Hotel Dengan Spa di Bimini, Bahamas

My father and I are both Hilton brand men. I'll fluctuate between Gold & Diamond in travel heavy years. Hampton & Garden Inn when on business to save money; Hilton when I want a treat. Even if this location was a Hampton, I'd be P.O.ed. Water pressure is non-existent; you have to drape the hand-held shower extension over the actually shower head to get the water to dribble on you. A/C is limited to 69°...and it's a long fight to get the room to that temp; even from 72°. In the second room, upon returning on the second day there was an overwhelming stench of raw sewage. Maintenance came, sprayed a Fabreeze-type solution on the A/C filter and declared the issue fixed. Tile floors around hallways are mopped with a heavily concentrated soap that leaves a dangerously slippery residue behind for hours; even when dry. Tread carefully! The intended fit and finish in the design was there but the execution was not there. All over the facility things are installed cockeyed, loose, and or held on by silicone or caulk. One of the main elevators is just scary; scraping itself up and down the shaft with a disconcerting sound. By the third day, it gave up or was shut down for safety. Service is hit or miss. If the employee has the work ethic or is in a good mood, they'll try their best. The rest can't be bothered. There is probably an established bare minimum they know to walk to stay employed. Food is hit or miss; some meals were dreadful one or two were a nice surprise. Options before 8am are extremely limited. Servers can only be bothered if they see another staff member attempting to help you..that's when they'll show up. Once they assert their ”jurisdiction” over your table, they disappear again...but this is the norm for the island. Pre trip research indicated that all the above was likely and several wives were left at home for the trip. This was the right decision. They would have been extremely unhappy; we would have had to suffer for their misery. For the rates paid, this is just not acceptable BUT In Hilton's defense, this is very likely not their fault. I'm pretty sure they know this property is not up to their standards. They are simply held hostage by the local work force and stuck with the least worst of the subpar options. Both, on the service side and on the construction & maintenance side. Look; wherever you live or travel there are great people and bad people. People with work ethics, positive people-pleasing attitudes...and their anthesis. Bimini/Bahamas is no different. That divide is just much more pronounced; they're either great or terrible but there are no degrees/shades in between. Would we return? No. Travelling by boat, we'd just load up from Costco in Florida and rent a house with a dock if there was another large organized trip to this particular island. There were 13 boats that made this trip. While none were particularly impressed with the property, some of us know that Hilton are not totally at fault here. If this place

My father and I are both Hilton brand men. I'll fluctuate between Gold & Diamond in travel heavy years. Hampton & Garden Inn when on business to save money; Hilton when I want a treat. Even if this location was a Hampton, I'd be P.O.ed. Water pressure is non-existent; you have to drape the hand-held shower extension over the actually shower head to get the water to dribble on you. A/C is limited to 69°...and it's a long fight to get the room to that temp; even from 72°. In the second room, upon returning on the second day there was an overwhelming stench of raw sewage. Maintenance came, sprayed a Fabreeze-type solution on the A/C filter and declared the issue fixed. Tile floors around hallways are mopped with a heavily concentrated soap that leaves a dangerously slippery residue behind for hours; even when dry. Tread carefully! The intended fit and finish in the design was there but the execution was not there. All over the facility things are installed cockeyed, loose, and or held on by silicone or caulk. One of the main elevators is just scary; scraping itself up and down the shaft with a disconcerting sound. By the third day, it gave up or was shut down for safety. Service is hit or miss. If the employee has the work ethic or is in a good mood, they'll try their best. The rest can't be bothered. There is probably an established bare minimum they know to walk to stay employed. Food is hit or miss; some meals were dreadful one or two were a nice surprise. Options before 8am are extremely limited. Servers can only be bothered if they see another staff member attempting to help you..that's when they'll show up. Once they assert their ”jurisdiction” over your table, they disappear again...but this is the norm for the island. Pre trip research indicated that all the above was likely and several wives were left at home for the trip. This was the right decision. They would have been extremely unhappy; we would have had to suffer for their misery. For the rates paid, this is just not acceptable BUT In Hilton's defense, this is very likely not their fault. I'm pretty sure they know this property is not up to their standards. They are simply held hostage by the local work force and stuck with the least worst of the subpar options. Both, on the service side and on the construction & maintenance side. Look; wherever you live or travel there are great people and bad people. People with work ethics, positive people-pleasing attitudes...and their anthesis. Bimini/Bahamas is no different. That divide is just much more pronounced; they're either great or terrible but there are no degrees/shades in between. Would we return? No. Travelling by boat, we'd just load up from Costco in Florida and rent a house with a dock if there was another large organized trip to this particular island. There were 13 boats that made this trip. While none were particularly impressed with the property, some of us know that Hilton are not totally at fault here. If this place