Visitors to the island will have a wonderful array of all types of lodging to choose from. There are more than 57 establishments ranging from B&Bs and small inns to large hotels and resorts. Some of the smaller establishments are historical Bermuda homes with lovely gardens while the large hotels and resorts, offering a larger variety of dining and sports activities, are waterfront properties. There are also two private luxury clubs on the island offering privacy in exclusive surroundings but an introduction by a club member is required. A complete list of Bermuda’s hotel establishments with easy clickons can be found at http://www.experiencebermuda.com.
Bermuda has two seasons: High season begins mid-April and continues until November. Low season, which usually begins in mid November, lasts until mid-April.
Low season is an ideal time to visit the island as room rates drop considerably and enticing hotel packages are offered. Since there are less visitors during this period, one can savor Bermuda in a more intimate way. However, weather can be rainy and the spring-like temperatures often dissuades visitors from swimming in the aquamarine waters. There is also less entertainment scheduled at this time in the hotels and often al fresco dining so popular during the high season is discouraged.
If you are arriving by ship, some hotels offer one-night packages for those wishing a change of scenery. And as Bermuda is known as the island of love, most hotels and resorts offer inclusive honeymoon or anniversary packages featuring value-added amenities that will make couple’s stays memorable.
Below is shipsandcruises’ listing of some wonderful hotels to try during your stay.
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Pink Beach Club
Junior suite at Pink Beach
Overlooking two magnificent pink coral sand beaches and set on 13.5 acres of lush gardens on rolling hills, Pink Beach Club is a picture-perfect hideaway in Tucker’s Town on Bermuda’s south shore. This enduring property has thrived for decades and is still a favorite for couples, honeymooners, golfers, business travelers, and families.
The elegant design of the property’s 24 cottages is that of traditional Bermuda cottage architecture with distinctive, white-washed terraced roofs, offsetting the soft rose hue of the exterior walls below, painted to perfectly complement the pink beaches. The cottages are divided into 62 junior suites and 32 suites. For dining, The Bermudiana is the more formal indoor ocean-front dining room where dinner is served. Gentlemen are requested to wear jackets and women dress accordingly. The poolside Breaker’s Ocean Terrace Café is casual and open for breakfast and lunch; it also serves dinner from April 15 to October 15
Pink Beach Club features two pink sand beaches and a heated swimming pool – all perfect for swimming or lounging, two tennis courts, ping pong tables and a snooker table. Snorkeling equipment is complimentary as are tennis balls. Tennis racquets and mopeds may be rented on the property. An expanded fitness center complete with a treadmill, exercise bicycle, Stairmaster, and weights, is open 24/7. And families will enjoy the playground for their toddlers, which also features an outdoor ping-pong table.
All rates are per night, MAP, based on double or single occupancy, and depend upon the season. If guests prefer to have dinner off the premises, there is a credit on their bill. For reservations, email reservations@pinkbeach.com. Website: www.pinkbeach.com
Cambridge Beaches
Cottages at Cambridge Beaches
On the west end of the island is the tony resort of Cambridge Beaches that is located on a 25-acre peninsula with five private beaches. The resort features 94 cottage-style rooms and suites. Several are of concierge quality. There are indoor and outdoor pools, three tennis courts, a marina croquet and putting. The Aquarian Bath and Ocean Spa offers 100 treatments and has a lovely indoor pool. The Tamarisk Room is the main restaurant located in the resort’s main building that is furnished much in the style of a English country estate. There is also the Terrace outdoor grill and the informal Breezes seaside. Sports include sailing, windsurfing, scuba diving, deep sea and bone, reef fishing. There are tennis court and croquet courts and access to Bermuda’s golf courses. And the resort offers complimentary ferry service to Hamilton. During the low season, Cambridge Beaches offers some wonderful inclusive package at great savings. The hotel is part of the dine-around plan allowing guests to dine at four other properties in the near vicinity. Website: www.cambridgebeaches.com; email: cambeach@ibl.bm
Elbow Beach
Pool with Jacuzzi
This property, now managed by the five-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, is the largest beachfront property on the island. Situated on 50 acres of gardens on the South Shore in Paget, the property overlooks its half-mile-long ocean beach. Like most of the major hotels currently, the property is a work in progress. Originally built in 1908, its four-story main Bermudian-style building (with lobby, restaurants, shops and function rooms) has undergone a major refurbishment in its public areas and now all the of the hotel’s 235 rooms are in the process of being renovated. Of the 235 rooms, most with ocean views, 131 of them are in the main building and all offer high-speed Internet connection, and visual teleconferencing facilities. The penthouse suite has three bedrooms with private patio and butler service. There is also a cottage colony of 104 rooms with lanais opening onto lawns and the beach.
Recreational activities include tennis—five Plexi-pave courts, two lit for night play; golf at nearby courses, a variety of water sports and full size fresh-water pool Mopeds and bicycles can be rented on the property.
Central to the hotel is the new Spa at Elbow Beach, Decorated in soft colors and organic textures, the Spa’s six self-contained spa suites are decorated in soft colors with hand crafted granite soaking tubs, bamboo flooring and small-pebble-lined steam showers. The Spa concentrates on Asian treatments that follow ancient Ayurvedic traditions and healing practices. Couples suites include a steam shower with a private vanity areas and a large granite soaking tub for two.
Dining at Elbow Beach encompasses six restaurants. The Seahorse Grill, where I had a fabulous dinner one night, combines local seafood with Bermudian dishes to which an Asian touch is added. Website: www.elbowbeach.com; email:
Fairmont Southampton
New indoor pool at the Spa
The Fairmont Southampton offers 593 guest rooms with fine-crafted furnishings and private balconies or terraces. There are two deluxe penthouse suites with concierge service. There are six restaurants on the property and the selection runs from five Diamond dining in the Newport Room (one of the best restaurants in Bermuda) to elegant dining at the harborfront Waterlot Inn) to the casual fare offered at the Whalers Inn at the hotel’s beach.
The world class Spa is a piece of architectural marvel with its indoor pool and an array of invigorating therapies offered. There is a golf course on the property and a half-moon-shaped sandy beach for water sports and swimming. All water sports are available as is tennis.
A sister hotel, the Fairmont Hamilton Princess occupies a choice harborfront property in Hamilton, just a short walk away from shopping and visiting city landmarks. Both hotels are accessible by the private hotel ferry. Complimentary trolley service to the Fairmont Southampton beach from both hotels. Website: www.fairmont.com
Grotto Bay
Grotto Bay’s Moongate, symbol of
good luck, in outdoor dining area.
Just a short way from the airport, this charming, low-key resort is positioned on 21 acres with a private beach. Lovely gardens, crystal caves with natural pools for swimming and a fresh-water swimming pool overlooking Castle Harbor provides a quiet setting for guests. The comfortable rooms have recently been renovated and offer comfortable furnishings in a very quiet setting. The ocean-view and ocean-front rooms have balconies or patios. There are two main restaurants serving local and international cuisine, and an outdoor bar and grill for lunch and informal dining. Tennis facilities on the property and access to two golf courses in the area are also available. An extensive Activities program for children and adults, offering a daily schedule of fun-filled things to do, is offered during the summer school break. Website: www.grottobay.com; email: lsgrottobay@bl.bm
The Reefs
The Reefs at sunset
Nestled atop coral cliffs above the Atlantic, this friendly family oriented hotel has 67 guest rooms and cottages. There is a heated fresh-water Infinity pool, a small private beach and two tennis courts. and an award-winning spa. The atmosphere is relaxing and the service ever so welcoming that guest repeaters are reported to be the highest on the island (65 percent). For wonderful dining, the hotel’s Grill 56 with its lovely Conservatory is open year-round while outdoor restaurants Coconuts and Ocean Echo provide dining al fresco seasonally. Website: www.thereefs.com; email: generalinfo@thereefs.bm
Pompano Beach Club
Pompano’s property adjoins the Golf Course
This informal oceanfront property is surrounded by the Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton parish, affording its guests a peaceful setting and easy access to golf. Its deluxe rooms and suites have balconies to the sea. There is a swimming pool that overlooks the beach which has a shallow sandbar where swimmers can wade out over 250 yard and snorkel among the coral reefs rimming the sandy beach. Five tennis courts, a shuffleboard, and a small workout center are also on the property. There are two major dining rooms as well as a casual eatery for lunch. The hotel belongs to the Dine Around program where guests can sample dinners at member resorts.
Since the resort is tucked away from the island's main road, guests feel as though they've escaped to a private, secluded hideaway. Most of the island's popular south shore beaches (Horseshoe, Warwick Long Bay and Church Bay) are a ten-minute ride from the resort.
Website: www.pompano.bm; email: pompano@ibl.bm
Waterloo House
Dining Room and terrace at Waterloo House
This intimate property in Hamilton is an elegant group of 19th-century buildings fronting miniature courtyards that spill down a hill right to the edge of Hamilton Harbour; the look and style are sun-never-sets British (period burnished and inlaid hardwood furnishings, brass sconces, mahogany crown moldings and wainscoting, and more) with state-of-the-art necessities like WiFi access.
Guests can enjoy top-rate cuisine on the waterside Poinciana Terrace by day or night, or in the elegant Wellington Room for dinner.
Two other sister properties—the Horizons (www.horizonscottages.com) and the private beachfront Coral Beach & Tennis Club (www.coralbeachclub.com ) both in Paget, offer exchange dining and water amenities with Waterloo House.
Coral Beach& Tennis Club is a 26-acre property fronting the sea and features lovely gardens and world-class tennis courts. Introduction by a member is required.
Lounge area
The cottage accommodations at Coral Beach have a unique Bermudian touch with kitchens, fireplaces and living-dining rooms fronting the beach. Tennis is the principal sport at the Club with eight clay courts which are professionally maintained and monitored to ATP Tournament Standard. White attire is required on the courts.
Horizons and Cottages, one of Bermuda's oldest and most charming plantation estates, commands some of the finest views of the island. It is also the also the island’s oldest cottage colony. Perched atop a hill, the hotel offers panoramic views of the sea.