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

This place is NOT worth it. Our room smelled like mildew and the AC broke on the first night. The food is horrible especially at that Mediterranean restaurant. The inclusive liquor is bottom of the barrel. This place runs out of everything food, top shelf liquor and even pool towels. Service is hit or miss. Some people are very attentive and friendly. Others are indifferent and act like they wish we weren't there. The sports bar was the best spot on the resort. They actually had edible food although it was just wings and fries. The food truck runs out of food daily and they close at 5 pm. Room service is a joke. I waited almost 40 minutes for a mystery meat sandwich and a plate of melon. The beach was nice but it wasn't worth the trip. Overall, I would never recommend this place. It's definitely NOT 5 stars!

Had the most amazing time last week and I would go back again in a heartbeat. Food was amazing, beach was beautiful, pools were great. We did Diamond Club and I think it was super worth it for everything that was included. Sheresse was our "butler" and she was incredible, we had such a good experience with her. We took advantage of the island excursion and the spa massages and both were fantastic. Really truly had the best time!

Very disappointed with my stay at Royalton Chic Antigua. The property is advertised as a “resort,” but feels more like a basic beachfront hotel with limited amenities. We even paid for the so-called “VIP” Diamond Club experience, which was honestly comical given the poor level of service and the disappointing food and beverage offerings. Only a couple of staff members went above and beyond, while most interactions felt dismissive or unhelpful. Ironically, the highlight of our trip wasn’t the resort at all—it was a private island tour we booked separately through a third-party company. The level of service and attention to detail we received from Junior during that 4–5 hour tour was fantastic and far exceeded anything we experienced on property. For the price, you can find far better value and service elsewhere. Definitely not worth it and should not be classified as a resort.

We had a 6 night stay at the Royalton Chic, and splurged for the swim up room with Beach view, “diamond club” room. |Check in was pretty easy, but slightly disorganized. We had to remind someone that we were waiting for help. But they had a full bar near the check in area, with decent liquor that I used to make myself a cocktail while I waited and enjoyed the comfortable seating indoors. |The Diamond Club rooms are assigned ‘butlers’ and we had Neil and Chris all week available to help with whatever we needed (within reason). They were very friendly, and attentive. They also helped make reservations at the restaurants so we didn’t have to deal with that. |The room was totally fine. A bit small but really well positioned with a beautiful view of the bay. The swim up room was a nice addition and I thought worth it. The room was cleaned daily by a lovely room attendant named Jennifer. She was really nice and responsive with our requests. The ‘diamond club’ included a bottle of wine, brut and hard liquor.|The beach and pool area is well stocked with chairs, some with umbrellas, and beds. The bay is very lovely, with a picturesque backdrop of the green hillside behind the over-water rooms that Royalton offers. The water was not very clear and not suitable for snorkeling during our stay. But we consistently saw little turtle heads popping up out of the water, and other fish and sting rays jumping out the water just beyond the protected swimming area. Dickenson Bay is a short walk end to end, about 12-15 minutes. The other major resort on the bay is Sandals, and there are smaller properties beachside. Overall the beach was pretty clean with minimal garbage or junk. During our stay Hurricane Erin created a bit of weather for us, just a gloomy cloudy day which was actually a welcome break from the sun. However, it did bring in sargassum seaweed that lasted about one day, before the resorts team cleaned it all up (the beach team, basically two dudes, did an amazing job considering the heat and sun they were working under). A big patch of sargassum accumulated behind the over-water rooms, but a bout a day later the big patch sort of just drifted out. We got pretty lucky that was all we experienced with bad weather and seaweed. |The bigger pool is pretty loud in the afternoon to early evening, and can be heard clearly near the smaller pool (and I’m sure by the properties uphill overlooking the bay).|The bar had good liquor, to occasional top shelf, but the really good stuff ran out quickly. The drinks were pretty good, to very good. Honestly, the rum punch, made with a slightly different formula by each bartender is a great way to go. Shout out to Kenan, the best bartender while I was there. Also Ersa and Lorenza were very friendly and helpful staff keeping the drinks topped off and the area looking tidy. |The food was good to great. Options that had a Caribbean flavor were generally really good. The various stews, curries, and other food with a local palate were always satisfying. The over water restaurant was good. The Italian restaurant was solid, the Mediterranean was fine, the steakhouse was probably the biggest disappointment with a ‘12 hour brisket’ that was definitely not that. There was a small coffee shop with good desserts and small sandwiches available all the time (in general the desserts at all the restaurants were really good with our favorite being the nut pie and a flan). A food truck parked near the big pool had various options for easy beach side snacking. For an all inclusive, we were very happy with the food and found a decent to very good option at every meal to choose from. |The biggest issues were with the property maintenance. Our toilet stopped working twice. Thankfully it was dealt with fairly quickly. There’s random blue tiles everywhere that are coming up from the pools. Despite visiting during a fairly low occupancy time, the pool areas tended to get messy but clean up was not a priority. The resort is fairly new, and the design choices and decor are very well done, but consistent maintenance will be important to keep this resort feeling fresh.

The Royalton Chic Antigua is truly a beautiful resort, and for the most part, it earns its 5 stars—but with a few exceptions. Here’s the breakdown:||The Highlights:|The resort itself is beautiful—modern, clean, and comfortable. Diamond Club was absolutely worth it, especially for the butler service, priority reservations, and extra perks. The little touches made a difference, like daily restocks of soda, juice, water, chips, and candy (a lifesaver for a midnight snacker like me). The robes and slippers added to the luxury feel.||The staff truly stood out:|- Jada (Diamond Club Supervisor): Fantastic from the very beginning. Even before we arrived, she coordinated via email and ensured that all our accommodations and reservations were confirmed.||- Maxwell (Butler): The absolute best butler hands down—attentive, genuine, and ensured we were well cared for from start to finish. Our initial butler, Neil, fell short completely and should not represent Diamond Club service. Thankfully, Maxwell made up for it and, when off, left us with great coverage by Kurt and Carl.||- Melissa (Diamond Club Concierge): Gave us a warm, welcoming, and personal experience the moment we arrived—such a lovely start to our trip.||- Spa team: For my birthday, they created a beautiful welcome setup. Angela gave me one of the best massages I’ve ever had, followed by a relaxing hydrotherapy pool session.||- Suzette & Dwayna (with Maxwell’s help): Truly went above and beyond for my birthday dinner. After I injured my back snorkeling and couldn’t walk to the original beach location, they relocated the entire setup closer to my room, with a great view, and even found a wheelchair for me. That level of care meant a great deal.||The Cons:|The biggest disappointment was the food. For an all-inclusive Caribbean resort, I expected more. The best meals were:||- The breakfast buffet (consistently good).|- The food truck (the patties were amazing, though they sold out quickly).|- The private chef’s sunset dinner (the lamb chops were excellent).|- The lobster lunch on the Mystic Cades Catamaran was hyped, but honestly, a letdown compared to what I’ve had elsewhere.||Another small but frustrating issue was the lack of face towels. Our housekeeper mentioned this was an ongoing problem, which is something the resort should definitely address.||Things to Note:|- Bring enough U.S. cash; don’t rely on ATMs (the only AMERICAN ATMs are at the airport and casino).|- Use a credit card for incidentals at check-in.|- Taxi rides cost about $10–15 per person, one way, and most destinations are 20–40 minutes from the resort.|- Shirley Heights accepts cards, so you can save cash there.|- If you’re looking for a little “Bob Marley fun,” check out Pineapple Road Dispensary—they’ll issue a temporary medicinal license for $15.|- Lastly, for an unforgettable experience, book a photoshoot with Simms Photography (IG: @simmsphotographyy / blvkheart.com). Kerron and his team were professional, patient, funny, and captured my 50th birthday beach shoot beautifully.||Overall, the Royalton Chic Antigua is a gorgeous resort with excellent service, especially from the Diamond Club team, who went above and beyond to make my milestone birthday unforgettable. The spa, excursions, and attention to detail for special occasions were top-notch. Where the resort falls short is with its food offerings, which left much to be desired for a property of this caliber, and some small housekeeping gaps. That said, the beauty of the resort, the staff who genuinely care, and the memories created made it well worth the trip.||Rating: 4.0/5

Antigua was beautiful! We did a tour of the island, which was a great experience. The resort itself looked nice, and our room was in a great location. The air conditioning worked well, which was a big plus. However, there were several issues during our stay. We received an email before arrival asking us to complete a pre-check-in, which we did. Despite that, the check-in process still took about an hour. We were promised a complimentary bottle of wine for the delay, but it never arrived. Unfortunately, the staff was generally not friendly—some were even rude. The bars frequently ran out of drinks and other items, and the liquor available was very low quality. The food was just okay. The best meal we had was at the Olympic Restaurant and the steakhouse, although the wait for our food at the steam house was over an hour and a half. The buffet was average, and the jerk truck had good food, but they were often out of items and the staff there was also unfriendly. The mini refrigerator in our room was only stocked once during our entire stay, and we had to ask for that refill. Cleanliness was another concern—our room and bathroom were below average in that regard. On a positive note, Celine at check-in was helpful, the bartender at the lobby bar was pleasant, and the manager at the Moonlight Bar was kind and attentive. Overall, I’d rate the resort 3 out of 5.

Antigua was absolutely breathtaking — I enjoyed every single moment of my solo birthday trip. Would I recommend visiting Antigua? Without a doubt. Would I recommend staying at Royalton Chic? Absolutely not. While the resort is aesthetically pleasing and relatively new (just about a year old), there are still several areas that need serious improvement. The specialty restaurants were nicely decorated, but the food was consistently mediocre and served lukewarm. The exceptions were the wings at the sports bar — a solid 10/10 and the drop-in deli “Insomnia,” which offered great sandwiches, coffee, and desserts. Unfortunately, everything else left much to be desired. Check-in was a mess. Although check-in officially begins at 3 PM, many guests myself included were left waiting for hours. By the time I was finally given my room, most of the day had slipped away. Upon entering, I discovered my shower was broken. While maintenance came to fix it the next day, it broke again shortly after which was surprising given how long the room had been "prepared" prior to check-in. If you're assigned to Building #1, request a room change immediately. The building is located near dense trees, which brings an overwhelming number of mosquitoes. You could tell the issue was ongoing the room had visible blood stains on the ceiling, walls, and drapes from previous guests killing bugs. To make things worse, housekeeping leave the doors open while cleaning, inviting even more mosquitoes inside. Entertainment was lackluster and didn’t live up to expectations. the foam party was boring and for it to be considered a Caribbean island surprisingly there was no Caribbean music which sucked. Would I return to Antigua? 100% yes. Would I stay at Royalton Chic again? Never (not worth the $$)

We had one of the most disappointing resort stays we’ve ever experienced at Royalton Chic Antigua. Despite the “luxury” label, the reality was far from it.|| • Food & Drinks: Every restaurant is outdoors, making meals hot and uncomfortable. Food service was painfully slow, with long waits even for simple orders. The swim-up bar and poolside service were almost impossible to get drinks from, and when you finally did, options were limited. They constantly ran out of beer, mixers, and even basic liquor.|We went to the overwater restaurant and after a very long wait for appetizers (an hour +) they then required a tip (despite this being an all inclusive) and hovered over while we filled it out. || • Butler Service: The “Diamond Club Butler” experience was a joke. We barely saw ours, and when we did, requests were often ignored. There was only one butler for the entire level, and their availability made no sense. They couldn’t reserve pool or beach chairs, couldn’t assist with excursions, and mostly just offered food truck/room service. We asked for simple things multiple times that never happened.|| • Room & Cleanliness: The room itself had a large cockroach (picture attached). The fridge wasn’t restocked daily, and there was no minibar at all. Pools were dirty, elevators broken, and the resort had an overwhelming sewer smell throughout. Towels were nearly impossible to find at the pool or beach.|| • Check-In & Transfers: Despite completing online check-in, we endured a long, frustrating check-in process. Airport transfers weren’t included (and even the private transfer we paid for wasn’t actually private).|| • Entertainment & Excursions: The entertainment schedule was constantly wrong, and confirmed excursions were suddenly “unavailable.”|| • Atmosphere: Staff often looked unhappy, which matched the overall energy of the resort. Service felt forced, and tipping seemed to be the only way to get minimal attention (including access to overwater areas).|| • Special Occasions: We noted our anniversary in advance but received nothing—while we saw celebrations for other couples. Instead, I got unnecessary comments about my acne from staff, which was inappropriate and unprofessional.|Overall, this resort failed on nearly every front: service, cleanliness, amenities, and hospitality. For the price point and the promises, Royalton Chic Antigua was a complete letdown. We would never return and strongly recommend avoiding it.