St. James's Club & Villas

The service in this resort from some of the staff especially in the coffee house was exceptional. Stand out service from TorriAnn and Roxeanne in the restaurants. This enthusiasm is not unfortunately universal and the attitude from some is hardwork. Our stay was marred from the smell from the seaweed in block 17 an upgraded ocean view option. This is a common issue with this block, not helped by the litter and lack of attention to the grounds at the back of the block. We asked to move within an hour of checkin but did not get contacted again. We could not sit out on the balcony at all, the upgrade was a complete waste of money. The staff at the hotel are well drilled on how to react whenever anyone raises a concern about the seaweed ‘This is a natural occurence, the management are aware of it and are doing everything they can.’ However, you are blanked when you ask if they knew some rooms or areas are usually worse than others and I dont accept that this is rare. Even the Antigua tourist board staff in the airport eventually agreed when the photos of the seaweed were shared with them on departure, geography means you need to avoid areas that will collect the seaweed from the atlantic side that will catch the prevailing wind. In fact if you consider the google map the dark areas on the beach around the resort show you where to avoid. The staff worked really hard trying to clear it but it is far from ideal trading peaceful beach vibes with noisy tractors. The stench from rotting seaweed is like rotten eggs, also toxic and if you suffer from asthma a health hazard. I appreciate that its natural, not much can be done about it but that simply means tourists will inevitably go somewhere else long term. The bay on the otherside is better but not crystal clear paradise. The watersports are good but the pedalos are so bad they were the subject of our joke for the holiday, easily the most rubbish pedalos we had ever seen, would barely keep afloat. The keep fit facilities are really good, gym, tennis and pickleball courts really good. The location is poor, very isolated and you need a taxi to get anywhere which means you are a captive audience and explains why the catering does not need to be great as there is no competition. The food is generally average at times good. Our favourite pool and bar was 11 11, great view and much quieter than the rowdy main pool. Great service from Sylene and Taryln. If you want tranquil paradise then go somewhere else. If you want a large resort with above average facilities at a premium price with no easy options to escape then you will be very happy. Unless a miracle cure is found for the seaweed or some serious investment takes place I doubt this resort will exist in 10 years time so go now if you want to say you stayed at St James.

I enjoyed my stay in St. James Club & Villas. The food was good, and the hospitality was exceptional. The things I most enjoyed during my visit were exercising in their large well equipped gym, playing tennis, kayaking, and taking chess lessons. Taking chess lessons with IC, the Chess Master was definitely a highlight of my trip. This resort has an onsite taxi service that can get you where you want to be fairly quickly. My wife and I did a private hike on one of the Mountain/Hills there (which we enjoyed), and we also went to Shirley's Heights (which is a must do if you visit the Island. They have a live Steel Drum orchestra that plays there on Sundays and Thursdays which is so good! There are also excellent views there which make great pictures). Visit St. James Club & Villas and I believe you'll have a wonderful time.

We (family of three with a 9-year-old) have just returned from 10 nights at St James Club and have loved every minute of it. Took us I think about 40 minutes to get to the resort using a taxi, no need to pre-book as the system outside the terminal is very efficient. Roads are a bit bumpy in places, but fine, drivers try and avoid the bumps if they can. The resort is well maintained, very family friendly. Our ocean view room was lovely, spacious, modern, good cold fridge (not filled), good air conditioning and plenty of storage, housekeeping was excellent. Mamora Bay is beautiful —calm, relaxed, and ideal for swimming, especially in the mornings when the water is clearest, does get murky later the more people have been in. The beach grill and bar are conveniently located, and service is great throughout the day. Cocos Beach (Atlantic side) was affected by sargassum during our stay, which made it unusable. The team were working really hard to remove it, out every day with a tractor but it’s a huge job and takes time. I think it was usually from May that it can get worse. The pool at Reef Deck is a good size, it’s the only pool we used, with a lively atmosphere and great views, Cresida on the bar is amazing. Breakfast offers plenty of choice, and lunch at the beach grill is really nice as is Eleven Eleven (great chicken sandwich!) For dinner we stuck with Docksiders (buffet) which we found to be excellent food and service (Chris was great!) Friday night beach party was brilliant. Great atmosphere and lots of food options. Cocktails are excellent (missing my mudslide/Antiguan Charm and rum punch), and we thought the white/rose and sparkling wine were really good. There’s plenty to do on-site, including tennis, pickleball, a games room, and non-motorised water sports like kayaking and paddleboarding. Everything is easy to book and well organised. We did a boat tour around the island (extreme circumnavigation) excellent trip, Green Island was great for snorkelling, we saw a turtle and a ray. We arranged via the hotel tour desk via email before we arrived, Naomi was extremely helpful. Also did the Pink Panther and TukTuk tours which we really enjoyed. We had a fantastic stay. It’s a beautiful place to relax and enjoy the Caribbean at a comfortable, easy pace. We would absolutely recommend this hotel and look forward to returning.

Amazing experience , although some slight issue with our booking on arrival , luckily , Conjica on the front desk ( forgive me for wrong spelling ) , what an asset to the Hotel , she did her upmost and went out of her way to help my daughter and myself have the best time , I cannot thank her enough for sorting our room as quickly as she could . Beautiful place fabulous staff and beaches to die for , cannot fault this place . Super Cocktails at the beach! We both loved our stay we will be back

This resort had mixed reviews especially with the sargassum issue. We had an Oceanfront room and even with the Sargassum bloom, it was beautiful and relaxing. The ocean side was quiet and the staff worked tirelessly every day to clear the beach of the grasses. The food at all restaurants was fantastic. It is well worth the uncharge to dine at Piccolo Mondo as the food is spectacular and the service on pointe. Our waiter, Samori, was nothing short of entertaining, gracious and phenomenal from the moment we were seated up until we left. Everyone is friendly and helpful and there are plenty of activities to do or enough places to hide out and relax. The Friday night beach party is one to not be missed as there is more food and variety and live entertainment that is amazing. The rooms are recently renovated and a second floor one with vaulted ceilling and spacious outdoor balcony was comfy and perfect! Absolutely would return to Antigua and St James Club again!