This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
It was less than two weeks before the February winter break at Blaise and Bodi’s school. Alfred needed a beach getaway and an excuse to celebrate my birthday. He always wants to celebrate my orbit around the sun while ignoring his own. He would send me links to resorts all over the Caribbean. What do I think of this one? Or that one? And then I’d become the research warrior, scouring sites like TripAdvisor and YouTube for reviews and pictures and videos.
My non-negotiables: (1) The resort must be on a beach. Not across the street and definitely not down the block. (2) Beach sand must be soft. No rocks and seaweed that I have to hopscotch around. (3) Ocean waves must be calm enough to wade in. The water must be warm. (4) Lounge chairs must be plenty. I don’t want early birds throwing towels and sunscreen on chairs to claim their spots. I want to stroll on to the beach whenever I want to find a spot for my family and I to relax. (5) A hot tub where the water feels hot enough that I squirm getting in and feel cold getting out. (6) Poolside bar close enough I can see it while at the pool and beachside service. Blaise needs his pina coladas and Bodi his chocolate milkshakes. Margaritas and mojitos for me and Hendricks on the rocks for Alfred. Swim up bars are a huge plus but not required. (7) One decent restaurant on site. I don’t want to leave the resort. I’m not there to experience fine dining. I get that at home. Just above average food to keep us content.
Is that a lot to ask for? I comb through reviews trying to find the answers to my above 7 parameters. I don’t really care about name drops of a particular waiter/waitress that smiled at you or gave you exceptional service. I want to know if the pool is heated. Was your room clean? Was the mattress soft? Did you get enough towels? Did you have to wait to get a table for dinner?
I didn’t have high expectations for the Hilton Barbados. Nowadays, every hotel has plenty of YouTube video reviews for me to get a good sense of how a resort looks and feels. I was not impressed with its dated decor, standard room/bathroom layout, full sized beds in the double rooms, and lack of entertainment spaces for teens. But we booked our stay less than 2 weeks before our travel date and they had availability so beggars can’t be choosers.
Perhaps it was my low expectations that made this such a lovely stay for our group. We expected more crowds for Presidents week but it seemed like there were more Europeans there than Americans. The pools, beach and restaurants did not feel crowded. That was nice. Most of the time, our group had the big pool to ourselves. Beach chairs were plenty. No lines at the poolside restaurant for drinks or food. Towels were plenty and the pool was warm-ish. It took a minute for me to acclimate to the coolness of the pool but felt divine in the hot sun. The ocean water was warmer and that felt wonderful too.
The weather in Barbados in February was high in the mid-80’s and low in the mid-70’s. Kind of perfect if you asked me. We napped our days way under an umbrella on the beach, sipping mojitos between naps. I would jump in the ocean or pool to cool off when the afternoon sun would get intense. Then find my way back to doze off again to the sound of waves. The Hilton is located right on the edge of a peninsula so we had two beaches to choose from, adjacent to each other. The ocean waves were strong but rock barriers lined the beach area, creating lagoons safe for swimmers as long as we didn’t swim past the rocks.
I wish I had brought my kindle with me. I’ve been reading books on my phone but the sun and glare made that impossible on the beach, even under the shade of an umbrella. There is a small cafe in the lobby for snacks, ice cream, soda, coffee, cappuccinos., quick sandwiches and pastries. Matcha and chai lattes are of the powdered mix kind and already sweetened. There’s a microwave in the lobby for all the guests to use. A small little gift shop for first-aid, toiletries, sunscreen and stuffies of turtles.
While there’s an open lobby, there always seemed to be a nice breeze flowing through that made being there pleasant. There’s a sports bar at one end of the lobby, Careenage Rum Stop, that is enclosed, so it was nice to meet there for a drink before dinner and have air conditioning. Jack loved the coconut shrimp there. The boys were happy to hang out with us and munch on seasoned fries and Shirley Temples. There’s a stage area with entertainment. The music and karaoke singers were fun and pleasant to have in the background and not distracting in any way if you’re there for drinks and conversation.
Burgers on the Beach
Flatbread Salad
Fish Cutter from Cuz’s Cafe
Mudslide
The Grille is the resort’s upscale dining option. The boys enjoyed nice steaks while the adults enjoyed fish, octopus and duck. Everything was tasty but the portions were small. The Lighthouse Terrace is the resort’s casual dining restaurant. The breakfast buffet was very unremarkable. The omelet bar was fine, as were the typical vats of scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage. The fresh fruit was below average. Nothing was particularly ripe or sweet. I found myself feeling more obligated to finish my small plate of melon and pineapple because I didn’t want to be someone who grabs food at a buffet and waste it by not eating it. Coffee was served in pots and I’m by no means a coffee connoisseur but it was another thing I felt obligated to consume because I ordered it. Dinner at the Lighthouse Terrace was good. Their Taste of Mexico City Salad felt more like a taco and their battered fish was hard as a rock. My roast chicken was a big portion but a little bit dry. Alfred’s seafood risotto was a lot more risotto than seafood. It was called The Fisherman’s Feast so I expected this big array of shrimp, calamari and mussels lining his plate but that feast didn’t happen. Agnes had the pork chops and she said it was good. Jack got the wrong meal but he also thinks he ordered the wrong thing, ribs maybe? There was a fancy name for their spaghetti and meatballs but my boys enjoyed it. Actually, all their meals had fancy names. Kudos for whoever thought of them, but that also set an expectation for an exceptional meal which set us up for a let down. One bright note, their chicken fingers were exceptionally good. Large pieces of chicken tenders, crispy light battered and tender/juicy inside. Bodi even tried to eat the crumbs. He’s a big eater but he’s a chicken tender connoisseur and they made it good. We had two dinners there during our stay. We sat in the open outside seating area which was nice and didn’t feel hot at all. The vibe was casual and it was an overall nice dinner on both nights.
Maple Glazed Duck Breast @ The Grille
Tender Octopus @ The Grille
We enjoyed a few lunches and a dinner at the Water’s Edge Beach Bar. The waiters/waitresses were not circling the beach area expecting loungers to order food and drinks. We had to go to the bar to ask for beachside service, which we didn’t mind doing. They brought our lunches to our beach lounge chairs and plated our food in these convenient stackable boxes. Their salads were drowned in dressing and I always forget to request to have the dressing on the side. Our boys enjoyed their wings, pizza, chicken fingers and burgers. Nothing extraordinary here. Their wings were too saucy for me, drenched in BBQ sauce but I love all wings so I still ate and enjoyed them. Their Mango Luscious Melody salad (again with their fancy names) had too much toasted coconut shreds and not enough mango. Also too sweet for my liking. The flatbread in their Flatbread Salad had the texture of a dry cracker. Service was wonderful and just being there made mediocre food insignificant.
Our taxi driver from the airport recommended Cuz’s Fish Stand next door to the Hilton. It took us less than 5 minutes to walk there. Jack was excited about the 1,800 5 star reviews and we couldn’t resist what was touted as the best fish cutter in all of Barbados. We waited about 30 minutes on line and it did not disappoint. Get the double fish with cheese. The fish was grilled perfectly in jerk seasoning with lettuce and a soft bun. The plan was to take it back to our beach chairs but I inhaled it within 2 minutes. So good that Jack and Alfred went back two days later to grab us sandwiches while Agnes and I sipped margaritas on the beach.
Drinks- I’m usually a vodka soda girl. Maybe a splash of cranberry and two limes if I’m going all out. But I’m on vacation and I also enjoy drinking what my girlfriends drink. It’s fun to enjoy the same cocktail with your friends. Maybe it’s a bonding thing. I find that Agnes and I are usually in sync with the types of food we like to eat and drinks are the same. She started off with a mojito and I followed suit. Of course, we always ask for it to be less sweet. We both don’t like the syrupy sweetness in our cocktails. We are drinkers. Alcohol is always flowing in our gatherings. It’s always fun and relaxed with us. We toggled between all their mojitos- mango, guava and strawberries until they literally ran out of strawberries for us. We moved on to their grapefruit margaritas. So yummy and strong enough to keep these heavyweights happy.
I read a review dated in 2018 that posted a picture of a sign that said the hot tub is out of service. Okay, this is 2026, that hot tub is surely fixed by now. No, that same sign is still up and we didn’t get to use the hot tub. One of the biggest joys from my beach vacations is soaking in the hot tub with a cocktail so this was a big disappointment. If there is one reason why I wouldn’t go back to the Hilton Barbados is that the hot tub wasn’t working.
As long as we can expect that all things run on island time, the service there was 10 out of 10. Everyone was friendly and helpful. Just be kind and respectful and that is returned tenfold. 10% gratuity was added to all our bills throughout the resort and I always added additional. I taught my kids to do the same when they go off on their own and order food and drinks. They accept US dollars and the currency exchange is simple to calculate. Everything is 2:1. So if a drink costs 18, that is 9 US dollars.
Overall, we loved our stay at the Hilton Barbados. It was a relaxing stay. The beach was lovely, plenty of towels, beach loungers and umbrellas, drinks were so good, 3 pools options for the family, good convenient options for food and drinks, rooms clean and service was wonderful.
7 out of 10 from me.
Join our newsletter to stay updated with
No spam, only good things. We promise. Unsubscribe at any time.
