Royalton Antigua, An Autograph Collection - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

3653 reviews

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  Very Disappointed!

  Our experience at the Royalton Resort fell far short of expectations, leaving us disappointed with many aspects of our stay. Rooms: The rooms we were assigned were not as advertised. They lacked privacy, were not located next to each other as we requested, and one room did not include the two queen beds we had specifically booked. Dining: Securing dinner reservations was a nightmare. Out of five nights we were forced to eat at the buffet for dinner . When we did eat under a reservation , multiple menu items, including top-tier steaks at the steakhouse, were unavailable. This issue persisted throughout the week, with many food or drink items missing daily! Spa & Excursions: We were unable to use the spa discount ( diamond club discount) because we were not informed it could not be applied to a massage on the beach. Additionally, the discount coupon for the catamaran excursion was denied, leaving us feeling misled. Dining Experience: We paid extra for what we expected to be a private dining experience, only to find ourselves seated with another family without prior notice. The food itself was subpar, and the steak served was inedible. Service Issues: • Turn-down service was only provided on two out of our five nights, despite this being a basic expectation. • Beach chairs and cabanas were nearly impossible to secure. We were told that Diamond Club butler service would handle this, but that was not the case. We ended up waking at 6 AM just to reserve chairs. • Traveling with a group of 12, we were rarely able to sit together, managing only two group dinners over the entire stay. Other Frustrations: Items were often out of stock at the buffet, and food and drinks were not replenished in a timely manner. Overall, the lack of organization, communication, and availability of promised amenities made this stay frustrating and unenjoyable. On top of that 75% of the staff was miserable and not helpful. For the price and the expectations we had, this experience was a huge letdown. I cannot recommend this resort based on the issues we encountered.

  Jan 15, 2025
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  Great stay in antiqua Royalton

  We were hesitant to try after reading some reviews. Staff was wonderful and we did not get diamond club. No problem getting reservations for 4 at any restaurant. The app was perfect. The vibe here was so much better than at the Sandals in Barbados. The vibe team got people involved. Timothy and his brother. The bar team of Estella and Joseph at center bar were wonderful. Jettstarr at the breakfast buffet was so sweet. Pools were wonderful, a quiet pool and a active pool and a smaller volleyball pool. Food was better than sandals. Italian and steak house were outstanding. Even the buffet was good, never ran out of anything. The food truck was great. Perfect weather, classes were great.

  Jan 15, 2025
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  Didnt want to leave

  Beautiful views and great service. The staff is very friendly. I was most looking forward to seeing what the gym was like, and it was better than expected. Lady J was great and ran the best classes. There was always very good foor available at any time i wanted it.

  Jan 14, 2025
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  Never going back!

  Firstly, I would like to say that Antigua is a beautiful island and the people are very hospitable and welcoming. We chose to stay at Royalton Antigua after a thoroughly enjoyable trip to Royalton Negril in 2022 - but this experience was completely different. Rooms We were allocated rooms with a ‘mountain view’, which was in fact a tree-covered hill side. From our balcony you could see the waste management area below (see picture). This, quite clearly, was not the premium side of the hotel. Having upgraded to Diamond Club when booking, which claims to offer “preferential room locations with the best views”, we politely suggested the rooms should be facing the bay. In Jamaica, the Diamond Club rooms were all sea-facing and positioned close to the exclusive, upgraded facilities. On this occasion, our request fell on deaf ears - even though we only asked that one of our three rooms be changed to a bay view. Another issue is that the junior suites all looked like family rooms with two double beds instead of a king-sized double in the middle, which was the case in Jamaica. In hindsight, we could have booked just two rooms for the six people in our party. Diamond Club You pay a premium for this service and the facilities on offer. This was, for the most part, a complete waste of time and money. The two pools are separated by the swim-up bar in the middle, but because of their proximity it was easy for non-Diamond Club guests to move between the two without having their status checked. We witnessed this on several occasions as the security could only be described as lax. We also had to wait a long time to be served at the swim-up bar, often climbing out of the pool to get served at another bar. Several other guests we spoke to also had the same complaint. We don’t mind waiting our turn, but when most of the staff are working the other side of the bar it did not seem right - especially when you have paid for an upgraded service. Food and beverages We totally understand that a lack of certain products can result in changes to a menu. However, this happened way too often at different restaurants. Just a few examples. The Hunters steak house had no brisket for the entirety of our holiday, as well the New York strip on one occasion, while a BBQ bacon cheeseburger came out without BBQ sauce and bacon because “they didn’t have any”. I had to send the cannelloni back in the Italian because they forgot to add the tomato sauce. They also ran out of drinks like vodka, and three consecutive bars had no bottled water when my asthmatic mother-in-law was in need of one. Not good enough for a so-called five-star resort. We met with the food and beverages manager - a lady called Yvette - to address the service and food/drinks issues. She admitted they were having problems with deliveries of certain items, which we sympathised with. However, that is not really our problem and food/drink options should not be offered in the first place if they cannot be guaranteed. Yvette deserves credit for speaking with the security team regarding non-Diamond Club guests in the pool area, but the person in charge of the rooms couldn’t be bothered to meet us. Upon our return, I complained to Virgin and the hotel claimed we never met with them or complained about the rooms. They even refused to answer the questions put to them. Never again. 🤬

  Jan 11, 2025
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  Disorganized, unprofessional, dishonest

  The LACK of professionalism, communication and customer care is stunning. Lots of empty words and no action while you stay there. When they have to sell you something, everyone answers and is right there, but when you have an issue, all of a sudden you can’t get anyone on the phone or to talk to. For the amount of money spent for mediocre food and lodging I would never bring my family to any of their properties unless you like to feel robbed, disappointed and disrespected. Don’t fall for their marketing gimmicks! And please, I don’t need a generic response from them that they usually sent to people who experienced poor service.

  Jan 11, 2025