I was hoping for a beach that encouraged lots of swimming (my partner is hard to coax into the ocean, but loved swimming at the Hilton Cura�ao, where the water is warm and calm).

Is there only the one beach, or is there also one on the other side?

Sounds like Casual Evening Attire to me

But then I much prefer a relaxed hotel to stuffy ones. I thought it silly that the Marriott in Cura�ao prohibits bare feet in their lobby, which is steps from the beach and essentially outdoors (no walls). Likewise in Australia where the lifesavers clubs don't allow shorts or sandals, even at tables that are on the sand. I thought it was great that the Hilton Cura�ao didn't care; lots of people crossing the lobby to get to the beach shirtless and barefoot.

The hotel told me they recently (last few months) added eggs and sausages to the lounge breakfast. The person also thought there was smoked salmon in the lounge, but not in the restaurant. If not, is there a market nearby that might sell it? I could keep a few packs in the minibar and bring it to breakfast.

yes, there is like a "baby-beach" to the right side, this one is more sheltered by the rocks. but the beach itself is not very big.
most people like to stay at the hotel pool anyway under the sun umbrellas, reserving the chairs with their towels for the whole day. and the chairs are squeezed really tight together.

yes, breakfast downstairs is much better - but also on the weekends extremely crowded.

just returned from a 5- night reward stay as a diamond

first - everyone at hotel pleasant and welcoming. barbados in general has to be friendliest caribbean island. did not realize how popular it is with people from britain- 2 visitors from u.k. for every american.

room#659 was terrific- ocean view side with a nice balcony. executive lounge more than adequate in most respects .runny eggs and oatmeal & undercooked bacon were prepared for the british palate.
still plenty to choose from- yoghurt,fresh fruit,dry cereals,bread and pastries.

evening happy hour snacks were just that. some cheese and a few fried things. would be a very light dinner for some. local beer on honor bar was $3.50 u.s.

better deal for happy hour was at beach bar where daiquiris and pina coladas were $5 u.s.

we walked, used local buses and an occasional cab to get around. you can walk to the george washington house easily from hotel- worth a visit. ditto the concorde museum next to the airport.
you can visit it before your flight home. have the cab drop you off there and then just walk to airport.

didn't find bridgetown a particularly worthy sightseeing stop.

a nice restaurant close to hotel-- walking distance- was brown sugar. the hotel can give you info.

all in all a very pleasant stay- don't understand some of the carping on previous posts.

What is the best way to get from the airport to the Hilton Barbados without a car? Does Hilton have a shuttle? Taxi? What is the approximate cost? Thank you.

We just arrived, and used a taxi from the airport to the Hilton. Be sure to use the taxi dispatcher, who will tell you the exact fare ($22 USD or $45 BBD), direct you to an official taxi, and give you a paper with the taxi information (you keep one copy, and give the other to the driver). Everyone here takes US dollars at a 1:2 rate. It took 20 minutes at 10 PM.

Thinking about booking here as a Gold Member (HH AMEX also), any suggestions or tips to get more bang for the buck in terms of miles?

Reviews of the resort and the area seem to be good.

The lounge breakfast has pretty standard fare: muffins, toast, croissants, usual not-quite-ripe half-melon half-rind chunks, scrambled eggs, pork products, sliced ham and turkey, cheese, cereal, oatmeal.

Afternoon tea in the lounge had an assortment of treats, including cheesecake and brownies. Evening hors d'oeuvres had cheese, salted codfish, vegetable samosas, and grilled vegetable skewers.

Breakfast in the restaurant has an expanded lineup, including an egg station with chef (super friendly), fresh kiwifruit, many more potato, pork, and cereal choices.

The "rough" beach on the property isn't that rough: there are some waves, but only very shallow and close to shore. Those who enjoy body surfing or boogie boarding hang out where the waves break. It's an easy swim to go a little bit out (but the sea is featureless there, so there are no good landmarks or interesting things to swim to). The other side of the property, past the parking lot, there is a large beach and pier, but I haven't ventured out there (just seen from the window of the lounge).

The hotel has a main pool, an infinity pool, and a kiddie pool. Even the main pool is only 3-4 feet deep (the infinity is 2-3 feet). There is a hot tub that is popular (last night featured about 10 well-built young men hanging out there with beer and wine).

Are there any stores within walking distance to pick up supplies, like beer/liquor and snacks? Like a 25-30 minute walk each way is fine with me; I like to take long walks on vacation. How about restaurants beside the Brown Sugar? I know people say nothing really is within walking distance, but a longish walk is okay with me.

The hotel built a little cove on the main beach (facing south) as the water is typically rough/choppy/white caps. I don't know if there's a calmer season or if you just have good fortune to have calm seas.

Past the parking lot you're on the western side of the island (Carlisle Bay) and the water is much calmer (as with most the "windward" islands, the coast facing the open Atlantic are windy & choppy while the coast facing the Gulf are relatively calm).

Yes, if you head north you can walk into Bridgetown, although some of the walk is without sidewalks if you are on the road. You can go along the beach a good portion of the ways although you have to walk into knee-high water get around the Grand Barbados Beach Resort/Holiday Inn as it extends into the water.

If you head east part of the way there's a board-walk and you'll come across some restaurants. If I recall correctly the stores are on the northern part of the street (as stores don't need a sea view).

The next day the beach was quite rough, red flag at the next beach down, yellow at the Hilton's (where they have loungers and umbrellas). I tried swimming but had a hard time of it due to the rough, choppy water and the strong current and undertow. However, the day after was back to mild.

Just bringing this thread to the front. I will be taking my family there for the 1st time in a few weeks and just wanted to see if anybody had any new reviews of the property or Barbados. Thanks

Seven years later, I spent another week here, this time as a Diamond. I was upgraded to the corner suite with the separate connecting room. Very nice (altough I would have rather had the corner suite at the other end of the hotel - - not 01/03). Hotel has aged well, and we enjoyed our second visit very much. Staff was uniformly gracious. Only nits would be (i) unavailability of wifi other than in lobby and lounge areas and (ii) food and drink prices were a bit high.

Restaurant highlights were Tapas and Cariba. Also recommend getting out around the island to see Bathsheba, Bottom Bay and other beaches, as well as St. Nicholas Abbey and the numerous parish churches. Car rental was through Regency, at a good price.

Low point was LIAT airline - - avoid at all costs.

Happy to answer any questions.

Do you mean cola with soft drink? (If you're still on this forum)
Or maybe someone else know.

You dug up an old thread. There is a newer one here with more current information. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...s-reviews.html

Welcome to FT!