The Verandah Resort & Spa, Antigua
The Verandah Antigua sits on 30 hilly acres on Antigua's quieter east coast, far from the airport-side and west-coast resort strip. It rebranded and reopened in November 2023 as an adults-only all-inclusive in the Elite Island Resorts group, after years as a family resort, so any older review describing a kids club is out of date. The minimum age is 16, which means young adults traveling with parents can book here. The grounds are the draw: white cottage-style suites with sea-green roofs spread across hillsides and gardens, two beaches (Lover's Beach and Rasta Beach), four pools and a golf-cart shuttle linking it all together.
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +Two beaches with distinct personalities: Lover's Beach is the water sports hub with the Lazy Pelican bar on the sand, while Rasta Beach has the longer stretch of sand, the Beach Grill and its own pool
- +Four pools (Main, Rasta Beach, Villa and Waterfall), so you can usually find a quieter one even when the main pool has aqua aerobics going
- +Included non-motorized water sports cover paddle boards, kayaks, water hammocks, snorkeling and Hobie Cat sailboats, all launched from the beach
- +Snorkeling straight off the beach with gear provided, no boat trip needed for a first look at the reef
- +Pickleball is the resort's signature activity, backed by mini golf, shuffleboard, beach volleyball, billiards and table tennis
- +Five included restaurants (Seabreeze buffet, Portofino Italian, Sails & Tales seafood, Papa Ricco's pizza and the Beach Grill), all renovated, plus a late-night pub with karaoke and a coffee shop
- +Every suite is a single-story cottage of about 700 sq ft with a private verandah, vaulted ceiling and mini-fridge, and the two-bedroom villas add full kitchens and, in some, private plunge pools above Lover's Beach
- +30 acres of landscaped grounds with golf-cart shuttles, and Devil's Bridge is under ten minutes away by car
Cons
- −Nicole's, the fine-dining restaurant, carries a $50 per person surcharge on top of the all-inclusive rate
- −A resort fee of US$29 per room per night plus a US$5 per person per night tourism levy is collected at the resort, so budget for it beyond the booked price
- −Housekeeping comes every other day, which the resort presents as a water and energy saving measure but which still surprises guests paying all-inclusive rates
- −The kitchens will not prepare custom dishes for vegan, gluten-free, allergen-free or religious diets, so travelers with strict dietary needs should look elsewhere
- −No swim-up bar is listed and guests describe fetching their own drinks at the pool and beach rather than having waiter service
- −The hilly layout means some suites are a real walk from the beach, and the golf carts are not on call around the clock
- −The remote east coast location means a taxi for St. John's or any off-resort dining
The practical experience leans social and active rather than pampered. Pickleball is the headline activity, with mini golf, shuffleboard, beach volleyball and billiards filling the rest of the day, and the included water sports cover paddle boards, kayaks, Hobie Cats, water hammocks and snorkeling. Dining runs across five included restaurants: the Seabreeze buffet with themed nights, Portofino for Italian, Sails & Tales for seafood over Lover's Beach, Papa Ricco's pizza oven and the Beach Grill on Rasta Beach, plus Nicole's for fine dining at a $50 per person surcharge. The Pool Bar, Lazy Pelican beach bar, the Wavy Wicket pub with karaoke and Cafe 17 61 round it out. Suites are all around 700 sq ft and single-story with private verandahs, while the two-bedroom villas add full kitchens. Housekeeping is every other day, there is no listed swim-up bar, and the resort says outright it cannot cook to vegan, gluten-free or allergen-free requirements.
The Verandah suits couples, friend groups, solo travelers and families with older teens who want an easygoing, activity-heavy beach stay without a big-resort crowd. It is a more casual, self-service experience than Sandals Grande Antigua or Galley Bay, and travelers wanting butler-style attention or swim-up bars will be happier there. Factor in the US$29 per room nightly resort fee and the US$5 per person nightly tourism levy collected on site. The tour desk runs catamaran trips from the resort's own dock, stingray swims, Shirley Heights sunset parties and sport fishing, and Devil's Bridge and Half Moon Bay are both close by.
Common Questions
Is The Verandah Antigua really adults-only?
How is the snorkeling at The Verandah?
Is there an extra charge for any restaurants?
Are there fees on top of the room rate?
Can I go fishing from The Verandah?
Is the resort easy to get around?
Restaurants (5)
| Type | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Buffet | Seabreeze |
| Italian | Portofino, Papa Ricco's |
| Seafood | Sails & Tales |
| International & fusion | Nicole's (extra charge) |
From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown. Venues marked "extra charge" are not covered by the all-inclusive rate; the others are, per the resort.
What's nearby
Shirley Heights30 min drive · 14 mi
Devil's Bridge6 min drive · 0.8 mi
25 min drive · 13 mi
Galleon Beach25 min drive · 13 mi
Darkwood Beach35 min drive · 19 mi
11 min drive · 5.0 mi
More things to do (24)
- Long Bay Beach · beach9 min walk · 0.4 mi
- Stingray City snorkel trip · excursion10 min drive · 4.5 mi
- Ffryes Beach · beach35 min drive · 19 mi
- Deep Bay Beach · beach30 min drive · 16 mi
- Antigua's Donkey Sanctuary · wildlife13 min drive · 7.1 mi
- Wallings Nature Reserve · nature25 min drive · 12 mi
- Half Moon Bay · beach25 min drive · 10 mi
- St. John's · town25 min drive · 12 mi
- Government House Museum · museum25 min drive · 12 mi
- Antigua Rainforest Zip Line · adventure park25 min drive · 12 mi
- St. John's Cathedral · historic site25 min drive · 12 mi
- Museum of Antigua and Barbuda · museum25 min drive · 12 mi
- English Harbour · town25 min drive · 12 mi
- Falmouth Harbour Marina · marina25 min drive · 12 mi
- Barbuda day trip by ferry · excursion25 min drive · 13 mi
- Cedar Valley Golf Club · golf25 min drive · 13 mi
- Pigeon Point Beach · beach25 min drive · 13 mi
- Dow's Hill Interpretation Centre · museum25 min drive · 13 mi
- Dickinson Bay Beach · beach30 min drive · 15 mi
- Fort James · ruins30 min drive · 15 mi
- Jabberwock Beach · beach30 min drive · 14 mi
- Fort Barrington · ruins30 min drive · 16 mi
- Jolly Harbour Marina · marina30 min drive · 18 mi
- Turners Beach · beach35 min drive · 19 mi
Amenities
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Style & Rooms
Atmosphere
Room upgrades
Seaweed & sargassum
Antigua gets sargassum, typically worst May through August.See the month-by-month guide →Google Reviews★ 4.3 · 951 reviews
“We just returned from a one week stay at the Verandah Resort and Spa and enjoyed every minute of our time there. The staff overall was exceptional and the food above average for an all inclusive. The service at the a la carte restaurants was excell...”
“The Verandah is so picture perfect. Grounds are well kept, rooms are well kept. Food wasn't always to our liking but thats down to preference. Above all else the staff can't do enough for you. They want your stay to be perfect. We have to give a spec...”
“I have nothing but amazing things to say. I don’t understand how this resort could have any bad reviews. From the rooms to the food and the beautiful beach and amazing staff, we were BLOWN away. We got the private candlelight dinner and Risa was our...”
