Hotel Review: St James’s Club & Villas, Antigua

The islands of Antigua and Barbuda will forever be special to me as it is where I got engaged back in 2008 and this year I was grateful to be able to return.

There are 365 beaches to choose from on this sun-drenched island, excellent rum punch to drink, tasty jerk chicken to feast on, all while being serenaded by the talented steel bands playing lovely tunes. Antigua has such a great vibe – highly recommend for a beach holiday, either for winter sun or to enjoy off season, when it is a little quieter.

On this trip I stayed at the St James’s Club & Villas, one of the Elite Island Resorts, and I would stay there again in a heartbeat! Pure luxury, relaxation and bliss paired with superb service. If you are looking for an amazing all-inclusive Caribbean getaway this is it! More details below!

Location

St. James’s Club & Villas is located on a private peninsula, on the southwest side of the island, between Willoughby Bay and English Harbour, and has two fantastic beaches.

We found the location the perfect base to explore from when going one excursions or to explore the island.

Perfect for?

This deluxe all-inclusive resort caters for families, groups and couples – there is something here for everyone. During our stay we made friends with so many different people from groups to couples, some of which were return visitors, and others who have fallen in love with this slice of paradise and bought a timeshare here.

Whether you are coming with a group of friends, or for an anniversary or honeymoon, it will steal your heart, as it did ours, and we were very sad to leave.

Accommodation

We were staying in a Royal Suite, located in the bay area. I loved the split-level townhome-style suite which also had access to a quiet adults-only pool, as well as had ample sun loungers dotted around too.

The spacious suite had a king size bed, sunken living room area, floor to ceiling windows with views over the tranquil Mamora Bay Beach. The perfect spot to watch the sunset with a glass of fizz!

I also loved the bathroom which had a massive shower, a tub and his and hers sinks!

The all-inclusive package includes all dining, beverages, non-motorized water sports, resort facilities, in room Wi-Fi (included with resort fee), activities, taxes & fees and the quality of food and drink is really five star!

Facilities

A visit to the Tranquility Body Soul & Spa is an absolute must, with the treatment room over looking the beach! I felt so relaxed and zen after a blissful couple of hours there. I recommend a massage or facial, or both since you’ll be on holiday!

There is also a gym  should you wish to work out, as well as daily activities such as water aerobics and yoga to choose from.

Fancy a spot of sunbathing? There are six pools to choose from as well as two beaches – Mamora Bay Beach, which is calm, peaceful and overlooks Mamora Bay; and Coco Beach, which offers gentle surf, beautiful swaying palms, and excellent snorkelling within swimming distance of the shore.

Have a competitive streak? Why not get a game of tennis in on one of the four nightly-lit tennis courts.

Alternatively give Pickleball a go – a new game that has been really popular where two players, or four players, hit a perforated hollow polymer ball over a 36-inch-high net using solid-faced paddles. Opponents on either side of the net, hit the ball back and forth until one side commits a rule infraction.

Brought your kids on holiday? You will be pleased to know that there is an award-winning Kidz Club on site open from 9:15 am to 11:00 pm, where you can leave your children in safe hands while you relax over dinner or take in the sights. They’ll experience a range of activities, including art classes, nature trails, and swimming.

Food and Drink

There are five incredible restaurants to choose from and I ate at every single one! If you are a foodie, you are in for a real treat here. It was superb to have world class cuisine to choose from every single day!

We would usually start our day with the buffet breakfast at The Rainbow Garden restaurant, and the breakfast spread was incredible. There are also various stations making fresh juices or smoothies, as well as a variety of cooked eggs based on your preference.  Rainbow Garden also has themed dinner buffets and we experienced their Italian night, which was fabulous.

Lunch was either at Coco’s, Eleven to 11 or the Beach Grill. Each had different menus and so you could never get bored of the offering!

Other dinner options are Eleven to 11, The Docksider, which we loved especially as it had live music, and for an extra supplement, I highly recommend booking into Piccolo Mondo, which serves world-class Italian cuisine with a fine dining touch and an elegant Caribbean twist amidst a striking hillside setting. It is truly fantastic! The ambience, the food and the service are exemplary.

My favourite spot to chill out was the Reef Deck bar where I sampled a lot of different cocktails during my 7 night stay while listening to Soca tunes! There are several bars dotted around the resort, so the drinks can flow as much as you like. The Beach Bar also has a daily special which is always fantastic too.

The mudslide was my daily must! As you can see I tried a whole host of cocktails! They can also make you any classic cocktail you desire.

For a caffeine fix or pastries or cake there is a 24 hour coffee shop serving up some excellent brews! My daily order was a Vanilla Latte. I loved that you could pop in for a coffee in the middle of the night. Top tip – they also do slushies during the day which are perfect to cool off with!

Other Activities/Excursions

There are some brilliant excursion options when staying at an Elite Island Resort and I highly recommend the Pink Panther Safari, which is a tour of Antigua run by an all female crew in a unique custom commissioned pink Land Rover.

Such a fantastic way to explore the island and see some of the key sights such as Devil’s Bridge, Shirley heights, Nelson’s Dockyard and more! You get to spend time relaxing on a stunning beach as well before returning to your respective resort.

There are also day time and sunset catamaran trips you can do to see the island from a different perspective. There are also ferries you can take across to Barbuda.

We did an epic Sunset Catamaran Cruise which was brilliant – we had an excellent crew, lots of rum punch, danced to some fab tunes and watched the most spectacular sunset whilst seeing the island from the sea!

I was a guest of St James’s Club & Villas and my stay was complimentary. However, all views and photos are my own.