Royalton CHIC Antigua, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort - Adults Only

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

919 reviews

• 

  Beautiful but... it is what you make of it

  My wife and I went to Antigua on our honeymoon 35 years ago and so we decided to go back to Antigua to celebrate for the first time since then. For context, we have been to many all-inclusive resorts over our years in various locations throughout Mexico and the Caribbean so we are not first timers to the way these resorts operate. We chose Royalton Chic based on some basic criteria in terms of location, cost, and a travel agent recommendation. We stayed there for 5 days so we got some time to experience a lot of the environment and activities they provided. Based on our Agent recommendation, we opted to purchase the Diamond Club level experience just for reference on this review. One more note, as we learned being there, this is the "slow" time of year so the resort was maybe about half full with guests which seemed like a good thing in terms of not being overwhelmed by people for access to amenities but as we learned it also means that they are not staffing the resort very well during this time and give lots of time off to employees evidently based on what we heard from the staff themselves. This seems to be true through the end of November into early December before they gear back up. Also, it is a pretty new resort property (a year or so) so it is not well established. OK, with all that being said for contextual reference, here are some personal impressions from our experience there... The Location is beautiful, the property itself aesthetically is amazing, nice buildings and landscaping, beautiful pools and the beach/ocean area is gorgeous. Our check-in process was fairly smooth and after filling out some minor paperwork we were shown to our room as Diamond Club members - however we were not given a full tour of the facility and not everything we came to learn later was explained up front. Not terrible but just not what you would hope for given the extra cost for Diamond Club. The Atmosphere for my wife and I was fine overall, we were not looking for a Spring Break party vibe and it was never that - the main pool had music going and activities but the other areas were quieter and more chill if you wanted that, all good with those options. Security was not overly obvious at any point, but we did see some on occasion walking around but it was very subtle if present at all. However, we never had any safety concerns during our stay at any point so all was good. Again, it is a slow time of year so with not many guests the overall resort felt very "quiet" and lacking in energy at times. We had a Diamond Club first floor swim out suite and it was a perfect room for our trip. It was clean and the house keeping service was excellent. Fair options in the mini bar but no hard liquor other than the Diamond Club complementary bottle of your choice (one day after you arrive). Overall, the staff for the resort was extremely friendly and helpful if you ask for anything. The "Butler" service for us felt very odd and was not really what I would have preferred. In order to communicate we had to use What's App and so constantly checking the phone and texting back and forth made us feel like we were still working - was hoping to just get rid of the phones and have staff check with us from time to time as we received that service at many other nice resorts. The Butler approach needs to be rethought in our opinion, we would rather just have staff help those in person at the pool all day or the beach that are in a certain area and then provide separate concierge services for the other needs on reservations, excursions, etc. Instead, it felt like we were "working" to coordinate info on our phone too much with the butler - by the way, the Butlers we had were very nice but just not always around physically when you needed something. The resort, even being half full, still had two VERY distinctive smells that you could not avoid most of the time - parts of the resort smell like raw sewage very strongly, fortunately our building was not one of them but several others did and I can not imagine how you could stay in that section without gagging. Second, marijuana smell was almost everywhere, frequent enough that you noticed it several times an hour throughout the day. Quite a few guests and some of the off property vendors were openly smoking weed day and night. I am not a prude or against getting high but it was non-stop and prevalent. Most bartenders were very nice however there were two bartenders, males, at the Diamond Club bar that were at best rude and worst they were downright ignorant to some of the guests. We were trying to figure out if had to do with not tipping enough or at all or if it was motivated by other factors but certain guests got treated much differently than other guests. My wife asked for a mojito and was told there was no mint that day so she switched to something else yet 10 minutes later another female guest ordered a mojito and got it with plenty of mint from the same bartender - that guest was tipping heavy as we had noticed. I was told on one day by one of these gentleman that I had had 3 drinks already that day and that he would not serve me anymore. His demeanor was not friendly and then tried to embarrass me in front of other patrons while doing it. Totally out of left field comment, not sure who he was or what he was smoking, felt like he was trying to get me to pay him some cash to stop - didn't fall for that. To add, my wife and I did tip all staff regularly, but not overly generous however, honestly for an inclusive resort tips seemed far more relevant here. Again, just the two male bartenders otherwise the experience was fine. Food at the resort is at best fair. The Food truck was excellent for lunch most days. The buffet meals were the best as you had options to choose for yourself and most were decent. Breakfast was always good. The Steakhouse, Italian and other restaurants were only open once in a while (slow season) and the food was similar to a low-end franchise chain in the US. They often did not have several things on the menu available. The bars and restaurants ran out of things constantly by the way so it was hard to know what was ready to order. Also, if you are on the beach anywhere on the resort, you are fair game for the local vendors down the shore line to come and solicit you for a variety of things from jet ski rides, fishing trips, hats, bags, etc. all day long so don't plan on enjoying your peace and quiet or that book too long as you will be interrupted every 20 minutes or more. They are not allowed up on the pool area but of course they then come up and stand at the edge of the hedging and yell over to you while laying out and up to the people on the balconies to see if they can sell you something. It turns into something like a Wall Street stock market floor at times and ruins a relaxing scene quickly. The property is beautiful, my wife and I made the best of it knowing that other resorts cost much more which we were not willing to spend on this particular trip so it was "OK" for us but we would not go back to this property. We got what we paid for I suppose. It feels like a Brand that either does not know who they are and/or does not no how to train their staff properly to delver a consistent brand experience to their clientele across all the touch points they have. Felt more low end and inconsistent than we were expecting based on the marketing. Most of the people we met there and spent time talking to all felt similar to these comments. Hopefully they are listening and it will improve over time for them and the people who come after us.

  Sep 25, 2025
• 

  Vacationing Done Right!

  I had a Wonderful time, the Resort was clean, the food was amazing and the staff was friendly and helpful. My Butlers Andre and Monique was the Dynamic Duo I never knew I needed!!! They took Great care of me...I will definately be back.

  Sep 24, 2025
• 

  7-days at the Royalton Chic Antigua

  Food was good, Diamond Club bar was fun but Shakeda made it great! Extreme Circumnavigation with Captain David is a must!! He is professional, knowledgeable and very cool. His crew is accommodating and made our day special. Devon, one of the Vibe team members, makes the day enjoyable with his energy & activities. Food service manager Bradley went above and beyond as well. Met some great people. Shout out to Ian and Lou. We will be back.

  Sep 23, 2025
• 

  You got this!

  The gym staff was amazing… certified, professional and encouraging. Elvis trained me in a Bootcamp that got me sweating and moving, just what my body needed. Lindo and Elinea were fantastic too and could help with all levels of fitness. Just come as you are and with a positive attitude… they got the rest 😃 Thanks Team 🙌

  Sep 22, 2025
• 

  Exercise with Bailey

  8:25 exercise class with Bailey! Awesome workout! You v you just moving. Great way to start every day while in Antigua. Highly recommend

  Sep 22, 2025