St. James's Club - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

4737 reviews

• 

  Great if you just want to relax

  This hotel is great if you want to stay within the complex. Many people appear to revisit year after year. I wish i'd known some of the things before going so I am going to add the main points of my findings rather than a full review as different people want different things. 1. The hotel is pretty much in the middle of nowhere so not really anywhere to go outside the hotel on foot. 2. There are 5 pools. 1 can only be used by royal suite guests, 1 is a small children's pool, 1 is in a quiet area but not much shade so gets very hot, 1 has a a waterfall and is more of a plunge pool and 1 main pool which you can have a decent swim in. 3. The beach is fabulous with an abundance of beds. 4. There are 5 restaurants but not all are open every day. 2 you have to book the day before which are inclusive of your AI package but not that many places, 2 of them you don't have to book at all though 1 has a limited menu but it is waitress service so you don't have to queue for the buffet and the final one Piccolo is bookable but you pay 38.50USD per person for that one. 5. There are 7 bars but again not all are open all the time. 6. A taxi to St Johns (45 minutes away) would cost around 75 USD and a taxi to English Harbour 45USD. 7. Trips are quite expensive for example a 2.5 hour sunset cruise is 70USD and a full day tour for 105USD plus 100USD for round trip taxi for up to 4 people. 8. There is a Resort fee of 24USD and 10USD tourism guest levy so 34USD per day which is payable at the end of your visit (this is the total we paid for a double room). There is also an optional 2USD per day to their local charity but this is optional. Hope the above is helpful. If you are still interested, here is a quick review of my stay here. We loved the beach and the beach bar. Always plenty of beds all day so no need to rush down (though you may need to move them round a bit to get the shade. Hotel grounds are well kept. Buffet restaurant was typical AI, lovely location and lots of variety albeit a little repetitive. Bathrooms in the rooms are a little outdated. Vanity sinks ok but toilet a bit old fashioned and on one occasion my husband had to reattach the flush. You get 2 bottles of water in your room which you can refill at the bar or water stations but apparently it is ok to drink. We boiled it just in case but had lots of ice in our drinks while we were there and had no issues. Coco and Rainbow garden restaurants are worth a visit if you manage to get in. Overall we had a lovely holiday and enjoyed the daily visits to the beach though we like to walk out and about and there wasn't really anywhere to go without taking a taxi but many other people return year after year. Bed in the room was firm and comfortable which I like and Junior suite was a lovely air conditioned room. Pool area is nice and the bar lady that was there for most of our stay was lovely. The one thing that I felt let it down a bit is that empty glasses do not get collected so as people vacate the beds and new people take them you are surrounded by dirty glasses which lets it down a bit. The restaurant staff were generally cheerful but the reception staff made you feel like a naughty schoolchild and you felt like you were inconveniencing them by asking questions. Photocopied map they give you when you arrive is useless as it has been photocopied in black and white and you can't read the numbers to see what is where. When you arrive you are really tired and they give you so much information you can't take it in. There is a tour each morning to show you around but the guide kept forgetting bits and was pointing ahead to where the restaurants etc were without actually taking you to them. You could do with having a leaflet so that you could read through at your leisure. There are some on the notice boards but it would be good to have a copy. Lots of people were taking pictures of the notice boards.

  Mar 25, 2025
• 

  Great resort for families, especially the villas

  We rented a villa on the Mamora Bay side of the resort through a private owner and had a wonderful experience. The bay was beautiful, with just a little sargassum during our mid-March stay, which didn't affect our enjoyment at all. We swam every day. The staff was excellent from the moment we checked in, greeting us with cold towels and drinks. We found the all inclusive meal plan, which we purchased for part of our stay, to be a great deal. Just avoid the grill at Docksiders for lunch - it's much too slow and was uncomfortably hot during our stay. Cover your plates and glasses at the Rainbow Garden restaurant at breakfast to protect them from the birds. No big deal. We loved the coffee shop and our dinner at Piccolo's (worth the upcharge). If I could rent the same villa (424) directly on the beachfront, I wouldn't hesitate to come again. This is a great resort for a family, with lots of pools and spaces to explore on the property. If you are a couple looking for a more private, romantic experience, I'd recommend some of the smaller all inclusives on the other side of the island like Coco's and Keyonna. For this trip with our teenage daughter, St James was perfect.

  Mar 22, 2025
• 

  Beautiful resort & great food but room for improvement.

  I visited St James for 9 nights with my wife and 2 year old son in mid March. We had a great holiday overall. Weather was amazing. We stayed in a beachfront room. It was pretty dated and could have done with improvements (rusted door handles and taps, flooring a bit creaky etc) but everything worked and the air con was fantastic so can’t really complain too much. It was also extremely spacious and the best part was that our balcony led directly onto the Atlantic side beach so we were able to see some amazing sunrises and also sit out in the sun whilst the little one napped. The resort itself is beautiful and in immaculate condition - the gardens and plants are stunning and it is really nice to wander around. Plenty of things to do including tennis courts, pickleball, pool table, tennis tables, gym and watersports. There are multiple swimming pools and two beaches to choose from and there were always plenty of sunbeds available - never having to fight to find a spot. The Mamora Bay side is especially stunning with very calm water. The food was also great - no complaints from us at all. Plenty of choice in terms of restaurants and also cuisine at each location. We went to the Docksider for buffet most nights as it was easy with our toddler and they had a different theme every night, with plenty of choice and very good food. Breakfast buffet at Rainbow was our go to and also really enjoyed that. For lunch we’d either go to Eleven 11 which served laid back a la carte or the Docksider Grill which was also very tasty. We tried Coco’s one night which was the more formal a la carte option which was also very good (you have to book ahead). There’s also a great 24 hour coffee shop which is fantastic (if there’s no queue). Entertainment was hit and miss - most nights there was live music but only a couple were good. The night we went to Cocos they had a guy clearly miming along to a pre recorded track and pretending to play the piano 😂 we didn’t really stay up late enough for the later evening entertainment so can’t comment on that. The area where St James really lets itself down though is the service. And it’s so bad at points that I was tempted to give three stars. Not all staff were bad but the ones who were bad were VERY bad. At points it felt as though any request was an inconvenience and it was almost laughable how poor it was sometimes. Examples include ordering a drink in the Jacaranda Bar and not really even being acknowledged by either lady on multiple nights. The reception staff were generally ok but some of the more senior staff members seemed very defensive like they’re used to confrontation. Simple requests took ages or weren’t possible. Example being on the first night we asked for a cot to be delivered to our room three times but it was over 3 hours before it arrived at which point we were already asleep from a long journey so our little one had to sleep in our bed. Also asked for late checkout which was not available which is fair enough but despite asking several times, no viable alternative was suggested to accommodate our toddlers afternoon nap (they suggested a nice cosy bed on the beach?!) - this left a bitter taste in the mouth. Even small things like asking for a new water bottle when ours had broken took over a day to sort. The kids club staff members were also weirdly unwelcoming when we went in there with our son and seemed wholly uninterested in interacting with us. The worst part though was the porter. He was miserable and verging on nasty. As he was showing us the storage room for our luggage on the day we checked out, our two year old wheeled a suitcase up to him and he yanked it off him without even thanking him. Seriously poor form. Some staff members were really nice - shout out to Caleel, Amie & Cookie who all went out of their way for us during our stay. There were quite a few others who were really nice but didn’t get their names so I’d hate to tar them all with the same negative brush. Overall we had a lovely holiday and might return to St James. There are a lot of other hotels to explore though and life is short!

  Mar 21, 2025
• 

  A wonderful time had by all

  We went to the St. James during winter break and the week after. When we arrived, we were met with friendly faces and a big welcome. Since it was early, our room wasn't ready yet, so we went to have lunch at the Rainbow. The buffet lunch had many choices, some healthy. Then we walked around the resort to get a feel for where everything was. The grounds were immaculate and kept up. The women at the reception desk were dressed beautifully, friendly and helpful during our stay. I would love to name them individually, but they were all so good. Our room was beachfront facing the ocean, with a terrace and very pretty view. My only complaint is the room might need a fresh coat of paint and a little updating. It was clean. We barely spent any time in the room so it didn't matter to me. When my kids and grandkids arrived, they had a Villa, which was updated, comfortable, and close to a calm bay beach. The kids were able to enjoy the sand and water there. We could get drinks from the beach bar and a drink cart would come by periodically. The main pool area overlooks the sea. There are activities by this pool with a big bar and music. Scattered through out the resort, are pools, restaurants and a daytime grill by the bay for lunch in case you didn't want the buffet. Every morning, I would go to the 24 hour coffee shop and get a specialty coffee, sit outside and enjoy the view. They have all kinds of coffees and treats. For fine dining, we went to Piccolo Mondo, the supplement is $37.50 per person and well worth it. We went 5 nights and really enjoyed it. Great food, service and drinks. All the restaurants have outdoor dining with a pretty view. Their health club is well equipped and very clean. The tennis courts and pickleball courts are well maintained. Kayaks and sunfishes are available at no extra cost. The gift shop is well stocked. Off the resort activities are available and located close by. There are many activities and amenities this resort has to offer. I would like to name some of the staff that helped make our vacation special. The ladies at reception desk, of course. Food: Omar, Luenda, Roxann, Samori and the rest of the waitstaff and bartenders. Orlando in the front, Joeann making delicious coffees. Activities: Shanaii and Tyrain so friendly and enthusiastic. And the rest of the staff, THANK YOU! To Chrissy in Florida, who booked and organized our stay....A big thank you!

  Mar 20, 2025
• 

  It isn't perfect but not bad.

  After a long journey I was expecting a more friendly welcome but instead simply offered a cold towel and then bombared with information about the resort which I had no ability or apetite to take in. Then taken to room and left to my own devices. The lack of information is bewildering and I never did work out the TV, coffee machine or clock ! However non of these things bothered me and I somehow enjoyed exploring the resort without a map or guidance notes. The resort is well maintained and the room (Royal Suite) is large with a good bathroom. There are 5 restaurants the best being Picolo. The food is average but with a wide choice at the buffets. Service can be a bit hit and miss but then I was in no rush and believe you must adapt to the laid back approach of Antigua. Lorraine and Marrisa at Guest Services were very friendly and helpful and assisted in making my wife's birthday a wonderful day. I wasn't able to arrange a late room check out and as not being collected from the resort until 6pm meant we needed to change in the Gym shower area which was not ideal. Overall it was a pleasant 14 day holiday and whilst some other guests moaned about the food and service I didn't think it was that bad. I suggest providing more information by way of down-load to a phone perhaps, better welcome and improved food. I would say it was a 3.5/4 star resort but no where near 5 star.

  Mar 18, 2025