19 Reviews of Property 347774 in St. John, Antigua & Barbuda

We spent ten wonderful days in Antigua at the Sugar Shack. Everything was as described and more. The location was excellent. Our hosts could not have been more helpful. I would highly recommend renting a car to explore the island. I will not hesitate to recommend the Sugar Shack to my family and friends!

Waking up to birds singing was a great way to start the day. Drinking coffee and eating breakfast on the deck while watching the geckos only added to a wonderful start to the day. Sugar Shack was an ideal/safe/quiet spot to spend our vacation. We rented a vheicle to tour the island and Sugar Shack was central to all of our locations. With the well-stocked grocery store 5 minutes drive away and long stretches of beaches within walking distance we couldn’t ask for a better location. Bill and Ilse are WONDERFUL hosts and take great pride in their property and keeping it clean and well-maintained. They answered our questions and we enjoyed some time with them. We enjoyed the quiet location to relax and have drinks on the deck and in the hot tub. We enjoyed the BBQ for preparing some meals. The provided cell phone was an appreciated satety feature. Even though there was A/C available we never needed it as the evening breezes and surrounding trees cooled the Sugar Shack making it very comfortable to allow for a perfect tempurature to sleep. A friend who was with his family at an all inclusive close-by came to visit. He said that he would stay at Sugar Shack on his next visit to Antigua. We will definitely return to Antigua and will stay here again. We tell all our friends we had a great accommodation which made our Antigua vacation THE BEST!!

We would recommend Sugar Shack without hesitation. The home is
beautiful, spotless, very professionally managed, and Bill & Ilse are
the consummate hosts - they struck the perfect balance between privacy
and sociability, and made our stay on the island far better than it
would have been otherwise. Sugar Shack is also very near the best
grocery store on the island (Epicurean) which was very convenient. Thank you Bill & Ilse!

Bill and Ilse,
We wanted to thank you for the use of your cottage from February 6-15. Unfortunately we had to leave rather early the last day and didn’t get to personally. We had an absolute blast in Antigua, really appreciated the suggestions you gave us on activities and restaurants, the fresh fruit at our door when we arrived home in the late afternoon, etc., and for inviting us over for a drink one night, along with giving us a ride to the farmers market, and airport to get our car. You went above and beyond the norm in helping us have an awesome and relaxing vacation.
We loved Le Bistro on Valentine’s Day/my birthday. Thank you for the suggestion on that and making the reservation for us. The food, service, and ambience was excellent. We did a lot of cooking in also, as we both love to cook (and really loaded up at the St. John’s farmers market for one), so it was nice to have a top notch evening out at the end also.
Both of us will always have fond memories of our time on the island, the incredible sunsets, our after dinner drinks in the hot tub, etc., etc., etc. If our life and travels ever bring us back to Antigua, we will most certainly let you know, and would love to stay at your cottage again. You get to live in a truly incredible place.
Take care and thanks again,
Steven and Kelsey - Minneapolis, MN, USA

My wife and two daughters agreed that our time at the Sugar Shack and in Antigua was our favourite family vacation so far. We are officially done with the all-inclusive approach after our relaxing adventure with Bill and Ilse Cooper!

There is a lot I could say, but the three points that sum up our vacation are:

1. The Sugar Shack is a comfortable home away from home with everything you need to relax, feel connected (via cell phone and wireless provided) and enjoy the best the island has to offer.

2. Bill and Ilse go the extra mile to make your vacation truly memorable. This is a special experience that we doubt we will ever find anywhere else.

3. Renting a car from Alamo (approx $400 with insurance for the week) made it easy to enjoy being lazy in the morning at the Sugar Shack, splashing in the hot tub on the deck and then hopping into the car after lunch to explore a variety of beaches on every side of the island.

Thanks to Bill and Isle for the warm hospitality and rich memories!

Arriving at the Sugar Shack was a delight, it seemed the blossom and vibrant trees had come out to greet us! Ilse and Bill made sure that we were comfortable and had initial supplies. They were very helpful with advice on local food shopping, as well as all beach/shopping/bar facilities, along with information and advice on checking out the island. Half way between the beach and the Sugar Shack is a friendly bar Putters that serves food, is family friendly, with very hospitable hosts. The coopers were more than happy to share their stories of living on the island for 30 years. The facilities within the Sugar Shack were of a very high standard, and everything was spotless and fresh. Can’t recommend it highly enough.
Jo fisher

The Coopers are very welcoming and hospitable. We stayed at the Sugar Shack from March 24 to April 1. The cottage is immaculate and decorated to reflect the tropical feel. We enjoyed the privacy that this cottage provided. Spent lots of mornings and nights on the patio. Enjoyed the extras provided, like beach towels, BBQ and hot tub. Lots of great restaurants within walking distance. Grocery store close driving distance. The provided cell phone was great to have. We felt like home during our stay. We will definately go back next year. Thanks to Bill and Isle for the hospitality during our week stay, especially the great day out boating and the Sunday morning coffee.

Our family of four, including our daughters (aged 15 and 12) traveled to Antigua for the first time from March 10 through March 17, 2012. We were delighted with our hosts, Bill and Ilse, our accomodations at the Sugar Shack, and with the island of Antigua.

From our first inquiry, Bill was prompt, informative and courteous in his replies. He provided us with invaluable information and graciously offered to assist us with various arrangements (rental car, etc.). He was accomodating and flexible with the handling of credit card information. We rented a car at the airport and found Ilse's directions accurate - making the 20 minute drive a piece of cake. Bill and Ilse warmly & enthusiastically greeted us at the Sugar Shack.

The cottage is tastefully decorated. We were impressed by the cleanliness, accuracy of the website description/photos, and the thoughtful details found throughout. It is well-appointed and has everything a vacationer could want (beach towels; cooler; mobile phone; maps/brochures; gas grill; microwave & toaster oven; cd's; books; clothes line, housekeeping mid-week; helpful, handyman Gerard; hot showers; etc. - washing machine was availabe at Bill and Ilse's). The cottage is spacious; our daughters enjoyed having their own room, and commented on how bright and airy it felt. A/C is offered, but we found the evening breeze sufficient. We spent a great deal of time on the patio, and on the "perch"at the top of the garden enjoying the spectacular view/sunsets. And, while their dogs greeted us, they were incredibly well behaved!

The Sugar Shack was perfectly situated for our needs - a safe, private residential area, away from the hustle and bustle, yet conveniently located to St. John's; restaurants; groceries; beaches; historical sites; the open market; and shopping. The main road is easily accessible from Sugar Shack making exploring the island, and all it has to offer, a treat.

Bill and Ilse were exceptional hosts. They kindly made themselves available to answer questions, to provide recommendations, and to offer suggestions for sites to see. It was a pleasure to be in their company, and we enjoyed learning about island culture, their journey to Antigua, and the history of the Sugar Shack. While they were generous with their time, they also allowed us our privacy and independence - they were terrific neighbors!

We wholeheartedly recommend Sugar Shack. Bill and Ilse are lovely, and the cottage is charming!