Long Bay should be a gem and in many ways, it is a lovely place. The beach is great. The beach bar is well maintained, with a small gazebo where a steel band plays on Thursdays. The Bay itself is a nice spot for kayaking, sailing or taking out the fishing boats, and although the rooms are pretty basic (don’t expect aircon) they have their own charm. The manager Dave is very hospitable and bends over backwards to keep the hotel running smoothly. We felt set to enjoy a magical holiday in paradise.

The problem with Long Bay however is the table service, which is incredibly belligerent. We thought this was a function initially of being younger guests but it soon became apparent that the service was universally poor.

We tried very hard not to let the behaviour of the waitresses ruin our holiday, but with half board obligatory and only a beach bar and another hotel as alternatives within walking distance, it was difficult not to be affected. Examples include Sandra, at the beach bar, barking at us to “Choose something easy!” and “The chef’s started packing up,” when we popped down at 5.30pm (when the leaflet said it remained open until 6pm). One waitress refused to talk to guests at all, so rather than asking for your order, stands by pen-in-hand at the table, glaring at you. If you forget to order something, expect to be asked “Why don’t you order everything at once?” and to hear the staff complain amongst themselves about this afterwards (within earshot of other guests). As a result, there were many occasions when the restaurant was deathly silent during mealtimes. It sapped the enjoyment from the evening almost completely.

The buck has to stop with the owner, Christian Lafaurie, who is far too hands-off. While he is often in the hotel, I did not once in two weeks see him outside of the office where he sits back facing out, playing solitaire on the computer. It’s not unusual for him to keep his back to you even when you are in conversation. He ignored an initial request to fix a leaking toilet, simply say then next day that "he forgot" (no apology). Mr Lafaurie sets the tone for the hotel and will happily defend the staff when he should really consider sacking many of them. This is desperately needed for the hotel to become the idyll it could so easily be. Until this happens, don’t go there.

Long Bay Hotel should be a gem. It is exactly the sort of place we like: small, quiet, unpretentious. It is set on the most beautiful beach we saw in Antigua and has good snorkeling. Unlike the March 2007 reviewer, we never encountered cruise ship passengers on the beach in the ten days we were there. The rooms while modest are very well thought out and have large incredibly comfortable beds and big terraces facing an inlet where you can watch egrets and sting rays and the local kite-flying contests on Sundays. The first half of our stay there was a breeze at night, but during the second half, the room was quite close. The staff with the exception of the dining room waitresses is lovely, and Sam the bartender is a treasure.

What mars the Long Bay experience is the service in the dining room, which features two angry, hostile, inept waitresses who turn each breakfast and dinner into a trial. If anything, the March 2007 reviewer underplayed how horrible the service is. At our first breakfast, when someone at the next table asked for a second cup of coffee, the waitress rolled her eyes. Things got worse as our stay continued. The waitresses never ask if you need anything, and if you do ask for anything at all, there is no reply. The two of them clang dishes, talk to each other as loudly as possible, and make a racket setting up for the next meal while they are serving the one before. One deliberately knocked over a book on the table. Another was saying something we couldn't catch as she set down my plate, and when I asked, her reply was "I'm not talking to you!" They clear your plates without asking if you are finished and generally turn meals into a nightmare. (By contrast, the waitresses at lunch at the hotel's beachfront restaurant are fine, and so it is not a question of the local culture.) We escaped and had dinner out one night, which was a relief. This is not much of an option because there are few restaurants near the hotel.

The waitresses are a big topic of conversation among all the guests.

The management must be aware of this problem. It is a pity that they don't do anything about it.

As to the March 2007 reviewer's comment about the age of the guests, it varied during our ten-day stay. By the end, most of the guests were in their 30s. At the beginning of our stay, they were older, as are we. We found all the guests quite sympatico.

There is a 100-unit development under construction across the bay. If this is ever completed, it may change the place.

We stayed at Long Bay for 12 nights in February 07. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in what is a really beautiful location and probably the best on the Island. The atmosphere at the hotel is unusual in that it resembles a house party with regular returning guests making newcomers such as ourselves feel welcome. It is difficult to fault the hotel with Chris, Dave, Sam and Sandra going out of their way to provide good service and to deal with any questions etc. I would very much agree with a recent review that the hotel does have a significant problem with staff attitude in the restaurant. Whilst the limited menu was excellent, service from at least one member of staff in the restaurant was surly if not aggressive. The prime objective of restaurant staff seeming to be how quickly they can get guests in and out of the restaurant before leaving for the night. A pity when the hotel has so much else going for it

This hotel should be one of the jewels of its island... even a real hidden gem of the Caribbean. That it's not is almost entirely self-inflicted... and could be fixed, given the right choices by its management. Maybe by next year...

On the upside, it is in a FANTASTIC location. We spent nearly two weeks on Antigua and didn't find a beach as perfect as Long Bay. The sand is white and beautiful and the offshore reef makes for perfect swimming and snorkelling. The locals use it, mainly early in the morning and late in the afternoon, which is very cool... not quite so good is that Tuesday-Thursday it's at risk from cruise passengers who descend for a few hours in the middle of the day in taxis from the dock in St Johns.

If you don't want to sunbathe, you can use the (chronically underused, during our time there) watersports facility... the guy in charge even found enough spare time to teach me to sail. There's also a tennis court that's seen better days... but again appears hardly ever used.

So far, so good then. But the problem we found is that it just seems a pretty schizophrenic establishment.

It has a few really fantastic staff. The main barman is straight out of a James Bond film... he's been working there since the place opened in the 1960s, is so laid back he's falling over and makes a mean cocktail. The operation at the beach is run by an incredibly friendly American guy who will do anything for you. But....... many of the rest of the staff we found pretty surly and unhelpful. It was only when we visited other places on the island that we realised that, yes, a service culture DOES exist in Antigua... you CAN get a smile when your meal is served, for example. Too often the hotel's staff gave the impression that they don't work for you the vistor, that you're a bit of an inconvenience... which is sad.

Also, the clientele is pretty split too. We're in our thirties and were very much a rarity... a couple of other youngish couples checked in, but most were in their late fifties and up. This meant that the bar - which, with its fantastic barman and setting should have been kicking every evening, often closed up by a quarter past ten.

A word of warning over the bill too.... we had booked with Expedia and thought we had a "special rate". We expected to pay local tax... but then found an extra 10% "tip" added to the room rate. You and I may believe that a tip is discretionary... but after a heated argument with the place's owner, which involved him waving at two of his staff and shouting "Are you saying these women don't deserve paying?" (nice on your last day), it became pretty clear that at Long Bay, a tip isn't a choice........

Overall then... a missed opportunity for the management. It should have been great... and in many ways was... but we found ourselves rooting for the "good guys" on the staff to win their battle and turn the hotel into the chic, low key exclusive resort that it should by all rights be. And when you're paying over £250 a night for a room, wouldn't you rather just enjoy the sun........?