All-Inclusive Weekend Stay at Pineapple Beach Club, Antigua

We’re back in action with another staycation review. By now, you guys should know how much I enjoy these experiences, especially given the ongoing pandemic and the hesitancy to travel. Visiting hotels is simply an escape into another world, even if it’s only for a few days. In June/July, I would have seen an advertisement for a special on select hotels for the summer period and I just knew I had to book one. The options were from the Elite Island Resorts in Antigua: Pineapple Beach Club, Galley Bay Resort, St. James Club, Verandah Resort & Spa and Hammock Cove. I decided to go with Pineapple Beach Club as I haven’t been in years and I knew that they recently did some renovations. After debating on which weekend we will go, it was finally booked for August 20th – August 22nd. Let’s get into the review!

PINEAPPLE BEACH CLUB

Located on the east coast of Antigua, Pineapple Beach Club is an all-inclusive, adults only resort surrounded by 30 acres of lush gardens. The resort boasts three freshwater pools and the opportunity to swim in clear blue waters a footstep away on Long Bay.

Address: Long Bay, St. Philips
Website: http://www.pineapplebeachclub.com
Reservations: 866-830-1531 | 954-481-8787 (US/CANADA) | 268-460-8924
Social Media: Instagram | Facebook

All-Inclusive Package

BOOKING

As mentioned earlier, there was a flyer being circulated containing information about a staycation special which included an email address to contact for reservations. Initially, I tried doing it this way, but it took forever to get a response and when I did, the messages from the individual I was in contact with were absolutely lacking information and came across as rude. Eventually, I was able to get a local number to call and inquire about making a reservation. By this time, my original booking date wasn’t available so I had to do it on another weekend. They took my name and number, then I followed up with them after a couple of days when they sent me an authorization form to fill out to make a deposit and finally, our booking was confirmed. The process was a bit all over the place, however I’m happy I sourced the local number because they were more helpful.

ARRIVAL

Check in is at 3:00 P.M., however, we got to the hotel around 4 p.m. At the gate we gave our names and also checked our temperatures. The reception area was a bit full, but as soon as an agent became available we got through in no time. We also received a welcome drink where we could have chosen either Rum Punch or Fruit Punch while we waited. The process included settling our balances and giving us an overview of the hotel. The front desk representative was very welcoming.

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THE ROOM

After checking in we went straight to the room to drop off our bags before going to get some food. The agent alerted us beforehand that we got an oceanview room so I was excited to see. We got a shuttle ride to the room given it was hillside. The resort has 180 rooms, all in different locations and styles; Chairman’s Suite, Waterfront Rooms, Beachfront Rooms, Premium Oceanview Rooms, Oceanview Rooms, Gardenview Rooms and Pool Terrace Rooms.

All rooms feature individually-controlled air-conditioning units, flat screen TVs, cable, telephone, coffee/tea machine, mini fridge, private bathrooms with shower and/or tub, hair-dryer and in-room safes. All rooms feature a king bed with a balcony or patio.

https://www.pineapplebeachclub.com/accommodations/

According to their website, our room is also one of their largest rooms; it features a separate vanity area, spacious bathroom with walk-in shower, a closet with lots of space with an ironing board, iron and extra bath towels. We were also on the third floor which gave us a gorgeous view of the ocean and resort. The balcony was one of my favourite things while staying in this room, followed by the bed which was pretty comfortable. As usual, I forgot to take pictures of each room detail, but it can be seen in my vlog at the end of this post.

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DINING

The hotel currently has 6 restaurants and 3 bars where you can get meals/treats and drinks from throughout the day.

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Our first meal was at the Pelican Snack Grill which serves snacks such as wings, burgers, wraps, pizzas and more. I went for the grilled cheese burger with pineapple and bacon and sweet potato fries. It satisfied my hunger for the time being. During our stay, most of the food would have came from the Pelican Snack Grill which I would rate as average; in addition to the burger, I would have tried the BBQ wings, Pepperoni Pizza and Fish Tacos.

On our first night, we would have went to Topaz for dinner and the theme of the night had something to do with seafood. Unfortunately, I was not in love with anything here and didn’t eat much. The plan was to get a late night snack from Pelican Snack Grill later in the evening but didn’t get around to it. We did, however, opted to go to there for dinner on the second night.

Breakfast is my preferred meal whenever doing a hotel stay. For the first day, I opted for a veggie omelet, while on day 2 I had scrambled eggs. Both days were accompanied by French Toast (loved it!), Bacon (not the best)/Sausage and fried plantains. As for lunch, on Saturday we went to the Outhouse and had the best BBQ ribs ever, I even went back for seconds! Out of all the restaurants I tried during my stay, The Outhouse is definitely top 1. The plan was to go to buffet at Topaz on Sunday, however we missed the lunch seating which is 12 – 2:30. Honestly, I felt like that time period is too short.

Lastly, before we left I would have gotten a Vanilla Caramel Latte on Sunday morning and it reminded me of Starbucks. I’m not even a coffee lover but it was enjoyable, as well as the seating with garden views. As my last treat on the way to check out I grabbed two frappes, White Chocolate and Cookies & Cream to go; however these comes at a cost of US $2 each. The coffee shop is also a new addition since renovating and it was definitely a good idea.

ACTIVITIES

The resort offers a variety of water sports as well as land activities. We planned to do some sort of non-motorized water sport, however the weather was not on our side. We didn’t even go to the beach during this stay, instead we enjoyed two of the three freshwater pools available at the resort all of which are located close to a bar. More relaxed activities include lounging at one of the ‘relaxation stations’ located around the resort or in a hammock. There’s also the option of walking around the resort or walking to the nearby Devil’s Bridge’s National Park.

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CHECK OUT

Check out is normally at 12:00 p.m. however, we opted for a later check out time at 6:00pm which comes at an additional cost. As usually, check out involved handing over your key and settling any outstanding balances. I also did a guest survey sharing my experience while staying at the resort.

OVERALL COMMENTS

Overall, I enjoyed my stay and would definitely do it again. Given the ongoing pandemic, the resort had various signs around the property encouraging people to social distance, wear their masks and sanitize their hands. Whenever we left our rooms, we wore our masks until we were just by ourselves although I can’t say I observed the same with other guests. However, the staff ensured to wear their masks and stations were always being sanitized once guests left. It must be noted here that there was a recent notice that starting September 1st, guests 16 years and older planning to visit any of the Elite Island Resort properties will have to show proof of vaccination upon check-in.

CHECK OUT THE VLOG

Until our next staycation,