Hawksbill Bay, Hawksbill Beach Hotel Review

Overall Rating

None - well the surroundings are pretty.

Basic, lukewarm food
Rude Staff - help themselves to guest's cigarettes!
Awful "entertainment"
Dirty rooms
"Swimming" pool!? - 6x6 is a jacuzzi isn't it?
Old, tatty furniture and rickety sun loungers
Uncaring management
Filthy toilets in restaurant
Dated, shabby and disappointing.

Where do I begin? I had heard this was a "First Class Typical Caribbean Hotel". I'm fortuante to have stayed in a few of them and this doesn't even come close. It is long overdue a makeover, some staff training and maybe the hiring of a management team who care what people think. OK, here we go...
THE ROOM
Thick layers of dust on the coffee machine and toilet cistern, hairs on bathroom tiles all stayed untouched by "cleaners". The floor was dirty and sticky. There was one small wardrobe with 4 hangers and what looked like a wire vegetable rack in which to put your clothes. The lighting was so bad we couldn't read and struggled to get ready. We were supposedly upgraded and had air-con - this was antique and sounded like a lawn mower. The balcony felt claustrophobic and again had insufficient lighting. Oh, and the hotel's idea of a sea view is hanging over the edge of your balcony and straining your neck to the left.
THE FOOD
Well, we only stayed for a day and a half before we paid to be moved to another hotel but then again we had been told typical Caribbean fare was to be expected - the only evening meal we had was a choice of two starters and two main courses - yummy, we got about 6 pasta bows in a weak tomato sauce for starter and then that Antiguan speciality, chicken cordon bleu(gh) for main course. To make the meal that much better the waiting staff brought it all at once and left our main courses on a neighbouring table while we played with our starter, so that it was nice and cool for us in case we burnt ourselves. Next day I didn't bother with breakfast but needed some lunch. Not convinced by the menu I thought I'd try safe and go for burger and chips - not what I wanted to eat, but needs must - anyway, the chap at the grill served me the chips and then started cooking the burger. Hot burger, cold chips and no idea. And that's when the waitress helped herself to my cigarettes...
THE STAFF & MANAGEMENT
Blank looks greeted us when we checked in. They hadn't heard of us and didn't have a room ready for us. They then did find that there was a welcome pack for us so finally consented to let us stay. As you know, our room was awful although this was supposedly an upgrade - we had paid extra for a beach front room but as they didn't know we were coming they didn't have one ready, so we were upgraded to one with a lawnmower/aircon - and that's all they told us when we complained - a shrug and "you've been upgraded". Back to the waitress...she actually said to us "my supervisor is looking so I can't take one now but I want one of those cigarettes, I'll come back", two minutes later she came back to our table, opened my pack, took a cigarette and wandered off. I was too stunned to say/do anything. We hadn't spoken to this waitress before so there was no relationship, so I assume this is common practice in this hotel.
We spent hours in reception with our rep. complaining and asking to be moved/sorting out where to go and during this time the hotel manager walked past us several times - you would think he would come over concerned about why some guests hated his hotel so much and to see if there was anything he could do. No, he just glowered and looked moody.
THE HOTEL GENERALLY
The sunloungers were falling apart, all other furniture was cheap plastic. The entertainment varied from crab racing to and old guy shaking something. One thing that really grated on me was the swimming pool. I say 'swimming' because that is was the brochure called it - it was about 6' square - I'm 6'2, how was I meant to SWIM in that? I really do think it's time that the travel industry had some stricter laws on brochure blurb - I have queried this with my holiday company and they are quite happy their description is accurate - so a swimming pool that you can't swim in has been accurately described? No, I call that a plunge pool.
THE BEST BIT
Thank heavens we had our release papers signed within a day an a half. We went elsewhere, had a wonderful time and thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful island, I can't imagine how two weeks in this hotel would have been. Take my advice - STEER WELL CLEAR!

Members' Comments onmatthewwhite's Review

• AMacRae on 18th Mar 2005

  I wonder if Matthew actually stayed at the same Hawksbill Beach hotel that we've stayed at year after year? For one thing, the swimming pool is certainly larger than Matthew's description of 6'x6'. But who looks for a swimming pool at a Caribbean beach resort?

• Gail Dorrell on 12th Jul 2005

  My brother is getting married next year and intends getting married in Antiqua. He was told that Hawksbill was like heaven on earth and wanted us all to go out together and stay at the Hawksbill for his wedding. When we were told that the hotel had no air conditioning, my partner and I said we would not stay in a hotel in the Caribean without air conditioning and we, therefore, ended up booking 2 weeks at the Jolly Beach hotel (recommended by someone who had stayed there this year) but the rest of the party have insisted on going to Hawksbill!!!! After reading your review I think we have had a lucky escape! We are going next May so I will let you know what we think of Hawksbill when we visit the family there and how the rest of the family get on staying there!

• johnhelgacook on 28th Aug 2005

  My wife and I stayed at this hotel in 2001 and agree with most of Mr White's comments. It is owned by a Swiss company who seem only concerned with the profit & loss account. Our room was next to an overflowing sewage pipe but constant complaints failed to get any results. The food was poor to awful and so we bought our own breakfasts in the island's shops and ate our other meals out. The staff, with very few exceptions were either not trained or very badly so: in the main nice enough people but with just no idea now to look after guests or their hotel. The only redeaming feature was the wonderful nudist beach on which we spend many happy hours - along with the neighbour's goats which the management seemed unable or unwilling to keep out! Our advice to anyone wanting to use this beach is to stay anywhere else and just come along early enough to get a lounger. It could be paradise. What a shame.

• popeye2 on 24th Jan 2006

  We stayed at Hawksbill 2 years ago and it sounds as though it hasn't changed - in fact it does sound worse! Our first room was a garden room which was very dark and had an most unusual layout! We were quickly changed to a superior room which was very clean - although I agree that the lighting was very poor. We did however have to pay extra for this room! Have to agree with comments re: the pool - it is a joke. The worst aspect of this hotel is the food. It was bland, cold, little choice and very very repetitive. The staff were very slow and some evenings we were lucky to get our wine glasses topped up - even though the resort is All Inclusive.
  We spoke to a few people who had been to Hawksbill year after year (as it was a hotel with a very loyal clientele) and they all commented that it had gone down after they went All Inclusive. (They weren't going back!) My advice - if you have to go Antigua stay somewhere else. Strongly suggest Maldives or any Indian Ocean island as an alternative - you will not be disappointed!