A Birthday Trip to Antigua: My Honest Solo Travel Experience

This trip to Antigua was a little different from how I normally choose my destinations. I wasn't able to celebrate my birthday with a trip closer to my actual birthday that year, so I decided to celebrate later. Usually I search for flights based on price first and destination second — but this time, I really wanted to visit Antigua. That meant I had to settle on the airline. And that airline was American Airlines. Yes, I know. 😂

Getting to Antigua

I flew from Boston (BOS) to Antigua (ANU) with a connection in Miami. My first flight departed Boston at 5:47 AM, and after my Miami connection, I landed in Antigua at 3:09 PM. I purposely book early flights like this because I would rather sacrifice some sleep and get a head start on my vacation.

I booked another all-inclusive vacation package through CheapCaribbean, which I've used before. Their customer service has always been great for me. If I have questions before a trip, I like knowing that I can simply call and speak with someone.

I also always make sure my airport transportation is arranged before I arrive. For Antigua, my airport transfer was through Suntours. After clearing immigration and customs, the instructions directed me outside the terminal to the Suntours desk, where a representative checked me in and directed me to my transfer vehicle.

And as always, I purchased travel insurance before leaving. For this trip, I used SafetyWing.

Where I Stayed: Royalton CHIC Antigua

I stayed at Royalton CHIC Antigua, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort – Adults Only in St. John's. My reservation was for a Luxury Beach Front Room – Diamond Club.

Before booking, I looked at the swim-out rooms online, but I wasn't impressed by their location. They didn't look private enough for me, and after my previous experience with a swim-out room in Jamaica, I didn't want to make the same mistake again. I'm glad I didn't.

My Beachfront Room: 9/10

My beachfront room ended up being one of my favorite things about the resort. I was on the top floor, and from my balcony I could look out over the resort and beach. I could even sunbathe from my balcony. This was much more my style than having a swim-out room where people could potentially be walking directly past me throughout the day. The room gets a 9/10 from me.

Birthday Surprise 🎂

Before leaving for Antigua, I emailed the resort to let them know I was celebrating my birthday. I also used that email to arrange things ahead of time, including my spa appointment, cabana rental and restaurant reservations. I sent them the restaurants I wanted along with my preferred dates and times.

So when I finally opened the door to my room, I was happy to see that they had remembered. There was a Happy Birthday banner on my door, and inside my room were birthday decorations, roses, balloons and banners. It was such a nice way to start the trip. Unfortunately, the birthday experience wouldn't remain quite that organized throughout my stay.

Diamond Club & My Butler Experience

As a Diamond Club guest, I was assigned two butlers: Monique and Andre. I met Monique first. She escorted me to my room and explained some of the resort services. One thing I was particularly happy to learn was that the hotel could arrange taxis. Before traveling, I had done my research and had already saved the names of drivers recommended by travelers on Facebook. I had also read stories about tourists being quoted one taxi price and then being asked for more money later. Having transportation arranged through the hotel sounded much easier.

Monique also provided me with the resort restaurant schedule. Because I had already emailed my restaurant choices before arriving, reservations had been arranged for me. However, because it was rainy season, restaurant schedules changed during my stay. And this is where some of the cracks in the Diamond Club experience began to show.

Butler Service: 4/10. There were some helpful moments, but overall, my Diamond Club butler experience was disappointing. You'll see why.

First Night: Haven Grill

I originally planned to eat at Hunter Steakhouse on my first night. My original itinerary actually had Hunter scheduled for that evening. Because the restaurant schedule changed, I went to Haven Grill instead. And I'm glad I did.

Haven Grill served Caribbean food, and the food was amazing. The chef even came out and introduced themselves, which made the experience feel more personal. This was one restaurant I specifically wanted to make sure I experienced during my stay, and it ended up being one of the better dining experiences at the resort.

A Taste of Antigua: My Local Food Tour

The next morning, I had a food tour scheduled for 10:00 AM in St. John's. My itinerary confirms that the meeting point was in the heart of St. John's. Monique arranged for me to meet my taxi in the resort lobby at 9:30 AM. The taxi cost $30 round-trip.

Of course, I managed to leave my umbrella at the hotel. I met my two female tour guides, and luckily, one of them had an umbrella I could use. Even better? I was the only person on the tour. It basically became my own private Antigua food tour. I learned a lot about the island, its culture and its food.

What we tried

• Traditional Antiguan breakfast — very good, and very different from the resort version
• Antiguan rum at a local bar — strong enough that I was feeling a little tipsy afterward 😂
• Curried chicken roti from Roti King — I didn't enjoy it; it tasted like regular curry chicken in a wrap

The entire food tour lasted approximately 2–3 hours, and overall, I enjoyed the experience and learned a lot about Antigua. Not everything that's hyped online is going to be your favorite, and I'm not going to tell you something was amazing just because everyone else says it is.

Exploring Local Food Stops

The $180 Taxi Quote

This is exactly why I believe you should research a destination before you arrive. At the end of my food tour, I texted my driver to pick me up. During the drive back, we started talking about some of Antigua's major attractions, including Shirley Heights and Nelson's Dockyard National Park. I already knew I wanted to see Shirley Heights. Nelson's Dockyard wasn't as important to me.

The driver started encouraging me to visit both — and then tried to charge me $180 to take me. Absolutely not. I had already researched the island enough to know that I wasn't comfortable paying that price, so I simply refused.

Later, back at the resort, I learned something interesting. Royalton offered a round-trip shuttle to Shirley Heights for only $35. Yes. $35. That was all I needed to hear.

Pool Day & a Spa Mix-Up

After returning from my food tour, I relaxed on my balcony for a while before changing into my bathing suit and cover-up and heading to the pool. While I was relaxing, there was a water aerobics performance, which was a nice little touch.

My butler later texted me that my complimentary Diamond Club bottle was ready. Monique met me at the pool and gave me my bottle of SKYY Vodka. She also introduced me to my second butler, Andre. While talking with Andre, I learned about the $35 Shirley Heights shuttle. That changed my plans. I decided to move my spa appointment to the following day at 11:00 AM so I could take the shuttle to Shirley Heights at 4:00 PM. I confirmed the spa change through WhatsApp the night before. My butlers confirmed it. So I thought everything was handled.

It wasn't.

The following day, I showed up at the spa for my rescheduled appointment. They had no appointment for me. I texted my butlers, and Andre came down to the spa. He said he had told the spa about the change. The spa said he hadn't. I didn't stay around arguing about who said what. What mattered to me was that my appointment wasn't there.

The spa was completely booked and couldn't fit me in that day. This was especially disappointing because I had confirmed the change through WhatsApp the night before. So I asked what they could do to make it right.

I requested a complimentary cabana for the day. They agreed. I already had a paid cabana reserved for Thursday, and the resort required me to keep that reservation in order to receive the complimentary cabana that day. I agreed. They also gave me a complimentary facial. Eventually, my Regenerative Massage and facial were rescheduled for Thursday. My original trip notes confirm that the Regenerative Massage was the treatment I had planned. So yes — the mistake was frustrating. But I was satisfied that the spa worked with me to make up for it.

Rainy Season in Antigua

This was the part of the trip I had worried about before I ever booked it. I usually avoid traveling during rainy season. I don't like spending money on a vacation only to wake up wondering whether rain is going to determine what I can do that day. Before booking Antigua, I read plenty of comments from travelers saying that rainy season wasn't necessarily a big deal — that the rain might come and go quickly and wouldn't ruin the vacation. I decided to give it a chance.

It rained on 2 of my 5 days. And I've learned my lesson. I would absolutely return to Antigua, but I would not intentionally book another trip there during rainy season. The weather really can be unpredictable.

Shirley Heights Lookout

Despite the weather, I still made it to Shirley Heights. The Royalton shuttle was $35 round-trip, and admission to Shirley Heights was an additional $10, so they were separate costs. While I was waiting in the hotel lobby for the shuttle, it started raining heavily. For about 10 minutes, it was really coming down. But we were told something that you'll hear often in Antigua: it can be raining where you are while somewhere else on the island is completely dry. Thankfully, we still went.

Shirley Heights was beautiful, especially for the views. The food was good and the entertainment was fun. There was just one problem. Mosquitoes. There were so many mosquitoes around some of the outdoor benches that it became difficult to sit comfortably and enjoy my food. I eventually moved away from the outdoor seating and found a great spot near the bar. I grabbed a high chair near a window and ended up with what basically felt like a front-row seat to the performance. Much better. I ordered a rum punch from the bar, watched the entertainment and enjoyed the evening from there.

Our driver originally told us to return to the van at 7:30 PM, but everyone was ready to leave by around 7:00, so we headed back to the resort early.

Would I visit Shirley Heights again? Yes. Go for the views, atmosphere and entertainment. But bring mosquito repellent. Seriously. My own pre-trip packing notes even included OFF with DEET.

Sunset Party at Shirley Heights

Room-Service Breakfast: Disappointing

I had ordered room-service breakfast for 8:00 AM. Eight o'clock came. No breakfast. Eventually, I had to call and remind them about the order. Unfortunately, when it finally arrived, the food wasn't particularly memorable either.

I tried both an American-style breakfast and an Antiguan breakfast during my stay. The Antiguan breakfast was nothing like the breakfast I had on my food tour. Even the plantains didn't taste fresh. And I love bacon. The resort's bacon? Not good. Breakfast was one of the weaker parts of the resort's food experience for me.

Hunter Steakhouse: I Could Have Skipped It

I finally tried Hunter Steakhouse after reading so many positive reviews. I'm not a huge steakhouse person to begin with, but because other travelers seemed to like it, I figured I'd give it a chance. I could have skipped it.

My steak took a long time to arrive and was dry. I also added lobster. That was dry too. And it took forever. After the lobster I had in Jamaica, this wasn't even comparable. The overall resort food gets a 6/10 from me, and Hunter definitely didn't help that score.

The Restaurant I Really Wanted: Papa Zouk

One of the restaurants I was most interested in visiting wasn't even at the resort. Papa Zouk was high on my original itinerary because of its reputation for seafood. My planning notes show just how many dishes I was interested in trying — from fried red snapper and lobster to conch fritters and mahi-mahi.

Unfortunately, Papa Zouk was closed during the time of year I visited. I was so disappointed. That's another reason seasonal research matters. A restaurant can be highly recommended, but that doesn't mean it will necessarily be open when you visit.

My Second Cabana Day

Thursday was my originally scheduled paid cabana day. Other guests had rented cabanas too, and I noticed that some people celebrating birthdays had their cabanas decorated. Mine wasn't. So I asked Andre why. His response? He said he didn't know it was my birthday. Excuse me? There was a huge Happy Birthday banner on my hotel-room door — the same room he had already been to multiple times.

Eventually, he went to get decorations and began decorating the cabana. At first, he even put the birthday wording up backwards, and I had to correct him. This is one of the reasons I give the overall butler service only a 4/10. For an upgraded Diamond Club experience — and after notifying the resort before arrival that I was celebrating my birthday — I expected better attention to detail.

Unlike my complimentary cabana day, the weather wasn't nearly as cooperative during my paid day. There were rain showers throughout parts of the day. At one point, I got out of the cabana pool, closed the curtains around the cabana for privacy and took a nap inside. Honestly? I wasn't mad at that part. 😂 I continued ordering drinks and food and just relaxed. The weather wasn't what I had hoped for, but I made the best of it.

The Best Massage & Facial I've Ever Had

Then it was finally time for my rescheduled spa appointment. And this is where Royalton redeemed itself — at least temporarily. I had the Regenerative Massage and my complimentary facial. I prefer a stronger massage because Swedish massages don't really do anything for me. This treatment was incredible. I can genuinely say that this was one of the best massage and facial experiences I've ever had. At one point I was practically sleepwalking with my face mask still on. That's how relaxed I was.

Spa Rating: 8/10. Despite the scheduling disaster that got me there, the actual treatments were excellent.

After the spa, I returned to my room and asked Andre whether he could get me more of the plantain chips that had been in my room because I really liked them. He couldn't find any. Not a huge deal by itself. But there was something else. My cabana experience was supposed to come with a complimentary bottle of Prosecco, and I was also supposed to receive a bottle of Antiguan rum as an apology for the service problems. I actually forgot about the bottles at the time. But looking back, my question is: why weren't they brought to me while I was actually sitting in the cabana? A chilled bottle of Prosecco at the beginning of my cabana day would have been a thoughtful touch. Instead, it became another example of the little details that were missing from the Diamond Club/butler experience.

Pescari Over Water Restaurant

For my final dinner, I had a reservation at Pescari Over Water Restaurant. Diamond Club included one complimentary dinner per stay there. My original itinerary confirms that I had specifically planned Pescari as one of my special dinners. The restaurant itself was beautiful. I sat beside the water, drank wine and enjoyed the atmosphere.

Unfortunately, the service didn't match the setting. I ordered an appetizer, a sushi roll and an entrée. I received the appetizer and sushi. And waited. And waited. The entrée took so long that I ultimately wasn't able to eat it. That's such a frustrating way to end what should have been one of the nicer dinners of the trip. Beautiful restaurant. Beautiful waterfront setting. But again, the service just wasn't where I expected it to be.

Was Diamond Club Worth It?

For my experience, no. The beachfront room itself was fantastic. But when I think about Diamond Club as an upgraded service experience, I expected much more. My butlers did help with certain requests. But there were simply too many misses:

• The spa appointment I confirmed wasn't actually rescheduled
• My birthday cabana wasn't decorated until I pointed out that other birthday cabanas were
• One of my butlers somehow said he didn't know I was celebrating my birthday despite the decorations on my hotel-room door
• The Prosecco that would have been perfect during my cabana experience wasn't proactively delivered
• Several smaller moments when the attention to detail simply wasn't there

Butler Service: 4/10. I've experienced better service elsewhere.

Traveling Solo in Antigua

This is one area where Antigua did extremely well. I felt very safe traveling Antigua solo. That's an important distinction because although I had issues with my resort experience — and I didn't appreciate being quoted $180 by the taxi driver — I don't consider those things a reflection of whether Antigua itself felt safe. My experience exploring Antigua as a solo female traveler was extremely positive from a safety standpoint. I would absolutely travel to Antigua alone again.

Solo Safety: 10/10.

My Antigua Ratings

Bottom Line

Would I return to Antigua? YES. Antigua: 8/10. I enjoyed Antigua. I felt incredibly safe traveling solo, enjoyed learning about the island, loved the views at Shirley Heights and had some genuinely memorable experiences. The fact that I would return despite having such a disappointing resort experience says a lot about how I felt about Antigua itself.

Would I return to Royalton CHIC Antigua? NO. Royalton CHIC Antigua: 2/10. And I want to make an important distinction: my 2/10 rating is for Royalton CHIC Antigua — not Antigua. My beachfront room was beautiful and gets a 9/10. I had an excellent spa experience. Haven Grill was great. There were individual staff interactions and experiences that I enjoyed. But when I look at the entire resort experience, especially the service I received while staying Diamond Club, there were simply too many disappointments. I wouldn't spend my money staying there again.

Antigua? I'd happily give the island another chance — with a different hotel and during dry season. Go to Antigua. Just don't assume the resort has to be the highlight of your trip. For me, Antigua earned an 8/10, even though my resort earned only a 2/10. I would return to the island without hesitation — but next time, I'm choosing a different hotel, traveling during dry season, and keeping that same combination of local food, island experiences and plenty of time doing absolutely nothing on a beautiful balcony.