The last two reviews on this site relate to visits in May 2005 and are really "out of date" because around October time 2005 the new owner took possession. Mentions of Valentine are also "out of date" because he has sold the place although there was some suggestion when we were there in December that "Mr"Valentine owns land next to Frangipani and will in due course re-appear. We were the very first visitors under the new ownership. Indeed when we arrived early in the day of the first day of our reservation, we were not able to get into our room until later in the day although there were no guests in residence or checking out.

The main problem for us and our fellow guests in the first week in December was that the builders on site
made quite a lot of noise during the day so the peace on that amazingly beautiful beach was interupted by drilling noises and suchlike. Because the hotel had been closed and a lot of new staff had been recruited [ quite a few were ex Cuisinart employees]certain areas of service were lacking - the pastries for breakfast took about three days before they appeared-but things picked up over the seven days and matters got better. We waited three days before they got our plumbing right so that we had hot water. The fact remains that Anne, the manager recognised the problems and all the guests were given a most reasonable discount.

This is a beautiful spot and from what we understand the hotel will close this summer so that massive alterations will take place -- the apparent intention is to bring the place upto the luxury level. We actually chose the hotel because it was four star not five star luxury and people who had been many times before chose on the same basis - lets hope it does not lose its charm. The staff that were in charge for our visit were all very warm and welcoming The big question will be whether the long-term visitors will find the hotel more expensive than they wish to pay.

All the guests in December had one same desire - to find out who the new owner is and to express to him their hope that the changes envisaged will not spoil the FRANGIPANI but nobody could get to know who he was and how to contact him!!!

My husband and I stayed at the Frangipani in May of 2005 for our honeymoon. I am also surprised at the negative reveiws. When we were there everything was great! The staff was very helpful and always did things to make us feel at home. I'm also surprised that the place was sold, as the guy who owned, Valentine(?), seemed to take a lot of pride in the property.
One improvement we thought was required is someone to take cocktail orders on the beach! By the way, the beach was ubelieveable, I thought the best on the island.
We had a absolutely fantastic stay and will return to Anguilla.

My GF and I were at the Frangi last May, 2005. we completely loved anguilla and would go back this year if there were not so many other places we need to explore first. I am posting to inquire if what i am reading here is accurate. When we were there construction had not begun... the owner's name was "valentine" i believe, did he really sell the place and it is a mess now? sounds terrible.. :(

We stayed at Frangipani for two weeks in December 2005. Just before we arrived we read about some construction that was posted in a forum and phoned Frangipani for details. The management of the hotel promised only painting would be done during out stay.

The problems started immediately upon our arrival. The construction workers were jackhammering above us removing a thick tile floor that was cemented to the concrete floor which of coarse was my ceiling. I walked up the stairs and saw it happening first hand When I complained the management told me that it never happened. I think that I lost a filling.

In short time we noticed that the washer/dryer were not hooked up, there was a rat in the kitchen, the pool was filthy, light bulbs needed replacement, the outdoor chairs on our deck were torn and stuffing hanging out, living room tv was not hooked up, the only landscapeing was some older unkept schrubs to the west of the building and that area was over run with weeds. The rest of the place was just dirt and weeds but plants were being delivered toward the end of our stay. There were only a few umbrellas available so that the guests were competeing for shade. Guests started putting books on beach chairs at 6AM in order to procure a spot before the noon time sun. There was also no shade in the outdoor restaurant.

The hotel did our laundry for us. The laundry was the only item that the hotel made an effort to correct. They told us the rats were disturbed by the new construction. Our neighbors compained about a roach infestation had their place was sprayed with a toxic smelling odor of insecticide that stuck around for days.

As mentioned in the previous post regarding not being able to find the manager, the manager did not work there durning the day when I was there either. Once I found her in the office after 6PM.

They gave everyone a 20% discount for all of our trouble. Then the fanthom manager tried to nickle and dime me by attempting to charge the 20% service and tax on the higher amount. I refused to pay it and we argued until my husband came to look for me. When he arrived she quickly corrected the bill.

The intermitant hot water pump whinned all night long, off for thirty seconds on for three. We didn't know weather to hope that the hot water pump would last to the end our our stay or quietly stop and let us sleep. Every shower was like an old style of shock treatment; Hot Cold Hot Cold

To add insult to injury the front desk staff seemed to take pleasure in our discomfort. One of the the guests there actually retained a lawyer because they wanted to leave and get a refund but there was no where to go. The island was pretty much sold out for the holidays unless you wanted to hop scotch from rental to rental.

The new owner is a guy from California who I was told was only be interested in converting the complex to condos and selling them off. He does not live on the island and was not there at all during our stay. He fired the old management who everyone seemed to think did a good job. The new manager is Anguillian but as mentioned above she is a phantom manager and not very nice.

This year they plan on ripping out the pool to build more condo units. In addition, all existing units will be refirbished in preparation to be sold as condos, and a new pool in in the plans to be located in front of the rooms. For those of you unfamiliar, there is no way to neatly and cleanly and quietly build a pool.

I would run away as fast as I can.

We tried to stay here for our 25th anniversary in November 2005, made a reservation six months ahead of time, then two weeks before we were to arrive, Frangipani called to say they would not be open due to a remodel. It is now February 2006 and I have been totally unsuccessful in getting my $1000 deposit back from them. After it was they who cancelled the reservation.
Amex sent them a letter that they never replied back to, and whenever I call the resort to try to resolve this issue, the manager is conveniently "out" of the office.
We ended up at the Carimar, and loved it. Walked down to the Frangipani and it was in a shambles. Not as nice of a beach, new construction next door, pool looked murky.
Buyer beware of the Frangipani!

•Very nice property. Unique, charming architecture. Lots of tropical plants and flowers. Very quiet hotel…often times we had the beach to ourselves. Beach in front of the hotel was wonderful and wide. Hotel is located on fabulous Meads Bay.

•Our room (5C) was a little tired and according to the manager, that room along with 5 others will be updated while they are closed this Fall. But overall we liked the room. Had a great view of the beach and water from our balcony.

•Staff was very helpful and accommodating. Kareen at the front desk was great!

•Hotel provides bathrobes, a fax of the NY Times each morning, a complimentary bottle of rum, and complimentary snorkeling gear & floats for lounging in the ocean. We saw these floats the first day we arrived then they disappeared. I was told they were not in good shape and were awaiting new ones. I was so disappointed (I love floating around in the ocean) that they salvaged a couple of the best ones. I think the other guests were happy to have them as well even if they were a little worn.

•Half price Happy Hour at the bar each evening (great bar with views of the beach and sea). Met lots of fellow guests at HH and got good advice from the bartender, Nigel.

•Complimentary continental breakfast was offered each morning. This was great. Fresh squeezed OJ, fresh fruit including pineapple, papaya and melon, pastries, cereal & toast that we enjoyed every morning outside on the terrace overlooking the ocean. My favorite part of the day!

The Frangipani was located on a great beach and certainly would be considered beautiful in most places. However, compared to the other hotels on Anguilla, it simply didn't match up. We stayed in one of their super deluxe rooms and at first did not have any view of the water. We asked to switch rooms, and after a couple of days, they switched us to a smaller room with an obstructed view of the ocean. The bar and dining room looked lovely, but the food and scene were very mundane. We ate at many hotels during our vacation, and realized the most glaring weakness of the Frangipani was the lack of warmth from the staff. The other hotels have great staffs who greeted the tourists with joy and affection. The Frangipani staff were rather cold and sometimes unprofessional. We found the maid sitting down and watching TV one afternoon in our room! If you are willing to spend the money, stay at Cap Julica. If you are on a budget, stay at one of the inns.

My wife and I have visited 17 different Caribbean islands and thoroughly enjoyed Anguilla and the Frangipani Beach Club.
We drove around the entire island to look at the other locations, including the richy-rich resorts, only to realize we picked the best place. Our partial beach view room was very nice, and when we checked in and mentioned the next-door construction taking place, they said they were going to upgrade us the next day....and did. The noise was negligable, though, and we would've been happy to stay where we were...but we took the suite.
The rooms were very nice and had everything you needed. The only small problem was doors and windows weren't the tightest sealed....so you did see the caribbean critters of ants and a couple roaches. Bug spray and mosquito spray was already in the room in case you needed them.
We were there the first week of August....Summer Carnival time! Meads Bay Beach was an awsome beach. Clean, nice sand, a mile long, and maybe a dozen people on it...total! They provide complimentary rafts which were enjoyable. You always had beach towels, too. Car rental wa cheap and brought right to the resort. Only 18 or so rooms....it wasn't crowded. Had it been, it would've still been great. Pool was nice. Continental breakfast was nice. Ate at the restaurant once...good meal.

Ate at famous Blanchards (read the book "A trip to the Beach" by Mel and Bob Blanchard.) Excellent meal..a little pricy.
Ate at Kemia at Cap Juluca. Weird food and not very good. Didn't try Pimms, but the menu was very upscale. Tasty's was good and economical!
Subway came through at lunch.

The ferry was a pain. Everyone is telling you something different before you board. It was a little cramped and the trip is very waaaaaaavy.
Mosquitos were a little bothersome.

If you want to get away from all the hastles, have a little seclusion, and get it at a good price...Frangipani is excellent.

What a joy our stay was at the Frangipani!!

First of all, my fiance and I tried staying at Cap Jaluca for our honeymoon and we are so glad that they were booked. Not that Cap Jaluca is bad, but if you want to stay at a big Disneyworld type resort then go for it. The Frangipani was quite the opposite....

This little gem with about 10 rooms on the property sits on the best beach in Anguilla (Meads Bay). Extremely calm and light blue water about thirty yards from your room surround the property. We stayed in the 1 bedroom suite which was very very clean, well furnished, and appropriately colored with that Carribean feel. We loved it!

The service was exceptional. We were spoiled with quick and friendly serivce throughout our stay- a direct result of the small private feel of the resort.

Oh and when you go, or if you make the mistake of staying somewhere else, I beg you to try the food at their very small private restaurant that sits overlooking the ocean. There is a new German Chef, who spent two years cooking in Jamaica, and like all of his food, the Rack of Lamb with a honey mustard parmasean baked crust was to die for!!! (Thanks Malteas...Sorry for spelling your name wrong). He will also hang out with you after dinner for a drink if your lucky like we were! What a cool guy!

Well, I guess I've rambled long enough, but this place needs to be known about and you must BELEIVE ME when i say you will LOVE your stay there! I felt so comfortable with every dime spent there because the experience was truly magical and impossible to be matched by anything else! If you have any questions about the resort or island, you can e-mail me anytime!

I was so happy that I chose to go there for my honeymoon!!

We stayed at the Frangipani in early June 2005 for 7 days/nights, and absolutely loved it.

It is a small hotel (with under 20 rooms I think), so it feels very intimate and relaxed. No huge crowds, no souvenir shops, no adventure packages to sell you, just a quiet, comfortable hotel.

The room we had was huge. It was a 1 berdoom suite with a large bedroom, a large living area, big dining room table, couch, TV. And 2 bathrooms. Everything looked faily new and modern. Great quality furniture, faily new. The A/C works great (needed in the middle of the day).

Our suite opened right to the beach so we would choose one of the 4 french doors (2 in the bedroom, 2 in the living room) to walk out of each day, and were right on the beach. And I do mean right on the beach. The rooms on the upper floors looked very nice also, and they probably had a better ocean view than ours (but I liked the efortless beac access!)

The hotel staff is friendly and professional, though not uppity. Just friendly, nice people.

And I have been to my share of beaches, but I don't care what anyone says....there is no better beach I have ever seen than Mead's Bay, where the Frangipani is. Pure white sand, warm, clear water, fairly shallow, and very few people. A better beach just doesn't exist. And it faces west so (at least in the summer) you get these wonderful sunsets at the end of the day. The best part is walking to dinner at sunset from the Frangipani to Blanchard's or Malliouhana. If that doesn't inspire you, nothing will.

So I would fully and unequivocally endorse the Frangipani. The small size of the hotel, the friendly staff, the well-kept facilities and rooms, the beach, the water, and the location make it just an amazing place. You will not forget your stay here.