Fodor's Expert Review Starfish Jolly Beach Resort

If you're looking for basic sun-sand-surf fun, this active resort—Antigua's largest—fits the bill luring a gregarious blend of honeymooners, families, and singles. Management diligently gussies up and maintains the public areas: there's a faux sugar mill, a free-form fantasy pool, a Creole-style vendors' village, attractive gardens, and a riot of tropical-cocktail colors. Palapas (palm-thatch roofs) and hammocks dot the long if crowded beach. The five main restaurants, Italian to Indian, are surprisingly good, especially the waterfront seafood eatery, Lydia's. The range of activities and facilities (including a cricket field, casino, and spa) surpasses that of many tonier all-inclusives. On the downside, service can be curt, and the dilapidated cinder-block structures have peeling paint, chipped doors, and rusting railings. Many units are cramped and musty with bizarre, built-in concrete furnishings. "Supersaver" rooms, though the size of closets, represent the top value, especially for singles (only $20 supplement). Every room has at least a partial sea view.