Antigua!
I have to admit, I did prefer the Verandah but that didn't mean the Jolly Beach is a definitely no no. It does have it's charms. Jolly Beach itself is one of the most beautiful stretches of beach I have ever seen. Miles of white sand and the most azure sea I have ever seen. Also seemingly unaffected by the seaweed problem that has plagued the Caribbean recently. The resort itself is a little tired but food and entertainment is good. I would recommend going to Lydia's - a fantastic beach restaurant on site. It is included in the price but needs to be pre booked the day before and does an amazing Sunday BBQ, complete with steel band!
The resort also proved themselves well in a crisis as we found ourselves on the receiving end of both Tropical storms Danny and Erika. Downsides of the Jolly beach are that the kids club was pretty depressing, the resort like I mentioned was a bit dated and not really cared for and drinks weren't very nice or exciting. Upsides are the beach is really spectacular, great pre bookable restaurants, fun evening entertainment and excellent value for money.
The Verandah is a different resort altogether. Little villas which are either Waterview, Waterfront or Hillside. I would say our Waterview villa was all I could ask for in a holiday accommodation. Kids are separated by a partition and have their own sofa bed, each villa has a veranda at the front and an outdoor seating area at the back. The food was spectacular and the two beaches stunning as are the pool areas. All spirits are premium, and even though I'm not a huge spirit drinker, I did enjoy having a port with my cheese after dinner and the odd Baileys! Little touches like buckets and spades for the kids on the beach and an amazing kids club with a fabulous climbing frame that my kids adored. The resort even had a mini golf course which my six year old loved.
There are many excursions and things to do and see in Antigua. A Sunday trip to Shirley Heights is a must to listen to the Caribbean music and to take it the views. You can visit Stingray City - you get to feed the Stingrays if you're brave enough and you can do many tours around (by catamaran) and within (by jeep) the country.
All in all, a superb holiday. Even in Hurricane season!