Keyonna Beach

We’re just back from two weeks here and feeling a bit short changed. A list of greats; staff – all of them; food – plenty of choice and specials; accommodation – rustic, appropriate and very comfortable; beach – typical Caribbean beach, run down straight into the sea; drinks – branded and local alike. Myths; Wi-Fi is great all over the site; the Bali bed were stripped and the bedding and cushion covers cleaned while we were there; there are mosquitoes but just take insect repellent (I only had two bites and I am particularly sensitive to insect bites). We’ve had 5 or 6 couples holidays in the Caribbean and a mix of others including half board and self-catering. I guess that means we’re experienced especially in couples only romantic holidays. This is my issue with the Keyonna Beach or more specifically some of its clientele. The website says, “best suited for couples and honeymooners seeking a romantic and relaxing getaway in a scenic, stress-free environment….we welcome you to romance, to tranquillity and to our charming little slice of paradise.� The Keyonna Beach is very popular with Italians. Italians are lovely people and extremely gregarious and fun loving. Gathering in groups of 6 or more on the beach, pulling sun beds together shouting across the beach...these are their natural behaviours. Playing football and bat and ball games and playing music on the next Bali bed are all part of their fun holiday. The Bali beds are close together and it’s annoying when your neighbours on both sides are talking to each other across your bed. Tranquillity? But I came here….� seeking a romantic and relaxing getaway in a scenic, stress-free environment� as detailed on the website. I was in the wrong place misled by the advertising. At meal times it got worse. Tables were pulled together to accommodate 6 or more, one night, 12. Tables of this size are not quiet! This clearly had a big impact on our holiday. It simply wasn’t the holiday we thought we’d bought. So despite the many many positives we would not come here again. From our research we know that in the UK’s summer months the picture above is typical. I think the website is misleading. After all, this isn’t a cheap holiday.

A bit late but.. We stayed for our honeymoon (second part) in May 2017, absolutely loved Keyonna, exactly what we were looking for, no TVs, distractions just fantastic people and wonderful food and drinks ! Simple accommodation which suited us and loved the outdoor showers, beautiful beach which was nice and private with great covered beds when the sun was too much. The staff are amazing at this resort, so welcoming and personal, it really was like staying with family/friends, we had no option but to relax which was wonderful. Amazing cocktails and by far the best all inclusive food we have so far experienced ! The entertainment/singers each night were also very good ! We just want to pick this resort up and take it with us wherever we travel so it seems we will definitely have to return. We travelled with Kuoni who we would also say are pretty amazing !

Finally got round to writing this over a year later! What can we say except that we have just booked today to return here next year for our third stay. Never done this before but it really gives us the holiday we want. The location is fantastic the rooms are exactly what we need ..... no tv just peace and quiet. The food is great , and what can we say about the staff ..the best we have come across on any of our travels. Lisa who looked after us is just the best hopefully we will see her next year along with everyone else. Can't wait till we come back in May 2018.

We had the pleasure of staying at Keyonna for 8 nights at the end of July/early August. I am sitting here on our own Bali bed on our last day and don't want to leave! We are a married gay couple from New York. We were the only LGBT couple here and when searching for reviews prior to booking, I was concerned about how we would be accepted by the staff due to the laws of Antigua and Barbuda. I couldn't find any previous reviews from gay couples. I have to say after staying, we never experienced any sort of discrimination here. so if you are a gay couple looking to vacation here, I highly recommend. We are well traveled in the Caribbean, especially at all inclusive resorts. Keyonna is a different type of all inclusive. I love having no wrist bands. I love that there are no kids and everyone is a couple. Having non-buffet style meals is a pleasure. I really look forward to the meals. The chef here is amazing! We both love seafood, and their fish dishes are simply amazing. I think I ate fish at least once everyday and never had the same dish. Sometimes the food is a little bland for our taste, especially the soups, but I think the chef is trying to please all palates and adding a little salt ourselves always fixed the dish to our liking. Most guests were Europeans(Italian and English) and I guess they don't eat as much as us Americans so sometimes we felt the portions to be on the small side, but we never had a problem if we wanted to add a third entree for the two of us to share. The beach here is beautiful. Barely any waves at all. It is a little steep going inside the water, and it gets deep pretty quickly. On a clear day, we can see the volcanic island of Montserrat floating in the ocean across from us. The Bali beds are just enough, on most days there are still 1-2 unused beds. I do want to comment that some of the beds need some TLC - the sheets can sometimes appear dirty. Make sure you also bring your own bug spray- the mosquitos bit us a lot. The hotel does provide free bug spray in the room, however. The rooms are a bit simple - which is perfect for us. We had our own cottage (without a plunge pool - not sure if it's needed since the beach is right here!). I do wish they changed our sheets at least once on our stay though. And we ran out of shampoo and it wasn't restocked for us. Otherwise, the AC worked fine and the outdoor shower was a great experience. Lastly, I really just want to thank the staff for really making this a great vacation. Previous negative reviewers mentioned a lack of hospitality and I found it to be the complete opposite! I think some of the younger staff are just shy. We loved Sandy, who always greeted us at breakfast and lunch and would always ask us how last night went and what our plans were for the day. The other waitress Gerri was great and friendly as well. The dinner staff were also very friendly, Sherry Ann and Francine always served our meals with a smile. The wine sommelier was great as well. One of the receptionists, I think her name is Shanice? helped us exchange some of our US dollars with the local taxi drivers which we appreciated. The beach servers were also attentive everyday we were at the beach. All in all, we had a great time here. Thank you to the Keyonna staff for the memories and we hope to return next year! I don't know how anyone can have any negative comments about this resort!

We stayed in this resort 8 nights for our honeymoon. The first impression we had was definitely good, and we could immediately feel the tranquillity of this place. Our room (cottage) was clean, spacious and with a wonderful canopy bed. We appreciated the fact that there's no tv. We loved the idea to have an open-air shower surrounded by many tropical plants. The food was also excellent and varied. All meals are served, and this is a very good thing. The helpful and kind Rohan was always glad to serve us a glass of wine. Ruel, Akari and Akim were also very nice waiters, and some of them prepared delicious cocktails. The waitresses, instead, didn't smile at all, even though we smiled at them, and weren't very helpful. We were told that Italian guests aren't loved so much in Antigua... The reception staff was simply excellent and very helpful, indeed. Thanks in particular to Savio, Shenice and Golda. We spent a wonderful an relaxing honeymoon and we definitely suggest this resort to couples who are looking for an idyllic place immersed in the caribbean nature.