Fodor's Expert Review Starfish Jolly Beach Resort
Valley Rd., Jolly Harbour, St. Mary, Antigua and Barbuda
If you're looking for basic sun-sand-surf fun, this active resort—Antigua's largest—fits the bill luring a gregarious blend of honeymooners, families, and singles. Management diligently gussies up and maintains the public areas: there's a faux sugar mill, a free-form fantasy pool, a Creole-style vendors' village, attractive gardens, and a riot of tropical-cocktail colors. Palapas (palm-thatch roofs) and hammocks dot the long if crowded beach. The five main restaurants, Italian to Indian, are surprisingly good, especially the waterfront seafood eatery, Lydia's. The range of activities and facilities (including a cricket field, casino, and spa) surpasses that of many tonier all-inclusives. On the downside, service can be curt, and the dilapidated cinder-block structures have peeling paint, chipped doors, and rusting railings. Many units are cramped and musty with bizarre, built-in concrete furnishings. "Supersaver" rooms, though the size of closets, represent the top value, especially for singles (only $20 supplement). Every room has at least a partial sea view.
PROS
- great range of activities for the price
- incredible online specials
- good food for a cheaper all-inclusive
CONS
- many cramped, ugly rooms
- lines for restaurant reservations
- lack of elevators and rambling layout make it difficult for the physically challenged
HOTEL INFO
HOTEL DETAILS
Rate Includes: All-Inclusive