GJS - yow

+1 ^^^

Private Pyle

I just got back from a 9 night stay, as a gold was comped up to Exec level which was appreciated. Got a very warm welcome back from them too.

Over the past couple of years they have improved their afternoon tea in the lounge. It used to be some cookies and coconut bread. Now you get a cake of some sort (cheesecake, blackforest gateau, chocolate cake) which changes on a daily basis. Scones (fruit &/or cheese). Sometimes mini cream cakes and other types of cakes are out.

To be honest I find the exec lounge breakfast to be adequate.

The main problem this place still has is with those little flies landing on the food. They've been in that lounge for years. The other problem which isn't the hotels fault is ignorant guests who won't use the tongs that are put out and pick stuff with their fingers. Absolutely disgusting. I witnessed a Canadian woman picking stuff up at afternoon tea put it on her plate, lick her fingers and then proceed to pick more stuff with her fingers. Disgusting woman.

I'm not bothered about the evening snacks but plenty of soft drinks are put out. They actually told us to take a bottle of soda away with us if we wished to do so. Most evenings we did take a bottle away but we always asked first and never took the ****.

Yes the free booze has been gone since early 2010, the honor bar is still in place but the prices are a joke.

We ate out every night except one when we were just too tired. Ate at the Careenage bar and got what we expected, overpriced average food and expensive booze. Even the Happy hour is poor. A pint of banks is $12 BDS usually, during happy hour it's $9.60 BDS. When we were there Feb 2010 they had happy hour on local booze all night and it's was a 50% off which was a bargain and more what you would expect of happy hour pricing. As a result we did a lot of drinking at the bar. This year we used the bar twice. It wasn't the end of the world as you know there are plenty of places to get cheap banks and mount gay XO in Barbados

Sweet Willie

here's a long overdue thanks for posting them^
holy cow, $50 for Asian or Italian food prepared at a Caribbean resort? Seems way out of whack price wise. Seafood I can understand if they have Caribbean lobster on the buffet, oysters, shrimp, etc.
good to hear^, I'll look further into the thread, I was about to write of this resort.

MyTravels

VAT is 15% & Service is 10%, so $50-all-in is really $39/$40+VAT+tip for a buffet (depending if you tip on top of the VAT). That's high for Italian (that's not fresh hand made), but reasonable for Asian/Sushi or Seafood buffet, espeically on a Caribbean island

cjd

The VAT tax is actually 17.5% now.

zfxr

Good afternoon all,

I am booking into the Hilton Barbados on a reward cert for 8 nights over Xmas 2011 (December 17 - 25). I am a Diamond level member, but I am getting some mixed signals from the hotel. I would like to assure I get an ocean-view room, and Exec level. The hotel said it would be $20 for the ocean view, and $70 for the Exec level. So a total of $90/night, plus TAX (note in USD). Being Diamond, tho, would I likely get an Exec level upgrade? The $20 for the ocean view is no big deal, but the $70 more for the exec level floor is.

Thoughts?

Thanks -

-Matt

cjd

I was told by staff that the Christmas period is one of the busiest times at the hotel. As Diamond, you are entitled to access to the Executive lounge even if you don't get an Executive room. All rooms have ocean views, but some overlook the swimming pools/beach and others overlook Carlisle Bay towards Bridgetown. When we were there in February, our first 4 nights were on an Award certificate. We were not given an Exec room, but got a nice room on the 4th floor overlooking the bay. Also got access to the Exec lounge as Diamond. After 4 days, we were then on a paid stay and the hotel wanted us to move to an Exec room overlooking the swimming pool. As we were quite happy with the non-Exec room preferring the bay view and didn't want the hassle of moving rooms, we were able to stay put. I personally wouldn't worry about getting an Exec room as I don't think they are much different to the normal rooms, other than giving access to the Exec lounge, which you should get.

zfxr

Thanks for the advice! I will see about the $20 upgrade, it doesn't sound like the exec floor upgrade is really worth it anyhow.

-Matt

MyTravels

As cjd said, all rooms have ocean/gulf/bay views (which is part of the reason this hotel is so popular) so I wouldn't worry about the view other than possibly being nicer on a higher floor.

The only perks that I know of for an executive room are:
(a) Higher floor
(b) You may be on the same floor as the lounge, but keep in mind that multiple floors are "executive floors"
(c) Lounge access, but being Diamond you already have this perk

I wouldn't pay $90/night for a higher floor, or ocean vs bay view (the lounge is on a high floor with a bay view), but I'm sure there are people who do.

cjd

I was trying to make the point that all rooms have some sort of ocean view so don't pay $20 a night to upgrade to an ocean view room!! Also, as agreed by My Travels, don't bother with the $70 upgrade to an Executive room. I'm not sure if what you've been quoted is the Nor1 upgrade, but I certainly never use Nor1 if they request payment for something to which you're entitled as a Diamond member.

zfxr

Oh, so the $20 is sortof a sham then, gotcha. Since I am entitled to it, then I would agree that I should not have to pay.

Thanks again for the heads up!

-Matt

Private Pyle

It's not a sham. The $20 will guarantee you get a view of the Atlantic side of the hotel looking out to sea. If you don't pay it you could end up with a bay only (Caribbean Sea) view looking towards over Carlisle Bay towards Bridgetown with the harbour in the background. Still, others are correct I wouldn't pay extra for the ocean view, the bay is still a very nice view.

mdlogc

helpful, thanks!

stifle

No it won't. The eStandby upgrades mean that you might get the indicated upgrade, if the hotel has it available on arrival. It doesn't guarantee anything.

MyTravels

This isn't about eStandby (NOR1):