Hawksbill Resort Antigua

Here is our review of our trip from April 2024. In the end - we will not be returning. ARRIVAL: Extremely easy to get a taxi-as soon as you exit the airport, no worries. About 20-30 minutes to the resort. RECEPTION: Our receptionist was not welcoming. She gave short, one-worded answers and offered no information about the resort until we asked for it. A staff member assisted us with carrying our luggage to our suite. ROYAL PALM BEACH SUITE: We stayed in this room. I have a lot to say. First, the renovations to our room were not up to par to say the least. It could have used a second coat of paint, nails were left in the walls and simply painted over. The toilet has no pressure, it needs to be flushed multiple times. The shower has no curtain or door; so water goes absolutely everywhere. The shower is extremely small. I'm a pretty small person and there was no room to move or shower properly at all. My husband is 6ft and larger stature and was miserable. There is a tub with an attachment (which is seperate from the shower) but the attachment did not work. The worst part is the walls are so thin. You will hear absolutely everything from your neighbor. We heard talking, their toilet seat shut, fridge door slam, and anything else you can imagine as well. Be prepared for this. It is not a quiet vacation in these suites. You also share the patio. So if your neighbor is out there, do not expect to have any quiet conversations with your partner. The views from these rooms are gorgeous, however, this beach/ocean is NON-SWIMMABLE. It is very very rocky. It also is nearly impossible to even enjoy a walk on this beach. This beach has an incredible downward slope, it is not flat at all. No TV just so you are aware. Bring a deck of cards or a board game for a rainy day. This suite is right on the beach. You will be tracking sand into your unit all throughout the day. If this annoys you, then you should think about a different room. Housekeeping comes daily and does a fantastic job however you can't stop the sand. HONEYMOON COVE BEACH: This is the smallest beach, it's tiny. No one was every here. It also was never cared for. There wasn't any garbage around or anything like that but there was a lot of old dried up weeds, grasses and such that we didn't want to walk on it. The lawn chairs were always a mess making it unwelcoming. It was always empty. SEAGRAPES BEACH: This is the main beach where people spent their time, however strangely there was only about 0 - 10 people in the water at a time. Sometimes my husband and I felt like we had the entire ocean to ourselves. The downside is there were not enough umbrellas to go around for shade and it was so hot. EDEN BEACH: This is the clothing optional beach. It's beautiful but be advised this is also a NON-SWIMMABLE beach/ocean. It is extremely rocky. So you can suntan but not get in the ocean. Also, not enough chairs and umbrellas. I advise that if you want more privacy, take a walk further down and there are a few stray chairs laying around but they go fast. We did see a Mama Pig and 12 piglets on Eden beach one day! It was very cool! ROYAL PALM BEACH: See above for info. BEACHES OVERALL: So there are 4 beaches at the resort however only two are swimmable (Seagrapes and Honeymoon) and with that, Honeymoon is not well kept so no-one goes there. In the end, we concluded there was really only 1 nice beach to swim at Hawksbill. POOL: Beautiful, gorgeous! No complaints! There was always a lounger available. Also, most of the time it felt like we were alone in the pool as well. Plenty of space. (Drink service came around every now and then, but not often enough.) FOOD: Along with the thin walls of our suite, this was the most disappointing aspect of the entire trip. It was awful. I lost 5 pounds and my husband lost 7 pounds on this trip. Most meals are buffet style. The menu will change a little bit and it never got better. I couldn't even eat sometimes. Even breakfast was terrible except for just a bagel or toast. At the Seagrapes eatery the menu did not change the entire time we were there. It became very boring, very quickly. Be sure to bring some nice clothing for dinner as everyone dresses up a bit. SPA: We got fantastic massages; I had the hot rock massage and my husband had a Swedish massage, both were amazing. I highly recommend. RESORT: The location is beautiful. The views are out of this world. Stunning. Be prepared to walk up and down hilly terrain while you are there. If you are questioning if you can do this, then look elsewhere STAFF: Overall, we felt that most staff members, with the exception of a few, were not attentive and some were plenty rude. The lady at the gift shop was amazing, our housekeeper was outstanding, and our massage ladies were amazing. All four encounters with reception were terrible. The same lady was rude and mean not only to us, but also to the young female staff member assisting her. I do not have anything else to say about any other staff members I WISH: there were other things like darts, pool table, shuffle board, etc.... Also, I really think that each Royal Palm Beach Suite room should have its own broom. What a difference that would make. 3-STARS COMING BACK? No Read less

Wonderful staff throughout the resort. Tev welcoming us to the resort: Julian always welcoming in the restaurant with Nissy and Odette taking care of us at the table. Food was delicious all cooked by Chef Brian. Great views from the Seagrape restaurant overlooking the beach. David and Kianna always happy to mix you a cocktail and Brad looking after everyone sitting on the beach, supplying with cold drinks from the bar. The grounds kept immaculate by Lennie and his team. Great holiday would definitely return. If you want karaoke and loud music it is not the place for you but if you want a relaxing holiday in the Caribbean with wonderful staff give it a visit. We would definitely return. Read less

Our stay at Hawksbill was beyond our expectations. We had a Garden view bungalow with an Ocean view!! The room was a bit dated but the AC worked great, the shower was hot and the bed was very comfy. We enjoyed sitting out on our deck in the evening listening to music and having an adult beverage or 2. The evening meals at Tamarind were excellent, plenty of variety and high quality from the salad bar to the main courses. The Sea grapes restaurant offered up a la carte lunches at the beach which were always tasty. We took advantage of a Dinner on the beach for my wife`s Birthday and it was a wonderful way to spend the evening!! Agatha took exceptionally great care of us and kept the Sparkling wine flowing. The infinity pool is incredible, the gardens are beautiful, the beaches are exceptional, very quiet and peaceful. We snorkeled at 2 of the 4 beaches, plenty of fish to see. Best spot was out in front of the infinity pool!! The staff were extremely helpful and friendly. We have been vacationing annually in the Caribbean for the last 14 years and this is my new favorite. They are currently renovating, and the improvements are great and we really never noticed any noise or distractions while we were there. The weather was hot and sunny every day and the ocean temperature was awesome. If you are looking for a relaxing, stress-free time at the beach, this the place to go. If you are looking for crowds, fighting for loungers and lots of late night entertainment, this is not the place for you!! Read less

An intimate hotel on a great beach with wonderful staff and good food. The hotel is older for sure but is being upgraded. Know the room your booking so your not disappointed with one that hasn’t been redone if that’s important to you. The staff was wonderful, the food was pretty good. Not amazing but our group of 7 always found something they loved. There was a lot of variety. Fresh green salads, fruits multiple protein choices and multiple veggie choices and cooked really well. The pool was amazing and just proximity to the beach was what we loved. Read less

We’ve stayed at lot of good all inclusive hotels with fantastic facilities and a large choice of very good a la carte restaurants (Excellence resorts and el dorado resorts) .this resort is totally different, it has very few facilities and restaurants, but it is in the top three favourite holidays we’ve ever had. It’s in set in a beautiful location. The staff are friendly and relaxed, the food simple but delicious, the rooms are adequate and comfortable, the views are fantastic. We spoke to many other guests and we all agreed it’s very difficult to explain specifically why this hotel is much greater than the sum of its parts, brilliant place , give it a go you won’t be disappointed Read less