Anyone ever been to either one of these? I have 6 free nights of Hilton points and we are looking to go somewhere tropical and closer to mainland we have not been to before.

On those islands, what did you enjoy doing? We are looking at maybe some scuba & snorkelling for sure.

[This message has been edited by Vero143 (edited 8/1/2010 5:14p).]

I HIGHLY recommend the Hilton on Maui. BEAUTIFUL.

Thx, but I am not looking at Hawaii. Only interested in hotels I named above.

[This message has been edited by Vero143 (edited 8/1/2010 5:18p).]

We have stayed at the British Colonial Nassau Hilton. Accommodations were fine but would warn you that it is adjacent to the cruise ship port. We did not know that when we went several years ago and that was before the days of tripadvisor. There was a Senor Frogs around the corner and a Hard Rock Cafe that we ate at several times. We had an excellent meal at a Marina on Paradise Island--opposite end from Atlantis. Also ate at the Poop Deck and it was good.

The pool and beach area was small but adequate. Hopefully they have improved the airport as I remember it being crowded and unairconditioned. We had to go through lines outdoors for all the international stuff.

If you have any specific questions I will try to answer. We also stayed using HHonors Points.

Thanks. I think we are leaning towards Barbados, but this helps. It almost is identical to some reviews on tripadvisor. Again, Thanks.

Barbados is awesome, just not sure about where that Hilton is. We stayed south of that area in the Sandy Beach / St. Lawrence Gap area and there was a lot of restaurants, bars, things to do within walking distance. Not sure about the Hilton. However, Barbados is very small so everything is a short cab or bus away.

Barbados is great. The Hilton is on the Southwest point. Didn't stay or go there, so can't help you there...

We rented a car, and here isn't a spot on the island we didn't drive to or see. The highlights were the snorkle trip with the turtles and over the ship wreck and eating fresh fish at the Oistens fish market... especially Friday night when they have a big fish fry. By far the prettiest beach and spot on the island is Bottoms Bay Beach right below Sam Lords Castle. It is kind hard to find, but def. worth it. There is a beach nearby that is close to Bottoms as far as looks go and is easier to reach, but I can't think of the name right now... Another great beach is Crane Beach... also need to check out the Sunday brunch at The Crane hotel... they have amazing gospel singing by the locals here on Sunday mornings.

Another spot I enjoyed was the Welchman Hall Gully, which is the only native stand of rainforest left on the island. There is a short hike you can do... this is also the only place where we saw monkeys.

Other notable spots is the beach at Bathsheba, and the North point where the Animal Flower cave is. We didn't do the cave, but just walked/hiked along the cliffs overlooking the ocean crashing on the rocks. There is a hidden beach on the north coast that only locals go to... really need to have yoru own car to go here... really hard to find.

Overall a great trip. I have never been to the Bahamas, but I would think the main difference is that Barbados is a stand alone island... so if you are into island hopping, the Bahamas would be the better choice.

+1 to the above poster except I would say the Crane Beach was the best beach. The water was a little rough but the sand was the softest I have ever been on. It was great.

Do you recall your airfare to Barbados? Cheapest I am seeing right now, early I know, is around $675......

Bahamas is around $400.

[This message has been edited by Vero143 (edited 8/4/2010 1:51a).]

We did a package deal(flight and hotel) through Sams Club/Expedia. It came out to 3600. We stayed in an oceanview suite at the Crane Hotel.