try it again this year. And... The Verandah did not disappoint again! In fact, the food was even better this year. The desserts and pastries were much more varied, and so tempting, especially in the 1761 Cafe (thank you Tanya for your great service, as always). Theodore was working in the breakfast service this year, and remembered us immediately on our return! Truly unique to see staff really loving their job, proven by years of loyalty to this establishment. We will return again next year. Pros: - Spacious property, never feels crowded, never have to fight for loungers or places to hang out. - Excellent food, both at the restaurants and buffet. - Huge bungalow style duplex suites, that are well equipped with great views and tons of room. Cons: - Not for those seeking a party zone and activities! Very laid back, average age of guests is probably around 55. - A very expansive property due to incredible bungalow suites (no apartment block rooms), so you do walk a lot. And, it's on a cliff front peninsula, so there is a lot of elevation change. But it's worth it for the jungle-like setting and amazing oceanfront views. Recommendations for the management: - Some more planned activities, or some way for guests to get into organized pickleball or beach volleyball would be great. You have very nice pickleball courts and a well constructed beach volleyball setup (new, on the Rasta Beach), which are sadly never used. =============== Having done a few Caribbean resorts including Jamaica, we decided to try The Verandah in Antigua. A bit more expensive, but definitely worth the additional cost! So, the major pluses: - ALL rooms are in these duplexes, two units in one structure. No apartment block style rooms, just these nifty very private rooms in pairs (duplex style). They are very large (a one bedroom was 700 sq. ft.), quiet, super private balcony, and they all have the same format and style. Modestly furnished, but clean and well kept up. - The room categories matter: we had an ocean front (not ocean view) suite, and it was worth it. Stunning view of the harbour, day and night. But even the interior garden view suites are very nicely located, and private. Any unit we passed looked equally high quality. - The food is outstanding, sit-down restaurants and buffets. You do have to reserve the a-la-carte restaurants, which is worth doing the majority of the meals at. We liked Nichole's the most for food, but Sails and Tales had the best outdoor water views and open air (and a bloody good steak to boot!) If you find some reviews that say otherwise about the food, those people are complainers and nuts: high quality food, well prepared. - Huge, spacious sprawling resort. You never feel it's crowded, there's tons of areas to sit or explore. No need to 'towel reserve' loungers anywhere, tons of space at the beaches and pools. - Sincerely friendly staff, all the time, everywhere, especially in the restaurants. - The two beaches are very nice, well maintained, great water sports. The harbours is very shallow all the way out, so no crazy waves and you can swim and explore the water areas easily. - Four newish pickleball courts, and a tennis court. - The 1761 Coffee Cafe is amazing, a must visit daily for speciality coffees and treats with extended hours. Now, things to be aware of: - This is a huge resort with a lot of modest hills and steps all over the place. If you have mobility issues, you may find it challenging. They do have porters to shuttle you around and they are very friendly, easy to get to come get you. But if you struggle to walk 100 feet, this is not a great resort for you. If you like a bit of exercise (like stairs to the beach), this is actually a GREAT resort (we actually liked walking around a bunch to different parts of the resort). - The three main restaurants (Sea Breeze buffet, Nichole's, Portofino's) are all indoors, and oddly they are fully shuttered so there is open air inside or outdoor views. I'm not sure why they don't remove the shutters, to allow better views. But, Sails and Tales is an open air outdoor restaurant with ocean views, and very good food. We ate there 3 times for dinner, 3 times for lunch! - The rooms are a bit dark, they could use a centre ceiling light, which oddly is not there. Not sure why, other than cost to add one. - The pickleball courts are a bit soft, which is good on the feet but makes for less than ideal professional bounce. And, when there is ANY moisture or rain on the courts, they are VERY slippery and dangerous (not enough grit in the surface paint). Do not play pickleball on wet courts! Thankfully, the rain is rare, and dries quickly. - Reserving the sit-down restaurants in a bit challenging, you have to learn to go to guest services (which has no signage indicating where it is) by the main pool early when they open around 8:45am to reserve, before the tables are booked for the subsequent two days you're allowed to reserve ahead. - The neighbouring resort (Pineapple) is owned by the same group, so you get reciprocal access rights. But it's limited, so reserve over there early. Our dinner reservation over there just ended up cancelled with no explanation, which was annoying. - The Pineapple is an older traditional resort with apartment style rooms, more compact, busy, but less expensive. If cost is a factor, I suppose it's OK, but we were not that impressed with it. More active crowd maybe, more activities, but too crowded. - There is no good snorkelling at this resort at all. A little better at the Pineapple, but the minimal reef there is dead, no active life in it. I don't think Antigua in general is a great snorkelling destination, FYI. - All resorts in Antigua collect an additional fee (government fee?) from guests. Be aware of this, and prepared to pay it on arrival at the resort. This is well documented, not a 'scam' at all, just don't be surprised, factor it into the cost. A big shout out for amazing service from Tanya at the coffee shop, and Theodore at breakfasts and lunches. Your care and attention to the guests is to be complimented! And yes... we will be going back!

  Apr 12, 2025
• 

  Not as good as we hoped

  We were tempted to visit to celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary. First the good news. A beautifully kept resort over. 31 acres with villas spread around.the site. The pools were very well maintained. We enjoyed lovers beach and its facilities - idyllic. Our villa room was very good and a large bathroom attached with excellent shower. Would suggest a change of supplier for toilet paper currently cheap and dangerously thin. The coffee cafe just behind the bar was very good with really nice staffing. The bad news. This is a resort and not what we would call an hotel. Possibly best described as an upmarket holiday camp designed primarily for Americans. We aren’t into loud blasted music around the pool, karaoke and foam filled pool. Reception should be warm, welcoming, smiling and enthusing. It wasn’t for us. The buggy service around the sit was a bit erratic. For the price we paid we expected a daily visit from housekeeping without asking. But the real disappointment was the eating arrangements. What is called The Seabreeze Restaurant was more reminiscent of a noisy canteen. (You really want to try the coffee in there) Our visit to the alleged better restaurant, where you pay an extra 40 dollars a head supplement was very poor with no ambience, poor service and what can only be described at best as average food. We enjoyed the cafe upstairs from Lovers Beach the very best. So we had a just ok holiday. Of course the ultimate question ‘would we go again?’ Most certainly not.

  Apr 12, 2025
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  Awesome accommodations and service!

  I love this hotel! I work in the travel industry and highly recommend! The accommodations, food and staff are outstanding. Morning breakfast starts with a great smile and service from Theadore! I always ask for one of his tables! This trip was for business but plan on vacationing here soon with the family!!

  Apr 11, 2025