Starfish Jolly Beach Resort & Spa - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

• 

  Hard One To Review

  Well, here goes...I've been putting off writing this review because we left with a feeling of meh, even though we were expecting that but hoping for more. I am writing this review now in hopes of helping those that are looking to book now, or have already booked and to give a few pointers. Bring bins! -- the foldable Ikea packing cloth cubes or the grocery store cloth ones that can fold up in your suitcase. These will be invaluable to you when trying to organize your room because there is not alot of space, only small cement shelves and cement side tables. We took the ironing board out of the closet and put it on the balcony, unplugged the phone and alarm clock and put them on the top shelf of the closet. Those are things you never use and they take up precious space. Also bring a foldable dollar store broom and dust pan and leave it for the next person. There is no room cleaning and believe me all that crap that collects sticks to your feet and makes the room and bathroom feel gross. There were people on our floor that borrowed the broom, for real lol! Also bring a light blanket for the bed, some hangers. We tried fixing our closet door many times but it kept falling off, had someone come to fix it and it fell off, so we just lived with it leaning against the open closet in the middle. Bring your own power cord because there is only 1, maybe 2 plugs, none in our bathroom, so you're blow drying your hair in the bedroom. To mention, we did not have a Supersaver Room, I can't imagine having one of those. If you can organize your room and bathroom, then the room doesn't feel too bad. The beds were comfortable and we had no problems with getting a change of bathroom towels from the maids. Bring your own cup! We always do and were very happy this time, they only rinse the bar cups in front of you with their hands as a form of dishwashing, who knows what goes on in the kitchen. The little gift shop was basically empty, nobody ever went in there. A few shirts hanging up, all shelves empty. Who cares you might think, I never go in the gift shop...but, it really adds to the sadness of the place. When we were there, about 3 or 4 buildings were totally ripped apart inside with furniture on the sidewalks and balconies. Are the renos done by now? it doesn't seem like it by the most recent reviews. The manager said they were going to be "spectacular", but I don't see those being done for a long time. The day we left there was a digger outside by one of the buildings and also outside by the only walkway to the pool. There seemed to be some broken water mains that they couldn't figure out and there was NO WATER in the entire resort, that means all of the rooms, all of the public washrooms, the bars, the restaurants. It was disgusting and I'm sure they were looking forward to the buses headed to the airport with guests and a few hours in between to fix it. I don't know how they cooked any food or got the rooms cleaned because I heard it lasted for 7 hours. All those public toilets full, gross. There is only 1 bar at the large pool, no bar at the quiet pool, a small bar near the lobby that opens around 1:00 pm if there is someone to run it. The long bar is a very popular spot but it doesn't open until 4 pm, even on rainy days. They really need a beach bar. A bonus for us that we've never had at a resort in the Caribbean is they have real Canadian Rye Whiskey and actual Canada Dry Gingerale. They had Clamato at the beginning but when people caught on they ran out after a few days, with no hope of seeing it again. The resort has so much potential with some very simple fixes -- have some simple games such as bocce ball, ring toss --anything, anywhere on the beach during the day. But there are no entertainment staff, there is no evening entertainment to speak of -- someone comes in with a keyboard to sing a few nights a week but that's it. The long bar is where everyone congregates at night but the lighting is SO bright that it doesn't make for a nice experience. There are no grounds keepers doing the gardens, no raking of the beach (things you normally would see at a resort) nobody cleaning up cups or garbage on the beach. The cups sit out there for days, many times we brought other peoples cups to the bar -- These are just some things we noticed after a week there. The manager was very available to resolve problems, he was at the main lobby checking people in (this is all done manually by the way, with a lock and key handed to you), he was in the buffet seating people and helping to clean the tables. That being said though, when I asked him when the quiet pool would open again he didn't seem to notice that it was closed because it had turned green, even though its right outside the lobby and he walked by it several times per day. Another simple fix -- check the pool quality before its too late and is green and closed for two full days. When it was open it was beautiful but could also use a small pop up bar there. Be careful when eating at the buffet outdoor eating area. They don't clean up the dishes too quickly because there are no rolling carts, everything is put on trays and carried by hand back to the kitchen, so they seem to keep putting all the dirty dishes on empty tables which attracts all the nearby birds and then they flow over to the tables that are being occupied. So you could set your food down and go back to grab cutlery or a drink and the birds sit on your plate eating food while you're gone and you would never know it so put a napkin over top. The staff are not rude, but not really friendly either, they're just indifferent to you being there. Nice thing is that there is no language barrier, but this resort really does need more staff. Occupancy was less than half and there were not enough to even handle that. We knew some of these thing going there but when you experience them all together its a bit of a let down. We absolutely loved the beach during the day, nice long walks and beautiful water. We loved the view from our room of the beach, the long bar and the quiet pool, probably the best we've ever had. Our balcony was very nice too . We went into this with the attitude it would be like going to a motel that happened to include drinks and food, which is what got us through it. We occupied ourselves with taking the van into town, renting jet skis off of the beach, walking to the marina for drinks and entertainment in the evenings (very safe, quick 5 minute walk) and went to Shirley Heights for the sunset and bands (super busy and long line ups, bring some water, drinks were reasonably priced but beware of the powerful rum punch -- many people throwing up) We liked the rose wine at the resort, it was much better than the white or red. We liked the vibe of the resort, like an old village atmosphere with the outdoor courtyard by the lobby. If they would have had a small band there in the evenings it would have been great... We loved the location of our room above the Italian Restaurant, walked up to our room up the stairs in the restaurant, like a little village vibe. But having a room above a restaurant also meant cockroaches...On check out we were charged a total of $250 Canadian for taxes on our Visa, which we knew about. I guess we're glad we went to experience Antigua because we had never been but was it any better than Cuba, Dominican or Mexico? I don't think so. We are not fussy people and can usually accept the good and bad of a resort but when asked if we would recommend it, we most likely would not.

  Nov 19, 2025
• 

  Wonderful Jolly beach Antigua

  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Overall – A Great 3-Star Stay on a Fantastic Beach Jolly Beach Resort in Antigua gets mixed reviews, but after staying there ourselves, we can honestly say it’s a lovely hotel in an absolutely unbeatable location. The beach is stunning, the sea is beautiful for swimming, and the pool area is fantastic with plenty of sun beds available. The staff are genuinely wonderful—friendly, helpful, and always smiling. The food is very good as well; while it’s not gourmet, there’s always something tasty to suit your preferences. The bar and evening entertainment are excellent and add a fun atmosphere to the resort. The rooms themselves are definitely dated, but they’re very clean and the beds are extremely comfortable. You will need to look after some of the tidying yourself, and room towels are changed on request, but none of this bothered us. The air conditioning is fantastic, and what’s really impressive is that you don’t even need it on at night—the rooms stay naturally cool, which must be down to the building design. At the end of the day, this is a 3-star resort at a 3-star price, and if you’re like us and don’t mind making your own tea and coffee or keeping your room tidy, you’ll find plenty to enjoy. After all, with such a gorgeous beach and pool area, why spend your time in the room anyway? We also met several returning guests who stay year after year—and after our experience, we can see why. We would definitely stay at Jolly Beach Resort again.

  Nov 15, 2025
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  Loved it! Wish I was still there!

  Great value for money! Staff were all lovely, really hard working people! The room I was in was basic but very clean, and the bed was so comfy! Considering I spent hardly any time I'm the room it was perfect! Location is amazing - it's right on the beach front, I could walk from my room to the sea in less than 2 minutes. Tea and coffee and water seemed to be available at all hours. There was pretty much always a bar open for drinks, and the swim up pool bar was pretty cool. Different food options were available at lunch time (and some dinner times). Some reviews say the food is bad but it really wasn't! There was so much choice, and each night the themes were different, e.g., bbq, indian, Italian, carribean, etc. But it's worth noting carribean food was available during each meal if you want to immerse yourself into the island's foods. Sun loungers were always available, kayaks and paddleboards available in 30 min slots, but you can do multiple bookings in a day (it just depends on demand, but demand was very low). Considering the all inclusive nature, comfy beds, cleanliness, and staff attentiveness, not to mention the location, it's great value! As a young solo female, I felt very safe which was great. Reception was manned at all hours, and security was posted down on the boarder between the beach and pool. Rooms had air con and a fan, which kept me nice and cool whenever I was in the room. A tour desk is available on-site and beach towels & bag are provided. What I will say is this isn't really a party hotel - if you're looking for on-site nightlife (anything after 11pm), this probably isn't the place for you. Bare in mind it is budget friendly - it isn't 5 star, but it exceeded my expectations by far considering some of the reviews I've read on here. A few tips that would make the resort instantly 5x better: - Resort could benefit from is timetabled activities, e.g., beach yoga class, beach/pool water aerobics, beach volleyball, tennis sessions you could just show up to and play with whoever else shows up, or even a designated slot for games (could make use of the pool tables/facilities on site, cards, etc) - that would really boost what the resort has to offer, and will make it even easier to settle in and meet people. - it would be great to have a broom in the room or some brooms in a communal space that could be borrowed, so that it would be possible to sweep the sand in the rooms, as I had to wipe my feet down before putting on sandals or getting into bed - I tried to wipe it down with the floor/hand towel, but it seems like poor use of a fresh white towel. A few minors: - If you are a young, single female, be prepared for some attention from a couple of the younger local guys - they can be a bit pushy, but most of them are lovely - the younger guys might try their luck, but I still felt safe as I met quite a few people (the long bar layout made it easy to meet people). Just have your wits about you, that's all! - Mosquitos! I don't think I saw or heard any, but I got a lot of bites. However, I dont think this is necessarily down to the resort itself, I think its the nature of travelling abroad to a hot, exotic location, and depends on your blood type - they just seemed to love me. Definitely recommend bringing spray! - No mini fridge or kettle is available in the rooms; however, I have to say this really didn't bother me, as coffee/tea was readily available a few flights of steps away whenever I wanted it (the earliest I headed out was probably 6.30, and it was available already). Also, bars are open long hours, and iced water dispensers are available at a number of locations at all hours, so I didn't feel like I needed a fridge. These are minors though - I will definitely return!! The electricity might knock out here and there, but I noticed that seemed to happen all over the island when I was out on excursions. Water was out temporarily in the room once while I was there (as some maintenance was being completed), but that was in the middle of the day when everyone is usually out of their rooms enjoying the island. Wish I'd booked to stay on a few more days, as a week didn't feel like enough! :) yes the rooms/ bathrooms and interior dining room is a bit outdated, but it's all clean and perfect for a budget friendly holiday that won't break the bank. If you are planning to spend a lot of time in your room, then I would strongly recommend you just stay at home and save your money, because the amazing location will be wasted on you.

  Nov 14, 2025
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  We made it a good time.

  Kind and friendly staff. Property is dated. Rooms are very small and it didn’t come with a fridge. We didn’t choose house keeping option because you had to pay an extra fee. Food choices are limited in options and times. The pools were nice and the beach was beautiful. The spa was shut down for maintenance. The water was completely shut off during parts of the day and other times the cold water worked but not the hot water. This was a huge inconvenience because we couldn’t shower and use the toilet. There was not a huge crowd so I didn’t understand why the water was so impacted. The onsite gift shop was very bare and what they did have was so over priced. I enjoyed the greenery and flowers, it was well kept. Live entertainment was not available every day. Everything shuts down at 11pm. So there were no night life options on the property. Shuttle service to and from the airport is not included.

  Nov 14, 2025
• 

  Another truly wonderful holiday !

  Our 7th visit and again we had a truly wonderful stay at this Jolly Hotel. We had been for three weeks in December and when we got home to the miserable weather in England we decided to return for another three weeks and also celebrate a Birthday. The views from the rooms look out on that ever changing sea with shades of turquoise and azure blues. It is wonderful to swim in the warm waters and the long beach is definitely the best on the island. At 8am in the morning when going for our swim in the big pool the beach was almost empty except for someone from Security and a local. One of us is Vegetarian and no problem with the choice of food, and with a live cooking Station also. We wish the outdoor kitchen by the Swimming Pool Bar served sandwiches as the choice is mainly meat burgers, chicken wings, etc., although there is a Veggie Burger with chips and salad. It is nice to be able to stay in swimwear and have lunch instead of getting ready for the long walk to the restaurant. From the General Manager to all the other staff we have always found them very pleasant and helpful. Need to remember that they are actually working and sometimes things don't go right, and being polite to them helps. We see staff who have been there years and a few from Cocobay where we went twenty times. Our room had a lovely view and was very clean. Room towels are available daily if you need them but we are well aware of the water shortages locals experience so don't change ours every day as we are clean when we get out of the shower and they dry quickly outside on the rack. Same with the sheets on the bed. Evening entertainment varies and we heard an amazing male singer one evening. Meals can be taken Inside the restaurant or outside. So looking forward to our next longer trip in a few days time.

  Nov 11, 2025