We booked our stay through Booking.com, expecting the standard of service, hospitality and facilities associated with a Hilton hotel. Unfortunately, our experience was extremely disappointing from the moment we arrived, with repeated failures in customer service, housekeeping, communication and the overall guest experience.
Below is a breakdown of our experience throughout our stay.
Saturday 1st – Arrival and Check-in
A cold and unwelcoming welcome
From the moment we arrived, the welcome was cold and unwelcoming. There was no warmth or genuine hospitality, which is not what you would expect when arriving at a hotel of this standard.
Unclear payment information
When I asked how much we needed to pay, I was initially given the amount in Barbados dollars. I then specifically asked for the amount in British pounds, but was instead given the figure in US dollars without any clear explanation. This was confusing and frustrating. As paying guests, we should be given clear and accurate information about the amount we are expected to pay, particularly when we have specifically asked for it in a particular currency.
No explanation of hotel facilities
Nobody took the time to explain the hotel’s facilities or amenities during check-in. We later discovered through the television information in our room that the gym was unavailable. This is something guests should be informed about before or upon arrival, particularly when booking a hotel where access to facilities is part of the expected experience.
No assistance with luggage
No bellman or member of staff offered to assist with our luggage. We were left to carry and drag our own bags all the way up to our room. This is a basic level of guest service that we would reasonably expect from a Hilton property.
Room not as expected
Our room overlooked a car park, which was not the view we believed we had booked. This was extremely disappointing and not what we expected when making our reservation.
Bathroom and housekeeping issues
Upon entering the room, we discovered that the bathroom sink was blocked and full of standing water. There were also no proper amenities provided, and packets had simply been left on the dressing table.
No information about breakfast
Although we had booked breakfast as part of our stay, nobody explained where breakfast was served, where to find it or what the breakfast timings were. We had to work this out ourselves rather than being given the basic information at check-in.
Undisclosed gym closure and ongoing renovations
We were particularly disappointed to discover that the gym was unavailable. Hilton had also failed to make us aware through Booking.com that the gym was closed and that extensive renovation work was taking place around the hotel.
There was constant banging, construction activity and workmen around the poolside. This significantly affected the atmosphere and enjoyment of the hotel. Guests should be made aware of such disruption before booking, allowing them to make an informed decision about whether they still wish to stay.
Sunday 2nd – Discovering the Facilities and Room Change
No information about the three swimming pools
Furthermore, we were not informed that the hotel had three swimming pools. We spent the first two days using the children’s pools before eventually discovering the infinity pool ourselves while exploring the hotel.
It is disappointing that nobody took the time during check-in to explain the hotel’s facilities or make us aware of the different pools available. As guests, we should not have to discover the hotel’s facilities by chance. A simple explanation upon arrival would have made a significant difference to our experience.
Room change
We subsequently moved rooms.
Dirty and stained beach towel
We were also provided with a beach towel that was visibly dirty and stained. This is unacceptable from a hygiene perspective and raises questions about the standards of housekeeping and laundry checks.
Monday 3rd – Further Housekeeping Failures
No towels left after room cleaning
On Monday, our room was cleaned, but no towels were left for us whatsoever. We were unable to shower and had to contact the hotel to request towels.
By the time this was resolved, it had become late and disrupted our evening. Providing clean towels after cleaning a room is one of the most basic responsibilities of housekeeping. It should not be something guests have to chase up.
Shampoo not replenished
The shampoo had also run out and had not been replenished. As a result, I could not wash my hair. Again, this is a basic housekeeping responsibility and something that should be checked when servicing a room.
Tissue box not replenished
The tissue box was also empty and had not been refilled.
These repeated issues demonstrate a lack of attention to even the most basic housekeeping checks.
Late for dinner reservation and charged
As a consequence of the disruption and delays, we ended up being late for our dinner reservation and were charged. This was particularly frustrating, as we should not have had our evening plans affected by such avoidable service failures.
Tuesday 4th – Further Disappointing Staff Conduct and Hygiene Concerns
Breakfast bill presented while we were still eating
While we were midway through eating breakfast, a waitress approached us and presented a bill for us to sign.
We explained that breakfast was already included as part of our stay. She responded that we still needed to sign. I was perfectly happy to sign the bill, but before allowing us to finish the conversation or providing any further explanation, she simply walked away abruptly.
The issue was not being asked to sign. It was the manner in which it was handled. We were still eating our breakfast, and it would have been far more appropriate to wait until we had finished before presenting the bill.
I also did not notice other guests being approached and handed bills in the same way, which made the interaction even more confusing.
Dressing gown placed on top of suitcase during room cleaning
Another particularly disappointing incident occurred when we returned to our room and discovered that our dressing gown had been placed directly on top of our suitcase during housekeeping.
This is extremely unhygienic and unacceptable. A suitcase travels through airports, transport systems and various environments, and the exterior is not necessarily clean. Placing a dressing gown that guests are expected to wear directly on top of a suitcase is simply poor judgement.
At previous hotels, we have experienced dressing gowns being properly hung up or neatly placed on the bed. There is no reason why basic care and consideration should not be shown here.
Lack of Response from Management
What makes this experience even more disappointing is the complete lack of response from management.
We have emailed the General Manager on four separate occasions and have received no response whatsoever.
We have also spoken to several members of staff throughout our stay, raising our concerns and highlighting the issues we have experienced. Despite this, the problems have continued.
Guests should not have to repeatedly chase staff and management to receive basic standards of service, cleanliness and communication.
Overall Experience
This stay has been a huge disappointment.
The issues we experienced were not isolated incidents or one-off mistakes. They were repeated failures across multiple areas of the hotel, including:
* A cold and unwelcoming arrival experience.
* Confusing and unclear payment information.
* No explanation of the hotel’s facilities.
* No assistance with luggage.
* A room view that was not what we expected from our booking.
* A blocked bathroom sink.
* Missing or inadequate room amenities.
* No information about breakfast arrangements.
* An undisclosed gym closure.
* Extensive renovation work, noise and workmen around the poolside.
* No information about the three swimming pools.
* Dirty and stained beach towels.
* Housekeeping repeatedly failing to replenish towels, shampoo and tissues.
* Disruption to our dinner reservation, resulting in a charge.
* Poor handling of the breakfast bill.
* A dressing gown placed directly on top of a suitcase.
* Four unanswered emails to the General Manager.
We booked through Booking.com and believe guests should be made aware of significant closures, renovations and disruptions before confirming their reservation. It is extremely disappointing that this information was not communicated to us.
A hotel stay should be an opportunity to relax and enjoy your holiday, not spend your time chasing staff for towels, discovering facilities by chance, dealing with avoidable hygiene issues and trying unsuccessfully to get management to respond.
For a hotel operating under the Hilton name, we expected a considerably higher standard of hospitality, communication, housekeeping and overall guest care.
Unfortunately, our experience fell well below those expectations. We hope management takes these concerns seriously and addresses the repeated failures in service, as future guests deserve to know what to expect before booking.
