Guest reviews St James's Club & Villas

by maziegrace15

Vacation

This was our first post Covid trip & it gets a 5 star plus for us!! St.James was just what we needed & it exceeded all our expectations. We made friends from all over & the staff was fun & friendly!! I want to give an extra shut out to Travis Beaston with Elite Travel for arranging & fine tuning to make this one of the most memorable vacations for the books. Erin Heaton New Orleans, LA

by domengineer Apex, North Carolina

Disappointed, unfortunately.

First, let me say that I wanted this trip to be fantastic. I totally understand that I was travelling during a pandemic and that I am fortunate to have been able to do so. The resort was not the resort I chose two years ago when I booked. I wanted an all-inclusive adult only resort that was small for my 2020 spring break vacation with my husband. After everything got cancelled last year, the agency we used gave us 18 months to use our credit, so we re-booked for 2021 spring break. Two weeks before we traveled we were notified that our resort (The Pineapple Beach) was still closed due to the pandemic and that they would be accommodating us at their larger "sister" resort on the island. Our room was the same "quality" and it was all-inclusive so we went. The big issue for us was that this resort was not adult only. There were children everywhere and the only adult only pools (there were 2 near our room and 1 near the villas) had no bars open near them, so you had to go to the bigger pools for a drink. Children were allowed in the bar areas. They did have a young man come around to the adult pool from time to time ( I saw him twice in a week) to see if you needed anything, so that was a nice perk when it happened. There were no adult only restaurants either, and dinners were full of families, etc. I am not blaming the children or the parents for any of the issues, they are kids and they acted like kids, which is all fine, except I paid for an adult only resort for this vacation and I was surrounded by kids. The resort was very large, not all restaurants were open and the hours were subject to change. The food was mediocre at best. I wish I had more positives to say here because the chefs, and servers were working overtime to make everyone happy, but the food was just OK. Very limited "Caribbean" menus, not a lot of fish options. The soups were nice, the salads at Eleven -11 restaurant were nicely done as well and the shrimp appetizer at Rainbow Garden was superb. The rest? Just average. The buffet (which was open and you had servers helping you the entire time which was a nice health and safety feature) was on the bay side of the resort and the food was just not good. I wanted it to be, it just wasn't. One example that I can give is if you order some tortillas and salsa/guacamole as a snack, the salsa comes from a jar and so does the guacamole. I know this seems petty, but when I pay this much for an all-inclusive I really do have expectations of better food. Bland and overcooked meats and vegetables and the desserts were flavorless. Forget the ice cream, had the oddest after taste I have ever experienced in a frozen dessert. I did use the spa for a massage and it was heavenly. Worth every penny. We used the pickle ball courts and they were clean and well maintained and we did take out the Hobie cats a few times. They are only allowed on the bay side for a reason, the ocean side has incredible winds, so much so that many excursions were cancelled the week we went due to the wind and the dangerous ocean. We took one of the last snorkeling excursions that they let go out and it was a nice day trip out. Did I have a relaxing time that was two years in the making? Yes. Did I enjoy being out of the house after a year and did I enjoy traveling again? Yes I did. Will I return to this resort? No, I will not.

by MidlifeTravelling New York City, New York

Just what I needed, a bit of paradise!

I am a healthcare worker and an effort to decompress from COVID fatigue, I got my vaccine and began the hunt for my “dream” vacation spot. Finding a direct flight from NY- JFK to somewhere was important to me to minimize exposure. Antigua! 4 ½ hours! The country/airport is small, clean and VERY COVID conscience. Now for the resort. I wanted a resort that was all-inclusive, with water activities on the ocean or the bay and of course a beautiful sandy beach. That perfectly describes the St. James Club Resort. It is a fabulous, secluded 100-acre resort that sits on a peninsula on the southeastern coast of Antigua. It is approximately 20 minutes away by taxi and when you arrive you feel you entered heaven. The temperature here is 70-80 degrees F all year long with a constant breeze. The property is extremely well manicured with exotic trees, plants and fragrant flowers. The 5 swimming pools are cooling and pristine, the tennis court is immaculate, the spa amazing and the dining facilities are extremely inviting. I arrived with my guest, and we were promptly greeted, the baggage’s were cleaned, hands sterilized, temperature checked both at the gate and at the guest services desk. They graciously upgraded us from a (2) double bed standard room to a (2) bedroom villa! It was an amazing villa but a bit far from the main areas of the resort. We approached the duty manager, Khadijah, and she was the most gracious and accommodating manager I have encountered. She offered us a (1) bedroom Junior Suite overlooking the ocean that had a pullout couch and full kitchen. It had breathtaking views and it was perfect!! It was within steps to the dining areas, the pool, the two beaches and coffee hut. Khadijah was extremely thoughtful, and this room exceeded our expectations. The décor needs a bit of a face lift, but during these economic times I was sincerely grateful to have such a fantastic room! A few of the many standouts include the boat ride for snorkeling which included a delicious lunch, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and views that are unparalleled. The crews’ energy was uplifting, and you were really able to leave your COVID cares behind you. Special thanks to Ernest our captain and all the staff on the boat that entertained us which brought huge smiles to our faces. A must! Morning aqua-aerobic classes are the way to start your day! A special “Thank you” to Rasaheed and Tamara. You woke my spirit up! Thank you! The dining areas though limited during this time were fabulous. The food was always fresh and the staff were all very careful and caring to make sure you were fully accommodated. There is a daily theme for buffet dinners which was very carefully planned, and you always had something wonderful to feast on. Do try the house wine it really is quite good with dinner. The buffet was not self serve, they had wait staff to assist you. It was extremely Covid safe. Lunch is either a buffet salad bar facing the bay or eating at the grill on the bay. The Grill was my favorite place, due try the Taco salad, the special drink of the day. All the wait staff were terrific and a special thanks to Cleopatra, Romaine, Zariah, Sarafina, Tamara, Allajah for making my week so special! The bar staff was always upbeat and willing to guide you to fabulous new drink. Do try the local Rum! They also sell it at the gift shoppe! Don’t forget to check out the coffee hut by the reception building! The coffee is from Italy and absolutely the best coffee! The snacks and deserts are also always available, and all included in the price! In conclusion, I am most definitely returning to this bit of heaven. It was exactly what I needed to escape and recharge my batteries. Since coming back, I am already planning for my next visit! Thank you again to the entire staff at St. James!

by Jill E North Massapequa, New York

Great all-inclusive resort

Traveled mid March with my hubby and 19 year old daughter. Got a great deal and used my JetBlue vacations credit from a canceled Punta Cana trip last July. Antigua is a gorgeous island and we definitely are planning to go back. One of the best things about St. James club is that it’s on a peninsula so there’s an ocean side beach and a bay side beach. We booked a ground floor ocean side room but when we got there and were taken to our room on check in we found we had been upgraded to a 2 bedroom villa on the bay side. It was huge and so great to have our own bedroom and bathroom and a huge patio on the beach. Every person working at St James Club is nicer than the next and become like family. We especially became close with Orlando our golf cart driver and Dane our beach cart bartender. Both the best. The grounds are lush with tons of palm trees. Although only 2 restaurants were open, the food was delicious and a different menu every night (alternating between the sit down and buffet). Definitely best food we’ve had at an all inclusive. They were following every safety protocol. No entertainment at night, the one bar/lounge was open to 11pm every night no music. We didn’t mind much. We are mainly beach people and not late nighters. We did one fun excursion called power 360 catamaran cruise. Saw a few of the many small islands and had open bar and yummy lunch. The St James club did have a few activities going on each day as well as the hobie cats, paddle boards, etc being available, tennis, pickle ball and gym was open. My daughter and I had massages at the spa outdoors which were great and covid priced half off. So worth it. I would highly recommend. Most of the beach scenes and sunset are the views from our patio.

by patriciamE1838VN Highlands, New Jersey

Long-time returning guest, always thrilled with experience

As a repeat guest, as is my family, we choose St. James because of so many things; the access to the beach and bay within steps of each other, variety of food is high quality, an incredible spa (comparable with hotels in Europe and Asia) and a significant gym experience . The spa has an extensive menu, half dozen type of massages and as many treatments plus facials and more. Ceneiva and Ayien are truly gifted masseuses and treatment specialists. My best friend and I splurged and had a treatment each day (after the terrible year of covid) and each one was truly memorable. We both suffer from chronic pain and they worked with us and we left pain-free, we were stunned. We cannot recommend them more highly. They made the whole trip! Most of all the staff are nicest people you will ever meet. The restaurants are lovely to sit out and enjoy your meals and cocktails, you are never rushed. You can sit inside if you prefer and the tables outside are shaded with wonderful breezes. The grounds are beautiful with picturesque vistas. They have their own farm, their own water treatment and power. Multiple tennis courts, Hobie cats, sailfish, snorkeling, paddle boats and more. It is a wonderful family experience, or a friends or couple trip. Check out my pics, I have so many more, each is a postcard.