We were 13 (plus 1 elephant to make 14): 2 over 60, 7 25-35, and 3 under 5 - the toy elephant was too small to count!
Most of us stayed 6 or 7 nights (2 of us stayed 12).
I cannot think of any way that the hotel could have made it better for such a diverse group.
We variously swam (2 beaches and 2 pools immediately available), snorkelled, dived, cruised, skied, and rode horses. The hotel (surprisingly for a Hilton?) had some of the cheapest hire car rates on the island (we were not fussy about the state of the cars provided they were fully roadworthy).
Under 5's eat and drink free (non-alcoholic!).
Probably the only real quibble all week was when the hotel was very full over the Thanksgiving weekend and the restaurant staff couldn't cope (normally they were quick and helpful - that weekend they were agonisingly slow - but still helpful).
Concierge and Reception staff couldn't have been more helpful and efficient - as were all the various people around the pool (the girl handing out towels was delightful - the children loved her), travel desk, etc.
The Babysitting service was excellent (she even offered to bath the children so we could leave earlier for the evening). There are so many places to eat in Barbados, we almost always went out for restaurant meals.

We stayed at the Barbados Hilton over the Christmas Holiday and were highly impressed. On arrival at BGI we were greeted by a Hilton rep who summoned our cab. At the hotel we were greeted with a drink and were checked in rapidly. My diamond status earned us an upgrade. The room we had was in like new condition and very comfortable. There was an issue with hot water some days in the early evening.

We were on the executive floor which allowed use of the lounge which offered free breakfast, evening drinks (inc. beer/wine, etc), appetizers and free Internet (wireless and one computer). Some of the appetizers were substantial enough that dinner wasn't needed.

The beech has just been renovated by the government and it's fantastic - very wide with one area that has excellent waves for body surfing or using a board. The staff were very helpful in setting up chairs and umbrellas on the beach or by the pool. The two pools were also nice with the upper pool more quiet.

The food at the Lighthouse Grill was good - not gourmet but enjoyable. The breakfast was also very diverse. The barbeque on the beach was very enjoyable with good food and a pleasant environment.

We did some diving with the Barbados Blue dive shop and the staff there were fantastic. The dive sites were varied with a number of wreck dives, walls and drift dives. Their equipment may need more maintenance, however, as I had one regulator had a low pressure leak and another regulator blew a HP hose right after we got back on the boat.

All in all a great place to stay.

We have just returned from 2wks at the Hilton Barbados.........and yes, there is no getting away from the fact that it is a very large hotel. We were undecided as our preference is usually boutique style hotels, romantic dinning etc. But our gorgeous daughter (age 5yrs) was foremost in our decision. On arrival we were greeted with fruit punch and a very friendly smiling service. The hotel lobby was beautifully decorated for Christmas. Rooms were a great size, very clean, modern with great view over the bay. We were upgraded to the 8th floor which mean't that we had free breakfast, afternoon tea and free drinks and nibbles between 6.30pm to 10am (plus late night brandy and chocolates). We thought the beach to be one of the best on the Island, yes, it the sea is often rough (but perfect for wave jumping and great fun) whilst still calm enough for little one to paddle around. Good pool area with choice of two pools, plus free towels. The sand on beach is white (most other beaches are gold and cramped) very large bay which mean that everyone can spread out and enjoy some privacy. The only criticism would be the food........fairly expensive and not great. However, there are some fab resturants within a 10min taxi ride. We ate out most nights and experienced amazing food and locations. Would recommend Josef's for location and Pices for good price menu plus chance to feed turtles bread rolls. Lobster alive was great, with good food and jazz on a beach setting. Buffet breakfast at the hotel were very good. Plus our daughter ate free whilst at the hotel. We had everything we could have asked for and shall be booking up for next year.

We have just come back from a very enjoyable stay at the Hilton in Barbados. From the moment we were dropped off at the hotel it was great. We were met by a very helpful porter who collected our cases and bags and helped us to the check in desk. The manager checked us in with no problems and after our issues with Expedia in the previous week we were relieved!! Whilst the manager was checking our room was ready he took us into the bar and we had a cocktail each on him! This was just what we wanted after a delayed 8 hour flight and a long wait of hour and half wait for our luggage at the airport.
We were taken up to our room and were amazed at the views and the comfort of the room. The bathroom was great a big walk in shower and separate bath with Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries. The bed was a big king size bed, a little firm for me but was not uncomfortable. The views were spectacular across the beach and the beautiful azure blue ocean. We stayed in the Lighthouse Tower, i think this is where the rooms have the best views as all rooms face the ocean compared to the other tower which has views over the front of the hotel and the parking lot.
The pool and beach area were fantastic, very clean and always a sun bed available whatever time of the day. Pool and beach towels were available and a waiter would also come round for your drinks and snack orders.
The Lighthouse restaurant was nice, we only ate there once on our first night and had the BBQ buffet. The Careenage bar was very friendly and we started most evenings off in there before getting a cab to St Lawrence Gap (BDS$20/ US$10). We took the advice of a previous reviewer and often had breakfast on our balcony as it was more economical and you could have as much or as little as you wanted but still cost less than the breakfast buffet fee.
The hotel offered various water sports and had someone on site to organise any day trips.
We were expecting a bit of noise from the beach restoration but when we arrived (6/12) there was no construction going, we did see a digger up the beach but this was never being used.
The only bad points was the adjoining room being separated but 2 wooden doors so sometimes you would get some disruption from talking/ tv noise etc. Also the location meant you had to get a cab everywhere or hire a car.
Overall we really enjoyed our stay and would definitely recommend others to stay here as the private beach meant you didnt have distractions of the beach traders and the staff were very helpful and was very peaceful even though the hotel was at it's capacity.