Sandals Antigua Caribbean Village & Spa Hotel

We travelled to Antigua with Thomas Cook and flew with Virgin Atlantic. The flights out and inbound were faultless and there was nothing that was too much trouble for the staff.
They were friendly courteous and helpful at all times and an added bonus was the flights on both legs were only half full so lots of room to spread out.
The hotel when we arrived at Sandals the first thing that struck us was the building site next to the hotel which is to be there new super hotel (in time for the cricket) we were told this would be on target to finish by Nov 2006 but when we arrived they were only half way through.
First room was disgusting, cracked sink, toilet wouldn't flush and room smelt really damp, we had paid for a grand luxe room, we complained and the room was changed within an hour.
The hotel is looking very tired, peeling paint, broken areas and generally worn out in some areas. The food was limiting and even though they tell you to book the tables max 24 hours in advance you could never get tables in the popular restaurants. Only 4 restaurants and one was a burger bar equivalent. The bayside restaurant gave consistent food that was on the whole good.
Dining room staff were helpful, reception staff were quite hostile if you complained too much, and the managers were always in "meetings".
Water sports and general facilities were good and the water sports staff were very vigilant and safety conscious.
On the whole not a bad holiday but when compared to the prices Sandals charge I find their prices over the top and I do not think they warrant the 5 stars they are awarded
If you are going to spend that type of money on a holiday choose a less well known name and go for alternative 5 star accommodation

We really didn't know what to expect from Sandals. Had heard and read a lot about them but this was our first visit and we transferred to here, rather than choosing it. I will confess we expected quite a tacky, very American resort and bits of it CAN be, but generally it was a very pleasant holiday.
My partner and I are in our early 30s and do not have children so staying in a couples only resort was actually very refreshing. The hotel was undergoing some work whilst we were there but great effort was taken to keep guests away from this so it didn't really bother us.
The beach is beautiful but there are no sunshades - you need to stay in the grounds for that and space is limited. The beach is public so you will get approached by hawkers - they go away with a firm "no".
The food was mostly very good - our favourite was actually the main restaurant, which is buffet style during the day but waiter service in the evening - with an excellent choice of dishes which changed for the 2nd week. The Italian restaurant was OK but the Tex Mex was greasy and the service terrible the night we went in. The Japanese was a shame for us - the food was fantastic but being seated at a table with 8 Americans was a bit too loud for us! Oh - for a private table!
This brings me to the evenings and the entertainment; karaoke very popular, as was embarrassing the newly weds - amusing to watch a couple of times but severely limited so most evenings we ate late and a bottle of wine kept us later. If you are contemplating getting married at a resort like this - be warned, it is like a conveyor belt - there was one evening where 6 newly weds were all having their first dance at the same time - quite a sight!
Other tips - don't pay for bottled water from the shop - the waiters are happy to give you a bottle when you leave any of the restaurants or there is a water cooler next to the bar you can take the water jug from your room to (we spent a fortune before we cottoned on!). Also, if you fancy a quiet night on your patio - the bar staff will happily give you a bottle of wine to take back.
Overall, I've stayed in better, but not bad.