Jumby Bay Island

Just checked into a private residence- Turtle Reef. Bedrooms are a dump and so marginal for what a special house should have. Private beach and pool is fine but overall my initial impression is poor. 6th time on Jumby in 4 different private residence. 2 were terrific other one was marginal first time and then last year when they canceled the one I booked a year in advance they forced me into the one I did not like. Fortunately it had been upgraded a little. Last year was the second time they canceled me at last minute- “house not ready to be rented”. Based on coming today and knowing I have to go back to an inferior bedroom each night for next 6 nights, we will never return. Something is amiss. Our butler was just assigned to us and does not know the house and does not know how to make cocktails- another first. After 6 times now time to move on- better places for a family vacation. I travel at least twice a year with 9-18 people- 3 generations of family. I recommend you really check out any private residence before you finalize. I never stayed in the hotel so I cannot rate it

Third time in eighteen months at this resort and realism is setting in. Still the most fabulous of locations and still the friendliest and most efficient staff you could hope for. However, we saw a different side to the resort this time with it being considerably busier than before. The magnificent beach was subjected to guest tactics you expect from lesser exclusive establishments with beach-bed bagging pre-dawn almost and then not utilised until the afternoon. The beach staff did try and police the situation but were unsuccessful on too many occasions with the high rolling clientele. The Estate House is the nicest restaurant to frequent during your stay but we found it closed on five out of nine nights we were there. Simply not good enough and most disappointing. These views were relayed to the management at the time of our stay for their consideration. I have given it a few months before penning this review but feel there are certainly cracks appearing in this ‘fine- china’ resort we hope can be addressed.

As soon as you land in Antigua, the 5 star Jumby Bay experience begins. We got the guided VIP treatment through customs, baggage claim & to the black car to the dock to take the ferry to the island. The Jumby staff are all fabulous to a fault. Everyone we met was professional, courteous & just extremely competent. Our villa's house manager, Rosie, was a rock star & got us everything we needed and answered so many, many questions. Our nanny, Rinelle, was absolutely wonderful. She used to be a teacher, which was a huge plus when my girls needed to do their hw. She was also really great w/ my half-potty trained toddler. One morning she played w/ the kids on the beach for hours while Mommy & Daddy relaxed in the shade. The food was delicious & accommodated any dietary restriction I could imagine, our kids loved Kids' Club & driving all over the island in the golf cart. We didn't do any of the water sports, but it looked like a great option. It did happen to be seaweed season while we were there, but a full-scale operation was in progress day & night to remove it all & keep it from getting too smelly. I cannot recommend this place enough. Love, love, love & can't wait to go back.

A wonderful experience from the moment you are picked up to the time you have to leave. If you are wanting to explore the island of Antigua this hotel probably isn't for you but if you are wanting total luxury and a great place to relax and enjoy a beautiful beach with fantastic meals it definitely is. Our room was beautiful with fine linens and towels and a gorgeous outside shower/bath area. Bikes are provided to tour the island. Our dinners at the Estate House were delicious in a stunning setting. We also thoroughly enjoyed the farm to table night. If we return we probably won't bother again with the beach BBQ.

The perfect family vacation and wedding. We were 10 people staying in a villa, "Sandy Cove" which was a great choice. We had a large heated swimming pool and a bay side beach, very private. The villa came with a butler and house manager, these two women worked so hard to make sure our stay was nothing short of perfect and it was. Behind the scenes there was also a small team that we can't thank enough for communication, and expertise in ensuring that everything on our trip was absolutely perfect. This hotel is so well coordinated, everything works seamlessly it was brilliant to watch. For a review, I can't even say this hotel is 5 stars, it went beyond that. For a family trip with 3 kids, I can't say enough good things about the place. They have a small farm on the property, a playground, a day care, water activities, games, multiple pools and one of the finest beaches in the Caribbean. The hotel spends stupid amounts of money combatting the problems of Sargassum, while unfortunately it does exist, the hotel had boats and trucks driving it away nearly all day to make sure we didn't see much of it. Some homes on North East probably get it worse that the south west of the island. Keep that in mind when booking. The food on the island is great, my one complaint in the whole 4 nights we were there, is the lack of variety. We ate at the estate 2 nights in a row, to find the same menu, breakfast while some items did rotate a majority didn't. But really not a complaint as there were so many options that you can make every day unique. The hotel also does a brilliant job with a rotation of "pop ups" that create a unique opportunity for new foods as well. And even the buffet menus have an al la carte option as well. So for my daughter who is too picky, she was able to get a waffle at breakfast or mac and cheese at night even when it wasn't an option at the buffet or on a menu per se. The hotel also makes it very easy to walk up to any bar or restaurant and order a drink or food. No wrist bands or what room are you in, sign this or that. Its just I want x cocktail and 5 minutes later you are drinking that cocktail walking to the next spot. Another thing I must comment on is the hotels capability to be a honeymoon hot spot while also being a family friendly hotel. throughout our stay we are on this huge island, yet you feel like this island is private for you. You barely run into people, maybe because it was more off season, I can't speak for Christmas or Thanksgiving but I can see enjoying the hotel equally if it was just my wife and I without our family, a different vacation all together or doing it again with the whole family in a few years. You earned a place in my heart forever Jumby bay and we look forward to seeing you again. Thank you to the whole team. And if you're on the fence on this hotel, don't be its an easy yes.