British Colonial Hilton Nassau

We visited Nassau in February, 2010, chosing the hotel because it was a Hilton and had beach acess. The hotel was great, and definitely a great value. The first room assigned to us was not yet cleaned, so the hotel staff promptly found us a new space, and upgraded us to an ocean-view room. Although it rained for much of our stay, the concierge was able to arrange a snorkel trip for us and provide plenty of ideas on where to stay dry. The hotel restaurants and bar were also very accomodating; we very much enjoyed the Havana Nights theme (and drink specials!) in the bar our last night. Overall, the hotel was updated, clean and a very welcoming place to enjoy our Bahama vacation.

As typically a single traveler, my personal safety is usually one of my foremost concerns when choosing not only a destination but also an accommodation. I stayed for two weeks and had no problems at all. I actually felt safe...and that's saying a lot!!! Location: At first I wasn't quite sure how I felt about the hotel being in the heart of downtown, but it really worked out great for me. It was easy to get to the places I wanted to go without having to depend on transportation if I didn't desire so. The service and staff were absolutely fabulous, friendly, helpful, and timely! I had no complaints. The hotel itself was well maintained. One downer for me was that not all the features mentioned on the hotel's website at the time matched what was available once I got there. For example, there was no jazz nightclub/lounge (one of the reasons I booked). Outside of that, everything was as promised. The fitness room was always nice and clean when I visited. The beach and pool were always clean when I visited them. My only complaint was the size of the private beach and/or lack of accessibility to the outer areas. Dining. The food was great! The breakfasts were wonderfully fresh and presented many options. My only dietary complaint was the shortage of organic food options, however the staff was always willing to work me. The night scene was pretty chic. The dinners and bars were nice. I liked that one could feel comfortable dressed up or dressed down and have options. Rooms. I absolutely LOVED my room! I had a great view, it felt clean, the bed was comfortably yummy, the housekeeping staff worked around my random sleeping schedule(s), and amenities were on point!...I did wish for a microwave though :o( I have traveled quite a bit in my day and visited the Bahamas a few times having stayed at different sites. Overall, I felt that for me the British Colonial was an excellent choice!!! At the time I was in dire need of a get-a-way to a place that offered calm and relaxation and that's exactly what I received! :o) My only real grievance is that for the amount of time that I stayed (two weeks) and the tab earned during said time (meals and drinks can get pretty pricey), I didn't receive any perks (not even a free drink or meal)...but I guess that's just the thrifty traveler in me! :o)

The hotel is located in the heart of Nassau just a short walk to the Straw Market. The hotel is very nice but our bed was so soft that I awoke with a backache each morning. The hotel is not a resort so you will have to look elsewhere for things to do. The beach is very small - you don't really feel like you're sitting on the beach in the Caribbean. We arranged snorkeling through the hotel and went towards Paradise Island. There was virtually nothing to see as far as snorkeling (a few colorful fish) but it was fun to take the boat ride to the snorkeling location and the driver pointed out celebrity houses on Paradise Island as we went by. Downtown Nassau is not a particularly nice spot. I would not feel comfortable walking around after dark. Good restaurants are a taxi cab ride away. My advice would be to stick to a resort. I have been to other resorts on other islands and found them to be much more enjoyable.

While I own a timeshare, I booked this trip with CheapCaribbean.com because we had a decent experience in the past and wanted the convenience of one stop shop. First, I felt quite mislead upon booking since I thought I was signing up for a Bed&Breakfast package which I paid extra. Apparently, the small print indicated otherwise, I noticed and called and was informed that making changes to my reservation would cost additional fees which would likely exceed the extra. I purchased transportation to and from the airport which was a nightmare. Very disorganized, my 3 year old was pushed onto the ground by one of the workers and we waited over an hour to board. We ended up paying a Taxi for our return because I didn't want to put my children through the nonsense again. We paid for a Deluxe City View which was a waste of money since we were on the 3rd floor and the view is not pleasant. Very loud, there were parties until 4 in the morning almost every night. I pretty much slept during the day since sleeping a night was impossible. Going forward, I will just use another service to book because after talking to other people who booked through CheapCaribbean, providing good service seems unimportant.