Sugar Ridge

We chose this hotel for a spring holiday, needing some sun. Most things about it are quite nice--the rooms themselves are well appointed and comfortable, the views are quite stunning, and the food in the restaurants was tasty and well-prepared, as a rule. We met several staff members who went the extra mile and were quite engaging, so no complaints there. We were, however, unpleasantly surprised by a couple of things, and thought it only fair to warn others if these things were important to them. First, we chose the hotel because it had individual plunge pools (that's the room type we booked.) It was very disappointing to find that, although the pool looked inviting, the design was such that it was almost completely in shade all day, so it consequently was miserably cold---we didn't use it at all. If this is important to you, beware! Also, if you don't like climbing up and down steep hills, this may not the be place for you. The stroll down the hill was perfectly fine, but it is very steep going back up, particularly if you want to go to the restaurant or pool all the way at the top. Yes, there are transport carts you can call, but in our experience, this always took a LONG time, which got annoying. If you try to find your way up to the restaurant at the top, and decide to go via the path (not the road) after dark, BRING A FLASHLIGHT! It's not lit, and is a bit dangerous if you can't see where you're going. We found getting there very stressful, with broken steps and rocks along the path---you really need to be able to see to go that way. As this was a while ago, perhaps they've added some lights---I hope so; it seemed like an accident waiting to happen. My last word of warning is, if you're accustomed to being close enough to walk out onto the beach, you may find this frustrating, as that is not possible. You have to go to the beaches via shuttle (driven by a wonderful guy, in our experience), so you have to plan to go on their schedule, not your own. These few things sort of ruined the holiday for us---as I said, your expectations and needs may be different and you may love it--I hope so. Just know what you're booking before you go, ok? One last note: the pool at the top of the resort (by the restaurant) is a gorgeous little oasis--very small, but quite tranquil most days, and definitely worth investigating.

Just returned from a week long trip to beautiful Antigua and I stayed at the lovely Sugar Ridge Hotel. It’s an interesting site with self contained rooms located in the hills (four rooms per unit of accommodation). The higher the room the better the view of the sea. (NB room 25 has stunning sunsets!) Rooms were well appointed and of a very good size. Attractive, modern and very comfortable.  In order to access the rooms there are very steep concrete stairs or pathways. The shuttle service provides an alternative route but either way bring suitable/walking shoes (Heels will be hazardous)! The hotel is nestled in the hills near Jolly Harbour and is further out from the main Jolly beach strip. However, the beach is accessible via the hotel’s complimentary shuttle service to 2 local beaches (Valley Church andTurners). My preference was Valley Church beach it was stunning, beautiful and very busy as it attracted cruise ship passengers. But by 3pm the beach was far less busy - almost deserted! The hotel is approximately 5 miles away from St. John’s so the capital was accessible via taxi or by local bus (number 22 or 20 from outside the hotel). The bus was easy enough and provided a taste of the real Antigua. During the week there were some good entertainment in the evening (Calypso and Steel bands). Staff were friendly and was happy to go the extra mile to help. Shuttle drivers (Jervon & Cartwright) were efficient. Reception staff were always professional (Nafuna and Cherrisa). Service at breakfast was ok and the supervisor was very attentive. After having all inclusive on my first night, I decided to stick to the BB option as the food was not as good as other hotels that I’ve experienced across the Caribbean. This was probably the only negative about the hotel. The Sugar Ridge is a Hotel for those wanting a quiet break - whether honeymooners, solo travellers or families. I had a relaxing time and I was able to unwind and forget about work and home...

Stayed in Room 19. Would recommend not staying in room 30 and upwards as there if a multi storey building going up obscuring your view. There was a visiting yogi there the week we stayed so we enjoyed twice daily yoga in the fabulous new Yoga shed which is on an elevated platform above the resort with stunning views of the bay. Carlene at the pool bar is a great character and mixes a mean cocktail. Carmichael’s Restaurant food is very much better than the regular restaurant offering but pricey. The food in the general dinning room is disappointing, unnecessarily complicated and generally bland. Didn’t use the spa but fellow guests complained about not being able to get a booking. Nice rooms, very comfortable bed. Staff are exceptionally helpful and friendly. I found the noise from the road a nuisance when sitting on the balcony - it didn’t bother my husband.

Having just come back from Antigua.I cannot say enough about the sugar ridge resort.Everything about this resort was great.From the staff to the facilities.We went to the beach every day in a shuttle provided by the hotel.Some of the staff from Carly at the bar,Rose in the dining room,and Glendon who drove the beach shuttle are the people that you want to go back to the resort for.

Every time I've dined here its been the same. Food is good but not GREAT. Service has to be the slowest on the island. Nice staff but such strangely slow service? Beautiful setting worth the visit for a sunset dining experience but plan on a long dinner...