My husband and I just returned from our much anticipated visit to Anguilla. We decided upon the Allamanda after reading other reviews, and after speaking to friends who had stayed on Shoal Bay at another resort.
We arrived late Fri night and found keys waiting for us as instructed. Our room was on the top floor and very spacious. It was clean, quiet, and a perfect little studio with separate kitchenette. You should be prepared for very basic, outdated furnishings...however, everything was in working order and clean.
We LOVED spending time on our balcony in the mornings and evenings, we did have a sliver view of the ocean beyond the palm groves, which extends a couple hundred of feet in front of the hotel.
The path to Shoal Bay beach isn't super direct, but very easy none the less. The path actually leads you past Gwen's Bar and Grille, where you can then walk the beach down around the corner to the main beach...where you will find Ku and Shoal Bay Villas.
The beach is out of this world, and we found that it was definitely the best on the island. We did explore other beaches and really liked Mead's Bay as well.
Karlyn at the front desk was very helpful and friendly, throughout booking and our stay. We greatly appreciated her assistance and kindness. The housekeeper(s) were very good and thorough each day, which helps with the sand you carry in from the beach everyday!
Zara's restaurant, located on the property, was fantastic. Very nice atmosphere, in a very unassuming building (looks very nondescript from the outside). It was comfortable and unique with fresh and tasty dishes. The singing chef was a delight, colorful and friendly.
Our biggest complaint would have to be the bed, as it was very hard. But, not a deal breaker.
FYI: If you are taking a cab from Blowing Point (ferry landing) make sure you don't get ripped off, you shouldn't have to pay more than $26-$28! We had one of those typical cab drivers who talked the whole time and then felt like he could charge extra for it.

We stayed in the Allamanda for the last four days of our sixteen days in Anguilla over Thanksgiving, and found it to be an excellent value overall. We would stay there again. It is not directly on the beach, but it is very close, and we rented a car for our entire trip and were always off to a different beach every day anyway. That being said, if you did not wish to rent a car, you could stay at the Allamanda and still walk down the beach to Shoal Bay East (and all its restaurants) and up to Serenity (with its restaurant) and also have an excellent restaurant on site (Zara's) as well as a great beach bar (Gwen's) and a spa also on site, so you can't go wrong. We rented an efficiency on the ground floor (queen bed) and probably would rent a 3rd floor room the next time around if we were booking more nights (just to be able to see the ocean turqoise water from our balcony when we woke up each morning.....). But if you want to keep your price down, the efficiency is great - there is a fully equipped kitchen with full size refrigerator and stove, coffeemaker, oven, toaster, etc. and you can eat on the terrace or in your room. The shower and toilet are separated from the batchroom sink and closet, so you are not on top of each other in the bathroom. The AC works so well that we actually had to turn it off during the night (and there are also ceiling fans). You have a table, chairs and 2 lounges on your balcony (or terrace) and they are very comfortable. There is maid service every day except one (but they leave you extra towels the day before, so no problem) and they do a fine job. The pool is very nice and so is their little library (in the office) where you can exchange reading material if you have run out of new books to read on the beach. If you are a runner (the folks next door to us when we were there were), you can take an early AM run up to Le Bon Pain for chocolate, almond or plain croissants (they did, we drove). We also picked up sandwiches at le Bon Pain for the beach (one is enough for 2 people, as they use a whole baguette for each sandwich - the tuna one was AWESOME). Zara's was wonderful for dinner after a long day (we had already had plenty of all the wonderful restaurants on the island, not to worry), and the garlic crusted snapper was heaven (and very reasonably priced)! BTW, the Valley Bistro is a SUPER value for dinner (it might not be very big on location and ambiance, but the food is to die for), beautifully presented, and you can have apps, wine, and dinner with a shared dessert for under $70 - FABULOUS! We went there twice for dinner and it was excellent both times - don't miss this one.

I think you will not find a better value up that end of the island for a place to stay where you can cook and are close to the beach with a pool. Most of the folks we talked to that were staying there were cooking a lot of their meals, so it was a budget minded group, but if you have a car, you will have no trouble getting out to excellent restaurants. If you can afford to splurge a bit, treat yourself to dinner at Hibernia (right above Isalnd Harbor). It was the best dinner we had on the island and the entire experience is second to none. Even the bill you receive at the end is a work of art!

We loved this hotel! Not too expensive. VERY close to the beach and at the end of the beach which made it less crowded. The staff is very nice and room. The place is clean with a nice restaurant, and great landscaping around the pool.

We stayed at Allamanda in October 2009. As other reviews have stated, it is not super-fancy. Our room was clean and comfortable. We were on the top (3rd) floor with a balcony overlooking the pool and ocean. Our room had a king bed, bathroom with tub, and a small kitchen. It is very quiet in Anguilla in October (many of the hotels close for hurricane season in Sept and October). The hotel was very quiet, which we like. It is a short walk to Shoal Bay east beach -- an amazing beach. Since few restaurants are open in October, we dined in most nights. So it was great having the kitchen.
If you are looking for something quite, value priced and at the east end of the island, this is a good choice. You will need a rental car.